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Rob_Hugo@PortNWThis weekend I saw a documentary about Critical Mass, the leaderless social reform movement that revolves around bicycles as a clean and sustainable mode of transportation. Some of you may have had difficulty getting around Wilshire today because of their demonstrations.
In it, one of the founders spoke about the time he spent in Asia (specifically Taiwan). There, he said, bicycles and cars (and rickshaws and motorcycles and oxen) coexist as modes of transportation. When a bicyclist approaches a street full of cars he would like to cross, he waits. Soon, other bicyclists are also waiting at the intersection. This continues until they reach a critical mass, enough bicycles that if they move as one, cars will have to yield.
Of course not only does this have delicious ramifications for social progress and environmental reform (hint hint SUV drivers) but I thought it interesting as a cultural difference.
Ask any red-blooded car-driving American why he doesn't take a bike to work (assuming it's close enough) and she'll tell you, "But I don't want to be all sweaty when I get there." This isn't even an issue in Asian cities. Maybe they'll say that they can't carry every thing they need in a bicycle. Anyone who's seen those bicycles with a big open containers up front (or in the rear) knows that that's not an issue in other cities either.
One of the most delightful differences I saw was what I call "the chick factor." It's somehow been ingrained in American culture that in order to take a girl out on a date you have to pick her up in a car and drive her around in it. In fact, a case could be made that without a car, most Americans would never have lost their virginity before marriage. But time after time, these filmmakers saw women riding on the back (English-style) of bicycles, some on their FIRST DATE! Get to know her a little better and she gets to ride on the handlebars.
Anyways, all I'm saying is that we tend to think that our deeply entrenched social and environmental conventions are entrenched because they are the best possible way. It is in seeing other cultures (modern urban cultures even) make do in a different way that we are made aware of the possibillities of change.
Thoughts?
AnonymousIf I am going to be picked up and taken on a date on the back of a bike all I can say is it better be a damn good restaurant (think chick-factor!). I think bikes are becoming more popular in western cities, just not in the western states of America (maybe with the exception of San Francisco). Many people in Europe ride bikes to work and take public transport everywhere, including on dates. Most people I know who live in New York, San Francisco and London do not have cars because there is nowhere to park them and public transport is excellent. With such high population in Asian cities, bikes seem an excellent solution as public transport must have a problem with sheer numbers. I have never encountered such a "car society" as here in Los Angeles, although I think it is the same in most of the western part of the country. More land, new widespread cities and a lack of public transport. It will be interesting to see how Asia develops over time as the economy continues to boom.
Karen
AnonymousThe cities mentioned in the other postings have public transportation systems that work. Ours, unfortunately does not. I'm afraid LA is much too spread out for mass transit to be as effective as it is in New York, London, etc. I'm afraid I'm a dyed in the wool car guy anyhow.
clay dubeHas anyone checked out the LA Natural History Museum exhibition that is based on Jared Diamond's book Collapse? I am reading the book which begins with discussions of:
why societies collapse
Montana as a society where the environmental challenges are great
Easter Island as an environmentally overtaxed society
...
I hope to visit the exhibition soon and would like to know if anyone in our group has considered the teachability of this subject.
Here are some reviews of the book:
http://www.grist.org/advice/books/2005/02/08/kavanagh-collapse/
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.01/play.html?pg=5
http://www.nationalreview.com/books/hanson200505200837.asp
http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/politicsphilosophyandsociety/0,6121,1390552,00.html
AnonymousNo, but I will be attending the Seamobile event in the Natural History Museum on December 3rd. I read about Collapse on their website. It sounds pretty interesting. It is a "Don't wanna miss' thing. I will try to get more info for the class.For those who like to attend, there is no sallary point but there is a $100.00 stipend. It is on a saturday. I hope it is not too late to sign up. Check out this site to read about collapse (http://www.nhm.org/)[Edit by="rrustamzadeh on Nov 15, 11:28:49 PM"][/Edit]
AnonymousLast year, while I was in Cuba, bikes were a major form of transportation. Busses were packed, but the schedule was haphazard. There were a lot of cars, but many were used by foreign workers or diplomats. For a Cuban citizen to have a car, they had to show some deep need so the State would approve it. So it was common to see people on bicycles, moped types and scooters. We frequently saw couples going on a date with the girl on the top cross bar or riding on the handlebars.
In this country, the guy would be laughed at, in other areas, it is accepted as the status quo. Perhaps we are a more spoiled / ego driven culture?
AnonymousWhat do you mean "perhaps"!! We are definately spoiled but so have many other cultures been throughout history. The Kyoto Court is a good example. So preoccupied with themselves that they lost touch with reality. The Roman Empire, The British Empire. The list goes on. Lets hope we have learned from history......but I doubt it.
Karen
AnonymousI don't think that they necessarily "make do" out of choice. Rather, the price of automobiles in most Asian countries prohibits the purchase...cars are a luxury!!! In fact, a Ford Escape in Vietnam cost $45,000 just two years ago! That's outrageous!
AnonymousYes, cars are a luxury in foreign lands, but then when you consider the growing number of Americans below the poverty line you start to realize that cars are a luxury in this country as well. Whenever anyone talks about how L.A. has no public transportation it makes me cringe, because a full 50% of Angelenos take public transportation as their primary means of getting around. Yes, it is the poor, brown, and under-represented 50%, but nevertheless we seem to view "freedom to drive" as some kind of American right, along with freedom of speech and religion.
My question is how are Asian countries able to avoid this dependence? Is it a) more poor people, b) cities with centralized populations, or c) cultures that place a lower value on appearance?
I don't know, I'm just asking.
m@x
AnonymousI think the answer is d) all of the above
Karen
AnonymousHere’s the annotated version of Jared Diamond’s five reasons why societies collapse:
1.Environmental damage - inadvertent damage to the environment through means such as deforestation, soil erosion, salinisation, over-hunting etc.
2.Climate change, such as cooling or increased aridity
3.Society’s relations with hostile (they are most likely to fail to hold off the hostile neighbors when the society itself gets weakened for environmental or any other reasons)
4.Societies depend in part upon trade with neighboring friendly societies
5.People’s cultural response to the aforementioned points. People fail to perceive the problems developing around them, and if they do perceive them, then they fail to solve the problems that eventually lead to societal demise.
AnonymousAmericans are spoiled, NO DOUBT. The more one travels, the more this becomes blatently apparant. We have so many wants, which supercede our true needs. We hold a standard of accomplishment (newer car, large house, 6 figure income), which is really a desire to own material goods.
My point is this, we as a whole, are quite materialistic and wasteful. Visiting other countries I have learned that not very much is taken for granted, nor wasted. Americans have wallowed in excess for too long.
How will we be able to sustain ourselves? Other countries are surviving, because they understand/value simple things that we do not. We complain and complain, but we have so much we don't know what to do with our stuff (throw it away, right?) We have commonly confused our wants with needs.
We can learn from other countries.
jem
AnonymousJem, I definitely agree with you.
Isn't this the only country that offers free education for K-12? Not only the school tuition but also everything else, such as pencils, paper, and books, is freely given. How do the students react to that privilege? Indifferent! It really irritates and saddens me to observe my students' attitude toward that privilege.
AnonymousI just attended a workshop this evening about "moral intelligence" by a national speaker/writer by the name of Michelle Borba. She emphasized the values of empathy, conscience and self-control, which she believes is part of the problem in today's American society.
How is this related to the Chinese culture? I definitely see the need to discuss the various philosophies we study in 6th grade History curriculum. This is how I see the "ancient" fitting in with the needs of the modern society. Without preaching to the kids, you can interact, roleplay, discuss pros and cons, and in the end they have achieved a higher level of moral judgement. Now if I can just get them to ALWAYS do their homework, I have achieved utopia!
AnonymousThe attached article appeared in the International Harold Tribune is Titled Why Civilizations Decline. It is a precise of the thoughts of Jared Diamond. I thought it germain to your blog. Hope it is of value to you and your readers. nbeck