What Should The Carbon-Free Futurama Look Like?

The Futurama exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair excited an entire generation about suburbia. At a meeting of the Citistates Group, policy wonks wondered whether it's possible to create a new vision of a Carbon-Free Futurama.

1 minute read

July 29, 2008, 12:00 PM PDT

By Tim Halbur

"If Californians – and Americans -- are going to cut greenhouse gas emissions, they're going to have to drive less. But is wonking on policy really the best way to make this happen? Or do we have to create a compelling alternate vision for the next generation's lifestyle – a kind of Carbon-Free Futurama?

There's a lot of discussion about how policy can affect VMT. But policy may be too slow and too reactive. At least that seemed to be the consensus at the informal, once-every-now-and-then, and extremely wonky gathering of Neal Peirce's Citistates Group.

So how else do we go after this? By presenting a positive alternative lifestyle that focuses on "high efficiency and low impact," at least according to all-purpose policy wonk Marc Weiss and economist Doug Henton.

Which leads to the obvious question: What would the Carbon-Free Futurama look like?"

Thanks to Bill Fulton

FULL STORY: The Carbon-Free Futurama

Tuesday, July 29, 2008 in California Planning & Development Report

Environment United States Car Culture

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