How The Auto Industry Carjacked The American Dream | Climate Town

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  • čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
  • Where we're going, we don't need roads.
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Komentáře • 3,2K

  • @colechapman6976
    @colechapman6976 Před 2 lety +3152

    Letting that GM guy become secretary of defense is like if we let raccoons be able to legislate how much leftover food should be allowed on the sidewalks.

    • @gelinrefira
      @gelinrefira Před 2 lety +161

      It's like letting Kevin Spacey be in charge of writing laws on sexual crimes.

    • @beckobert
      @beckobert Před 2 lety +15

      It was such a success story that they repeated it a few years later, although with two noticeable differences. The president of Ford got the job instead of the president of GM and instead of destroying American cities he destroyed the cities of Vietnam (and Laos and Cambodia).
      So we all know what we should do when Elon Musk inevitably becomes the Secretary of Defense. Run!

    • @leebennett1821
      @leebennett1821 Před 2 lety +3

      Or letting a Child molester be in Charge of any Orphanage

    • @dejjal8683
      @dejjal8683 Před 2 lety +153

      I don't know man I think raccoons are more trustworthy.

    • @sunsetlights100
      @sunsetlights100 Před 2 lety +42

      Like Fox 🦊 🦊 in charge of chicken coop!

  • @seeranos
    @seeranos Před 2 lety +1744

    I love that GM's exhibit at the worlds fair put EVERYTHING on tracks because they couldn't trust the average person to not break something or get into an accident, and because it was a lot more cost effective and resource efficient than having a motor in every chair and miniature car.

    • @LanaMuckraker
      @LanaMuckraker Před 2 lety +15

      *car

    • @Jodamo
      @Jodamo Před 2 lety +217

      Lol imagine if they actually used cars for it the amount of traffic and accidents, everyone would be like...this is the future? Pass.

    • @sayrith
      @sayrith Před 2 lety +146

      Interesting. Sounds like its better of all these cars are put on rails and share a common engine, or motor of sorts. This motor of course has to be powered by electricity because They are small...Hmm GM is onto something here.

    • @toastybatch565
      @toastybatch565 Před 2 lety +23

      @@sayrith r/yourjokebutworse

    • @AlexSchwartzATV
      @AlexSchwartzATV Před 2 lety

      🤔🫠

  • @adirtyswarlos
    @adirtyswarlos Před 2 lety +404

    “Access to transportation is the single greatest factor in an individual escaping poverty” powerful stuff!

    • @rtelles1127
      @rtelles1127 Před 8 měsíci +2

      Yes and being on a bicycle powered freight wagon .that will surely help people of color out of poverty!!

    • @macstrong1284
      @macstrong1284 Před 8 měsíci +12

      It’s a bad thing that I can tell that the two comments above me were made by people over 50

    • @williewonka6694
      @williewonka6694 Před 8 měsíci +4

      Nothing like owning a car to create personal freedom!

  • @KoAkaiTengami
    @KoAkaiTengami Před 2 lety +413

    Being almost blind and living in car dependant USA has more or less made it almost impossible for me to work in various aspects despite how hard I try. It's truly rough.

    • @djack915
      @djack915 Před 2 lety +6

      Too bad you can't move to an old city, most like nyc have pretty decent public transit

    • @fdjw88
      @fdjw88 Před 2 lety +3

      your avatar looks very Kawaii.

    • @traviskitteh
      @traviskitteh Před rokem +53

      @@djack915 And because moving to places like NYC or the only way to feasibly exist in the US without a car, It makes living in such places wildly expensive as the competition for apartments in such cities is fierce. :/

    • @EdgyIntellect
      @EdgyIntellect Před rokem +7

      As a fellow blind person I feel your pain immensely!

    • @PoshBeard
      @PoshBeard Před rokem +3

      No sympathy for waifu simps

  • @AxelQC
    @AxelQC Před 2 lety +2187

    This past week I got yelled at by 2 different drivers because I was crossing the street in a crosswalk on a walk signal. Apparently, it's my fault that they almost hit me in a crosswalk when they had a red light and wanted to turn.
    Drivers literally think that pedestrians shouldn't exist.

    • @DOCDOCFLAMINGOS
      @DOCDOCFLAMINGOS Před 2 lety +223

      I totally understand that ... It's horrible!!!!
      People are not suppose to ride their bikes on the sidewalk and only in the street. But I refuse to be in the street along with drivers in cars that could easily kill me.
      But bringing on the side walk is not much safer when it comes to drivers turning or comming out of a parking lot etc.
      I always keep my eye on them and what they are doing or NOT doing .. and many don't even notice or see me on the bike. Only to be surprised when they suddenly do.. but many never even see me and pull out anyway .. but had I not slowed down or stoped prior I would have been nearly in a spot that they would have hot me surely ..
      But also the amount of drivers that get pissed because I'm crossing and in their way .. all while I have the right of way to be crossing at that point ...

    • @Voyajer.
      @Voyajer. Před 2 lety +204

      People in cars hate anyone with less than four wheels. Its insane what some drivers will do to them.

    • @WarrickTaylor
      @WarrickTaylor Před 2 lety +66

      And yet pretty much every car driver is also a pedestrian at some point in their day.

    • @qwinlyn
      @qwinlyn Před 2 lety +62

      You should try and cross at a North American roundabout. I’ve had my life flash before my eyes so many times because people don’t stop in both lanes or rush to pass the person waiting for me. I’ve started to want them to hit me just so I can finally get someone in shit and get the inevitability over with.

    • @ronwagoner8358
      @ronwagoner8358 Před 2 lety +41

      Better than almost getting run over, which happened to me 3 times in the same week. But I do sympathize with your plight. It's sad that walking has become a daredevil sport in the USA.

  • @walther2492
    @walther2492 Před 2 lety +597

    In 2011 I moved from Houston to Berlin to get a few things done for my company there. I thought it would be temporaly. Maybe 1yr, 2 at a max. I also thought it would be the sheer horror to leave our single home in Copperfield in exchange for a packed apartment in the crowded city, not to mention the driving "experiance" in European citys.
    After the first year, my perspective on urbanization and US cities completely changed and i convinced my wife to migrate to Berlin entirely. Best decision we ever made in our life.
    Literally EVERYTHING we need is in walking distance, may it be groceries, doctor's, restaurants, even the kindergarten and the school for our daughters.
    Together we spared almost 3 hrs of commuting every day in comparison to Houston. That's more than a full month of lifetime every single yr! Not to mention the shit ton of money we spare because we don't need cars anymore.

    • @brewcrew2221
      @brewcrew2221 Před rokem +47

      Did you also lose weight since you are not sitting in a car all day?

    • @bodhid
      @bodhid Před rokem +52

      Good for you. Welcome to civilisation ;)

    • @cyanl.2245
      @cyanl.2245 Před rokem +12

      Happy that you're happy here☆

    • @traviskitteh
      @traviskitteh Před rokem +75

      Gods, it's so depressing that it often feels like the only solution to auto-centric design is to flee the United States. It would be wonderful if people could realize that it could all be different.

    • @lexing2209
      @lexing2209 Před rokem +1

      @@haydentravis3348 Sir this is a wendy's

  • @gaternisbet4399
    @gaternisbet4399 Před 2 lety +1603

    The death of the railway infrastructure during my life has been one of the most abhorrent crimes against our country. Good video and good job trying to enlighten people to the fake reality that we constantly live in.

    • @tomhumphries6606
      @tomhumphries6606 Před 2 lety +24

      Check-out Dr Beechin and the British Railway cuts.

    • @gaternisbet4399
      @gaternisbet4399 Před 2 lety +15

      @@tomhumphries6606 thank you so much for this suggestion. very interesting!

    • @waltonsmith7210
      @waltonsmith7210 Před 2 lety +55

      @zee id ride more trains if theere was more access.I have no idea where there nearest train station is.Thats not the case in other countries.Our size makes us need trains more.

    • @joshknix1866
      @joshknix1866 Před 2 lety +60

      @zee except you can treat states like their own country and have trains and city planning set up in that way. It’s really not that complicated, it’d be difficult because our infrastructure is built for cars, but not impossible. Also, we already have trains that travel across the country. We could build more and have some bullet trains so people didn’t have to drive or fly. There are absolutely ways to make cars almost completely unnecessary.

    • @joshknix1866
      @joshknix1866 Před 2 lety +31

      @zee I’m talking specifically in city planning and you absolutely can. There are much smarter people than me that have talked about this but we could absolutely switch to a country with a lot less cars on the road.

  • @loganhall6660
    @loganhall6660 Před 2 lety +355

    This video is great! As an architecture student I learned how cars destroy community by discouraging pedestrian traffic and making buildings farther and farther apart (urban sprawl) and less scaled to the pedestrian. We've created a foreign environment for ourselves thanks to designing our infrastructure for cars and not humans. It's really nice to hear more about how things came to be this way instead of just looking at how things are. That kind of truth is not readily available for the layperson.

    • @freshrot420
      @freshrot420 Před rokem

      Then we destroy tons of wildlife so there's nothing readily available to eat either.

    • @DoritoBot9000
      @DoritoBot9000 Před rokem +11

      As someone that moved from Germany to Canada a few months ago, I can confirm how shocked I was at how urban planning affects everyday lifestyle and shapes culture and even people’s temperament.

    • @stephanefrediman2894
      @stephanefrediman2894 Před 11 měsíci

      There is a chance Called not just bikes. Very interesting to know more about types of city infrastructure.

    • @horsepowermultimedia
      @horsepowermultimedia Před 10 měsíci

      If modern civilization were to collapse, then it would be likely for many cities with urban sprawl to end up splintering into communities that are the size of villages or smaller.

    • @weatheranddarkness
      @weatheranddarkness Před 9 měsíci +1

      It's like people forget that they have to walk to and from their cars. You're never done getting where you're going once the car is parked. Humans are bipedal animals, at the beginning and end of the day.

  • @TheDragonSlaayer
    @TheDragonSlaayer Před 3 lety +2911

    I cannot wait for this channel to blow up because it 100% deserves it.

    • @maxuabo
      @maxuabo Před 3 lety +81

      Humanity deserves it

    • @TheRipeTomatoFarms
      @TheRipeTomatoFarms Před 3 lety +61

      I can't agree more. Why its taking so long is beyond me.

    • @liamely802
      @liamely802 Před 3 lety +35

      It's seriously just a matter of time. This guy is incredible

    • @maxuabo
      @maxuabo Před 3 lety +21

      @@TheRipeTomatoFarms why do you think shell hid how environmentally destructive petroleum was in the 70’s? Money. No one wants to face the inconvenient truth. Immediate gratification of convenient comfortably over future survivability

    • @TheRipeTomatoFarms
      @TheRipeTomatoFarms Před 3 lety +21

      @@maxuabo yup
      .. And we're all paying for it now

  • @SamWhitlock
    @SamWhitlock Před 3 lety +860

    I just wish that car-loving Americans could understand how great it is to live without a car. It's a giant stress-inducing, liability-creating, money pit compared to effective public transit. Even smaller cities in Europe have great rail / metro transit almost all around the clock at short intervals. It's so much easier to get around without having to worry about hitting someone with your car, parking it, worrying if someone is gonna break into your car, etc.

    • @Hogprint25
      @Hogprint25 Před 2 lety +43

      America is 3000 miles across. Germany is the size of Illinois….you really need to understand scale.

    • @nicksgarage8295
      @nicksgarage8295 Před 2 lety +151

      @@Hogprint25 china is way bigger than the us or same size and there public transit is 100x better so eat that idiot

    • @Hogprint25
      @Hogprint25 Před 2 lety +19

      @@nicksgarage8295 Yes they are bigger. Yes they have rail. It’s state sponsored though. Big difference. We have 48 lower states. Each w different regulations. Might want to crack a book and study up on how it all works there chief.

    • @oilslick7010
      @oilslick7010 Před 2 lety +228

      @@Hogprint25 Yeah no shit... You realize that Public transport (or bike/pedestrian infrastructure) doesn't literally have to run from one side of an entire country to the other, right? Obviously networks are clustered around larger urban areas or corridors of urbanized areas, like New England.

    • @Hogprint25
      @Hogprint25 Před 2 lety +7

      @@oilslick7010 Yeah, no shit. Unfortunately most of the major examples (Keystone, Russian) that have been in the news lately are all multi-thousand mile and inter country pipelines…No shit.

  • @SevenBates
    @SevenBates Před 2 lety +172

    Man, I grew up in the car business and I considered myself pretty well educated on the history and policy failures you're laying out - and then you just casually drop another 40+ anecdotes I've NEVER heard of, just like you do in each one of these goddamn hilarious videos.
    I don't even know how to convey how much I value this shit. I can tell you're busting ass. I can tell you actually give a shit, and I can tell you're concerned about The short attention spans of people watching this content.
    I appreciate every bit of that energy, and I am so excited that you did that collaboration with Strong Towns. The whole low rent Burt Reynolds shit? You got some big stupid laughs out of me, and then you got me fact checking your ass hard, then just flying down rabbit holes of new information I very much wanted to know. Fuck, needed to know.
    Thank you. I really mean that. Wow.

  • @piccalillipit9211
    @piccalillipit9211 Před 2 lety +16

    “America is like if you started a country and then at every major decision - you took the wrong one”
    That’s the story of America and how you got to 2021

  • @NotJustBikes
    @NotJustBikes Před 3 lety +4288

    This all seems fine. Nothing bad can come of this.
    But seriously, how long does it take you to make these videos? Mine take like 20 or 30 hours and I don't even take a camera man with me on location. 😮

    • @ClimateTown
      @ClimateTown  Před 3 lety +2465

      Ugh, this one took a really long time. We shot over two (supremely cold) days and then it was in the edit bay for a couple of weeks, though I took breaks to contemplate my life and consider walking into the ocean.

    • @firSound
      @firSound Před 3 lety +367

      @@ClimateTown I love you both!

    • @TemplarOnHigh
      @TemplarOnHigh Před 3 lety +389

      @@ClimateTown Walking into the ocean is only OK if you wear cotten or wool clothes while doing it. Otherwise after the fish eat you, all your polyesters will end up in the trash patch.

    • @orandilu989
      @orandilu989 Před 3 lety +20

      Thank you. Thank you very much. Also, thank you.

    • @andrewstringer5836
      @andrewstringer5836 Před 3 lety +181

      @@ClimateTown Don't worry, the ocean is doing its best to meet you half way...
      Appreciate the effort, great video!

  • @keegancurry2593
    @keegancurry2593 Před 3 lety +745

    I'm studying urban planning for this exact reason. Currently studying in the netherlands for a year, where they are fucking god damn nailing it

    • @warrenlemay8134
      @warrenlemay8134 Před 3 lety +63

      I was there in 2019 - they do such a good job with their cities. Several of the urban planning professors whom taught classes that I took had previously taught at TU Delft.
      Sadly, unlike in the Netherlands, I am afraid to own or use a bike in my own city, because almost everyone I know who has a bike, at some point, has been hit by a person in an automobile.
      As a pedestrian, I have almost been hit several times by drivers who ignore traffic signals while I am crossing at a crosswalk. If I and other people whom aren't using cars can't be made safe by the existence of laws or things like painted lines or stoplights, then it's clearly time to tear the whole way of doing things down and start over because it clearly is not working.

    • @jasonwilliamson2765
      @jasonwilliamson2765 Před 3 lety +10

      Why can't we do this in the US do you suppose? I've seen Netherlands traffic engineering in Chicago on Lake Shore Drive (increasingly shorter paint strips to make you subconsciously slow down) but we still suck, what's the deal??

    • @keegancurry2593
      @keegancurry2593 Před 3 lety +47

      @@waash_8128 Not Just Bikes is an incredible channel dedicated to exactly this. Mostly comparative between north american cities and the netherlands. Bicycle Dutch is also a good resource, though it is not an video essay channel, just videos of commuting via bike in the Netherlands. It can be pretty insightful to watch and see all the details and design of non-auto centered infrastructure.

    • @GhostCharacter
      @GhostCharacter Před 2 lety +5

      @@jasonwilliamson2765 I've biked in a lot of cities, European and U.S., and noticed that American city streets often have a lot more inclines built in. I like a workout, but it's just not professional to arrive at work sweaty, so I opt to drive more when I live in a hillier city.

    • @ausxau
      @ausxau Před 2 lety +2

      It's easy for them to nail it because they have a very low population, cultural unity (everyone is on the same page) and their country is small.

  • @DoolianDrake
    @DoolianDrake Před 2 lety +147

    The more I learn about how much the auto industry screwed us (in America) over, the angrier I get about it. I want to watch this video a few more times, and then all your others. Thank you for the work you are doing making such informative and edutaining videos

    • @alexmendez3681
      @alexmendez3681 Před rokem +2

      You shouldn't get angrier. It's nice having options. This video is only giving you one side and that's all you are thinking hence why you get angrier. What about the flip side?
      Some of us love car culture. We love the road and going on long drives and love seeing an open road. It also allows for communities to have bigger houses. I spend a lot of time at home and having more space and a pool is nice. I think it's nice to have both options, if you prefer the pedestrian life then move to NY or Europe. And if you prefer car culture then move to the west. Options are great and I thank GM for this. Now I can pick and choose between the two.

    • @maumor2
      @maumor2 Před rokem +36

      @@alexmendez3681 GM gave no "option" they bought the most developed public transportation system in the world (LA) and demolished it so they could sell more cars. They lobby the federal government to invest on the interstates (by itself not a bad idea) but labeling them for "security and defense purposes" so they all got paid with taxpayer money and in the process they ruined the US train system that is by any means way better and more efficient for the military needs
      And "we love the road and going on long drives" who is taking that away from you? are people advocating for the removal of interstates?

    • @alexmendez3681
      @alexmendez3681 Před rokem +2

      @@maumor2 It’s a option because if GM didn’t do what they did, it would tons of NY cities all over the place.
      You can’t deny that having cars allows us to own bigger houses.
      Videos like this that keep pushing thief anti car agenda. But the people have spoken. It’s what Americans want since it keeps selling otherwise, no one would purchase houses in the suburbs.
      Options my friend.

    • @maumor2
      @maumor2 Před rokem +20

      @@alexmendez3681 again: Who is taking cars away from you? of course you totally ignored the destruction of LA public transportation and the almost bankrupt rail system in America (because roads get subsidies not track lines or public transportation). Never mind you just dont get it if you think "it would tons of NY cities all over the place" (sic) The suburbs are not self sustaining they are being subsidized by cities but they are a feel good place for scared people

    • @alexmendez3681
      @alexmendez3681 Před rokem

      @@maumor2 Haha. No one is taking cars away from me. I never claimed anyone is taking care away from me, when did I say that?
      I don’t care if it destroyed public transportation.
      I love how you said, you just don’t get it if you think there would be NYs all over the place. So my questions, why exactly don’t I get? You didn’t proceed to add any ideas to that statement. That’s like me saying, “you just don’t get it by having cars everywhere.” That’s if.
      How are they not self sustaining? What does that mean? Seems to me like they have been around for decades so what am I missing?
      Have you not see NY? Have you not see how dense it is? And how dirty it is?
      Would you want to live in a bigger house with less pollution around?

  • @ricklarson392
    @ricklarson392 Před 2 lety +73

    I keep thinking of how many cities had robust public transportation prior to World War II. Denver, my home, had an extensive cable car system through out the city, street car suburbs, and system extensions going to near by cities (such as Boulder and Golden). All this was ripped out in the 1950s in the name of progress, urban renewal, and car culture.

  • @MunthApollo
    @MunthApollo Před 2 lety +814

    "Not a good pen, a pen from the 1920s."
    Pens in the 1920s: Refillable fountain pens, generally well made, legitimately easier to have nicer handwriting with, didn't make your hand cramp so much as they require a light touch.
    Pens in the 2020s: Often disposable and plastic, runs out of ink (sad!), easier to achieve chicken scratch with, HAND CRAMPS.

    • @extropiantranshuman
      @extropiantranshuman Před 2 lety +52

      funny I use a carrot stick for a pen and chlorophyll for ink. After I'm done, I eat the carrot piece and repeat as necessary.

    • @MunthApollo
      @MunthApollo Před 2 lety +37

      @@extropiantranshuman I tried to do this in class but prof kicked me out for "disruptive behavior," or something.
      What is your favorite method for carrying chlorophyll about? I tried carving a reservoir into a large carrot but it kept leaking in my purse.

    • @extropiantranshuman
      @extropiantranshuman Před 2 lety +17

      ​@@MunthApollosorry for getting you in trouble - one of mine kicked me out for going to the restroom, so I understand.
      I don't have a tried-and-true method, as I do plastic and that's messy, but I'm assuming having chlorphyll powder to carry and then when you write put water on a leaf to mix some powder would make it easier to carry in the carrot (neat idea!).
      If it's too noticeable, carve a wooden stick (as pencils are similar looking) to dip with.
      Also did you know you can use chlorophyll like henna for temporary tattoos?

    • @vickisnemeth7474
      @vickisnemeth7474 Před 2 lety +15

      But fountain pens make blots

    • @OjoRojo40
      @OjoRojo40 Před 2 lety +21

      Capitalism 🌈...

  • @justlisten82
    @justlisten82 Před 3 lety +646

    Imagine if we never had cars go mainstream and we focused on mass transit with gradual improvements over time I can only imagine how much more space people could have instead of streets, highways, etc...

    • @lohphat
      @lohphat Před 3 lety +79

      Oh...like The Netherlands.

    • @justlisten82
      @justlisten82 Před 3 lety +78

      @@lohphat I live in the Netherlands and there are still too many roads. However I will say they've done a better job than other countries I've lived in.

    • @curmudgeon1933
      @curmudgeon1933 Před 3 lety +58

      How much expensive real estate is completely unavailable for anything but storage for motor vehicles, when they are not actually being driven? .... and useless, wasted space the rest of the time.

    • @Freshbott2
      @Freshbott2 Před 3 lety +69

      I was gonna say you don't need to imagine cause there are so many European people-first cities, but it's not really what America could have been. The US' transit systems were the best in the world. Leagues ahead of Europe even in small towns and Europeans wanted to emulate it. America was chock full of majestic neoclassical, Beaux-Arts and art deco buildings that were like the new improved grander, more stately version of Europe. Americans saved western Europe from being bombed and went home to flatten their own civilisation.

    • @greenmachine5600
      @greenmachine5600 Před 3 lety +8

      The Netherlands is too small. Maybe more like Japan if anything

  • @FuzzyUnsure
    @FuzzyUnsure Před 2 lety +58

    I love how these videos keep getting recommended to everyone after the price hike the oil companies made with the war. Glad to see everyone is looking to get educated.

    • @TheModdedwarfare3
      @TheModdedwarfare3 Před 2 lety

      @zee reality has a liberal bias because it's literally better for 98% of people. The other 2% has the majority of people gaslit into thinking that this is the best life could be, but it's just not true.

    • @jonatgan8546
      @jonatgan8546 Před rokem

      @zee amtrak is ass bro nobody wants that

  • @nancyhirsch7768
    @nancyhirsch7768 Před rokem +16

    I am a transportation planner in a midsized rust belt city that has lost 4 people per day over the past 12 years. (Detroit and Cleveland have lost 3 people per day). I work with nothing but traffic engineers and the PE has a sign on his desk saying "You can't fix stupid". As the primary person designing roads, intersections, roundabouts, etc. that kill, he doesn't see the irony.

  • @neatwing2285
    @neatwing2285 Před 3 lety +206

    What I miss from the university days wasn't the two years I spent driving in, it was the two years I could walk to class and live near me mates. dam you cars

    • @Helaw0lf
      @Helaw0lf Před 2 lety +18

      The one thing I do miss from community college was having access to mass transit and being a walkaholic. I would only drive for night class or run errands.

    • @OjoRojo40
      @OjoRojo40 Před 2 lety +6

      Capitalism 🌈...

    • @ebinrock
      @ebinrock Před 2 lety

      I'm sorry, but even though I lived in one of the few U.S. cities where you hardly needed a car b/c of the density by necessity of the geography, I was still glad when I got my car, only b/c in my junior year of college I had to get a part-time job that worked me till midnight after I went to school during the day. Your precious public transit doesn't necessarily run 24 hours a day, and it's often too dangerous anyway especially in the wee hours (I lived in one of the U.S.'s most violent cities). Public transit also doesn't give you the complete flexibility of self-movement whenever and wherever you have to go, let alone the need sometimes to haul/carry things around.

    • @ryanfraley7113
      @ryanfraley7113 Před 2 lety +5

      @@ebinrock Everything you mentioned happened because of the auto industry, ironically. Do you think they want clean and safe public transport to challenge their dominance?

  • @ScopeofScience
    @ScopeofScience Před 3 lety +537

    Aaaaah... so... thats why we don't do it in the road.

    • @brett2660
      @brett2660 Před 3 lety +15

      I dunno. I'm not convinced. I think I'm gonna go do it in the road.

    • @OjoRojo40
      @OjoRojo40 Před 2 lety +2

      Capitalism 🌈...

  • @Fixtheproblemwithgoodpolicy
    @Fixtheproblemwithgoodpolicy Před 8 měsíci +7

    Coming from Europe and town squares is enraging. I live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth and we design like we're Kansas. We pave over everything, spread everything out and make life inconvenient and disconnected.

    • @sean7456
      @sean7456 Před 2 měsíci

      Damn bruh, why you gotta shade Kansas like that

  • @josron6088
    @josron6088 Před 2 lety +21

    Car ownership should be optional not mandatory. Imagine all the money you could save if he didn't have to have one.

  • @suburbanhomestead
    @suburbanhomestead Před 3 lety +293

    Finally understood why Jaywalking is called jaywalking. Awesome video!

    • @ClimateTown
      @ClimateTown  Před 3 lety +27

      Hey! Thanks so much.

    • @leonpaelinck
      @leonpaelinck Před rokem +2

      Damn. I assumed if you got run over by a car at any non-highway road the drive is ALWAYS in the wrong.

  • @Jack908r
    @Jack908r Před 3 lety +216

    When my dad was young he could take a train / streetcars from his home in Welland Ontario to the beach on Lake Ontario. All gone now. Tracks are probably still under the pavement. Now we're spending a ton of money to play catch up and build LRT's everywhere, and remove the cancer that private car ownership has become.

    • @davidhuston495
      @davidhuston495 Před 2 lety +11

      Yep, they just paved over the tracks. Here in London, Ontario, they are putting dedicated storm and sanitary lines and so far two streets (York and Wortley - probably the same line) had those remnants.

    • @jolenethiessen357
      @jolenethiessen357 Před 2 lety +2

      I grew up in Winnipeg - we had a hydro electric powered street car system for decades before ripping them up in late 50s/early 60s. Winnipeg is terrible to drive around. We also have a fabulous lake/cottage country on Lake Winnipeg (on both sides of the lake) and back in the day you could cheaply and easily beat the heat by taking a beach special to the lake and back. Now, only people with cars have the privilege of going to the beach. I'm in Brandon now and there used to be a similar set up going to Clear Lake from here.

  • @MikeDaFuckinMouse
    @MikeDaFuckinMouse Před 2 lety +56

    I just want to say as a Republican I really like your videos. I agree with pretty much most of what you guys put out. I'm just saying this to show that in this world of polarized opposites there are still many people from the old days of Republican and Democrat that didn't agree on how to approach everything the same but still worked together somewhat. Don't let the screaming minority fringes cloud everyone's vision. We can all work on fixing these things together. Good job brother. Subscribed.

    • @nikotinsaure2481
      @nikotinsaure2481 Před rokem +11

      Sorry to bother you, but your comment seems really weird to my non-US-mind.
      How can you be a Republican if you agree with the points made in Climate Towns videos?
      Afaik the Democrats tried to invest a huge amount of money into the US' infrastructure somewhen last year. Something that would tackle a lot of the problems mentioned in the video and make life a bit easier for everyone - but the Republicans are somehow against that.
      Instead the last Republican president wanted to invest a huge amount of money in a useless wall to maybe hinder some migrants to get into the US.. - which wouldn't help anyone with their life; it just would make it more miserable for a tiny group of people.
      So.. If you understand the problems related to how infrastructure impacts society, you're standing for the party that showed to support the exact opposite.

    • @feyelsbells7839
      @feyelsbells7839 Před rokem

      hi, american leftist here. republicans didn't always used to stand for those things. the ideological shifts in the republican party are a really fascinating topic i won't go into here, but suffice it to say, the original commenter probably disagrees with a lot of what republicans as a party now stand for. republicans that i know in my day to day life (the ones that are reasonable anyway) see themselves as part of the "responsible" party: the party that wants taxpayer money to be utilized efficiently and the power of the government to be small enough so as not to interfere unnecessarily with everyday life, allowing people to make their own decisions. this is a far cry from what republicans now stand stand for, especially abroad.
      something important to understand abt american politics as they exist today is that the average everyday person is in control of remarkable little on a federal level, and even a state level at times. often people join parties simply as a matter of local identity rather than ideology ("we're all republicans here"), and ideas like the ones in this video simply aren't discussed on cable news. if they are it's done in such a heavily politicized and divisive way that it triggers the "us vs them" response in people. there is such a lack of unity and common interest in this country that if we were to continue along this path it wouldn't shock me if we had another civil war.
      the way to undo this, in my perspective, is to take everyday people at their word and engage with THEM, person to person, rather than conflating them with the politicians of their party.

    • @julietardos5044
      @julietardos5044 Před rokem +7

      @@nikotinsaure2481 Didn't every single Republican vote against that infrastructure bill?
      And have you seen John Oliver's video on infrastructure? It's grand.

    • @unrealization6478
      @unrealization6478 Před rokem +10

      The other comments on here really aren't making republicans look good from the standpoint of these issues not gonna lie. I know there's a lot of legacy and loyalty people have to the american political parties with families following the same party because you were raised into it by your parents and community, but it's maybe worth re-evaluating your preferred party, honestly no matter which party it is and whoever you are reading this, based on what they're actually doing and the policy they're turning out. If we can agree that now is a critical time of change for america as we start to hit the beginning of the climate crisis, I think now might be the point to put tribalism behind us and vote purely based on these pressing issues and the parties' relationships to them.

    • @juliettailor1616
      @juliettailor1616 Před 11 měsíci

      It was conservatives who didn't like the car initially. They sided with the horse and lots of conservative people road and continue to ride bikes as well. The neoliberals and liberals have always seen the car as freedom from norms. The car was the way to rebel against your parents, have premarital sex (in a car), be, in general, deviant.

  • @SprocketMTB
    @SprocketMTB Před 6 měsíci +6

    I want the option to drive, but not the requirement to drive.
    We just need parking on the edges of cities for people driving between cities, and everything inside the city is public transit, walking, or cycling.
    If you live out in the suburbs and work in the city, you drive to the edge of the city, then take public transit, bike or walk to wherever you need to be so you can get to work.
    Bicycle parking in American cities is also shockingly terrible. I really want something like the bicycle parking garages they have in the Netherlands, they’re just sick.

  • @brandonwombacher2559
    @brandonwombacher2559 Před 2 lety +161

    The car companies have a new problem, most people can't afford a car anymore cause of Low Wages.

    • @Demopans5990
      @Demopans5990 Před 2 lety +28

      Can't afford a new car. When even older Japanese and Korean cars still go strong after 10 years, and the Japanese generally don't believe in planned obsolescence

    • @disklamer
      @disklamer Před 2 lety +4

      @bobcat baldfat drunkbeater People are over working as drunkbeaters, these days it's all about zoomdisconnecters.

    • @CarrotConsumer
      @CarrotConsumer Před 2 lety +8

      People with low wages can still get on a finance plan for things they can't afford. Like a big truck.

    • @davidty2006
      @davidty2006 Před 2 lety +1

      @@Demopans5990 Mhm For sure when it's something called a toyota hilux.

    • @empresssk
      @empresssk Před 2 lety +11

      Yeah, this will be an interesting outcome to witness as we hit peak inflation. Their solution for the moment is to hike up their prices to 2-3xs the cost, mainly due to COVID “shortages.” That can’t last forever.

  • @OurChangingClimate
    @OurChangingClimate Před 3 lety +1091

    13:22 is pure gold. Thank you for bringing that into my life.

  • @brettstarks1846
    @brettstarks1846 Před 10 měsíci +10

    I’ve always hated America’s car dependency and didn’t think this rabbit whole could go any deeper - but here I am.

  • @alex_blue5802
    @alex_blue5802 Před 2 lety +19

    I appreciate the way you use humor to lighten up such depressing subjects. The part where you are spinning around and the music stops was just perfect.

  • @technojunkie123
    @technojunkie123 Před 2 lety +202

    Thinking about America's lack of public transportation and non-driving infrastructure compared to other countries around the world makes me want to cry 😭

    • @OjoRojo40
      @OjoRojo40 Před 2 lety +24

      Capitalism 🌈...

    • @jirislavicek9954
      @jirislavicek9954 Před 2 lety +49

      @@OjoRojo40 There is capitalism in many other countries than just the US. But they didn't get rid of public transport. Poor planning and too powerful lobbies is to blame.

    • @jonnysac77
      @jonnysac77 Před 2 lety +17

      @@jirislavicek9954 capitalism does still take a lot of blame since that corporate lobbying and the desire to get every single person to buy a car which would also get them to give a lot of there money to the oil and gas industry, were all enabled by capitalism, say what you want about prior and current socialist systems but I don't think they've ever had issues with car dependency, you really can't talk about issues this big without looking at the economic system a bit

    • @jirislavicek9954
      @jirislavicek9954 Před 2 lety +4

      @@jonnysac77 People are buying cars mainly because they want to move around, not because of advertising. Advertising can influence the make and model they buy, many buy unnecessarily big or expensive cars because of it. But they would still buy them even without advertising. I happens all over the world. In all economic models, just in some people aren't able to buy afford them.
      Also if you are rich and live in developped world in a city with good public transport then you may not need a car and simply don't buy it.

    • @zada9409
      @zada9409 Před rokem

      Elite's Socialism🌈...

  • @laralebeu36
    @laralebeu36 Před 3 lety +454

    The comparison of Japan, France, China and ThE uNitEd StAtEs oF aMeRiCa is just brilliant. 😂

    • @Heyovv
      @Heyovv Před 3 lety +17

      to be fair even with amazing public transports there's still traffic jams although probably not as bad as the us

    • @santiagoleiras6876
      @santiagoleiras6876 Před 3 lety +23

      But owning a car is a matter of choice not a necessity that's forbidden to the very poor

    • @Pseudynom
      @Pseudynom Před 3 lety +39

      @@Heyovv
      But people have another option.
      E.g. it takes 2 hours and 9 minutes to go from Leipzig (where I live) to Berlin. By train it only takes 1 hour an 10 minutes.
      Leipzig - Frankfurt Airport: 4:04 hours by car, 3:30 hours by train.
      Leipzig - Munich: 4:36 hours by car, 3:19 hours by train
      Munich - Berlin: 6:11 hours by car, 4:30 by train

    • @poppogigio1848
      @poppogigio1848 Před 3 lety +5

      You could invert literally any of those. Show traffic jams in all the other countries and show any passenger train service in the US

    • @Mary_iiv
      @Mary_iiv Před 2 lety +26

      @@poppogigio1848 but those shown were bullet trains/high-speed rails vs. the broken American system of transportation. people really prefer to travel in those countries by train whereas in the US there are roads and you HAVE TO own a big, unnecessary truck.

  • @definitelynotacrab7651
    @definitelynotacrab7651 Před rokem +16

    Sad how bad GM has destroyed this country, it will take decades to undo all this damage

    • @wturner777
      @wturner777 Před rokem +5

      It really is sad. We could've had the best transit network in the world. Now overall transit remains underfunded and is absolutely terrible compared to other developed countries.

    • @suzandefneklc8167
      @suzandefneklc8167 Před 10 měsíci

      @@wturner777 they stopped building railroads in america because it was "communist". we could've had a great public transportation system.

    • @gloverfox9135
      @gloverfox9135 Před 3 měsíci

      @@wturner777It was GM that we won ww2 with. Our jeeps and trucks that delivered supplies were made by GM and Ford.

  • @FRISHR
    @FRISHR Před 2 lety +30

    In the wise words of Adam Something: "Just build f*cking trains."

  • @pjrt_tv
    @pjrt_tv Před 2 lety +356

    Definitely agree on the transit being a way out of poverty. I grew up poor in the Bronx, am now definitely not poor. I cannot imagine how I would have gone to school or my first job on Manhattan without transit. And the financial strain it would have put on my parents had they had to buy me a car (and having to have to get a second car for my mom too).

    • @TheModdedwarfare3
      @TheModdedwarfare3 Před 2 lety +31

      Yeah if my parents didn't give me rides to work and eventually buy me a used car outright I wouldn't have really had many options. It's videos and comments like this that make me see how something so ordinary is actually a huge privilege.

    • @justSTUMBLEDupon
      @justSTUMBLEDupon Před rokem

      There is a video on CZcams about how cars keep you poor.
      So not only is the car culture of driving everywhere you need to go effecting your everyday life, it’s effecting your wealth too
      czcams.com/video/TtJXl6pk0Z4/video.html

    • @weatheranddarkness
      @weatheranddarkness Před 9 měsíci +2

      @@TheModdedwarfare3 it's wild from the outside to see that american teenagers are given whole cars by parents.

    • @joshuaa7266
      @joshuaa7266 Před 9 měsíci +7

      @@weatheranddarkness It's practically mandatory to have one to get around in some areas. There's just no public transport available where I live. It's not even safe to walk around most areas, to get to work (theoretically a 26-30min walk) I'd have to walk along a 5-lane highway with no sidewalks or lights, and I'd have to cross it with no crosswalks even at the stoplight, at night since I almost always work until after dark.

  • @imitane
    @imitane Před 3 lety +142

    Hey everyone. Don’t just read the comments, write one to help get the YT algorithm working in this dude’s favor.

  • @massavemedia
    @massavemedia Před 2 lety +17

    Thank you for creating this video, which was informative & excellently produced. I've been a rail/public transit enthusiast (& low-key historian) for years, so when I saw your inclusion of the multi-industry push to "dismantle" the streetcar networks, I was overjoyed to see this shared on such a large scale.
    It's no coincidence, that once National City Lines (a GM-controlled entity) bought out streetcar networks from a plethora of U.S. cities, that many of the transactions yielded GM-manufactured buses operating replacement service on the roads (i.e. if we can't get a household to buy a car, we can still sell our buses to new or mode-transitioning transit agencies.)

  • @martinacold9255
    @martinacold9255 Před 2 lety +6

    Watching old commercials on CZcams from the 70s and 80s people used to actually be taller than their cars, trucks included. To see where we are now is extraordinary.

    • @Noahthelasercop
      @Noahthelasercop Před 2 měsíci

      Yeah people are so short now. SMH my head 😔

  • @hpsfl
    @hpsfl Před 3 lety +151

    He retired to teach conflict of interest ethics at Harva- errr, actually he joined the board of executives on GM. Hahaha got me.

  • @Malaveylo
    @Malaveylo Před 3 lety +226

    Those damn kids and their pet hoops.
    - Henry Ford, probably

    • @ClimateTown
      @ClimateTown  Před 3 lety +52

      I bet he was like, "if I could rope 4 of those kids and their pet hoops together, I could take over America!"

    • @nZektor
      @nZektor Před 3 lety +20

      @@ClimateTown Yes officer, this man and his rope right here

    • @hawkdsl
      @hawkdsl Před 3 lety +3

      "It's a circle..." - "Yea... you know... for Kids!" +1 if you get the ref.

    • @Blingdung
      @Blingdung Před 2 lety +1

      "If people would only understand Hitler like i do, then no one would get mad when I beat them into buying one of my cars"
      - Henry Ford

    • @ryanfraley7113
      @ryanfraley7113 Před 2 lety

      “Those damn kids, how dare they complain that Hitler is a bad dude.” - Also probably a thing Henry Ford said

  • @karito1358
    @karito1358 Před rokem +4

    My favorite thing about your channel is that you not only educate the viewer on the massive flaws in America's car-obsessed society but you also provide them with resources to help change that. Thank you so much for what you do, keep up the good work! :)

  • @johnnycassell4338
    @johnnycassell4338 Před rokem +3

    The automotive industry is the devil. From the manufacturers purposely desiring vertical disintegration, to the car salesman screwing you over on his stupid little Foursquare, to getting absolutely annihilated in the service department. The automotive industry is run by a dirty lunch room of sociopathic money-grubbing weirdos. They hire these good honest hard-working people and pay them just enough money where they won't self delete. I worked in sales for a short time and service for a very long time and it is a business that should be avoided at all costs. I've often thought that the toxic nature of the dealership ultimately came down to a cultural disease from their shaping of the country to fit their needs. This documentary details that perfectly. I love your CZcams channel, you calamitous climate comedian

  • @NicoleConlan
    @NicoleConlan Před 3 lety +138

    When you're in school like "Why do we have to make dioramas? When are we ever going to use this in real life??" Well, when you work for a car company that turns America into a paved hellscape, that's when!

    • @ClimateTown
      @ClimateTown  Před 3 lety +68

      Imagine making a diorama so well it ruins an entire country. That's gotta be an A.

    • @dmrr7739
      @dmrr7739 Před 2 lety +9

      Untrue! You can also make dioramas of airports and coal mines.

    • @UNSCPILOT
      @UNSCPILOT Před 2 lety +4

      Irony would be using Dioramas to undo that hellscape and make cities actually safer, easier, and more enjoyable to traverse without Cars clogging up the works, I wanna ride my e-bike more darnit

  • @slm613
    @slm613 Před 2 lety +458

    this stuff is so crazy to learn about, like i can't believe we weren't taught any of this in school (i know why we aren't though lol), but it makes me so much sadder about the state of our country. it's always been like this, big business being invited into our government. it makes me feel like we're just reaching a long awaited conclusion of how this is going to end with our taxless billionaires, 21st century company towns, and crumbling infrastructure and planet. it's hard to have any hope

    • @Helaw0lf
      @Helaw0lf Před 2 lety +60

      Make consumers, protect capitalism, and do not question the system. Remember to smile comrade.

    • @OjoRojo40
      @OjoRojo40 Před 2 lety +13

      Capitalism 🌈...

    • @crazydragy4233
      @crazydragy4233 Před 2 lety +39

      To be honest, very few places teach about their city or infrastructure development and much of cultural history aside major events.

    • @kurtjohansson1265
      @kurtjohansson1265 Před 2 lety +2

      Geez you people are hopeless. Litterly.
      Nuclear power can fix global warming.

    • @kurtjohansson1265
      @kurtjohansson1265 Před 2 lety +4

      Also you depressed nihilsts, the standard of living has NEVER been higher then it is right now.

  • @ewanherbert3402
    @ewanherbert3402 Před rokem +5

    I find it funny that Japan is one of the world's great automobile-making countries, while having some of the most walkable cities and best public transport systems.
    I guess a clever dealer never gets hooked on his own product...

  • @julietardos5044
    @julietardos5044 Před rokem +3

    The reason Eisenhower was so keen on the interstate highway system was that when he was a lieutenant, he led a company across the country as a test of military defense. It took over 2 months.
    And if you want to know more about black folks getting kicked out of their neighborhoods in favor of freeways, read The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein. It's an excellent book on how laws were used to segregate blacks and white, and how this still affects us all today.

  • @bencanaya382
    @bencanaya382 Před 3 lety +561

    I want to get a bicycle instead of a car but I’m afraid of dying a painful death thanks GM

    • @TemplarOnHigh
      @TemplarOnHigh Před 3 lety +105

      Get a bicycle anyway. The more of us there are, the more of those cars there aren't. And city planners intentionally underbuild bike infrastructure because nobody uses it because there is no infrastructure.

    • @MichielKlaver
      @MichielKlaver Před 3 lety +21

      Migrate to The Netherlands!

    • @garthy4u
      @garthy4u Před 2 lety +19

      @chromaticcanuck that is not a compromise.

    • @davidhollenshead4892
      @davidhollenshead4892 Před 2 lety +7

      GMC stopped making School Buses in 2003 & stopped making Transit Buses in 1987 due to profitability issues, in part due to their products lasting too long. They are considering re-entering both markets, for the same reason that GM makes the best practical EV, the Chevy Bolt, as they are simply not the sociopathic capitalistic company they used to be...

    • @andryij
      @andryij Před 2 lety +21

      @chromaticcanuck Motorcycles burn fuel, are noisy, are fast (therefore dangerous), require special storage space and basically car's space on a high-speed road AND are expensive. So, they are basically cars, just taking less space parked. Yea, that's not a compromise. It's basically getting a car, just smaller and without a roof.

  • @yohannessulistyo4025
    @yohannessulistyo4025 Před 2 lety +284

    To give an easy example to car-addicted North Americans: well, the world's fun places are usually inaccessible by cars. Do you go around Disney theme parks in cars?
    This is why ancient European towns with plenty to see are limited to pedestrians, some of Asia's best area to explore are pedestrian-only.

    • @saltwotter
      @saltwotter Před 2 lety +32

      Even Disneyland Japan has a rail line connecting it to the greater rail system of Japan, from the very start.

    • @cloudyskies5497
      @cloudyskies5497 Před 2 lety +42

      I've wondered whether the reason Americans dream of vacationing in certain spots is because they won't need to drive everywhere.

    • @almamater489
      @almamater489 Před 2 lety

      Americans, unfortunately, have no power here. They live in a capitalist nightmare mode at it's most unhinged form. They literally live shorter than us, because their healthcare is completely money based

    • @_swesters_
      @_swesters_ Před 2 lety +19

      Funny how Epcot in Disney World, which is supposed to showcase the future, has a monorail system. Almost like we knew then that cars weren't the future lol

    • @rodgerlang884
      @rodgerlang884 Před 2 lety +4

      @@cloudyskies5497 Can't speak for anyone else, but that literally never crosses my mind when thinking about a vacation. We're talking about going to Florida this year for vacation and I'm probably going to drive there rather than the hell that is the airport. It'll also be neat if we pass any cool things on the way that we can stop and look. Of course I like to drive so I'm different from other people in that way.

  • @junglejim3433
    @junglejim3433 Před 7 měsíci +3

    Sad story. I’ve been a slave to the automobile my entire life and it’s only gotten worse. My happiest days were when I left my car parked and rode a bike everywhere. Now I live in the burbs and never get to ride a bike. I’m constantly stressed out by how people drive the plethora of giant SUVs and full size trucks where I live. Spending more money on vehicle maintenance than on vacations. Merica. It’s a Hellscape

  • @user-zd7id9rx3f
    @user-zd7id9rx3f Před 8 měsíci +4

    “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” had this issue as a plot element.

  • @jacobv_
    @jacobv_ Před 3 lety +265

    I really like considering a world where there are no cars at all. Everyone would travel long distances by train, and then it would be all walking and biking to get anywhere else. I imagine it would encourage some really strong local communities and cultures, while still allowing people to travel long distances really easily and cheaply.

    • @Roboboy
      @Roboboy Před 3 lety +46

      And local transit! The thing many cities lost in the rise of the car and still don't have in good measure today!!! Robust local transit supporting walkable cities is the very reason why all the high speed train networks abroad work so well.

    • @dividedstatesofamerica2520
      @dividedstatesofamerica2520 Před 3 lety +17

      Fuck that. I still have a passion for cars and I won't let anyone ruin it.

    • @jacobv_
      @jacobv_ Před 3 lety +90

      @@dividedstatesofamerica2520 As a passion, I think cars can be really cool! They are fun to drive and tinker with. You could still have your passion, but it would probably be something you would do out in some sand dunes or on a race track.
      It's unsustainable for so many cars to be on the road and on top of that, the traffic and road rage do not make our communities safer or more enjoyable. Right now it is impossible for many americans to live without the use of a car, and instead of a fun experience, it is one filled with worry -- for their lives, or for the cost associated with accidents. When I said "no more cars" I really meant "no more reliance on cars for transportation."

    • @greenmachine5600
      @greenmachine5600 Před 3 lety +5

      Cars ruined it for cities, stfu. Your ruining shit yourself

    • @namele55777
      @namele55777 Před 2 lety +6

      this world exists - look at amsterdam and downtown tokyo

  • @kristynamertova2631
    @kristynamertova2631 Před 3 lety +93

    Lol, as European, it was pretty interesting to walk by a road in the countryside and being asked by drivers passing by if we are ok, coz we are walking, by the road.

  • @lucygoosy6959
    @lucygoosy6959 Před 2 lety +64

    I honestly feel so disillusioned... As someone who's spent years in automotive classes and even got certifications, I went in with the yearning to help build and maintain people's means to travel-to live basically. I feel so disillusioned, yet so hopeful for a parallel space for me to find. There has to be, right?

    • @armadillito
      @armadillito Před 2 lety +34

      Trains and trams need many of the same systems. Automotive engineering is very transferable.

    • @istvanlovasz1221
      @istvanlovasz1221 Před 2 lety +9

      Your parallel space is anywhere else in the world. Even the infamous Germany's auto-centric cities are -miles- kilometers better than anything American.

    • @forthehonorforge4840
      @forthehonorforge4840 Před 2 lety +2

      Look, if watching a single video is enough to make you feel disappointed with life and years of hard work, you may need to reexamine how much value you put into what you think someone else says is right. After all, this video is propaganda. It is at least a little educational.

    • @deuteriummeridian8998
      @deuteriummeridian8998 Před 2 lety +6

      Additional truth left unmentioned is that people if possible don't like having other people they don't like in their way. You do have to deal with the public when you take public transportation and people are both the best and worst things in life. We all seek peace, cleanliness, and control of our own space whether it's a 3 story one bedroom walkup ten minutes from work by bike or 1900ft² bungalow and yard 20 miles from city centre. Cars were bought by people at the dawn of the auto age just like you and me doing what they could to serve their best interests, even if they were wrong. Cars are merely one transportation tool, and they have their time and place for escaping the dystopias flawed and finite men and women make wherever they go. The mistake is thinking that our technology always saves us from ourselves. As for you, stick with the car repair thing as long as it suits you, whether what you wrench on is a new Integra or a box Caprice. Your profession is no less legitimate than the entire healthcare field where people have employment because get sick and die.
      I need go to bed dammit

    • @kirbyarroyo2118
      @kirbyarroyo2118 Před 2 lety +7

      @@forthehonorforge4840 it is educational, your irrational love for cars is blinding you.

  • @crysstoll1191
    @crysstoll1191 Před 10 měsíci +3

    i generally get turned off by all the fawning comments on YT videos but geez, this is incredibly well done. The laughs help digest the horrors that you point out so well.

  • @simonlynch4204
    @simonlynch4204 Před 3 lety +185

    Give this man his own late night show. NOW.

  • @kimballspeakthreetheater3318

    I absolutely LOVE it when people do actual research about USA's past and find out we've HAD Socialism for a long damn time. You know, that word one certain political Party uses as a dirty word today.

    • @Lumberjack_king
      @Lumberjack_king Před 2 lety +4

      Yep

    • @Meleeman011
      @Meleeman011 Před 2 lety

      exactly why i promote the free market lol

    • @kimballspeakthreetheater3318
      @kimballspeakthreetheater3318 Před 2 lety +63

      @@Meleeman011 There is literally no such thing as a "free Market" as long as giant Corporations can do exactly what they did in this video. Did you actually watch the video?

    • @RollerBear123
      @RollerBear123 Před 2 lety +3

      Two parties*

    • @Zraknul
      @Zraknul Před 2 lety +4

      They also love giant government red tape driving up prices...housing prices. No one wants to eliminate red tape if they don't want to deal with detached single family home zoning, the biggest and most expensive one of all.

  • @wmmseo
    @wmmseo Před 2 lety +2

    Somewhere between ten and twenty years ago I stumbled across the "Great Streetcar Scandal of 1947". I'd never heard or it before and they never taught anything about his in school (why is that exactly?). I was totally blown away. My jaw was wide open for days. I tried to tell everyone I knew but no one seems to care. My dad never heard of it and he was born in '31. When I showed my father, he could not believe it either. I showed him the guilty verdict from the trial and he was like "well that's nice son". I could not understand how America could be so stupid and then Trump got elected and everything became crystal clear.

  • @Hurricane2k8
    @Hurricane2k8 Před 2 lety

    Hey, I'm here after the NJB collab and just wanted to say that I love this style of video. Clearly well researched and presented, and I'm a huge sucker for those sarcastic remarks. Keep it up, now I'll watch some more.

  • @max6833
    @max6833 Před 3 lety +106

    If you are looking for inspiration look towards the Netherlands. They had a huge car problem in 1960s they decided it wasn't working for them so they changed it. Now they are the bicycle capital of the world and have mostly dealt with all of their problems. The CZcams channel Not Just Bikes has some videos on this subject.

    • @dalyxia
      @dalyxia Před 3 lety +11

      Yeah, as a dutch citizen, i must disagree, there are still mayor problems with traffic jams. It might not be as bad as in the usa, but its far from "dealt with"

    • @veigar6899
      @veigar6899 Před 3 lety +2

      Plus the distances in the usa are much larger than the netherlands

    • @allws9683
      @allws9683 Před 2 lety +36

      @@veigar6899 The distances in the US are larger 'BECAUSE' of the car. Nonetheless 48% of all car rides is 10miles and only 5% >31 miles (= "a large distance" ). For the really 'large' US distances (>1000) people take a plane. The problem is that for the short distance there is really bad/dangerous infrastructure, that people have to drive. And no, snow and heat are no excuses (see biking in Oulu and Seville ).
      The costs of those freeways and stripmalls is that US has 2x or 3x more asphalt per capita to maintain as Netherlands or Germany. Those costs are too expensive (see Pittsburgh, Cali and everywhere in US..)

    • @sarahrosen4985
      @sarahrosen4985 Před 2 lety +7

      Think how much better the health of all those Dutch citizens is with all that regular exercise. Not 75% of the population pre or actively Type 2 diabetic either. How many Dutch children on high blood pressure meds because they are so overweight from highly processed food + sedentary lifestyle? Oh, those are only American children? Hmmmm…

    • @quanbrooklynkid7776
      @quanbrooklynkid7776 Před 2 lety +2

      We all ain't trying to ride bikes... In the US so keep that over there

  • @grimm00002
    @grimm00002 Před 3 lety +13

    Filipino dude here. Staying in Germany for a week was one of the greatest epiphanies I ever had. Having such a robust network of trains really helps a lot, because in the Philippines, most of commerce and industry is concentrated in the oldest city due to it being close to ports and having all the necessary infrastructure to support all those companies. The result is almost always the nastiest traffic where even living and working in the same city meant a commute of an hour.
    If you had a country connected by rail, these industries could be moved to other areas, so people don't have to be concentrated on the industrial hub for job opportunities. The problem with a car-centric transportation is that public transportation is also limited to road going buses, which also gets stuck in traffic. With our very bad traffic situation, the harsh commuting conditions that poor people experience further cements the mindset that as soon as you make it well financially, you'd want to get yourself a vehicle so going to places is not that hard (especially in the Philippines where families are very impotant). In Germany, I saw an entire family on bikes: There was even a baby carrier tugged by the Mom's bike. It really speaks volumes as to how much more efficient trains are with moving people and goods all over the country. Like, I was so mindblown of the fact that as soon as you landed on the airport, just take 2 escalators down, and there is a train station, connected to the mesh of trains in the whole of Germany. It's funny that when I think of Germany, I think of their cars. I never imagined that there they are, living in a society that owning a car is a matter of personal choice, not a NEED.
    Great vid man. Subbed!

    • @jestes7
      @jestes7 Před rokem

      Thanks for sharing. Also, you're English is great, good job.

  • @leonpaelinck
    @leonpaelinck Před rokem +3

    So this is a perfect example of: "Create the problem. Sell the solution."
    With the addition of victim blaming

  • @tiaxanderson9725
    @tiaxanderson9725 Před 2 lety +4

    16:51 "Dream your own dream of what a fair and equitable society looks like"
    *me looks out of my Dutch window seeing a nice suburb in the Netherlands*

    • @bitcoinzoomer9994
      @bitcoinzoomer9994 Před 2 lety

      I agreed with everything until he snuck that communist equity bullshit in there

    • @DionaTune
      @DionaTune Před 7 měsíci +1

      Luscky

  • @garethbaus5471
    @garethbaus5471 Před 2 lety +35

    I love how that video talking about how people"leap" in front of cars is showing a busy street where you can't not leap in front of a car.

  • @danielmahdavi9419
    @danielmahdavi9419 Před 3 lety +42

    You are both a comedic genius and an actual genius. My wife and I had to pause half way through and spend a few minutes collecting ourselves because we were both laughing too much to hear you explain the facts behind it all.

  • @Saturnhaloasmr
    @Saturnhaloasmr Před 2 lety +1

    the comedic timing of these gives me much needed relief

  • @shAnn0n1
    @shAnn0n1 Před 2 lety +8

    Love, love, love your storytelling. You're soooo honest. You need your own show on E, History, National Geographic, etc... Companies blaming victims.

  • @MariannaeMariannae
    @MariannaeMariannae Před 3 lety +217

    Can't wait for the youtube algorithm to pick you up properly. Well researched stuff as usually.
    It's definitely time to give the streets back to the people.

    • @sarahrosen4985
      @sarahrosen4985 Před 2 lety +5

      The algorithm doesn’t favor the truth tellers, especially in this subject. Given how long the channel has been up and how long it took the algorithm to mention it to me when it is EVERYTHING I love…heavy holding back is going on from above.

    • @OjoRojo40
      @OjoRojo40 Před 2 lety +1

      Capitalism 🌈...

    • @Voyajer.
      @Voyajer. Před 2 lety +1

      Gotta keep engagement up (liking, sharing, commenting on each video) which all feed the algo.

    • @thatguyalex2835
      @thatguyalex2835 Před 2 lety

      I totally agree with you. The algorithm needs this. This guy is all for the environment, just one tiny issue. Assuming he bought his leather coat new, it has a 400 lb CO2 emissions. I have a second hand genuine* one that I got three years ago, so it contributes to 0 lb CO2. I eat meat, but only a few times per week. ;)
      * my cowskin coat was made in the early mid-'90s, and is 5 or so years older than me.

    • @brtausi
      @brtausi Před 2 lety +1

      It just did😎

  • @Reviourt
    @Reviourt Před 3 lety +16

    I was murdered by the Earth Wind & Fire joke, and the carbon in my lungs

  • @peksn
    @peksn Před 2 lety +8

    I love how all your videos end with a "so what can you actually do now", makes the emotions you get from a video materialize into real action

  • @joestrike8537
    @joestrike8537 Před rokem +1

    I live in NYC near the new 2nd Ave subway, the crosstown 86 St bus & the Lexington Avenue "IRT" line.(I know using those initials date me, but what the hell; by the way, I recognized like 92% of the locations where you shot this video.) I am SO grateful I will NEVER need to own a car. We lived in Brooklyn until I was 13 then moved to the greener pastures of Long Island - and my life went from walking or taking the subway everywhere, to "mom, drive me to the library;" definitely gave me a preference for the former.
    When you own a car, the car owns you - or rather the banks own you (auto loan) the oil companies own you ("fill 'er up!") and the insurance companies own you (illegal to drive without auto insurance). This video touched on but really didn't explore the "Defense" angle of justifying the Interstate highway system (which is named for Dwight David Eisenhower, btw).

  • @flad5692
    @flad5692 Před 3 lety +32

    You're radicalizing me against roads

  • @lindsaywebb1904
    @lindsaywebb1904 Před 2 lety +21

    Good work. I grew up in a car focussed place (suburban Australia) spent a year in LA after my studies, ended up car free in Berlin... Couldn't be happier

  • @grunklesam787
    @grunklesam787 Před 11 měsíci +2

    I live in Canada, and my city has decent public transport, but it is incredibly unreliable and often slow and crowded. This video really made me realize that that is in large part due to how far dependant we are.

  • @tyiffpeijc8702
    @tyiffpeijc8702 Před 29 dny +1

    The cost of cars to individuals is another huge factor working against lower-income households that greatly reduce their upward mobility. Every car owner must pay for maintenance, gasoline, insurance, registration, and the upfront purchase cost or financing for the vehicle.. these expenses absolutely impact lower-income earners much more than higher-income earners. Convenient and efficient public transit would help lower-income earners save money and be able to live with less stress, which would also reduce health costs, and the money they save would also reduce the need for financial support, allowing those taxes to be reallocated or returned to tax payers

  • @robynmurray7421
    @robynmurray7421 Před 2 lety +4

    If you want an example of how car culture dominated America by the 60s, look at popular music. While UK bands like The Beatles and The Hollies were still singing about catching the bus, US singers were all about driving the Thunderbird to the drive-in movie.

  • @maniacalcactus4705
    @maniacalcactus4705 Před 3 lety +89

    Damn this is a high quality video. Good shit man

    • @BenDurham
      @BenDurham Před 3 lety

      the bestest shit of them all

  • @yamchayaku
    @yamchayaku Před rokem +2

    It's both the Auto and Oil industry that conspired to keep Americans indentured by designing residential areas (especially the suburbs) to be too far from walking distance to any commercial zone. People will need to use cars to literally do anything so that the oil industry has a steady supply of customers buying gas, and the Automotive industry with the steady stream of customers for new cars, auto parts and auto service.

  • @stevenwalter3311
    @stevenwalter3311 Před měsícem

    There are also weather-resistant bikes available. The Priority Continuum is an aluminum frame with a belt drive, so you don't have to worry about rust. It's not the only one on the market, just the one I own and love.

  • @joeblack4436
    @joeblack4436 Před 2 lety +17

    Over the course of my 20 year career. The single biggest improvement to my standard of living was simply to live closer to work, and shop closer to where I live. Or more recently... Order online more. It's better living. Night and day removed from the commuting years.

  • @christinearmington
    @christinearmington Před 2 lety +43

    You’re doing a great job. Rick Scott turned down Federal high speed rail money 💰 because everyone obviously needs to drive their own car from Miami to Orlando. Or Tampa.
    Such. Poor. Planning.
    Especially for the poor.

    • @valariebrown3768
      @valariebrown3768 Před rokem +2

      Bad for elderly, too. Safe, accessible transit to and from appointments, shopping, and long distance travel hubs is essential for an active elder at risk as a driver.

  • @TheTexasTakebyMissVikie
    @TheTexasTakebyMissVikie Před 7 měsíci +2

    Now Vehicles cost MORE than a House 🙄 the price has Tripled from 2002 to 2022. 😮
    But MINIMUM WAGE has Stayed the Same... 😟

  • @HauntaskhanHYPNOSIS
    @HauntaskhanHYPNOSIS Před rokem +4

    I'm so glad I have the independence to be stuck in traffic with the rest of the independent drivers...

  • @aggrogahu
    @aggrogahu Před 3 lety +19

    While I don't care that pedestrians are relegated to side and crosswalks, US public transportation is actual trash. Living in and visiting countries with useable subways and bus systems makes you realize how sad it is.

    • @quanbrooklynkid7776
      @quanbrooklynkid7776 Před 2 lety +1

      Damn

    • @qjtvaddict
      @qjtvaddict Před 2 lety

      @@quanbrooklynkid7776 yeah you have no idea how bad it is once overseas is done with you you will hate even NYC and most of the USA transit wise

  • @vismadring
    @vismadring Před 3 lety +7

    It’s wild that highways ripping through cities was ever portrayed as futuristic and exciting. I wish people could have also seen the huge parking lots that come along with that amount of cars

  • @ninjaknight-jn9ky
    @ninjaknight-jn9ky Před rokem +4

    Like how tesla just did this with the hyperloop.

  • @brianciupka7784
    @brianciupka7784 Před 8 měsíci +1

    it only took 2 years for me to see this , and only 100 years for it to matter . Great work Rollie .

  • @tootiinc
    @tootiinc Před 2 lety +41

    Can you do a video about suburbs? There's so much land/water/energy waste (ie unproductive front lawns and sprawling roads), plus feels more socially isolating. There're probably some policy issues involved, but we need to also reconsider what types of homes we idealize and aspire to as a society.

    • @DiThi
      @DiThi Před 2 lety +3

      Yes! This needs to be done. There's very good channels that cover this like Eco Gecko but I think it would greatly benefit from the comedic flair of this channel.

    • @lizzyol
      @lizzyol Před 2 lety +5

      Not Just Bikes has so many excellent videos about this, 10/10 would recommend checking him out if you haven't!

    • @MrMezmerized
      @MrMezmerized Před rokem

      I think this channel has a video (partially) about disastrous zoning too.

    • @user-gu9yq5sj7c
      @user-gu9yq5sj7c Před rokem

      My family uses the water we wash vegetables, fruits, and food with to water our plants.

  • @BiscuitGeoff
    @BiscuitGeoff Před 3 lety +14

    I have seen 'jaywalking' on US TV shows and never really understood it. Crossing the road has never been a crime here in the UK.

    • @Lurrer
      @Lurrer Před 3 lety +1

      In Germany it is an infraction and you have to pay a fine of ten euros. If you repeat this, you can lose your drivers license temporary.

    • @BiscuitGeoff
      @BiscuitGeoff Před 3 lety +6

      @@Lurrer For the crime of not-driving, you are banned from driving!
      That's pretty weird stuff.

    • @490o
      @490o Před 3 lety

      @@Lurrer Is it? I didn't even know we had a word for 'jaywalking'.

    • @Avi2Nyan
      @Avi2Nyan Před 3 lety +2

      It isn't illegal in the Netherlands either and I'm so glad. Such a bullshit law. Plus, our police would totally use it for ethnic profiling

    • @bezahltersystemtroll5055
      @bezahltersystemtroll5055 Před 2 lety

      @@Lurrer I've never seen or heard that happen though and I cross the road constantly 😂

  • @certainperfectratio
    @certainperfectratio Před 2 lety +1

    The Wilt Chamberlain reference at the beginning. Brilliance.

  • @shanewachlin
    @shanewachlin Před 11 měsíci +1

    I've rewatched every single one of these, at least 3 times. They are nuanced, hilarious, informative, and motivate me to do something. You're a rockstar!!!

  • @improveverywhere
    @improveverywhere Před 3 lety +165

    This was fantastic!

    • @ClimateTown
      @ClimateTown  Před 3 lety +7

      Hey! Thanks Improv Everywhere! You're the best.

    • @OjoRojo40
      @OjoRojo40 Před 2 lety +1

      Capitalism 🌈...

    • @Nah_Bohdi
      @Nah_Bohdi Před 2 lety

      @@OjoRojo40 You dont even know what that word means, you've been brainwashed through subjective definitions of certain words, such as capitalism.
      You havnt now, or ever will, understand the politics until you enterly remove your emotions...and read a few dictionaries, it helps with "big word understanding".

    • @OjoRojo40
      @OjoRojo40 Před 2 lety +3

      @@Nah_Bohdi I have read "The Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations", "The principles of political economy" and alas "Capitalism and Freedom" by you know who. But I guess all of that is no good right? kekekekeke . Now tell me what have you read enlightened man.

    • @insu_na
      @insu_na Před 2 lety +1

      @@OjoRojo40 He's read Ben Shabibo, lol
      "Politics can only be understood without emotions" what a f-ing dunce

  • @latifoljic
    @latifoljic Před 2 lety +202

    You ever think about how a self-driving car is basically just a really expensive nationwide metrocard?

    • @fashiharz8584
      @fashiharz8584 Před 2 lety +5

      Hmm.. with more privacy and hygiene, I guess.

    • @yosephbuitrago897
      @yosephbuitrago897 Před 2 lety +7

      fashiha rz hygiene? Have you only ever ridden American public transportation? If so then that statement makes sense

    • @realGBx64
      @realGBx64 Před 2 lety +7

      have you ever thought about that self-driving cars are still cars, and as such, are still the least efficient way to move people around both space wise and energy wise?

    • @fashiharz8584
      @fashiharz8584 Před 2 lety

      @@yosephbuitrago897 I'm malaysian 😅 well malaysia is like america in many ways. .

    • @qjtvaddict
      @qjtvaddict Před 2 lety +1

      No need they are making self driving buses and cars and trains too later

  • @Thatsthegoal4322
    @Thatsthegoal4322 Před 2 lety +2

    This guy needs his videos shared everywhere educational, informative, and entertaining it's the perfect mix.

  • @jackyha9445
    @jackyha9445 Před 2 lety +4

    When I was a kid in the United States, there'd be kids at school who were from overseas, and they brought up how much it sucked being a kid in the new country because they couldn't get anywhere. I never thought much of it cause well I grew up here, that's all I had ever known as a kid, you either had your parents drive you to your friends house or you bike it or you walk.
    Grown up now and having traveled abroad for vacations and things like that, yea, other countries have wayyyyyyy better public transit.
    I'd recommend this video to any foreigners who are traveling to the US on holiday so they can plan to 1) rent a car so they can get around 2) not be shell-shocked at how shit the public transport system is in the US.
    Also if you wanna do a video on "eating a big hearty breakfast" and the ad campaign in the past to shape people buying bacon from around the 1920s, I'd totally watch that video made in the style you make your current climate-change-centric videos; it's quite interesting, the bacon industry hired some psychologist dude to "get people to buy more bacon" and that m'fer totally social engineered us to how we are now in the US, with big ass breakfast portion sizes and bacon and crap in every meal

  • @sandyj342
    @sandyj342 Před 2 lety +57

    This channel is amazing not only for the Climate issues but for how corporates manipulate govt and us.

  • @LeahandLevi
    @LeahandLevi Před 3 lety +151

    Dude this video is so overproduced. Hell yeah.

  • @truewantsaband
    @truewantsaband Před 2 lety +2

    Proud cyclist and public transit user right here!! 😊 i dont think ill ever drive as a main form of transportation. Never owned a car, probably never will 🚴‍♀️

  • @emorourke1306
    @emorourke1306 Před 8 měsíci +1

    That diorama is just freaky considering how accurately it showcased our future. Congrats to them, condolences to us.