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Mar.17- Mar. 23,2009 THE e .e aro 1n1a·n THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OFUNCG w w w . c ·a r o I FREE-.------------------------------------------- n a n o n n e . c o m Trans~ortation v·isionary sees variety of options as key· for sustainabi-lity . ' Jim Downing ·McClatchy Newspapers MCT Here's one key to Daniel Sperling's vision for the future of mobility: He doesn't like to drive. It's not so much that Sperling, one of the nation's most influentia~ transportation thinkers and policymakers; hates sitting behind the wheel (though he does prefer riding as a passenger). It's more that he finds the petroleum'- · powered, single-occupant vehicle a little, well, uninspiring. His new book, "Two Billion Cars: Driving Toward Sustainability," is a plan for how we can do better. With co-author Deborah Gordon, Sperling lays out a path to cleaner cars, greener fuels and - the biggest change - a richer me'nu of transportation options, from "smart" microbuses to shared neighborhood vehicles. . "We can provide a transportation system that's cheaper and provides a better quality of service and more environmental benefits than the system we have now;' he said. Sperling,' 57, is the founding director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis, and one of the nine members of the state Air Resources Board, which heads California's war on climate change. He 'is the air board~s acknowl. edged expert on vehicles and fuels. That puts him in a key position as the state expands its· carbon- cutting po~er in that area: But at times he's pushed for caution rather than change .. Last year, he led a board decision to relax state mandates for all-electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles. It pleased carmakers but drew a · furious response froD;l electriccar advocates. Next month, he stands to swing the debate again as the board takes up the world's first plan - shaped, largely by Sperling - to cut the carbon content ot vehicle fuels. Sperling has been thinking for years about many of the policies the air board 1s now enacting. But when he started work on "Two Billion Cars," in 2000 _ about the time he bought his first Toyota Prius _ many of his ideas didn't seem likely to reach beyond academia. Fuel efficiency in the United States hadn't improved since the early 1980s. Detroit was captivated by fast-selling SUVs. And a hodgepo-dge of polities had first pushed one alternative fuel, then another (remember methanol?), to little lasting ~ffect. "I was frustrated by the ·nature of the public debate;' said Sperling late last month, swiveling on his chair in a compact UC Davis office that holds six floor-to-ceil- Dan Sperling, UC Davis professor and transportation expert, rides a campus bike to ·classes and meetings, Wednesday, February 25, 2009 . Sperling's new book, "Tw.o Billion Cars," lays out how the world's vehicles, fuels and transit are likely to change, for better and worse, in the coming decades. {Manny Crisostomo/ Sacramento Bee/MCT) . ing bookshelves and a desk piled with reports. "It was not a very well-informed discussion." But by the time the book was released in December, the gears had begun to turn. · New. federal standards are set to improve fuel- efficiency to 35 mpg by 2020, . and state officials are .pushing for even higher targets. A new state · law requires land developments be designed to reduce driving. State regulators are hustling to cut California's greenhouse g~s emissions - roughly 40 percent of which come from vehicles - back to 1990 levels by 2020. . The book's timeliness helped vault Sperling into the national eye. He landed an interview on Nationcil Public Radio, an op-ed in The New York Times and highprofile speaking appearances from Washington, D.C., to San · Francisco. \ Last month, he sat across from Jon Stewart for a six-minute spot on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show." After fighting off a · laugh attack, Sperling squeezed in pitches for a few of his favorite policies, including a national floor on the price of gasoline. Much of the book, Sperling said, is infor~ed by conversations over decades with executiv~s in the global auto and oil industries. Those ~onnections are part of what makes his transportation dreams, radical as some are, feel plausible. He knows what' drives corporate decision-makers, and recognizes how fast - or · how slowly - their companies can realistically change. "He has been a voice of reason and vision," said David Cole, an industry expert who chairs the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Center for Automotive Research. At the same time, Speriing has earned respect from ~e mainstream environmental community; which cheered his appointment in 2007 to an air board spot . held in the past by auto industry insiders . . "I think he has a inuch broader SEE VISIONARY ON PAGE THREE Triad Commuter Challenge to begin . March 24 \ Toby Shearer Staff Writer Sustainability is the new hot word on the public lips these days, even politicians in Washington are throwing themselves behind commitments to sustainability and green energy. Averag~ American people are becoming more aware of their impact on the environment, from checking their carbon footprint to changing how often they drive their cars. UNCG's Sustainability Committee is at the forefront of raising environmental awareness among students on campus and on March 24 they are partnering with the Piedmont Authority of Regional Transportation, or PART, to bring the Triad Commuter Challenge to UNCG. The Triad Commuter Challenge, in its third year running, is a three-month campaign aimed THE CAROLINIAN . ESTABLISHED 1919 . VOL. LXXXIX ISSUE 16 at raising p~blic awareness of alternative transportation like public bus systems or carpooling._ The Sustainability Committee's participation ha~ been engineered by . Guy Sanders; chair of the Trans- . portatiori sub-committee. Angie' St hrock, a member· of the transportation sub-committee, has worked to involve UNCG students i1;1 the annual program. "It is basically trying to get people to consider alternative modes of transportation;' she said. "It's trying to be environmentally aware and friendly, showing that UNCG is buying into it too. You gotta have all the players in it to · make it work." Schrock is quick to point out many students · don't know their UNCG ID card gives them access to both the HEAT buses running to campus as well as Gr-eensboro Transit Authority buses. . For UNCG students the program starts- Tuesday,_ March 24 CONTACT US the~carolinian@hotmail.com PHONE: 336-334-57 52 FAX: 336-334~3518 and ends Thursday, April 30, each week highlighting a different mode of · alternative transportation. During the campaign the Sustainability Committee will host an information table in ·the Walker Circle in front ofJackson Library. The table will feature information about local alternatives like the GTA bus system, riding a bike, or even walking to campus. April . 7-9 will feature local bike mechanics to help educate students about pedal power. To participate students can fill out a pledge form, found at the information table or online, committing to using one or more forms of alternative transportation at least once during the campaign and they will automatically · be entered into a series of prize drawings. The prizes range from new r~nning shoes to a free an- SEE TRIAD ON PAGE THREE DIRECTORY News 2-4 Classifieds 2 Corrections 5 Opinions 5-7 A&E 8-9, 18-l9 Sports 10-13 Life 14-16 . A few easy tips to reduce your energy ·use and help pro~ect o1.:1r environment! · • Ride your· bike or walk to class! Now that the· winter chill is l.eaving, you cah opt for an o'pen air form of trans portation. Maybe you'll even get a tan! • Wash your·car on your lawn! Let the. hose do double-duty as a sprinkler . and car wash! Your lawn and car will look clean and green! . • While spring cleaning, use your plastic grocery bags as trash bags! • Get some fresh-air! Open your windows instead of turning on the NC. You '11 save money arid energy! Compiled by Lauren Robison, staff writer. ·ON THE WEB AT: ~o · §.ookmarks · Iools !:!.elp
Object Description
Rating | |
Title | The Carolinian [March 17, 2009] |
Date | 2009-03-17 |
Editor/creator | McIntyre, Luke |
Subject headings |
University of North Carolina at Greensboro--Newspapers College student newspapers and periodicals-- North Carolina--Greensboro Student publications--North Carolina--Greensboro Student activities--North Carolina--History |
Place | Greensboro (N.C.) |
Description | The March 17, 2009, issue of The Carolinian, the student newspaper of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. |
Type | Text |
Original format | Newspapers |
Original publisher | Greensboro, N.C. : The University of North Carolina at Greensboro |
Language | eng |
Contributing institution | Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries |
Publication | The Carolinian |
Rights statement | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/ |
Additional rights information | NO COPYRIGHT - UNITED STATES. This item has been determined to be free of copyright restrictions in the United States. The user is responsible for determining actual copyright status for any reuse of the material. |
Object ID | 2009-03-17-carolinian |
Date digitized | 2012 |
Digital publisher | The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University Libraries |
Digitized by | Creekside Digital |
Sponsor | Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation |
OCLC number | 871559605 |
Page/Item Description
Title | Page 1 |
Full text | Mar.17- Mar. 23,2009 THE e .e aro 1n1a·n THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OFUNCG w w w . c ·a r o I FREE-.------------------------------------------- n a n o n n e . c o m Trans~ortation v·isionary sees variety of options as key· for sustainabi-lity . ' Jim Downing ·McClatchy Newspapers MCT Here's one key to Daniel Sperling's vision for the future of mobility: He doesn't like to drive. It's not so much that Sperling, one of the nation's most influentia~ transportation thinkers and policymakers; hates sitting behind the wheel (though he does prefer riding as a passenger). It's more that he finds the petroleum'- · powered, single-occupant vehicle a little, well, uninspiring. His new book, "Two Billion Cars: Driving Toward Sustainability," is a plan for how we can do better. With co-author Deborah Gordon, Sperling lays out a path to cleaner cars, greener fuels and - the biggest change - a richer me'nu of transportation options, from "smart" microbuses to shared neighborhood vehicles. . "We can provide a transportation system that's cheaper and provides a better quality of service and more environmental benefits than the system we have now;' he said. Sperling,' 57, is the founding director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis, and one of the nine members of the state Air Resources Board, which heads California's war on climate change. He 'is the air board~s acknowl. edged expert on vehicles and fuels. That puts him in a key position as the state expands its· carbon- cutting po~er in that area: But at times he's pushed for caution rather than change .. Last year, he led a board decision to relax state mandates for all-electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles. It pleased carmakers but drew a · furious response froD;l electriccar advocates. Next month, he stands to swing the debate again as the board takes up the world's first plan - shaped, largely by Sperling - to cut the carbon content ot vehicle fuels. Sperling has been thinking for years about many of the policies the air board 1s now enacting. But when he started work on "Two Billion Cars," in 2000 _ about the time he bought his first Toyota Prius _ many of his ideas didn't seem likely to reach beyond academia. Fuel efficiency in the United States hadn't improved since the early 1980s. Detroit was captivated by fast-selling SUVs. And a hodgepo-dge of polities had first pushed one alternative fuel, then another (remember methanol?), to little lasting ~ffect. "I was frustrated by the ·nature of the public debate;' said Sperling late last month, swiveling on his chair in a compact UC Davis office that holds six floor-to-ceil- Dan Sperling, UC Davis professor and transportation expert, rides a campus bike to ·classes and meetings, Wednesday, February 25, 2009 . Sperling's new book, "Tw.o Billion Cars," lays out how the world's vehicles, fuels and transit are likely to change, for better and worse, in the coming decades. {Manny Crisostomo/ Sacramento Bee/MCT) . ing bookshelves and a desk piled with reports. "It was not a very well-informed discussion." But by the time the book was released in December, the gears had begun to turn. · New. federal standards are set to improve fuel- efficiency to 35 mpg by 2020, . and state officials are .pushing for even higher targets. A new state · law requires land developments be designed to reduce driving. State regulators are hustling to cut California's greenhouse g~s emissions - roughly 40 percent of which come from vehicles - back to 1990 levels by 2020. . The book's timeliness helped vault Sperling into the national eye. He landed an interview on Nationcil Public Radio, an op-ed in The New York Times and highprofile speaking appearances from Washington, D.C., to San · Francisco. \ Last month, he sat across from Jon Stewart for a six-minute spot on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show." After fighting off a · laugh attack, Sperling squeezed in pitches for a few of his favorite policies, including a national floor on the price of gasoline. Much of the book, Sperling said, is infor~ed by conversations over decades with executiv~s in the global auto and oil industries. Those ~onnections are part of what makes his transportation dreams, radical as some are, feel plausible. He knows what' drives corporate decision-makers, and recognizes how fast - or · how slowly - their companies can realistically change. "He has been a voice of reason and vision," said David Cole, an industry expert who chairs the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Center for Automotive Research. At the same time, Speriing has earned respect from ~e mainstream environmental community; which cheered his appointment in 2007 to an air board spot . held in the past by auto industry insiders . . "I think he has a inuch broader SEE VISIONARY ON PAGE THREE Triad Commuter Challenge to begin . March 24 \ Toby Shearer Staff Writer Sustainability is the new hot word on the public lips these days, even politicians in Washington are throwing themselves behind commitments to sustainability and green energy. Averag~ American people are becoming more aware of their impact on the environment, from checking their carbon footprint to changing how often they drive their cars. UNCG's Sustainability Committee is at the forefront of raising environmental awareness among students on campus and on March 24 they are partnering with the Piedmont Authority of Regional Transportation, or PART, to bring the Triad Commuter Challenge to UNCG. The Triad Commuter Challenge, in its third year running, is a three-month campaign aimed THE CAROLINIAN . ESTABLISHED 1919 . VOL. LXXXIX ISSUE 16 at raising p~blic awareness of alternative transportation like public bus systems or carpooling._ The Sustainability Committee's participation ha~ been engineered by . Guy Sanders; chair of the Trans- . portatiori sub-committee. Angie' St hrock, a member· of the transportation sub-committee, has worked to involve UNCG students i1;1 the annual program. "It is basically trying to get people to consider alternative modes of transportation;' she said. "It's trying to be environmentally aware and friendly, showing that UNCG is buying into it too. You gotta have all the players in it to · make it work." Schrock is quick to point out many students · don't know their UNCG ID card gives them access to both the HEAT buses running to campus as well as Gr-eensboro Transit Authority buses. . For UNCG students the program starts- Tuesday,_ March 24 CONTACT US the~carolinian@hotmail.com PHONE: 336-334-57 52 FAX: 336-334~3518 and ends Thursday, April 30, each week highlighting a different mode of · alternative transportation. During the campaign the Sustainability Committee will host an information table in ·the Walker Circle in front ofJackson Library. The table will feature information about local alternatives like the GTA bus system, riding a bike, or even walking to campus. April . 7-9 will feature local bike mechanics to help educate students about pedal power. To participate students can fill out a pledge form, found at the information table or online, committing to using one or more forms of alternative transportation at least once during the campaign and they will automatically · be entered into a series of prize drawings. The prizes range from new r~nning shoes to a free an- SEE TRIAD ON PAGE THREE DIRECTORY News 2-4 Classifieds 2 Corrections 5 Opinions 5-7 A&E 8-9, 18-l9 Sports 10-13 Life 14-16 . A few easy tips to reduce your energy ·use and help pro~ect o1.:1r environment! · • Ride your· bike or walk to class! Now that the· winter chill is l.eaving, you cah opt for an o'pen air form of trans portation. Maybe you'll even get a tan! • Wash your·car on your lawn! Let the. hose do double-duty as a sprinkler . and car wash! Your lawn and car will look clean and green! . • While spring cleaning, use your plastic grocery bags as trash bags! • Get some fresh-air! Open your windows instead of turning on the NC. You '11 save money arid energy! Compiled by Lauren Robison, staff writer. ·ON THE WEB AT: ~o · §.ookmarks · Iools !:!.elp |
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