Going green in a Yukon

The mayor held a press conference last week to announce the city's new assault on global warming. But only the The Times' eagle-eyed Steve Hymon noticed the decidedly un-green moment that followed:

Upon its conclusion, when Villaraigosa climbed into his black GMC Yukon SUV and motored back to his Windsor Square home. Villaraigosa and the council members had arrived earlier aboard a chartered DASH bus. Look at us! We like mass transit! As for the GMC Yukon, imagine an oversize Darth Vader's helmet with a tailpipe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rates it as getting about 17 miles per gallon and producing 10.6 tons of greenhouse gases a year. To put that in perspective, a Toyota Prius puffs out 3.4 tons of greenhouse gases a year. Mayoral press secretary Janelle Erickson said the bus was arranged for logistical reasons and that the mayor was using the vehicle that his security staff has asked him to use.

Comments

[CC]

How can you trust a guy that decides to amend his last name?

[Mark E. Capron]

The Blog should repeat the May 21st bike lane opinion. Here's my answer.

Get a copy of the the March/April 2007 American Bicyclist to see pictures of a bicycle friendly community. Or check bicyclefriendlycommunity.org.

I've bicycled to work and errands in excess of 100,000 miles. The bicycle friendly community evaluation looks like an "adapt to local conditions" workable approach.

A couple suggestions:

1. Davis, California, the only platinum city, has intersection crossing buttons where cyclists can reach (most cities have them in far off the road, forcing cyclists to dismount, run over, hit the button, run back, remount.) Now we could incorporate electronics in cellphones that would serve the same function automatically. (Not a special pass, but the same response as pushing the button.)

2. Cars are becoming more automatic (see 2008 Lexus LS 600h L evaluation in June 2007 Popular Science). We need a contest, like at GuardianAngelCars.org, to ensure the automation is bicycle and pedestrian friendly.

[n simon]

at least he makes an effort with public transport, which is more than many in this town.

[Tom A.]

Hypocrisy. It's what's for dinner.