Opinion: Car Culture Will Shift in the Next Decade

"As nations across the globe get set for the decade of emissions cuts that is mandatory if we are to avoid the catastrophe of global heating of 2C or more, what should be our attitude to driving?" asks The Guardian in an editorial piece.

While proponents argue that electric vehicles are going to be important in addressing climate change, concerns remain about the impacts of vehicle and battery manufacturing. A better focus might be the ways cars and driving have become integral parts of life in the United States and, increasingly, in countries around the world, and how that relationship can change.

"Climate science dictates that the use of petrol and diesel cars and trucks must be drastically reduced. Electric vehicles are part of the solution, but car culture as a whole also needs an overhaul. This will not be easy. As well as their utility, motor vehicles have come to symbolise powerful human longings for privacy, autonomy, speed, mobility and freedom."