In The Verge, I explained why self-driving cars could be a disaster for climate change and road safety -- even if they work perfectly. The answer lies in the Jevons paradox, a classic 19th century economic theory.

The Verge

What a 160-year-old theory about coal predicts about our self-driving future

When you make something easy to use, people want to do it more.

#climate #climatechange #cars

The Economist has published a deeply-researched story about car bloat -- and it's very, very damning. "For every life that the heaviest 1% of SUVs and trucks save, there are more than a dozen lives lost in other vehicles." Well worth your time: https://www.economist.com/interactive/united-states/2024/08/31/americans-love-affair-with-big-cars-is-killing-them

On NPR's Morning Edition, I sounded off about car bloat: Oversized trucks and SUVs "create danger for everybody else on the street because of their mass and because of their height, whether you're walking or biking or inside a smaller car." https://www.npr.org/2024/08/23/nx-s1-5084276/pedestrian-protection-bill-bigger-cars-trucks #cars #bike #walk