Nine Shift

Gas and Democracy

I don't know what is more fascinating. Watching the 21st century values emerge, or the 20th century values collapse.

Thomas Friedman continues to shout out for a collapsing set of values.  His latest column advocates the incredulous (to me) belief that oil prices are tied to democracy.  Get this:  the lower the price of gas, the more democracy flourishes.

Friedman continues to believe in the oil based economy, and America as right and moral and leader of the world.  The same state of denial going on in the British Empire 100 years ago.

(Photo: Isabel Allende. Her husband was President of Chile when the U.S. overthrew his democratically elected government 35 years ago.  I remember it with great pain and embarrassment for our country.)

Gas hits $4 a gallon: time to celebrate!

Today gasoline hit $4 a gallon in my home state of Wisconsin, much earlier than I would have predicted.

Time to celebrate!  How are you going to "celebrate" $4 gas?

The week has seen a whole bunch of articles on alternative travel,  including bikes, train ridership up, carpooling, and much more.  Let us know: how are you going to celebrate $4 a gallon gas?

AAA funds trains to replace cars

National Train Day is May 10 in the USA.
Americans will "celebrate" by whining.  Most will whine about high gas prices for their cars.
I and other Train advocates will whine about American trains being so far behind European trains.

Irony of the week.  American Automobile Association (AAA) gives a 10% discount for Amtrak train tickets.
So AAA is, in effect, helping to fund trains to replace cars.
We like it.

(Photo: Julie gets complimentary coffee, newspaper and meals on our Amtrak trip from New Orleans  to Wisconsin this week. We got a roomette, cost still cheap.)

Gas prices not driving cars down

NineShift has always maintained that the high price of gas is not why cars are in decline.
The high gas prices help the transition to trains, but the main reason is that you cannot work and drive.

We've wondered, however, whether hay prices were similarly high in 1908, as carriages went into decline.
Car sales are on pace to decline 10% from 2000 to 2010, just like carriage sales declined 10% from 1900 to 1910.

But, according to this New York Times story from 1908, hay prices were low that year. 
Either way, hay prices of course had no impact on the decline of the horse and buggy.
(Photo courtesy of freefoto.com)
Just like gas prices have no serious impact on the decline of the car today.

Do you feel guilty driving your car?

Last week I ran into the mother of Landon, one of Willie's best friends.  Virginia told me Landon felt so guilty buying a car.  

I didn't understand the "guilty" part until the next day, when I listened to a Gen Y radio station, and the young woman announcer said:
"Think of all the money you spend on your car, totally destroying the environment."

More evidence why Gen Y will kill cars and transition to trains.  Do you feel guilty driving your car?

Breakthrough in Homework Policy

Toronto schools will no longer punish students for late homework.  Here's what administrator Karen Grose told Nine Shift:

"Homework is not marked/evaluated--it is assessed to direct students in their learning goals. As it is not marked, there is no mark deduction for being late--rather progressive consequences (ie a range of supports to then help the student get it done).
Assignments of course are evaluated. Again, if late a range of progresive consequences are applied.  After the large range of supports and progressive consequences, mark deduction could be used as a very last resort."

Here's a link to the announcement.
Congratulations Toronto District School Board. This is exciting news !

Airline exec supports rail over planes

Another irony. A day after we propose rail take over regional flights, we find an airline exec is urging it as well.
American Airlines ex-CEO Robert Crandall also supports high speed trains replacing planes for regional trips.

In a New York Times article last week, he called for "high-speed rail systems that would encourage the use of airports that are farther away from the cities they serve." 

His article got good reader support for his rail proposal as well, see this Letter.

Trains will replace regional flights

NineShifter Eric from Boston asks why someone would take a train, rather than a plane, all the way across the country.

Here's the answer: they won't.  Trains won't replace planes for long distances.  However, for regional flights trains will replace trains. 

Trains will reduce air traffic congestion and reduce air pollution. But here are the Big 3 reasons why trains will replace planes for regional flights (1-500 miles).

1. Frequency.
Trains can run much more frequently than planes because they stop at cities in between, picking up passengers. 

2. Cost.
Trains are cheaper than plane tickets.  And regional planes are also much more expensive to operate for airlines than either trains or long haul planes.

3. Time.
Time is money.  As trains go 250 mph (like they do already in Europe) it will take less time to take a train than a plane.  Drive-to-airport : Park : Go through Security : Be an Hour Early :  Board 30 min. ahead of flight : Taxi to runway : We're off !  (Land : DePlane : Get Luggage : Find Car : Drive !)

'Virtual Association' seminar premieres

Association executive Judy Gombita of Toronto said the time was right to do a seminar on Becoming a Virtual Association.  Judy was right.

This month we premiered our first seminar on Becoming a Virtual Association, telling about how LERN became a virtual association ten years ago on June 1, 1998.  We also outlined the how-to steps association executives should take today to become virtual.

The primary reason why associations and other information organizations should become virtual: to recruit the best people.

(Photo: Judy Gombita, second from right, with other association executives at the seminar premiere in Toronto this month)   Thanks Judy!

Why train people don't understand trains

Well, I finally figured out why even train people don't understand that trains are replacing cars.

I was in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, doing NineShift and talking with David, an African who grew up in Uganda. At age 24, his perspective in life is just like my own son, age 21, who grew up in Kansas and Wisconsin.  (Photo: me and David in New Brunswick)

It's because most train people are over 40. Gen Y understands trains.  Gen Y wants trains.

P.S. Going home this month, saw two Amish buggies pulled by horses. The horses are so beautiful, strong and magnificant.