Filed under: Etc., Green Daily, Europe/EU
Some Europeans are using the car more, even when it's not necessary
When thinking about Europe you might think about the bikes in Amsterdam, the widespread use of mass transit systems, toll roads, high gas prices, small cars. These images are something that you might need to reconsider, at least for one European country: Spain (although all Europeans are driving more).Spaniards have become the laziest Europeans and use their cars more than anyone else in the EU. While it's a large country with an underdeveloped railway system (except for a couple of subway networks), gas prices are almost the lowest in Europe (if curious, check them here). Need some numbers to back all this up? 75 percent of cars in Spain run with only one person inside. 30 percent of pollution in Spain comes from transport. 40 percent of the land designated for new construction there is set aside to build roads. Spaniards, more than citizens of any other country in the EU, use their cars for short trips of only 2 to 3 km (1.2 to 2 miles).
These are just some figures which are being used by the Ministry of Environmental Affairs and the WWF Adena to try and encourage Spaniards to drive less.
[Source: WWF Adena via Econoticias]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ernie 11:43PM (11/27/2007)
So how does this stack up against Americans, I wonder? The numbers are still lower I bet.
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priusguy 12:19AM (11/28/2007)
As mentioned in above, public transit in Europe is so much better. Trams, trains, subways - they are all very dependable and take you just about anywhere you need to go. In the US, it really depends where you live, but you pretty much need a car (except in NYC or Chicago).
Real Car Prices from Real People
http://www.pricehub.com
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Karl-Uwe Strunzen 1:09AM (11/28/2007)
This is a real shame, particularly for Spain. Madrid has the best public transport system I've ever seen. The number of metro lines is just mind-boggling and the ticket is very cheap (compared with other places with just 2 or 3 lines and prices that are enither here nor there....). They've also got really modern rolling stock from CAF, Alstom and Ansaldo. With the buses the fleet of CNG vehicles (Irisbus) is also very impresive.
Zapatero yesterday announced measures to reward families who are very frugal with energy consumption and have energy efficient homes. I think something like this needs to be done also with public transport and people who ride their bicycles at an EU level (granted, Madrid in this case isn't a very good example as it isn't very bicycle friendly)
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scatter 7:10AM (11/28/2007)
Spain has a fairly substantial high speed network with a lot under construction. True the non-high speed trains do trundle pretty slowly but those AVEs can shift!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVE
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Karl-Uwe Strunzen 9:28AM (11/28/2007)
To the AVE (with Alstom) network Sevilla has also been added. Also very impressive are the high-speed trains in Valencia (or "Pendolino") which actually tilt as they go into curves. Besides Valencia, most of Europe also use these (Finland, Virgin UK, Italy, Portugal...etc)
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BILL 11:11AM (11/28/2007)
Yes, it is aweful to use our cars to travel 4 city blocks or whatever. We need to make blocks smaller so there will be less of a sense of intimidation when we set out on foot. Maybe moving escalators can be installed and be powered by windmills or by liberal environmental wackos pedaling stationery bicycles.
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Ernie 3:26PM (11/28/2007)
Bill said:
"We need to make blocks smaller so there will be less of a sense of intimidation when we set out on foot."
Or maybe you shouldn't be such a damn pansy. Oh woe is you. All those blocks. Big ones, too!
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hektik 3:56PM (11/28/2007)
Yes Xavier,
It is sad but it is true. Some months ago I carried out a survey and I detected even worst figures than the ones you mention. Only 15% of the vehicles carried more than one person on a trip of 2 miles (the distance from the outskirts to the industrial state where most of the people in my town work). Or a 50 seat bus with only one person in it (with the exception of the bus driver).
Not to mention that a roughly 50% were using the safety belt...
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Xavier Navarro 5:55PM (11/28/2007)
To Karl-Uwe and Sergio:
Do you think that the AVE is such a "green option". I agree, it's electric, it's comfortable and it's fast. But I wonder how many cars it will take out of the roads, it's more aimed against air traffic (especially the Barcelona-Madrid line).
Building more AVE doesn't mean that commuters, people that go every day to work, will get better public transport options. Barcelona is a very significant example. Madrid is building new "metro" lines as crazy, but also more roads. I would bet it's the most polluted city in Europe. And what options cities like Zaragoza, Vigo, Castellón, Santander or San Sebastián have? Cities of that size in Germany have all bike lanes, streetcars (trams) and a dense bus network.
I really believe we have a problem in Spain
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Karl-Uwe Strunzen 11:05PM (11/28/2007)
AVE may not be the "greenest" but certainly "greener". Public transport, AVE included, which diminishes car or even air traffic has to be seen as a good thing.
Cycling paths are probably a weak point in Spain, when compared e.g. with The Netherlands. Another weak point as far as cars are concerned is probably the relative few cars on CNG (compared say with Italy and Poland). With public transport, however, Spain have a very impressive number of CNG buses and have placed record orders, easily outstripping Germany there. I don't think Germany is a very good example for either cars or for public transport: the ticket prices for public transport actually discourages it's use (you might as wel just take the car...), making the quality/price ratio very low...Often the metro there has only a couple of very, very expensive lines....
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Karl-Uwe Strunzen 11:20PM (11/28/2007)
If you consider also the Alaris tilting trains in Valencia, Germany was pretty much the last country in Europe to use tilting-train technology:
http://www.bahn.de/p/view/international/englisch/trains/trains_icet.shtml
"...DB introduced the ICE with tilting technology (ICE T) on 30 May 1999. This system, which has been in successful operation in Italy for decades, means that the train tilts inwards by up to 8° when travelling through curves, in much the same way as a motor cyclist. This allows it to travel at 30% higher speed in curves."
http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/alaris/
The price difference, however, between an Alaris and ICE-T means that I would hop on the Alaris tomorrow if need be, and the ICE-T perhaps if someone is buying the ticket for me.....
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Karl-Uwe Strunzen 11:31PM (11/28/2007)
and let's not forget the new Spanish car tax..
Spain is definitely leading the way there (with several other EU countries soon to follow):
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundomotor/2007/10/31/usuarios/1193846825.html
CO2 (g/km) and tax rate (%) :
200 14,75%
>200 in the end really boils down to monstrous German cars (with the very latest in cup-holder technology) that are all about being oh so "exlusive". This means that significantly increasing the 14.75% (e.g. to 30%) would make for a win-win scenario: for this type of consumer their car becomes even more "exclusive", and the government can really tax those cars which are responsible for so many problems - not those highly eco-friendly cars which really are about efficient transportation. When other countries do follow the example Spain, I hope this rate is hiked up..
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Karl-Uwe Strunzen 12:45AM (11/29/2007)
I agree with Sergio about electric cars. Now would be a good time to see a strong push in electric vehicles. I mean politically, as the technology is already there. If we use public transport and electric cars (sparingly) in the cities, and CNG vehicles for the heavy duty stuff (including heavy-duty trucks) we could get rid of the petrol pump completely.
The Bollore battery coupled with Citroen C1, Fiat 500 or Peugeot 107 would have amazing performances. The bluecar (now no longer a prototype) has an autonomy of 230 km and top speed of 130 km/h (which is overkill for the city):
http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/news/21-11-07_3
http://www.batscap.com/en/
http://www.ngvglobal.com/market-developments/iveco-launches-new-cng-stralis-heavy-truck-range.html
I would like to see Peugeot, Renault and Fiat get agreements under way with Batscap and see what they can churn out!
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Sergio 9:28AM (11/29/2007)
For Xavi,
Ok, thinking a litle bit more, a have to say you are right. High speed railway systems like spanish'AVE will not be the solution. Overall when more than the 70% of people use the car every day in short trips.
For expamle me, I use the car 4 times everyday, to go and return 2 times each day. Each trip is about 9 km, altough in my countryside we have a medium good public services, I have no options. San Sebastian, where I live, is not plain, I mean if I go by bike I will get to work... a lilte bit "dirty"...
Anyway, I agree, I use the car even when it's not necesary, but as I told before, I love driving, when I'm sad, I take my car and I drive for a while going to nowhere, just for driving. I have to insist: Clean tecnology is already invented...
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Sergio 6:26AM (12/03/2007)
Hi people,
I see your point but I have to disagree about what Xavi Navarro says. Spain is gettin better railway system, and is gonna have the biggest railway system in Europe (in numbers of high speed lines and trains, and u know better than you explain).
By the way, I disagree with everybody who says we use our cars too much,I mean, I'm one of this persons who use the car even to go to WC... not, seriously. I love driving, and of course is not my the contamination, I spend more monery than it's normal EVERYMOTNH in electricity because I'm paying for consumming "clean power", and of course I will pay more for having an ALL ELECTRIC CAR... but where are EV1, why GM will hire VOLT batteries (same cost like fuel), why nobody build 100% EV.
I mean, u know, an 100% EV produces less noise, they do not pollute, and they will be a very good solution for transport... BUT:
CARMAKERS - Less maintenance, less $$$
GOVERMENTS - Spending less fuel, earning less money from taxes
PETROL COMPANIES - ...they do not matter what to sell, PETROL, BIOFUEL, anything if they can produce and sell.
While they are playing with us... what do I have to do? going by bike everyday to work, climbing some 10% ramps every day... rainning... I have never seen any worker going to their jobs in San Francisco (ramps zone) by bicycle.
I WANNA BE "CLEAN" CITIZEN... but please GIVE ME THE POWER TO MAKE IT REAL!
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