I think that the idea behind creating sites like walkscore is that it is an attempt at addressing problems with our current transportation infrastructure. While they are effective up to a certain point, highways, roads, etc. created for petroleum fueled vehicles have a diminishing return. We could build more and more, but when you widen a highway and it is clogged as soon as you open it (as is the case in DFW), you need to look for alternatives.

Most people know about the shops they can access with their car. Walking is what is yet to be a habit in most of our cities.

All these tools (walkscore.com, google mass-transit directions, etc.) are here for when people decide to take a different approach to transportation.

-M

I have a hard time with Al Gore’s lifestyle as well. I believe he has justified it by saying that his footprint is offset by carbon credits. This argument, though, is like letting your dog poop on your neighbors lawn and then giving them the bag to clean it up. He needs to be more accountable for his choices.

I will say that he did bring an important issue to the forefront. Regardless of his motives (and I can’t believe they are all self-serving) he got a lot of people talking and thinking about global warming.