Cities on wheels

"As world leaders squabble over how to cut greenhouse gases, city hall is becoming the best hope for reducing heat-trapping emissions” because, as Bloomberg believes, “local officials can green-light eco-projects faster than national programs can be started.” Never mind that giving something the green light does not necessarily equal it's getting started soon. Everybody who once in a while walks around town knows that months can lie between a permission, for example, to fix a sideway (indicated by auspicious white marks sprayed around a crack) and the day it is indeed fixed.
According to Bloomberg, “From the freeways of Los Angeles to the canals of Amsterdam, cities are taking the lead in the fight to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions.” Although Los Angeles's freeways and Amsterdam's canals are precariously dangling here, it is encouraging that from Los Angeles to Amsterdam, cities are taking the lead in the fight to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions.
So, what’s going on in Los Angeles, the "city of freeways, smog, and -- bike lanes? That’s where Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants to take his town.” Where, precisely, is the Mayor trying to take LA? Despite the ambiguous phrasing, one can assume that he wants to change the city from one defined by freeways and smog to a city lined by bike paths. But is this really “one of the less likely transformations in the global effort to cut carbon output”? If it’s less likely, then it’s not very likely to happen. But maybe it’s the least expected transformation? Still, whether it is truly part of a global effort to reduce emissions is doubtful since Michelle Mowery, senior coordinator for the city’s bike program, admits that “We have to make a change. We can’t fit any more cars in.” Sounds far less eco-conscious, doesn’t it?
While L.A. officials may do some double-think here, Frank Jensen, Copenhagen’s lord mayor, doesn’t even make much sense when he says that “We have a responsibility to our citizens to reduce emissions because so much carbon dioxide comes from cities.” Cities by themselves do not produce emissions. Their citizens do.
In order to stipulate more eco-friendly habits, London is especially creative. Its “government is also making 6,000 bikes available for the public to rent from this summer.” That summer offers bikes for rent is probably only possible in London with its proverbially dreary weather. The London summer really needs to do some marketing - whatever it takes.
Amsterdam, known as a bike city, doesn’t need to entice anybody to bike around town, but it tries to convince its residents that by cutting back “power use at peak times, their electricity bills could fall by up to 40 percent.” Amsterdam's residents most certainly hope that those fallen bills will land in their mailboxes rather sooner than later.
Not to be outdone, New York offers “tax breaks for solar panels.” Evidently, in New York even solar panels have to pay a tax. Yet, (in the wake of healtcare reform?) the city scrapped the idea to “to charge a congestion fee for drivers.” What a relief.
Back in L.A., cycling chief Mowery knows that “Los Angeles isn’t New York, but we’re getting there.” On bike, one would hope, although 2,500 miles is quite a ride.