In Response to "After the debacle..."
John,
I'm suspicious of how you are making enough money to have a higher standard of living than the average European. Are you a consultant for the fossil fuel industry? Once we have your allegiance sorted out, I would really like to know what specific myth is being perpetuated here. The electricity from those coal fired plants is being taken into account when CO2 emissions are counted. My suspicion is that if there is a skewing of the numbers, it comes from assuming that the trains will be 90% full on average, which has not been the case for the Amtrak Acela on the east coast due to the relative affordability and convenience of personal automobiles. To make rail travel truly attractive to consumers, the price of gas will have to increase and the rail network will need to be built out nationwide in a manner similar to Philadelphia's already existing regional rail network. As gas prices will inevitably rise above the purchasing power of more than half of all American's transportation budgets, we desperately need to find the political will to build a more sustainable transportation system. What do you propose? I look forward to hearing your response.
