Raise the Hammer

What you are initiating is a huge debate.

Oh for sure, was just a reminder that we (in general) always see things our way!

If I could prove that we could virtually eliminate pollution from tailpipes and keep private transportation, would you agree?

Yes I agree with you completely! Another example about plastics, I'm seeing biodegradable plastic on store shelves; it's a start, and will go mainstream. That was the point of my previous comment regarding tech - a tide that is lifting all boats - we're getting across the board benefits when not abused and overused. Just like beer, exercise, the internet, juicy delicious steaks, cheesecakes - all are pure awesome, but bad for you when abused. We're heading into a century of awesome, for sure. Hopefully not too late for planetary life support. And not as quickly as some of us who aren't getting any younger would like. But clean tech is arriving indeed.

My only point was that I highly doubt that the Medical Officers of Health have analyzed the problem to the detail suggested by their conclusions.

I think I get what you're saying - you are positing, what would be the differences, if the scope of the study had included "what if the technologies responsible for the problems in this report, had never existed."

A very logical question, but I propose it is a flawed one, for this reason. The report is studying what is already here. It's like a prescription, if you will. These are the problems that exist now and here are some things that work now to alleviate them. Specifically, health and sedentary issues are a problem, building cities to be more pleasant to get around in, and be active in, will help alleviate that issue and raise quality of life for the patient.

Imagining what would have been if cars were never invented, is neither relevant nor useful to alleviating having already overdone the polluting and danger of cars today. Those kinds of what ifs are in the realm of pure thought experiment. We can do such thought experiments for all sorts of things - how would modern civilization have advanced if petroleum was not abundant on earth. Or if the ancient Aztecs had invented the transistor and the computing revolution happened millennia ago. Fascinating, but pure thought experiment. No connection to things we can do today, to help alleviate some challenges we've created for ourselves.

New tech is a part of that. Getting some people outside, on their feet or on two wheels is part of that. If you're neighborhood is attractive to go jogging in, that helps too. Each thing is a part of raising our health and quality of life. Kid may play too much xbox but if he skateboards to school instead of being driven by parents? These guys did a great job of putting into more formal language, what some of us, myself included, consider blindingly obvious - if it is pleasant to go outside more, you will go outside more, and your health, and collectively all our mental and physical health, will improve. It's like doc encouraging you to eat balanced. You are free to disagree and eat however you like. Doesn't mean doc was wrong or gave you bad advice.