Transportation: this task force report seems fine as far as it goes. I don't think it is as thorough as the one on local foodsheds though by a long shot. Pretty much they are suggesting that mitigation of air pollution etc in our transportation sector is solved by bicycles. Yes, biking works. But the problem here is the same larger problem we so often have of not putting ALL the pieces together for a comprehensive whole; this task force has just looked at some small parts of the whole. To reduce automotive emissions, how about addressing the problem of decent grocery stores not being available in a place like the south valley? That would reduce the amount of miles driven in cars that likely are some of the heaviest polluters. There are many related things like this I believe need to be added to the strategies for a reduction of transportation greenhouse gases.
Computer Infrastructure: This paper opened my eyes to some things I wasn't aware of, like the server buildings. I don't know how we can mitigate the amount of electrical energy the whole process of cyber connection requires, but perhaps we'll be forced to come up with ways to reduce the amount of lead that gets disposed of in the environment. The rate at which new models of electronics comes out is a large cause of this. It is driven by corporate desires to keep us buying and buying, rather than supporting models for even 3 or 5 years. If laws were enacted to shift the market dynamics here, some of the waste and environmental poisoning could be alleviated.
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