'Per one observer at the time, the streets were “literally carpeted with a warm, brown matting . . . smelling to heaven.” So-called “crossing sweepers” would offer their services to pedestrians, clearing out paths for walking, but when it rained, the streets turned to muck. And when it was dry, wind whipped up the manure dust and choked the citizenry.'
On the whole, I'd rather have electric bikes and cars.
> Being better for the planet is not the main part - for starters, homo sapiens dying off would likely also be better for the planet
George Carlin had it right. There's nothing wrong with the planet. The planet is fine and will be fine no matter how much we meddle with it. It gets to live on a geological timescale...it was here long before us and will be here long after we're gone. Rising CO2 in the atmosphere, pollution, rising seas and all that won't kill the planet. Some species will die, new species will evolve and the earth will keep supporting life just as it has for millions of years.
What "save the planet" means is preserve an environment that's best for the homo sapiens and other species we care about. So killing off all homo sapiens isn't really better for the planet. It might be better for the survivors if a good chunk of the population died out or even if we stopped growing the population of humans, but it's arrogant to think that environmentalism is acting in the planet's best interests. Environmentalism is just acting in the best interests of our species instead of the best interests of individuals.
“Better for the planet” doesn't make sense; it's anthropomorphizing the Earth and projecting a value system—presumably the speakers, but they might fantasize the Earth as having a different one of its own—onto it.
A horse defecates 4 to 13 times per day; a 1000 pound horse produces 9 tons per year.
https://99percentinvisible.org/article/cities-paved-dung-urb...
'Per one observer at the time, the streets were “literally carpeted with a warm, brown matting . . . smelling to heaven.” So-called “crossing sweepers” would offer their services to pedestrians, clearing out paths for walking, but when it rained, the streets turned to muck. And when it was dry, wind whipped up the manure dust and choked the citizenry.'
On the whole, I'd rather have electric bikes and cars.