The Window of Opportunity is Now: How Wireless Can Move Us to More Sustainable Transportation (Videotaped)

Description

Overview

 

Climatologists tell us that if worldwide CO2 emissions peak in 2015 – seven years from now – we have only a 50/50 chance of avoiding catastrophic effects of climate change. Achieving this target will require policies to begin reducing emissions in the U.S. and industrialized nations on an even faster timetable. A good many tools in the transportation kit require major infrastructure build outs and the changing over of fleets, none of which produce significant CO2 reductions as quickly as needed. Strategies that directly influence transportation behavior, such as market- and cost-based pricing, can affect emissions rates much more quickly. But changes in behavior, cost structures, and lifestyle are a hard sell with the public. How can we sweeten this deal for transportation users? One key lies in wireless technologies that transform our experience and costs associated with car travel (car sharing and ride sharing), and can provide a new economic platform for innovation and economic development (mesh networking). One key to making this innovation economically feasible in the near term is to ensure that the investments we are making today in wireless communications infrastructure – including systems for traffic management – provide an open network and open-access platform. Other supportive public policies are also required.

 

About the Speaker

 

Robin Chase is founder and CEO of GoLoco, an online ridesharing community. She is also founder and former CEO of Zipcar, the largest carsharing company in the world. She is frequently consulted by transportation and planning departments, city and state government agencies, and NGOs about wireless and mesh networking applications in the transportation sector, innovation and economic development. She served on the Boston Mayor's Wireless Task Force, and the Governor Deval Patrick's Transportation Transition Working Committee. Robin graduated from Wellesley College and MIT's Sloan School of Management, and was a Harvard University Loeb Fellow.

 

Visiting Scholar Seminar

Event Brochure ( 462 kb )

Speaker

Robin Chase

Co-Founder, Zipcar
Founder & CEO, GoLocoRelated Documents

  • Robin Chase's Blog, Network Musings (Many items expanding on topics discussed in this seminar were posted in October 2007).
  • Zipcar
  • GoLoco
  • By popular request, Wikipedia's entry on Mesh Networking and an example of a mesh network provider: MerakiEvent Video

 

This event was recorded. Please contact Ellen Thorson to order a copy.