The Sustainable Soldier Takes to the Streets! In Your Car?

Brent Jessop - Knowledge Driven Revolution.com
July 4, 2007

Let me share a little story before I get into a new government plan that will save you money (can you spot the oxymoron?). About a year ago I went to a presentation at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada given by someone directly trained by Al Gore. According to the presenter (a grown man with family), he applied (written essay and all) and was accepted to travel to the southern US with a bunch of other like minded folk to learn how to give the famous presentation from ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. These well trained Sustainable Soldiers (my term not theirs) then give presentations back home in their respective communities to anyone who will listen.

The presentation was nothing special, your typical global warming fear mongering and kindergarten simple science (especially the Al Gore version). But one thing that he did mention was that he made the decision to drive slower on major freeways to further reduce his ‘carbon footprint’. And he didn’t care how many cars or trucks passed him.

Other then the inside joke when we passed a slow moving vehicle, that was the end of my Sustainable Soldier experience.

Drive Slow Children

The Globe and Mail reports:

“Ontario Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield has proposed new rules that would force large commercial vehicles - weighing at least 12,000 kilograms - to use electronic limiters to cap speeds at 105 kilometres an hour.”

...

“Many of the larger trucking companies operating in Ontario use speed limiters - microchips which regulate a vehicle's top speed - in part for the economic and environmental benefits, as well as the increased safety factor. Vehicles use less fuel when they slow down”

So there it is. What the Sustainable Soldier does voluntarily the truckers with be forced to do. Of course, it is for their own good, all that money they will save. Unless they get paid by the kilometer, then it will take them that much longer for the same pay. Or worse still, imagine a refrigerated truck in the middle of July. Think how much more energy will get used in the slower haul, especially after global warming really gets going. Never mind, 105 km/hr is optimal for everyone. Big brother knows best. Besides, how could you leave such a decision to the individual?

So how long will it be until your car is governed at an environmentally acceptable speed?

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