We must always rember that Sustainability is not a short-term proposition nor something that our current generation can finish in our lifetime, yet it is absolutely critical that we start the process with enough momentum on a grand scale so the next generation who grabs our baton has a fighting chance to build on our temporary accomplishments.

In terms of your critique of my GHG accounting methodology (for my personal GHG emissions on the bus), I certainly didn’t try to hide the logic, do any “magic”, or even purport the number to be perfect. I simply multiplied the nationally recognized standard emission factor for buses in Canada by the number of kilometers travelled. This is the same number & methodology accepted by many other credible GHG accounting protocols, including the Regional Carbon Initiative & the Carbon Disclosure Project, and it was sourced from the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

As for supporting the oil & gas industry, never in my post did I claim that I was boycotting all use of fossil fuels. Rather, I pointed out that my car would emit three times as much GHG as the bus did. As such, I think it’s a meaningful improvement that was worth the time, as stated in the post.

Embedded in your commentary seems to be a deep seeded anarcho-primitivist philosophy. As an admirer of people like Daniel Quinn and reader of Derrick Jensen, I can understand where you’re coming from. But a critique of civilization wasn’t the point of my blog post. Rather, it was about presenting public transit as a viable alternative to driving. By no means do I have any illusions about public transit – particularly on diesel-fuelled busses no less – being the solution to the myriad of deeply embedded social, economic & environmental ailments that our culture faces. Nor do I claim it to eliminate my environmental impact. But I do think improvements are worth pursuing, while remaining honest about the progress being made.

Mike

PS Spencer, thanks for your comment as well. Truthfully, I’m not sure how this math would work either. Philosophically (and as an avid cyclist), it’s my opinion that roads are public infrastructure for all to use, not just cars or buses. Particularly given how much we collectively spend on them! This lens then makes it even more difficult to apply the analysis you’re suggesting, though it is an interesting point.