| GREEN SCORE | NEW ZEALAND TRANSPORT |
| Effort | C |
| Results | C |
With Auckland City’s population forecast to further increase by 37% to 600,000 by 2035 , pressure on transport infrastructure will only increase. Now is the time to be developing real long-term solutions, not just another motorway.
Regrettably though, transport is one of the worst performing areas for Kiwis in terms of Green. Our love affair with the private motor car is toxically addictive. Cars enable our rural population to efficiently connect with the rest of the country. But even though most Kiwis are now urban dwellers, they just can’t let go of their motorized wheels.
Whilst it is also encouraging to see the increase in hybrid vehicles on New Zealand roads, this is a twin-edge sword. Hybrids are still less fuel efficient than many other modes of transport. If by simply swapping conventional vehicles for hybrids Kiwis think they’ll score top marks for green transport, we’re in trouble.
The world’s cheapest car has just been launched by India’s Tata. It’s a compact little coupe without any of the flash expensive technology of the hybrids. I would love to see a total product-life eco-footprint analysis of one of these cute little jobbies vs a medium sized hybrid. Given the greatly reduced complexity and number of parts, it would be a very interesting comparison. Small is beautiful. Kaitiakitanga – take no more than you need.
Unfortunately, even now very few New Zealanders would consider a distance of one kilometre as just a “short stroll”, and happily walk as the most efficient way of getting themselves along it. One third of all trips made by cars in New Zealand are less than 2 kilometres, and two thirds are less than 6 kilometres. (143) This seems at odds with our image of ourselves as outdoor sporty types. More needs to be done to lift perceptions of walking. Bicycles are increasing and that’s good.
But the image of public transport amoungst most New Zealanders as something to be avoided at all costs needs to change and change fast. Overall use of public transport in New Zealand is low, with only around 2.5% of trips making use of it.
Aucklanders will tell you (they’ve been telling me for 4 decades) it’s not their fault they don’t use public transport. It’s “the systems” fault as the available public transport is inconvenient with a low frequency of services. It’s a chicken and egg situation though because more use will enable more services which will lower costs, improve energy efficiency, improve convenience, and save the planet. Forecasts of the cost of oil breaking USD100 per barrel again in the very near future as the global economy picks up might help shift attitudes. Better get laying Kiwis.
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Tags: 100% Pure New Zealand, auckland transport, carbon miles, clean & green, clean & green NZ, Clean and Green, clean and green New Zealand, clean and green NZ, GetAcross, hybrid cars, Kaitiakitanga, public transport, rapid transport, tata, Transport, walking
it is interesting that this author calls for an LCA to account for the impact of the smaller and cheaper pod-car. the new product is a problem for hard core sustainable design theorists because new product means increased raw material use and that is precisely what the sustainable design theorists are trying to avoid. the ideal is waste=food ie waste as the raw material used and applauded by McDonough, Pauli and others. services is the other ideological arena ie: car pooling, public transport efficiency and such infrastructure requires planning and concensus. a gem of a design problem.
yes I’m all for waste=food and more efficient servics like car-pooling etc. But a lot of other people in the developed world seem to think they must have a motor vehicle. I’m just guessing that the Tata small car/total simplicity approach may be at least as resource-efficient an option for these folks as the hi-tech hybrids?
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