Roads, highways, and freeways present insuperable barriers and environmental insults to everyone, but especially to wildlife, native peoples, children, and the poor, none of whom can protect themselves. If we protect them , I believe, we will automatically protect ourselves as well. Everyone is aware of the environmental costs of oil drilling, rainforest burning, and the automobile, but few people, even among environmentalists, have given much thought to the destructive power of road, highway, and freeway construction. Roads are taken for granted. It is impossible to drill for oil, log, or even deluge the wilderness with tourists without roads.
Roads are key.
Roadbuilding is usually rationalized by saying that pollution is caused by traffic congestion, and that therefore what we need to do is widen roads so that traffic can flow smoothly. Transportation Research-A , Vol.22A, No.3, pp. Since the road lobby likes to use the medical model, let's continue the analogy. You go to your doctor complaining of nasal congestion. I would like to close with one new argument for bicycling instead of driving.