Verschlimmbesserung | hugoormo on WordPress.com
So many of our attempts to improve things bring unforeseen problems in their wake. The word modestly admits how seldom progress moves in a linear manner.
The German minister of transportation has single-handed suddenly approved the introduction of XXL-Lorries in Germany. Likely this will roll-out in the rest of Europe — otherwise it would be meaningless. Officially, the measure is meant to reduce CO2 emissions.
I am returning to the recurrent question whether the language forms our actions. I see no possible end to this action where the environment will be better off. The market of goods transport will quickly rebalance this sudden increase of 30% load per driver and…
the winners will be:
- Car/Truck-makers
- Motorway contractors
- Amazon
the losers will be:
- the environment
- all of us who will feel threatened by behemoths on wheels in our cities, towns and roads
- communities and cities that will have to repair and enlarge junctions, accesses, roads
…under this considerations, I do not understand how this could be a political decision.
A political decision would be then to spur the industry — as opposite to hone the lobbyists — to come up with creative solutions like smaller-than-today-driverless lorries. Or as it is already being researched, trains of lorries with a human driven head lorry and autonomous followers.
Originally published at hugoormo.blog on January 7, 2017.
