Comments on: Falling Into the Sustainability Gap

By: Mike O’Brien Falls Into the Sustainability Gap - Seattle Transit Blog

Mike O’Brien Falls Into the Sustainability Gap - Seattle Transit Blog — Sat, 26 May 2012 18:55:05 +0000

[...] week Councilmember Mike O’Brien fell into the Sustainability Gap, that wide chasm between what politicians say and what they actually do. O’Brien voted against a [...]

By: Maria

Maria — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:01:55 +0000

Michael is right – I have been to MalmÃ¶ in Sweden 3 weeks ago and they a lot of different Sustainability actions that they have taken. I’m curious as this will work out in the future. Here in Germany, we are just getting started with some of the measures.

By: Michael OHare

Michael OHare — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:43:51 +0000

Well said Roger - I like your idea of the Sustainability Gap. Sustainability is such an abstract concept and that allows the term to be used too freely. Yet there are examples of cities who have really tried to make a difference - e.g. Malmo, Sweden and Curitiba, Brazil. Cities such as Malmo and Curitiba have less of a Sustainability Gap, in my opiniion, as they have a long track record in things such as local renewable energy and public transport.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:56:54 +0000

If we don’t like the “sustainability gap,” we really need to get out there and make our politicians hurt for not closing it. To meet a goal (any goal) takes sacrifice, and if our politicians seem fearful to ask us to sacrifice that’s likely because we haven’t yet shown them that we’re willing to.We must give of our time and energy to replace them with other politicians who will commit to policies and make sure our money is spent in a way that actually begins to close the gap.Or, barring that, at least make the threat of their replacement real enough that they realize this really matters to us. And that it matters to us enough that we’ll personally sacrifice to achieve it. That we won’t let anyone – out-of-touch city councillor or otherwise – stand in our way.That sorta thing.

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:25:55 +0000

While the definition of sustainability is obvious, what’s less obvious is how to achieve it in reality and hold our leaders accountable. The balancing act is particularly tough when “thinking big”, because while we need to be visionary we also need steps that are attainable and to take care not to villainize what we see as antithetical to sustainability. The good thing is that low carbon strategies are generally more efficient in the long run, but the challenge is to be ready with solid facts as to why and have feasible alternatives at hand.In any case, I like this idea of a “sustainability gap” – it’s kind of like “greenwashing” but more tailored to politicians…

By: Eric Doherty

Eric Doherty — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:22:09 +0000

‘Sustainability Gap’ is far too polite.Building or expanding freeways is a climate crime. Anyone who spends billions on freeway expansions while claiming to be green should be exposed for the dangerous hypocrites that they are. This list includes Premier Campbell of BC and the folks who want to spend billions on the freeway tunnel in Seattle.Note that Campbell claims to have just hosted the ‘Greenest Games’ in Vancouver, but spent a billion dollars expanding the highway to Whistler. During the Olympics, construction continued on what is claimed to be the widest freeway bridge in Canada, the new Port Mann Bridge which is part of a $3.1 billion freeway expansion. Next on Campbell’s list is the South Fraser Freeway on the banks of the Fraser River, one of our planet’s greatest salmon rivers, this one is only a $1.5 to $2 billion climate crime. Seehttp://www.straight.com/article-286495/vancouver/cathy-wilander-and-eric-doherty-scrub-greenwash-freeway-games

By: Joe Brewer

Joe Brewer — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:12:05 +0000

Getting from words to action requires organizational capacity and a social movement.We're laying the foundations for exactly this kind of work around making Seattle a carbon neutral city by 2030.Join us at http://www.seattleinnovators.orgBest,Joe BrewerProject Coordinator, Seattle Innovators

By: Jabe Blumenthal

Jabe Blumenthal — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:27:41 +0000

It’s worth noting that no one is more aware of the disconnect between the CO2 goal Mike O’Brien stated on behalf of the city and the city’s actual actions and plans (especially on the tunnel) than Mike himself. He’s been one of the most vocal of our leaders in pointing out that the tunnel, optimized for increased VMT, is completely inconsistent with the city’s emissions goals and the state’s VMT-reduction goals. He’s going to need support from all of us to get the rest of the council (let alone state gov’t) to take climate change seriously rather than just claim that they all take it seriously.

By: Cameron Plommer

Cameron Plommer — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:04:18 +0000

Great points. The Council does seem like they are promoting opposite ideas. With that said, WHO CARES? For all of us that want to see Seattle carbon neutral likes do something as a community.Visiting http://www.SeattleInnovators.org if you want to start building the tools necessary to make Seattle carbon neutral.

By: Kate

Kate — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:38:49 +0000

Well said, what do you think about revisitng the “no transit in the tunnel agreement?” What are the possibilities for station access for bus rapid transit, could there be pull outs or at least key nodes or stops at the station portals? This has always felt so incredibly ridiculous to specify not including transit in a major initiative like this one. It might also allow better urban design at the portals, which I worry will be massively over designed for the automobile. Also, while I am at it I would appreciate Sightline’s insight on Transport 2040 and its not achieving of Climate Goals + I would look forward to more information on how we might influence this process toward better accounting for transportation investments. thanks