Picture this: The world stays as it is today but without - cars! Yes, you can have all other whims but cars. Are you gonna survive?
Traveling is just an ordinary thing these days. And without a car, where do you think you’ll be going? Quite obviously, it is nice to travel from one town to another. The views are breathtaking. The moments are priceless. But driving isn’t just for leisure. It’s actually for everyday travel. No wonder cars are deemed indispensable.
If you think you can’t live devoid of any auto pleasure, you’re just being true to yourself. If you think you are wedded to your car, some are addicted to it. Yeah, you are not alone.
A Statistics Canada report said Edmonton leads major Canadian cities in its residents' reliance on cars. And across Canada, auto dependence is escalating.
The report dubbed Dependence on Cars in Urban Neighbourhoods found that 77% of adult Edmontonians made all their trips by car on the day the survey was conducted. It topped the 8 major Canadian cities studied in 2005, the most recent year for which numbers are available, reported Canada.com. Other cities include:
- Calgary, 75%
- Quebec, 74%
- Winnipeg, 72%
- Ottawa-Gatineau, 71%
- Vancouver, 69%
- Toronto, 66%
- Montreal, 65%
StatsCan found the proportion of Canadians who travel everywhere by car surged from 68% in 1992 to 74% in 2005. The report added the proportion of Canadians who made at least a trip by bicycle or on foot appears to have declined. In 2005, 19% of adults walked or biked somewhere on the survey day, a decline from 26% in 1998.
"Human physiology has not changed for 50,000 years, but the way we live has changed dramatically," said Prof. John Spence, a researcher at the University of Alberta. "Our environments are increasingly promoting sedentary living."
And with people wedded to their cars plus the lack of exercise factor, it is predicted that percentage of obese individuals will rise. A person's chances of being obese go up 6% for every hour they spend in a car each day, according to a study by Prof. Lawrence Frank of the University of British Columbia.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Gerry Predy said the concerns are that long commutes to sprawling suburbs produce air pollution that can cause health problems. What's needed are neighbourhoods where you don't have to get into your car to go to the grocery store or the dry cleaner, Predy added.
So every once in a while, try to fight the temptation of hitting the starter of your car, take a brisk walk instead.
Traveling is just an ordinary thing these days. And without a car, where do you think you’ll be going? Quite obviously, it is nice to travel from one town to another. The views are breathtaking. The moments are priceless. But driving isn’t just for leisure. It’s actually for everyday travel. No wonder cars are deemed indispensable.
If you think you can’t live devoid of any auto pleasure, you’re just being true to yourself. If you think you are wedded to your car, some are addicted to it. Yeah, you are not alone.
A Statistics Canada report said Edmonton leads major Canadian cities in its residents' reliance on cars. And across Canada, auto dependence is escalating.
The report dubbed Dependence on Cars in Urban Neighbourhoods found that 77% of adult Edmontonians made all their trips by car on the day the survey was conducted. It topped the 8 major Canadian cities studied in 2005, the most recent year for which numbers are available, reported Canada.com. Other cities include:
- Calgary, 75%
- Quebec, 74%
- Winnipeg, 72%
- Ottawa-Gatineau, 71%
- Vancouver, 69%
- Toronto, 66%
- Montreal, 65%
StatsCan found the proportion of Canadians who travel everywhere by car surged from 68% in 1992 to 74% in 2005. The report added the proportion of Canadians who made at least a trip by bicycle or on foot appears to have declined. In 2005, 19% of adults walked or biked somewhere on the survey day, a decline from 26% in 1998.
"Human physiology has not changed for 50,000 years, but the way we live has changed dramatically," said Prof. John Spence, a researcher at the University of Alberta. "Our environments are increasingly promoting sedentary living."
And with people wedded to their cars plus the lack of exercise factor, it is predicted that percentage of obese individuals will rise. A person's chances of being obese go up 6% for every hour they spend in a car each day, according to a study by Prof. Lawrence Frank of the University of British Columbia.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Gerry Predy said the concerns are that long commutes to sprawling suburbs produce air pollution that can cause health problems. What's needed are neighbourhoods where you don't have to get into your car to go to the grocery store or the dry cleaner, Predy added.
So every once in a while, try to fight the temptation of hitting the starter of your car, take a brisk walk instead.