Can One Discuss the Future of Mobility without Mentioning Climate Change? Apparently So.

As I write this I’m listening to a wonderful webinar on mobility, featuring presentations from Shell Oil and the market research giant Frost and Sullivan.

There is a fantastically complex array of different forces that are rapidly transforming our world with respect to how we move our bodies and our things around. The combination of changing demographics (e.g., urbanization in Asia), changing sensibilities of young people vis-à-vis car ownership, and new products and services: on-demand rides like Uber, ride-sharing, car-sharing, e-bikes, smart parking, etc. All well and good.

Here’s the question I just asked:

We haven’t spoken about climate change, ocean acidification, loss of biodiversity, and the other aspect of long-term environmental damage associated with the consumption of fossil fuels. Care to comment? And, if you’re feeling particularly brave, you could acknowledge how appalled the people of the world are at ExxonMobil vis-à-vis the current scandal.

It was largely ignored, and so I tweeted: A lost opportunity. I wonder why? 🙂

Another tweet: Btw, I acknowledge that Shell is the most progressive force among the oil companies.