Things that seem unimportant but are really bad signs. Also there are some positives

Pontiac, the car brand, is probably going to be a part of history in the coming months. No longer will small badly built Sunfires plague the roads. Unfortunately, we're fucked. Cars exist for one reason: to be exciting. On the surface you can argue with me, but let me elaborate:

• Transportation: I think we can all agree that there are other ways to transport ourselves. In an urban environment. Public transit, annoying as it is, is often faster, absolutely cheaper, and scientifically proven to be less stressful than driving (I have no citations). True, public transit has problems. No one likes walking. But there are several ways that this problem can be solved. One solution is what the prophetic and enjoyable Minority Report demonstrates: Personalized public transit. I picture a residence+vehicle program where an existing infrastructure is used to operate a more personal way of "transit". Small capacity vehicles without driver interface can operate together to greatly increase efficiency, and more importantly, comfort. That's why we don't ride trains and buses: they're run by incompetent (other than BC it seems) organizations that genuinely do not give a shit about their riders. How can I be so sure? Ride an old C-train, the ones from the 60's. I want to point out that the trains in North Korea are 8 years newer than ours, albeit of much worse quality. The seats face each other, the spaces inbetween are inadequate, and all this is fixable by a simple retrofit. Cost > customers, because it's publicly run. Counterintuitive, I know, but because there's absolutely zero competition, there's no incentive to improve comfort. There's only an incentive to use as little of the budget as possible, which explains why we spent tens of millions on new trains in calgary instead of tens of millions of fixing the 7th avenue infrastructure with a series of underpasses.
  
• Utility: So fine. Cars/trucks deliver goods. Well, that problem is in the process of being solved. A new design to replace the double-decker buses in London incorporates seating that converts to cargo room. I see no reason that the same autonomous small-capacity transport vehicles cant integrate either their own cargo space, or latch on to other cargo modules. Once up to speed, only one vehicle needs to use its drive, and the aerodynamic gains will make the old way seem insane. Unfortunately, the bus design was rejected in favor of buses designed by Aston Martin, one of the most insanely wasteful and badly run auto companies ever to inhabit the economy. Yay progress.

So anyway, we've solved all the real bits. Except Cars only exist to be exciting. Pontiac is The excitement brand. If they're gone, what's next? We're running out of whimsy. Nothing I mentioned is exciting. If we get rid of cars, what will that segment of society find exciting next? I nominate extreme marijuana abuse, but I have a feeling that wont pass legislation. Drug addiction is unacceptable, whereas addiction to pointless speed and chemical energy consumption is accepted gladly.

Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that Pontiac's dissolution is heralding the destruction of the modern transportation industry, the only thing that currently links the vast, vast, vast majority of urban spaces. The first country to embrace this will increase their economic output by such a margin that only a cable to space would upstage it.

While we're on the subject, WHERE IS THE CABLE TO SPACE? GET ON IT JAPAN.

Canada is great?

Someone told me today that Canada was the best country to live in on earth. I agree. But I reject the concept of the state/country. Indeed Canada is a great place to live; but, we are second in the world for the amount of waste we produce per person, which is not sustainable. Furthermore, Canada relies in part on the large scale exploitation and export of natural resources in order to provide enough jobs and GDP to fund our high standard of living.  In addition, we accept a large number of immigrants – which is fine- in part to maintain population growth/economic growth and to maintain some semblance of a tax base in order to fund our generous welfare state. However, when I walk down the street the majority of conversions are not in French of English: our two official languages. Granted, it's not illegal to speak in a language of your choosing, but I personally don't feel comfortable in my own country/city when I can't understand what most people are saying to each other. It's not that I don't trust people; it's that I feel alienated or excluded when it happens and it happens on a regular basis. Next, Canada's idea of 'multiculturalism' is a freedom that many enjoy; however  the problem could be a gradual or rapid dilution of what it means to be a citizen. I argue that we are losing social cohesion as a result of growing pains – both demographic and economic; too much rapid economic development and rapid population growth scarcely allows time for 'society' to adjust.  Furthermore,  in the state's efforts to maintain legitimacy in the eyes of the people, we allow many freedoms: freedom of speech, religious belief, mobility, to name a few, and the right to life, liberty and security of the person. My main issue is with the last right - security of the person.  If we are raping the land at the current rate and the emissions and exhaust travel through the air, and the chemical byproducts travel through the waterways and water tables, is it any wonder there is an increase in cancer, asthma and numerous birth defects? These ailment's directly and indirectly affect people's health, a phenomena that is clearly related to the security of the person. The government is supposed to guarantee this right and yet the pass the policies that allow development to degrade our health with little accountability because the effects of development are spread thin and hard to track and locate. This is unacceptable. But – in closing –  it is difficult to mobilize in this country because the system of federalism, whereby power is divided between each province and territory and the federal government in Ottawa, makes it very difficult for geographically dispersed and affected populations,  to be successful in seeking and gaining positive change. Federalism is designed to further the interests of developers and business to the detriment of the environment and people's health. Thus, although Canada is currently the best country to live in, we are destroying the country at a fast and unsustainable rate and people's health and general wellbeing is currently being compromised on a daily and increasing basis.