Over the last week Calgarians have been riled up over a set of traffic lights proposed on the corner of 8 Street and Memorial Drive. One more set of traffic lights seems to be the last straw for drivers. In our drive to drive, we are just making ourselves angry. There is another way.

A recent survey of 50 cities around the world indicated that Calgary had the fifth highest per capita carbon emissions in the world. Each person in Calgary produces 17.7 tonnes of carbon emission, while a person in Vancouver only emits 4.9 tonnes. Contributing to Calgary’s emission is our electricity that comes from coal (43%) and automobile exhaust (30%).

The naysayers say that we should do nothing because Canada’s percentage of emissions in the world is only 1.9%. They say that if Canada’s emissions went to zero, it would hardly be noticeable in the grand scheme of things. It is true that China (22%) and the US (20%) are far and away the largest carbon emitters in the world. They have to reduce their emissions significantly to get global emissions below the critical threshold of 350 parts per million.

Like the EU though we can start reducing our emissions and hope that China and the US follow. It goes beyond that though. It is about quality of life, something that GDP and bling-bling does not compute.

We have been convinced through advertising that driving an automobile is the good life. It is freedom. The reality is that Calgarians spend a lot of time stuck in traffic. This ain’t fun when you are in a rush to be somewhere or you just want to get home. Driving makes us angry.

By getting upset over another traffic light near the Peace Bridge, we are defending our right to sit in traffic. It doesn’t make sense. We all know that one more light will not make much difference in our commute time. We all know that the more roads, overpasses, and expressways that we build will only lead to more traffic. Every big city in North America has demonstrated this.

It does not have to be this way. Chris Turner’s latest article ‘The New Grand Tour’ in Walrus Magazine showcases places in Europe that have decreased their reliance on the automobile and improved people’s quality of life.  Yes, you did read that right.  

Copenhagen has been voted the most liveable city in the world. In 1962 they cleared Stroget street of automobiles. The street didn’t die like many predicted, it came alive. Now it is a beehive of activity. People are everywhere. They actually enjoy people watching and interacting with one another.

The streets of Copenhagen have been redesigned with bikes in mind. The result is an estimated 500,000 bikes on the road each day. You don’t have to worry about being hit by an automobile. You can enjoy the sun and the scenery.

Another example is Prenzlauer Berg, a neighbourhood in Berlin. This neighbourhood was littered with drab communist style apartment buildings that were virtually abandoned with the fall of communism. In short order, Prenzlauer Berg has been transformed into a pedestrian friendly village, with a farmers market, cafes, art galleries, great public transit, and even green roofs. With Germany’s feed-in tariff for green energy, rooftops with solar panels are actually generating money (and less emissions).

Lets leave the rat race. Lets bid traffic jams adieu. Lets increase what really matters, our quality of life.