I removed the sunglasses rather quicker than I’d have thought possible.

As a wildlife biologist, I often transport animals in the vehicle and I once had a rattlesnake escape out of a cardboard box that fell off of the passenger seat. Luckily I was driving only 20 MPH on a empty dirt road and it was a non-event and the reptile was quickly recaptured.

I agree with the fact that we have just put on 4 legs with 150hp in just under 8 decades. When it took our brains many many centuries to accommodate our 12km/h 2 legs. How we figure humans can adapt is beyond me. Driving is dangerous if not deadly and the stats prove it! I think some place around 400,000 people a year die in vehicle related crashes in the US alone! Tell me that’s not major!
Like an epidemic really!

Yet, we have watered down the curse of the car. From day 1 we are made to believe that we need a vehicle. From day 1 we are advertised into believing that the vehicle will prove your existence and fill that void (ego and Maslow’s love need).
From day 1 we watch our parents drive and learn.

If we really take a look at a vehicle. It’s an enclosed cage. Far far removed from nature and its elements. It’s massive amounts of hp provided to the person behind the wheel.
I’ve seen little old ladies turn from sweet old things to just rip it up terror hounds on the roads. It’s raw power. David and Goliath like thinking…
A pedestrian on the roads vs a car kind of reminds me of Israel vs Palestine.
Someone has the power while the other does not.

Kind of a shame how society protects those in vehicles. Every accident I hear of – oh, it must of been the pedestrians fault or the cyclists fault. Never the driver’s fault.
Kind of reminds me of our economy really. As those in big homes are never at fault. While those in little shanty shacks are the first to be blamed for the world’s problems.
Strange humans we are.

I loved the study on ants and other creatures.
My lord, what creature heads out in a box every morning to hit up rush hour traffic in a vehicle that uses only 25% of what energy it is provided and the rest wasted (1 dollar of fuel equals 30 cents of real power while 70 cents is wasted… inefficient or what!).
What stupidity really!

Anyhow, in America we are addicted. And, someone is making money off all this subsidized energy. Leaving less for future generations. Shame really when you think about it.
But, it’s happened before and it will happen again.
We are the creators of our own misfortune.

(see this movie, great movie – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66pTPWg_wUw )

enjoyed most of your book. Interesting studies.
Humans, we aren’t the brightest creatures on the planet.