Forever Motoring
We are moved at so many levels of landscape, be those traditionally physical, emotional, mental or virtual. From city designers to coders to car manufacturers, we can work together to create a better vision for motoring.
A 'motor' is the source of any vehicle that moves us, and those vehicles come at many different scales. Whether it is a bike, a car, or a piece of music, a motor is anything that moves us consistently and structures the ways and means of our movement.
Ecological transportation begins with understanding that the vehicles and infrastructures moving us create cognitive systems. Our minds have been channeled in part by the ways we motor--the ways we move ourselves, our materials, and our ideas.
EMI (the ecological motoring initiative) creates and facilitates conversations towards a new notion of motoring. We believe part of the work to be done is in noticing and better understanding the current cognitive systems being created by our forms of motoring, observing the ways they structure our daily lives and activities, and moving into the desirable unknown with a whole new vision of what motoring can be, including its means and materials.
How can we meet the motoring needs of all in a way that is ecological? What does it mean to move within the means of the living planet? How can we move in ways that inspire and motivate us and increase our potentials longterm?
Let’s think through these issues together towards a healthier future and a whole new kind of motoring.
Forever Motoring
Fossil Fuel Funding & Disinformation with philosopher Craig Callender
Craig is Tata Chancellor's Professor of Philosophy and a Founding Faculty and Co-Director of the Institute for Practical Ethics at the University of California San Diego. He is also part of the Campus Climate Change Committee, which has seen some historic enactment relative to the university and environmental policies. Here he and Andrea discuss disinformation and ethical responsibility within the realms of academia and corporations, particularly as related to the automotive industry, exploring the broader implications for environmental sustainability and change.
Even as both speakers talk of the importance of vehicles in their own lives and the cars they have loved over the years, the conversation takes a long look at the automotive sector, from its ethical quandaries to the potential of its innovations like electric vehicles, highlighting the delicate balance between economic objectives, environmental stewardship, and the drive towards 'ecological motoring.' Through these discussions, the script paints a multidimensional picture of the quest for integrity and sustainability in an age fraught with challenges.
Craig outlines the historical challenges of academic freedom versus corporate influence, exemplified by the similarity in various scandals such as those involving the tobacco industry and Volkswagen’s Dieselgate, to discuss the intricate dance between personal accountability and the necessity for structural evolution. The narrative underscores the importance of transparency, the impact of social norms, and the proactive role of education in fostering a sustainable future.
Please join our new Patreon and support a community that loves its vehicles and its earth.
Craig’s website
Craig's Google Scholar
More great talks and interviews with Craig
Fossil Fuel Money Article
When is it okay to ban research funding?
More resources:
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-11-07/medicine-rules-conflict-of-interest-climate-change
https://www.amazon.com/Doubt-Their-Product-Industrys-Threatens/dp/019530067X
00:00 Tackling Disinformation in Academic Research
01:41 A Personal Journey Through Motoring Memories
03:11 The Environmental Awakening of a Late Adopter
06:50 Exploring the Philosophy of Motoring and Movement
20:10 The Impact of Fossil Fuel Funding on University Research
24:57 The Complex Web of Industry Influence and Climate Change
28:57 Navigating the Ethical Landscape of Academic Funding
39:17 Reflecting on Personal Responsibility in the Climate Crisis
40:50 Reflecting on Social Norms and Tobacco Strategy
42:01 The Shift in Academic Funding and Social Acceptance
43:04 Exploring the Impact of Fossil Fuel Funding on Academia
43:52 The Power of Social Norms in Changing Behaviors
44:28 Government's Role vs. Social Movements in Public Health
48:44 The Complex Relationship Between Individual
