Sticker #176Environmentalists Don't Drive

Groups like Critical Mass are founded on ableist privilege.

I understand that for many people, biking and public transit are better options than driving. But the promotion of bicycling, and the association of motor vehicles with evil/consumption/un-ethicalness is an inherently ableist standpoint. Sure, it's great to bike for transportation if it's possible to do so (I do, and don't own a car), but my many disabled friends and acquaintances who NEED motorized transit. They aren't lazy, they are disabled. They have the right to move around and shouldn't be condemned for doing so. Cars have made independence possible for many - 1/6 of the population of the US is disabled (though of course some of those disabilities prevent driving.) That said, we will ideally come up with alternative non-polluting fuels and mass transit that is both more accommodating to disabled persons and more convenient for everyone to use.

To kms- Driving an electric car does nothing. Where does the majority of the electricity come from? Dams or coal burning plants. Unless you saddle up you are still a hypocrite, electric car or not.

I drive my 100% electric car! I'm waiting for stickers for that.

This one presses lots of buttons... it'll be going on the back of my bike.

"This is not anything that the United States government has inflicted upon them, corruption of those in power in their own nation has caused many to suffer." In many cases the US has actively placed dictators (or supported them) in power to benefit US interests and American corporations... i.e. Chile, Nicaragua, even good ol' Saddam back in the 80's are just a few examples that come to mind.

Jack, I don't know if I'm getting choked up from your empty Reagenesque "Morning In America" rhetoric, or just plain choking on that generous serving of "American" pie you've dished up. I might need something schmaltzy to wash it down, say Neil Diamond singing "Coming to America". "Since day one individuals (except slaves and natives, mind you) have had the FREEDOM to pursue that which they desire and had the FREEDOM to better there lives." Cough cough. COME ON! What about women? Did they have that opportunity since day one? And it doesn't even matter what that "day one" is, whether it was 1492, 1680, 1776, 1783, 1787, or hell 1900 for that matter. Remember, in the "good old days" only white, Protestant, land-owning men could vote. Now lemme get my boots so I can pull myself up with my bootstraps...

I'm with Kurt. One question for all you big city enviro's: How are you going to impact you community and change the way that suburban neighborhoods are structured by living in a big city that already operates on public transit?

Tommy: The reason that America is so blessed is because since day one individuals (except slaves and natives, mind you) have had the FREEDOM to pursue that which they desire and had the FREEDOM to better there lives. THAT is why so many have, had, and will migrate to the U.S. The primary reason why countries are poor is that they have suppresive leaders. They (the suppressed), DO NOT have the freedom to better their lives. This is not anything that the United States government has inflicted upon them, corruption of those in power in their own nation has caused many to suffer.

Does anyone agree that the United States has done SOME good things for the world?

Yes, I love where we live. We buy from the organic farms which are out here and we can avoid the troubles of city life. Not to mention I live in a 200 year old historical house and have a big yard to grow lots of veggies - our own food. Why live in a city with its pollution? Clean air and water for me.

i love this sticker it's awsome!! keep it up!!

I agree, anonymous, with your post higher up. What's unfortunate is that most of our country has been built assuming that everyone wants to DRIVE everywhere for everything. Consequently, it's very hard to do otherwise. BUT, although some big cities (Manhattan and San Francisco being the extreme cases) are too expensive, there are places that are affordable. Sure you might have to live next to someone with darker skin than you, but that might be a good thing. If you get involved in your new community about public transit and land use issues in general, you might make a good place to live where you can walk to the market, where your kids walk to play in the park, sidewalk, or community center instead of a big private back yard or being driven to soccer practice. The dysfunctional and wasteful single family home can be made obsolete, but we who consider ourselves "environmentalists" must begin by living car-free and getting involved in local politics. Big change begins with individuals acting in their communities.
Not to get completely off topic (too late i think), but zod's hatred of immigrants made me want to remind everyone that even if immigrants do use some social services and do in some cases drive down the wages for poor americans, I'd like to make the argument for immigration (including illegals): We are all much better off than most of the rest of the world. Why? Not because of our good honest protestant work ethic, not cos of any genetic superiority, whatever. it's because through economic, diplomatic, and military forces, we exploit many of the developing countries. For example, we require them to restructure so that our big companies or new ones modeled on ours may come in and suddenly be providing the only jobs available, and the pay is low and the treatment is inhumane. There aren't even enough of these awful jobs, so there is a large unemployed population, and this isn't the way life used to be for them. We have a moral obligation to allow people to move to the U.S. because we've fucked up their home countries.

hey, i like the sticker and all, but i feel i need to say something. my dad is an enviormentalist, yet he drives. He was involved in cleaning up the exon gas spill, and made frequent trips to nigeria to voice economic friendly ideas, while fully aware of the chevron case. while i do beleive that cars are both dangerous and unhealthy, i think that it's not very fair to make assumptions like that one.

Boy, that last post by "ZOD" is good for a laugh. Are you too bored with your conservative websites today? It's like I've tuned into the Lars Larsen show. FYI- Michael Moore is a card-carrying member of the NRA (lifetime member even!); how's that for a "sissy liberal"? Ah, what's the point in arguing with this person?

Live closer to a city.... Thats nuts!!! I live 8 miles from nyc and I can't afford the taxes where I live. Living near a city is great for rich limosine-liberals and poor parasitic illegal immigrants who mow the lawns and work harder for their money then the silly bleeding hearts who live off their trust funds and dictate that I need a smaller unsafe car and pay higher taxes. You know the higher taxes that pay for the illegals to use our hospital system. Anyone catch in the news today that Michael Moore's bodyguard was caught carrying a gun without a gun permit.... Another sissy liberal exercising his gun rights buy paying (and hiding behind) somebody else to carry their gun. I make a great salary, but I know that most Americans don't. I sympathize with people who have to live 20 miles from any town. And you silly liberals may be shocked to know how many people can only afford houses they cost less then $25,000. B100 baby, petroleum is for sissies.

Kurt and Mason, as stated in my comment, "I'm not trying to jugde anyone driving a BioDiesel". It's pointed out that this society is still designed around cars, and it's almost impossible to be entirely car-free. Basically what I am saying is we need to re-evaluate this car-based society. BioDiesel is a feel-good placebo. And one hundred years ago, you wouldn't live 20 miles from the nearest town because it would be impractical to do so. You would either live in town (which would be on a rail line, 9 times out of 10), or if you did live in the wilderness, the "trip into town" would be a weekly or monthly all-day (or multiple-day) trip. Because we've designed our landscape (and consequently our lives) around cars, it's become possible to live 20 miles from a city without considering the adverse effects. While a vehicle is a necessary tool in that circumstance, is it always in others?

I think Kurt makes a valid argument. I have many friends who live 20+ miles from the nearest town. Often the roads are poorly paved and have NO snowplow service. Quite simply, they NEED trucks in order to live there. Furthermore, not everybody can afford to move, and some people like to have big yards. Why criticize them for their decisions? Incidentaly, isn't a big yard basically a large green space?

Kurt, you need a car to sustain your lifestyle, not necessarily "to live a happy life." Do you HAVE to live there in that remote part of Pennsylvania? If so, then I might agree that for you cars are necessary, for now. But if you just live there because you like big yards and Home Depot, then I'd suggest that you're part of car-enabled urban sprawl, and that you're not the environmentalist you think you are.

I am an environmentalist whith two young children and a wife. We live in a remote area of Pennsylvania where it is miles to anywhere. If I wouldn't drive we would not be able to life a happy life. Even though I agree to an extent, cars can be a necessary evil.

While driving BioDiesel (or hybrid cars, etc etc) is definitely better than using conventional vehicles, it still doesn't address the real problems of car culture. We still design communities around auto-centric ideas (freeways, parking lots, etc), and car-related fatalities still happen. A BioDiesel car is still as capable of killing a pedestrian, bicyclist, driver, passenger, or someone in another car as would be a car with a conventional internal-combustion engine. I feel that BioDiesel doesn't really address the real problem inherent in an auto-centric society, and could almost been seen as a detriment (i.e. people feel "less guilty" about driving BIoDiesel, so they end up driving more, not less.) I'm not trying to judge anyone driving a BioDiesel, and I realize that it is practially impossible to live completely car-free in this day and age. But people should think this all the way through...Having said all that, you should propose to Microcosm some good BioDiesel stickers if you'd like to see them.

A little too close to the truth? The one thing we can all do make this world better is to stop driving so much.

And where are all the stickers about driving on BioDiesel or straight veggie oil??? I just got the sweetest diesel station wagon and that's my plan...

What a great sticker, and it's printed on vinyl!! Come on, think before you preach!!!