Metro's hypocrisy was especially dismal last Friday.
Metro Twitter was busy telling its followers about climate change (see full thread): "Want to do something about climate change? ...riding transit every so often is a way to make a difference." They even managed three different tweets about charismatic mega-fauna harmed by climate change: polar bears, sea turtles and baby penguins.
Last Friday's Metro climate tweets urging individual action on climate - view on Twitter
What Metro failed to include in the thread was the agency's own massive contributions to greenhouse gas emissions that are worsening climate change.
Metro's own evaluation showed that Metro's freeway building will contribute more greenhouse gas emissions than all of its transit projects combined. Metro found that its own freeway/road expansion initiatives will increase GHG emissions by 2.6-10.1+million MTCO2e (Million Metric Tonnes CO2 equivalents) by 2047, while at the same time its transit initiatives will reduce GHG emissions by 2.7 million MTCO2e.
The very same day as Metro was tweeting penguins, Metro staff recommended the Metro board approve another $300 million dollars for freeway widening.
Also last Friday, Metro staff recommended approving $294 million for widening the 57/60 Freeways confluence - via Metro staff report
Metro's whipsaw Friday showcased a common problem with climate messaging: not pointing out systemic change needed, while placing the blame on individual choices. Metro is spending billions of dollars to encourage driving - increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile Metro fails to invest enough to make Metro transit service frequent and reliable. Then the agency has the nerve to turn around and tell individuals that it's their decision to ride the bus.
Whose changes can make a substantial difference on climate: an agency with an $8+billion annual budget or an individual transit rider?
If Metro cares about a habitable climate (spoiler: it doesn't - but it should) then the agency needs to make climate justice - including equity - its budgetary priority. Metro should stop spending billions to encourage driving, and should truly prioritize improving transit. The agency needs to go beyond penguins and hypocritical finger-wagging, and really put its money where its mouth is. The magnitude of the climate emergency requires no less.
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