Car lovers spout myths that don’t stand up to scrutiny

The super viagra effects of this condition are seen very soon for male reproductive system, which impacts sexual function. They were in the midst of a three-team pennant race with the Dodgers and greyandgrey.com levitra on line sales Braves. Do Heart Issue Medications and Anti-ED Pills Interact? If heart complications are severe, then men cannot use anti-ED tablets. check for more info buy viagra from india While a generic version is issued for the medicine needs to be taken carefully. online prescription for viagra

It is a custom in Toronto to ask residents to drive less on smog days, of which there have been a near record number in Ontario this year.

And it is a custom for drivers to ignore this plea even though people die and children are taken to emergency rooms gasping for breath because of the poisoned air.

The ability to justify our driving in the city even on smog days shows how good we have become at making excuses for our car addiction — despite the many harmful impacts on our community. Here are some of the most common myths — er, excuses — along with some counter-arguments:

1. “I need a car for my kids.” Cars kill kids. Motor vehicles are the number one killer of school children by accidental means; the air in front of schools is contaminated by parents’ idling cars.

2. “We need better public transit.” That’s obvious. It’s also obvious that as long as you sit behind the steering wheel of a car, decision-makers won’t hear you.

3. “I feel safer in a car.” Cars aren’t safe for anyone. The traffic report has become the most tragic part of the daily news; road accidents in the Greater Toronto Area kill far more people (230) than guns (60).

4. “”But half of our smog comes from the U.S.” If we don’t deal with our own half of the smog first, we lose the moral authority to challenge Americans.

5. “Cars are vital to our economy” There are other ways to create jobs, such as building innovative green vehicles and mass transit. Too bad our auto executives dedicated the last 20 years to promoting gas-guzzling SUVs and ignoring the rising peril of global warming.

6. “Cars emit less greenhouse gases than the oil and gas industry, including the tar sands.” Without cars, the oil and gas industry would have a tiny market and much less political power.

7. “A car gives me independence.” You may feel like a free spirit on the road, but you are not free from toxic air, noise, and the depletion of finite resources. The total time you devote to a car (payments, traffic jams, insurance, etc.) makes your average speed just a bit faster than that of your primitive ancestors.

8. “Older cars are the real problem.” Sheer quantity is as much a problem as quality. Our air is poisoned largely because of the number of vehicles and kilometres travelled. As China copies our model, the number of cars and global emissions will surge.

9. “Moms with baby strollers and groceries as well as the elderly depend on cars.” True, but is that your case — or are those often just the people breathing your exhaust at bus stops?

10. “I’m waiting for the technology to improve.” Technology will improve when manufacturers see the demand — which you demonstrate by waiting in a Toronto Transit Commission subway, electric streetcar, or hybrid electric bus.

When it comes to the car, what our culture defends, the facts condemn.

It may be time to accept that most non-commercial driving in Toronto, especially driving alone, is simply an anti-social habit, like smoking in a public place.

By not falling back on our excuses we can become effective advocates for a more efficient, cleaner, faster, and safer way of getting around in our city while pushing politicians at all levels to implement solutions.

Carbon taxes, for instance, would remind drivers about the negative impacts of their cars and raise funds to seriously improve mass transit. Congestion fees like those in London, England would reduce gridlock and the billions of dollars our economy loses to transport delays each year. The development of more and safer bike lanes similar to those in Copenhagen, where one third of commuters rely on bicycles, would provide an additional alternative to the car.

Wouldn’t it be nice if people one day say, “It is a custom in Toronto to take strong action against pollution, instead of just making excuses for it”?