Open Letter To Jack Layton Re Trucks On The Roads

But like it or not if we haven't reached peak oil already, we will soon. We may have enough oil supplies to meet our own needs, but because of Nafta once we started selling, we are required to continue selling our resources to the US at the level we are at now regardless of whether we have enough for ourselves in our own country. Jack is right, we need to have the forsight to be looking at other methods of transportation before the crunch really hits. We should also be looking to get out of these horrible trade agreements.

I don't think that he means any disrespect to truckers in this.

I agree. The rails are the most efficient (both in terms of energy consumption and land use) form of transportation.

"Admit that your thought about getting rid of trucks was a poor one"

He dosen't say (and it wouldn't make sense at this time either) that transporting more by rail will put truckers out of business. Even if the rail capacity were expanded and utilised to its full potential, trucks would still be an integral part of the process. How else could a container full of goods be delivered to a retailer from the rail car? Trucks shouldn't be doing the job that the trains where intended for (moving heavy cargo hundreds and thousands of kilometres over land).

Does hemp burn as well as wood or coal ?

If so, then we could use that to fuel the engines when the diesel runs out, because there won't be any trucks, either.

Also, remember the oil crisis in the 70's and all the large cities had ripped up the rails for streetcars ?

Dumb move, when seen in retrospect. Electric rail transportation was back in vogue !!

Let's start rebuilding those cross-country tracks now, so we can stay ahead of the game.


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"Arrogance in Politics is unacceptable"
Jim Callaghan
Minden, Ontario
705-286-1860
www.misterc.ca

Half of vancouvers rail lines have been paved over.

roy

http://fornits.com/curiosity/hemp/biomassa.htm

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RickW

Most trucks have diesel engines, and Diesel originally intended his engine to burn vegetable oils. <p> http://www.taima.org/en/fibre.htm </p> "Hemp oil is so versatile that it can be used instead of diesel fuel..." <p>---<br>RickW

I love it !!

Sooner or later the government is going to have to let us use hemp for paper, fuel, clothing, etc.

It's just a matter of time.


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"Arrogance in Politics is unacceptable"
Jim Callaghan
Minden, Ontario
705-286-1860
www.misterc.ca

It seems we must start conditioning ourselves for change. To avoid misunderstandings amongst groups that will be most affected by change there must be an opening of the mind. Instead of resisting change somehow we must learn to embrace it all the while respecting each others point of view. I work in the industry and a few years ago we had idle timers installed in the trucks so that they would shut down if they idled longer than eight minutes. At first everyone complained but now they don't even think about it. At times it is inconvenient but there's no doubt it has reduced fuel consumption. There are many places trains would be ideal and properly instituted would decrease congestion in cities like the ports in Vancouver. There will always be the need for trucks and we as consumers certainly appreciate that but we have to do something to protect the environment and we have to start working towards that now. This isn't going to happen overnight and will need input from a lot of sources. I am sure that Jack Layton will appreciate this and do the right thing in a responsible manner (if he ever gets a chance). He has a background in doing what's best for people and the environmentant. I hope you will continue to be a diehard NDP and work within the party to get your point across. I believe they are still the best hope we have on so many important fronts -

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gina

Gina said: <blockquote>He has a background in doing what's best for people and the environmentant.</blockquote> I think it's important that we stop looking at the environment as something seperate from the people. What's best for the people is that there remains a sustainable resource level to draw upon in the future. Some of those valuable resources are clean beaches, pristine old growth forests, clean drinking water, and clean air. It's time we start realizing that the 'environment' isn't an externality in our lives, but rather, it provides the building blocks for them. And this inclusive view should be reflected in our method of negotiating how we do things; it should be the foundation of our economy. (Sorry for that little aside there.) </p> Now as for the transportation issue... Right now we have a national rail system (being sold to Americans piece by piece) and a national highway system. Both use oil in some manner or another, and highway transport is much costlier. Not only is there more energy consumed, but there's also the task of fixing up the common-use highways because trucks tend to cause ruts very quickly and that leads to dangerous driving conditions. </P> What I want to know is if anyone's considered a nationalized electric rail system. Imagine a 4-track magnetic track system across Canada. That's one track each way for freight and one each way for passengers. </P> From coast-to-coast, this electric rail line could stop in a single distribution centre in each province (and use conventional rail, since the goods would already be in container boxes, and trucks to distribute within the provinces). The passenger line would be competetive with the airlines, and we would save money on these constant airline bailouts. Plus the security of guaranteed transportation would attract economic activity (as opposed to Air Canada's perpetual threat of going under). Besides, imagine being able to cross Canada in 10 hours at land-level, on a quit train that you can walk about on with a restaurant, etc. Isn't that a lot more attractive than an airplane? </P> And this is all before even considering the environmental benefits. Imagine reducing trucking distances. And conventional rail line distances. And using electric power rather than airplanes for cross-Canada transport would signal a real attempt to change. </P> The basic technology already exists on the bullet trains in Japan. But it could be modified for our own purposes. </P> And just think: when we built the first ocean-to-ocean railroad, it was to unify our country (which wasn't yet a country). It was obvious at that time that economic trade was what would unite the diverse values of Canadians. And thus was born the true Canadian culture, a mosaic of the world's diverse heritages. Lately, we've been integrating with the melting pot of the US. In order to re-assert and protect our nation's values, we must be proactive in establishing cross-Canada trade. </p> I would also like to point out that this cross-Canada corridor could be instrumental in a nationalized power grid. </P> This is all just a cloudy image in my head right now. Any thoughts? </p> -KY <p>---<br>Kory Yamashita <br />
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"What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Get rid of the trucks on the roads and put the trailers on trains, or have the Trucking industry create their own route. I lost a friend of mine last Thursday cause of a collision with a truck. Although it wasn't entirely the truck divers falt. I do hold blame on the trucks being on those roads were a person stands little chance of surviving a motor vehicle accident when they collide with a transport.

Not only does the Trucking industry NOT pay enough for the road damage, they could never pay back the lives loss from accidents happening involving transport driver errors, or errors with the truck itself.

In my opinion a road where a mother is driving with her baby that is a few weeks old, should not have a truck that could crush them in a matter of minutes by just one little error by the driver of the car or the transport. If two cars collide the people stand a chance of coming out of the accident alive. But a collision with a transport your chances are slim.

We should also have divided highway linking all cities. All of the trans-canada should be devided highway and so should highway 11 going north.

Kevin

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"Love actually, is all around us" --From the movie Love Actually.

Sorry to hear about your friend Kevin.<p> Since May 2003, there have been major changes to Alberta and BC law regarding the safety of trucks & trailers in excess of 17,999kg (14,599kg in BC). Safety on the road, and in mantaining vehicles is paramount. It won't make up for bad drivers, and no matter what vehicle you're driving, nothing can save the occupants of a vehicle involved in a collision with a truck of that mass.<p> I know it may sound cold, but risk is the price we pay for driving vehicles. There is no guarantee that I will make it home from work tonight, but I make sure that I do everything I can so that everyone around me makes it home safely. I do agree that high speed highways, like 11 north, and here in Alberta, 63 north, should be divided highways, like Highway 2 between Edmonton and Calgary.<p> I related news, Oil closed above $43 a barrell on news that the largest producer of oil in the second largest oil producing country, <a href='http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/07/29/001.html'>Yukos</a> was ordered to halt oil production today. Oh Crap.<p><p>---<br>"History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme" Mark Twain <br />
"The greatest price of not participating in politics is being governed by your inferiors." Plato

Of course, hemp is setting itselg up opposite Big Oil, Big Pharmaceuticals, Big Timber, and a couple of other "Bigs". It'll be a tough road ahead. But it's defintely worthwhile, if for no other reason than it will be nearly impossible to have "Big Hemp" under the control of just a few trans-nationals.

But this is getting off topic (sort of).

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RickW

It was predicted that oil would soon be $100/brl., and everyone snickered. But, like Will Rogers said about investing money, "Buy land. They ain’t making any more of the stuff." Well, they ain't making any more oil either......

It is definitely time to do serious research into alternate fuels. But while it's all well and fine to come up with things like fuel cells, what is needed is something to cover the transition from what we have now, to whatever will be.

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RickW