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Re:Why Tokyo Works by rayiner on Saturday November 06, 2021 @07:54PM (#29134994)
> Meanwhile on my social feed my Japanese friends will admire the large living spaces in the US. I think most people are just convinced it is always better somewhere else.

I think it’s about different people having different preferences. Most folks in Dallas (average commute under 30 minutes) aren’t wishing they were crammed into subway car in Tokyo. Likewise, people who like the urban lifestyle in Tokyo probably aren’t wishing they were stuck in freeway traffic in Dallas.

Re:Why Tokyo Works by ghaff on Saturday November 06, 2021 @07:59PM (#29135039)
And the grass is always greener... I live out in the semi-country but within about an hour's drive of a major city. Yes, sometimes I think it would be nice if that drive were a walk or a short subway ride and that I could walk 10 minutes to a restaurant. But not enough to actually give up my space and quiet and move there.

ADDED: And I don't actually go in very often because it is a longish drive but that's a tradeoff I'm willing to make.

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Re:Why Tokyo Works by ghaff on Saturday November 06, 2021 @08:52PM (#29135371)
You know absolutely nothing about my lifestyle. I'll refrain from what I would say to you in person as it is against the guidelines of this site.

Everyone is not going to live in dense cities and those who argue that is the only solution have already lost their argument.

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Re:Why Tokyo Works by ghaff on Saturday November 06, 2021 @10:00PM (#29135826)
I haven’t regularly commuted for most of the last 15 years. And while I probably wouldn’t buy an EV today, that’s in part because my 10 year old vehicle only has about 70,000 miles on it so it’s nowhere near needing replaced—and doing so would be both a poor financial and environmental choice.
Re:Why Tokyo Works by carlhjerpe on Saturday November 06, 2021 @10:13PM (#29135899)
That is true, in many parts of the US it isn't beneficial (for the environment) to replace your vehicle with an EV because of how you produce electricity.

In other parts of the world where we can rely on hydro and nuclear for base load and top that off with mostly renewables (and some bad electricity from other countries) an EV purchase would be a net positive within a couple of years if you average 10000km/y.

We're all in situations where our ability to affect emissions are way different, the environment is a political game and some (countries/regions) have made different decisions that have paid of differently.

Re:Why Tokyo Works by seanmcdirmid on Saturday November 06, 2021 @10:19PM (#29135933)
Coal is just what, 20% of the USA's energy mix now? Granted, there are places where coal is much more in use, but the plants are probably more efficient and better at pollution control than a bunch of individual internal combustion engines. Additionally, your vehicle would automatically benefit from any electricity production upgrades (e.g. moving from coal to wind over 10 years), that won't be possible if you run with an ICE.

I would love to get an EV but I don't drive enough to justify one. The last time I got gas was a month ago.

Re:Why Tokyo Works by carlhjerpe on Saturday November 06, 2021 @10:29PM (#29135986)
The point was replacing an existing functional vehicle in 2021. It would benefit from upgrades to electricity production indeed, but it's a slow progression, so holding off until the vehicle is to be decommissioned might be a net positive.

I believe we agree with eachother.

Re:Why Tokyo Works by seanmcdirmid on Sunday November 07, 2021 @12:18AM (#29136526)
Definitely. There is no sense in upgrading your current vehicle, but it might make sense for your next upgrade (which is my plan, but it might be a decade or so until my current car wears out).

There are other reasons not to go EV, like if you live in an apartment or have to deal with on street parking. That issue will take a long time to sort out.

Re:Why Tokyo Works by finiteseries on Saturday November 06, 2021 @09:25PM (#29135555)
Is Tokyo’s direct powered electrical mass transportation sustainably sourced?

Does direct powered electrical mass transportation exist within 2000km of the other user, assuming they’re in the New World?

Re:Why Tokyo Works by carlhjerpe on Saturday November 06, 2021 @09:53PM (#29135769)
Not really no, but if the infrastructure is in place it's easier to switch the source of energy from one to the other, wind, solar, hydro and nuclear is transmitted through the same powerlines as gas, coal and any other kind of generated electricity.