Sunday, January 28, 2007

The automobile as ecomyth

Ecomyths have in common a moral crusade wrapped within a sheen of scientific necessity: a perfect example is the continued efforts to demonize the automobile, a feature of great passion for many in the developed world and a source of aspiration for many in developing nations. A recent post, highlights some of the common misperceptions and allegations about the automobile as ecomyth.

Front and center is the point that what galls most people about the automobile: it is an icon of personal freedom and as such it is a constant target for those stasists who believe that entrusting decision to the individual is a sure path to damnation. Conversely, those of us who belief in individual responsibility and free choice, will continue to embrace the automobile as a both a symbolic and practical expression of that freedom.