Carectomy week in review

To make cities “resilient,” reduce car travel

The goal for modern cities, as environmental scientist Peter Newman describes it, is to move beyond “sustainability” to “resiliency.” The model of constant consumption needs to stop and cities need to be constructed in such a manner as to make this possible.

One of Newman's main targets is a decrease in oil consumption and, not surprisingly, minimizing the use of cars. Building of suburbs should be scrapped in favor of denser urban settings than enable mass transit, walking, and biking.

U.S. car sales crash in 2008

In the short span of one year, car sales in the United States have come crashing down -- and the change is significant. Industry giants Chrysler and General Motors sold 19 percent fewer automobiles in March 2008 than they did in March of 2007, according to sales reports. Ford isn't faring much better with sales that are down 14 percent. Meanwhile, Toyota is still hanging on with a mere 10 percent drop.

Introducing Hummer H8: The Earth f@#ker

Tired of tip-toeing around the Hummer's inherent incongruity with things like caring for the planet, giving a damn about anyone's safety, or working towards national energy self-reliance, the auto manufacturer has officially proclaimed, “Screw it!”

Diesel exhaust hurts your brain

New research indicates that exposure to diesel exhaust may cause long-term damage to brain function. The study, conducted by Particle & Fibre Toxicology, tracked the effects of the nanoparticles found in diesel exhaust.