Vindication by Train by Elia Fisher

It seems that more than ever these days nearly every person has a profound opinion about the state of our local, regional, and national affairs. The disquiet stems from Main Street to Wall Street, exists from the front lawn of my house to your house to the White House and all points in between. Public distrust of our central council and regional governments has been demonstrated on sidewalks, inside of beltways, overheard on the outside patio of coffee shops, and expressed over the airwaves of talk radio communities in almost every corner of the US.

Personal responsibility and proactive ownership on the other hand seems far less exercised. This, too, has been greatly demonstrated to the extreme by the American citizenry. From the occasional motorist sporting a “Pro-Life” bumper sticker on the back of his or her Ford Excursion while barreling carelessly down the roadway at high speeds to the self-professed libertarian who views “free” curbside parking as a non-government-subsidized public entitlement (like there is such a thing) to the anti-corporate, pro-tax human rights activists who demand impunity for undocumented immigrants to the hard working blue collar unionist who does all of his weekly shopping at a multinational big-box merchant, it seems that society is as equally rich in hypocrisy as it is in opinion.

Undoubtedly the biggest cause of pollution, human illness, social injustice, the weakening condition of our national security, our ever inflating health care costs, and our economic stagnation is America‘s love affair with the car. The impacts of the “private” automobile has been hugely ignored by the many modern Americans as equally as much as the many benefits of taking public transportation have been greatly overlooked.

Personally, I feel that the most powerful way to bring about change is to take unspoken action, like the lifestyle Christians and the Ralph Naders of this country tend to do. So where can the average person like me find a magic fulcrum for taking action and fostering great change in our country? Right at our front doorstep in the buses and trains that run in front of our own house or apartment.

A Gallup poll released earlier this year found that at least 3 out of every 4 Americans are highly concerned about “contamination by of soil and water by toxic waste”. This is in spite of the fact that many of them don’t mind or either don’t bother to care about their own heavy contribution to the rising cancer rates in many Canadian cities, towns, and villages that have been caused by the mining of oil sands. Canada is, after all, America’s biggest supplier of the crude that we use to fuel our automobiles. In several places affected by the steam extraction of the Athabasca oil sands, some cancer rates are 30% higher than the Canadian average. But I guess if it is not happening to us, we shouldn’t care, right? Well at least that seems to be the prevailing attitude. To me that is a prime example of the usual double standard.

Throughout the past decade, several US senators and house members have introduced bills calling for the issuance of an official apology to American Indians for the wrong-doings committed throughout the past. Strangely, these same lawmakers have recently and continually voted in favor of opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the interests of big oil. Offering an apology for destroying an ancient, God-given lifestyle while simultaneously opening their land to exploitation is a moot gesture to say the least. Like many parents tell their kids, sorry is a sorry word- the best way to apologize is to refrain from repeating the guilty offense. Therefore if an elected official wants to truly apologize for the near extermination of the American buffalo and the resulting ultra-high diabetes rates and chemical addictions (also now linked to non-paleo diets) that are found among the today’s remaining indigenous Great Plains cultures, he or she should instead prove that they really care for aboriginal people by protecting the moose, caribou, and salmon that Alaskan Natives and Canadian First Nations still subsist on today. One way to do this would be to invest in a national train system instead of highway infrastructure and the billions of dollars worth of big oil subsidies that have gone along with it. Together with keeping oil companies out of the remaining traditional hunting grounds, this would be a sincere act of contrition.

And for you Tea Party activists out there, I am sorry to say that you have not escaped the scope on this one. Those of you who have criticized the government are often just as guilty of double standard thinking as the next guy over. As you often and rightfully suggest, nothing in this world is free. To exist costs money. And it would only be right to enact a tax strategy that lowers national spending and eases the taxpayer burden, right? Well, if you didn’t know, an investment is when you use capital to save capital. May I ask if you have missed the multitudes of independent studies throughout the last several decades that have proven rail’s cost effectiveness over air and highway travel?

There is a special magic in public transit that holds a golden benefit for everyone. I could go on and on about how taking the bus or train can improve the world in which we live, but instead I encourage you as an individual to look into the power that it beholds.

So in all the confusion it should be good to know that changing the world really is easy. Whether you are a private citizen with a bumper sticker on your vehicle that reads, “Live simply so that other may simply live”, or are an elected public official who is an extreme hardcore national security hawk, right now is your opportunity to mean what you say by exchanging your hippy hotrod Volkswagen or gas guzzling pickup truck for a transit pass. Actions speak far louder than words.

The next you want to help preserve the culture of an indigenous American community, limit your environmental footprint, or take a stand against a government that is hostile to western society, get out of your car and get onto a train. The time for concerned citizens to reevaluate the worth of public transportation is here and is way overdue.Just a simple observation from a commonsense independent voter.

Water Pollution: Cars vs. Transit

Everyone knows that cars produces air pollution, but many people are not aware of the amount of water pollution that they produce. Cars pollute the water ways buy grinding up roads and their own tires; the dust produced runs into waterways when it rains. In addition, the oil used as lubricant is constantly leaking out. In addition, some irresponsible car owners dump used oil directly into storm drains. Overall, more oil is dumped into our nation's waterways than was spilled following the Deepwater tragedy in the Gulf.

Doesn't most of this apply to buses also? Yes, except that most buses transport many, many more people compared to the surface area of their tires and the amount of oil that they use compared to cars. People who maintain buses professionally are much less likely to dispose of used oil improperly.

Trains cause even less water pollution. Train tracks take up less space than roads, and the tracks themselves are made of less toxic materials than asphalt. Train tracks are more water permeable than roads. Permeability matters because this keeps pollutants from pooling in one area. There are many chemicals that are harmless or even beneficial in small quantities are toxic in large concentrations.

For example, if one hundred people take a supplement with 10mg of iron every day, their health may improve. But if only person takes that entire amount, 1g , it would eventually kill them. Covering a large percentage of our cities with concrete and asphalt encourages rainwater to pool in limited areas and for pollutants to also pool in those areas, allowing chemical concentrations to reach dangerous levels.

Public transit not only uses oil more efficiently than cars do, buses and trains use space more efficiently as well. Using space more efficiently leaves us more places for parks and open space.