Issue 2: Transportation

Featured Response: Vicki Northrup || Operations Manager, TH!NK North America

Vicki Northrup

For decades, the electric vehicle has been “politically” motivated by government officials promoting alternative fueled vehicles based on their concern about energy security, fuel prices and the environment. With the advancement of batteries, this industry must be “technology driven” with research money allocated from the government and private corporations to bring EVs to US consumers that are well designed, reliable and affordable. Long term State and Federal incentives will go a long way in promoting EVs to reduce the sticker price to one that is acceptable for the average American. The education factor must be a cohesive effort by both automakers and the government so that the consumer understands the range limitations, charging, driving habits and choices for battery technologies. Finally, standardizing the plug for all electric vehicles and infrastructure will encourage consumers to seriously consider purchasing an EV if their concern about where to charge up in public is addressed.

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Recent Responses

Sadly, it’ll take higher gas prices to get consumers to make smarter choices in personal transformation. We can let peak oil sneak up on us, or we can add gas taxes to increase the pain at the pump and fund transportation alternatives - maglev trains, public transportation, etc.

—Geir, 32 from Long Beach, CA US

Thanks Vicki! I hope you will bring sustainable vehicles to us soon. Electricity needs to be produced by renewable energy like solar or wind. And I hope technologists will step up to the plate, and the unfair transportation subsidies will switch towards sustainable solutions.

—Emily from Brooklyn, NY US

44 Issues in 44 Days

Explore and respond to the issues that matter to you.

# 17: Religion

Featured Response: Greg Kandra || NET - New Evangelization Television

# 15: Environment

Featured Response: Stephanie Kinnear || Re-nest.com

# 36: Fashion

Featured Response: Cator Sparks || CatorSparks.com

# 28: Agriculture

Featured Response: Daniel Bowman Simon || TheWhoFarm

# 29: Space

Featured Response: Jeff Foust || The Space Review

# 33: Design

Featured Response: Sol Sender || VSA Partners

Inaugural Insight

  • The inauguration for the first U.S. president, George Washington, was held on April 30, 1789 in New York City.
  • Should January 20 be a Sunday, the President is usually administered the oath of office in a private ceremony on that day, followed by a public ceremony the following day.
  • Immediately following the oath, the bands play four ruffles and flourishes and "Hail to the Chief", followed by a 21-gun salute from howitzers of the Presidential Salute Battery.
  • The inaugural celebrations usually last ten days, from five days before the inauguration to five days after.
  • Since Thomas Jefferson's second inaugural on March 4, 1805, it has become tradition for the president to parade down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House.
  • According to tradition, in the first inaugural, President Washington added the words "so help me God" when reciting the oath, although there is no contemporary evidence of this.
  • In 1977, Jimmy Carter started a new tradition by walking from the Capitol to the White House, although subsequent presidents have only walked part of the way for security reasons.
  • The War of 1812 and World War II forced two swearing-ins to be held at other locations in Washington, D.C.
  • The new President assumes power at noon on January 20th, regardless of whether or not he has actually taken the oath of office.
  • There is no requirement that any book, or in particular a book of sacred text, be used to administer the oath, and none is mentioned in the Constitution.

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