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Saturday 29 June 2019

Ridesharing, carsharing and the "sharing economy" - a clarification for the unwary

It looks like the finagle of the so-called "sharing economy" has been put to rest in many minds , because the warm fuzzies of sharing conferred by the sematic latitude of the English word has been put to the test of credulity and failed. Simply put, Uber aint about sharing; it's about a bit of piecework income and as such it encourages more car use, and, in case you have been living in a prehistoric cave recently, the latest news is that more car use causes more atmospheric carbon and more destructive climate change. Far from reducing consumption ridesharing is likely adding to it, as more drivers drive extra kilometers in search of more income. By contrast, the admittedly easily confused carsharing, particularly in its non-profit, ideally co-operative form, actually reduces car use, because through it, credible data show, individuals are less likely to buy second cars, and overall fewer kilometers are driven because fewer cars are used. It's simple. The data show that through carsharing, when economically viable, over 10 drivers make use of 1 car. Less cars mean less accidents, less congestion and less pollution. It's simple but the word sharing means different  things in different phrases. Be aware. Uber and other ridesharers are not helping us save the planet.                  

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