Cohousing-L Mailing List: Future of gas and cars (was Advantages of Community)

[Fred H. Olson (fholson]

Judy Baxter <BAXTER [at] epi.umn.edu>
is the author of the message below but due to a problem it was posted
by the Fred the list manager:  fholson@cohousing org

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Zev wrote:
<How about a 70% reduction!  Well folks, that is exactly what is quietly
being discussed in the oil, gas and government circles. The Department
of Defence is using the estimate of 30% available fuels in their
contingency planning.  They didn?t make up those numbers, they got them
from industry. Some industry consultants are trying to let people know
that having much gasoline in the early part of 2000 may be a fantasy.
We are in for some exciting changes!
>

I agree, whatever the numbers are.  I am saving my arms, so I can't give you
the  web sites, but I do know that several manufacturers are working with RMI
(Rocky Mountain Institute/Amory and Hunter Lovins) re the "hypercar"  .  And
someone at the Natl Conf was telling me that hybrid cars are coming out *this
year* from Honda and Toyota.  Hybrid means, i think, combination of gas of some
sort with electric cars.  The auto mfrs are smart enuf to see they can't keep
going the way they are in the long run, I guess.  

Too bad, in my view, to fix the cars instead of modifying our transportation
patterns, but possibly the best alternative in the time scale involved.  I know
that the Twin Cities (Mples/St.Paul) have urban sprawled themselves into
huge auto addiction.

I've started to have fantasies of coho communities of short-distance vehicles
with 1 or 2 shared vehicles for longer trips or hauling supplies.  As Zev said,
the advantages of community.

Judy

Judy Baxter, Monterey Cohousing Community,(MoCoCo) Twin Cities Area, Mpls.,MN
-- e-mail:      baxter [at] epi.umn.edu
15 homes - 7 new townhomes plus 
        8 coop apartments       in the Mansion (a rehab Georgian building)
(built as a retirement home in 1924 -) which also serves as our Common House
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Two (3 BR +) townhomes  for sale - see our web page
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 Voice Mail for Monterey Cohousing - 612-930-7554
 web page: http://www.jimn.org/mococo/