The War on Cars

***This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. For complete access to this and all of our bonus content, become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars.*** We were getting ready to record our "Cybertrash" episode with Ed Niedermeyer last month when Ed happened to bring to our attention to this "deeply weird" ten minute-long extended car ad. It's a promotional video for Dodge's new, "Next-Gen Charger," the electric-powered version of the very same "muscle cars" that Doug confronted at the New York International Auto Show in Episode 85 and Aaron rode along with back in Episodes 92 and 96. The move from gas-guzzling, window-rattling, V8 engines to electric motors has clearly plunged Dodge into an identity crisis. They spent decades building their brand on obnoxiously loud and dangerously sociopathic gas guzzlers. How will they ever convince their loutish loyal customers to switch over to (supposedly) clean, quiet, big government-mandated electric cars? In this video we get an answer to that question. Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis is going to try to sell his muscle e-cars with rightwing dog whistles and a Make Dodge Great Again pitch. But he barely even sounds like he has convinced himself. A lot like Elon Musk's Cybertruck marketing, the Dodge promo video is simultaneously super weird and extremely revealing about what American car culture is really all about. We had some extra time with Ed in the studio so we had to talk about it with him. And we put that together for as a Patreon bonus. If you aren't yet a Patreon subscriber of The War on Cars, maybe now is the time! Subscribe for $3, $5, or $10 per month. We’ll send you stickers and you’ll have access to ad-free episodes and bonus conversations like this one. We really appreciate the support. We couldn’t produce the podcast without you. 

Elon Musk’s gigantic, stainless steel, 1980s sci fi movie–inspired Cybertruck is starting to show up on city streets. Perhaps you’ve had the misfortune of seeing one rolling through your neighborhood. If not, you’ve almost certainly seen some of the vehicle’s many truly epic fails on the Internet. The Cybertruck might not work very well, but it still appears to be wildly popular. More than two million people have deposited $250 to get in line for the opportunity to buy one. Journalist Ed Niedermeyer is the author of “Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors.” In this episode, Ed joins us to analyze the Cybertruck as a cultural text and also just to revel in its overwhelming absurdity. What is the Cybertruck? And what does its apparent popularity say about who we are and where we are headed collectively? This is the Cybertruck launch event we’ve all been waiting for.  This episode was sponsored by Sheyd Bags and Cleverhood.  *** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers. *** LINKS: Buy Edward Niedermeyer’s book, Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors from your friendly neighborhood bookshop. You can follow Ed Niedermeyer on Bluesky and Threads. The Cybertruck fails are being collected and shared on r/CyberStuck on Reddit. This week’s big one? Cybertruck accelerator pedals are falling off. This, by journalist Victoria Scott is a good read: A Cultural Critique of the Tesla Cybertruck in Road & Track. If the audio clips in this episode weren’t enough, you can watch Elon Musk’s bizarre performance at the New York Times DealBook Summit. Buy t-shirts, stickers, hats and more in The War on Cars merch store. Find us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us! This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. It was edited by Yessenia Moreno. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. TheWarOnCars.org  

In the 20th century, planners and policymakers smashed Interstate highways through the middle of every major city in the United States. In the 21st century, we understand the many ways that urban freeways were economic, environmental, and racial justice disasters. And yet, incredibly, the State of Texas is planning to spend over $64 billion in the next few years to widen highways through the middle of its three largest cities, Houston, Dallas and Austin. Journalist Megan Kimble has been reporting on the Texas freeway fight for years now. Her new book -- published today -- is  City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America's Highways. In it, she tells the stories of the communities in the path of TxDOT’s bulldozers and the brave Texans fighting against long odds to save their homes, neighborhoods, and cities from a seemingly implacable foe. What if, instead of expanding the aging and outmoded urban freeways dividing our cities, we tore them down?  *** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers. *** LINKS: Megan Kimble’s new book is City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America's Highways. It is excellent! Find it in The War on Cars store on Bookshop.org or get it from your neighborhood bookseller.  Buy t-shirts, stickers, hats and more in The War on Cars merch store. Find us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us! This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. It was produced and edited by Aaron Naparstek. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. TheWarOnCars.org

It has never been more expensive to insure a car in the United States. Today, the average annual premium for full coverage is more than $2,500, up from more than $1,700 just a few years ago. There are a lot of reasons for this—including the high price of cars, supply chain issues, and the rising frequency and severity of crashes—but no matter how you add it up it’s a huge problem in a country where driving is a ticket to full participation in society.  Despite this, what if we told you that car insurance is still way too cheap? That’s something most people don’t understand until they or someone they love is directly affected by traffic violence. Today, mandatory state minimum coverage requirements have not kept up with the rising cost of car crashes, something all of us subsidize whether we drive or not—and that crash victims often pay for with life and limb. ***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers.*** LINKS: Learn more about Michelle DuBarry and her advocacy for a Made Whole Doctrine in Oregon. Why Car Insurance in America is Actually Too Cheap, by Daniel Knowles in The Economist. Buy a copy of Carmageddon: How Cars Make Life Worse and What To Do About It by Daniel Knowles and get books by previous podcast guests at our official Bookshop.org page. Steve Vaccaro: “New York City’s best-known lawyer advocate for bicyclist and pedestrian rights.” Auto Insurance Spike Hampers the Inflation Fight (New York Times) NHTSA: Traffic Crashes Cost American $340 Billion in 2019 Buy t-shirts, stickers, hats and more in The War on Cars merch store.  Find us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us! This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. It was written, produced and edited by Doug Gordon. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear.   TheWarOnCars.org  

In January, we held our third annual live show at Caveat on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. We were so thrilled to be in the same room as so many listeners and friends of the podcast. We were also happy to welcome Bernie Wagenblast, the voice of the New York City subway system, to The War on Cars. Bernie’s voice is instantly recognizable to millions of people — even if they don’t necessarily know who she is. Bernie’s personal story and the way she’s using her platform are also inspiring legions of New Yorkers and people around the world, and we were so glad she could join us on stage for some conversation and fun. Plus, don’t miss a pro-car comedian interrupting our show and Bernie reading our Letterman-inspired Top 10 list of transportation announcements we’d like to hear. ***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers.*** This episode is produced with support from Cleverhood. Listen to the episode for the latest Cleverhood discount code. LINKS: The Voice of the Subway Speaks for Herself, at Last. (New York Times) Bernie Wagenblast, the voice of the NYC subway, finding her true voice after sharing her transition. (CBS News) Charlie Dektar on “How to Make New York City More Car-Friendly” (The New Yorker) Buy official War on Cars merch at our store.  Buy books from podcast guests at our Bookshop.org page Find us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us! This episode was recorded live at Caveat in Manhattan on January 31st, 2024. It was edited by Ali Lemer. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. TheWarOnCars.org  

***This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. For complete access to this and all of our bonus content, become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars.*** In this bonus episode, we continue the conversation we had in Episode 120 about the car ads from Super Bowl LVIII. These two didn't air during the big game, but one is a bit on an antidote to the excess of the typical U.S. automobile commercial while the other is part of a series that ran during NFL postseason games and lots of other big televised events. The first, from a famous Dutch beer company, shows the world as we'd like it to be. The second, courtesy of Korean automaker Hyundai, shows the world where it might be headed.  

In what’s become an annual tradition, we take a critical look at the car ads that aired during the Super Bowl and consider what they say about driving, culture, consumerism, and the United States… which is all the same thing, right? The big story this year is not so much which car companies chose to spend $7 million for 30 seconds of air time but which chose not to and why. (There were zero ads from the Big Three U.S. automakers; that’s the first time that’s happened in 23 years.) Still, there were still some notable commercials featuring beloved movie stars, reckless driving, and stories that tugged at our heart strings. It’s all here in episode CXX of the podcast. ***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content, merch discounts, stickers, and more.*** LINKS: Watch all the 2024 Super Bowl commercials. (USA Today) None of the Big Three U.S. automakers ran a Super Bowl ad this year. (Detroit Free Press)  Pick up official War on Cars merch at our store. Buy books by podcast guests at our Bookshop.org page.  Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us! This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. It was edited by Yessenia Moreno. Our special Big Game theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear and Michael Hearst. https://thewaroncars.org/    

Did you ever see a car advertisement that you thought was so ridiculously irresponsible it should be banned? Well, the people at Adfree Cities, an advocacy group based in the United Kingdom, did, and they decided to do something about it. They went up against Toyota over an ad for the Toyota Hilux SUV that shows drivers ripping through sensitive natural areas and cities—and they won, getting the ad taken off the airwaves and the streets. We talked with two members of the organization, Veronica Wignall and James Ward, about how they’re tackling the auto industry’s most egregious marketing campaigns, as well as their larger mission to create “happier, healthier cities free from the pressures of corporate outdoor advertising.” ***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers.*** This episode is produced with support from Cleverhood. Listen to the episode for the latest Cleverhood discount code. LINKS: Check out Adfree Cities and their partner organization, Badvertising. See the Toyota Hilux ad that UK regulators deemed “had not been prepared with a sense of responsibility to society.” It’s not too late to register for the Winter Cycling Congress, February 22 – 24 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It will be freezing and we will be there! Get your merch at The War on Cars store. Find us on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon and Facebook. Follow and please review us on Apple Podcasts. This episode was produced by Sarah Goodyear. It was edited by Ali Lemer. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. TheWarOnCars.org  

This is a preview of a special bonus episode for Patreon supporters of The War on Cars!   In the last episode of the podcast we spent some time with Baruch, Shawon, and their battery-swapping startup company, PopWheels. When I started working on that episode, I figured I was going to learn a lot about e-bikes, batteries, and the delivery app business. And I did. But over the course of more than a half dozen interviews and conversations between May and December 2023, I also learned a lot about Bangladeshi politics, immigration, and life in New York City as an e-bike delivery worker.   One of my favorite interviews for this episode took place on a crisp, sunny, Tuesday morning last October. I biked out to East New York, Brooklyn to meet Shawon and his friend Fokhrul, a Bangladeshi delivery worker who uses PopWheels battery-swapping network. (Shawon and Fokhrul asked me not to use their last names because they have asylum-seeker cases working their way through the legal system). We found a park bench and spent the morning talking about the political oppression they faced in Bangladesh, their arduous, months-long journey to the United States, and what their lives are like here in New York City. It was super interesting and I enjoyed it a lot. But, as often happens with these things, only tiny bits of this conversation made it into Episode 118. So, for this special bonus episode I wanted to share more of my interview with Shawon and Fokhrul with you. I also had some fun additional bits and pieces of tape with Baruch that never made it into the last episode. So, you'll find some of that woven in here too. I hope you enjoy hanging with Shawon, Fokhrul and Baruch as much as I did.   You can join us as a Patreon supporter to listen to the whole thing. -- Aaron

Baruch Herzfeld is the CEO and co-founder of PopWheels, where he is working to develop New York City’s first e-bike battery-swapping network. PopWheels aims to solve the growing problem of e-bike battery fires. The company believes that giving e-mobility users a quick, convenient, and safe way to recharge their batteries is absolutely essential to pushing gas-burning cars and trucks out of cities once and for all. But Baruch’s really big idea is this: He is betting that the light, clean, electric transportation fleet of the future is already up and running on the streets of New York City. And it isn’t being brought to us by Big Tech, Big Auto or Elon Musk, it is being driven by tens of thousands of immigrant e-bike delivery workers. What if there is a high-tech urban mobility revolution happening right under our noses, but we can’t see it because the people who are bringing it to our city are mostly invisible to us? ***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers.*** See The War on Cars LIVE at Caveat on NYC on Wednesday, January 31st. In-person tickets are sold out but you can still catch the livestream!  LINKS: Baruch Herzfeld’s battery-swapping company, PopWheels: Stop Charging, Start Swapping Mayor Adams Launches Lithium-ion Battery-Charging Pilot for Delivery Workers to Safely Charge in Public, NYC.gov, December 5, 2023 When will NYC do something about e-bike fire deaths? Nicole Gelinas for the New York Post, November 19, 2023 F.D.N.Y. Commissioner Blames E-Commerce Giants in Deadly Battery Fires, by Michael Rothfeld for the New York Times, November 13, 2023 E-bike charging stations coming to NYCHA in wake of deadly lithium-ion battery fires, New York Daily News, June 25, 2023  Opinion: E-bike Battery Regulation Isn’t Anti-immigrant or Anti-worker. It’s Common Sense. By Baruch Herzfeld in City Limits, November 14, 2022 Brooklyn’s Bicycle Man Uses Two Wheels To Bring Hasids and Hipsters Together, by Nathaniel Popper for The Forward, August 29, 2009 ***** Register for the Winter Cycling Congress, February 22 – 24 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It will be freezing and we will be there! Get your merch at The War on Cars store.  Find us on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon and Facebook.  Follow and please review us on Apple Podcasts. This episode was reported, produced and edited by Aaron Naparstek. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. TheWarOnCars.org!

Happy New Year! We’re kicking off 2024 by bringing you our conversation with David Zipper, one of the hardest-working analysts on the transportation scene today. You may be familiar with David from his writing at Bloomberg CityLab, Slate and Fast Company, where he relentlessly covers road safety, climate change, and the future of micromobility.  We talked with David about the excesses of the auto industry, our road fatality crisis, the absurd way speed limits are determined on American streets, and whether we might ever be able to swap out our bloated SUVs for electric golf carts. Or if that’s too much to ask, will cities at least start charging people more for driving massive glacier melters? LINKS: You can find out all about David Zipper’s work, along with links to his writing, at his website. See David on NBCDFW’s excellent series about why Dallas is such a deadly place to drive. ***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers.*** This episode is produced with support from Cleverhood. Listen to the episode for the latest Cleverhood discount code. See The War on Cars LIVE at Caveat on NYC on Wednesday, January 31st. Tickets are going fast! Register for the Winter Cycling Congress, February 22 - 24 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We will be there! Buy official War on Cars merch at our store.  Find us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts.  This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. It was edited by Ali Lemer. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. TheWarOnCars.org  

Last month the three hosts told their origin stories, or how they first became aware of the problems associated with cars and automobile dependency. Our stories included everything from lessons learned during early driving lessons to our individual experiences living in car-dependent places. The response to that episode was so great that we put out the call to our Patreon supporters to tell us their origin stories. We heard from people from all over the world — including a few friends and former guests of the podcast — who all wanted to share how they were radicalized into The War on Cars. ***This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. For complete access to this and all of our bonus content, become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars.***

Since 1964, the Hess Corporation has released a toy truck for the holiday season, an annual tradition that’s highly anticipated by children and collectors alike. Models have included gas tankers, fire trucks, motorcycles, RVs, race cars, and even a Space Shuttle, almost all in the fossil fuel company’s iconic green-and-white color scheme.  But this year, perhaps reflecting the times, the Hess Corporation has released a Police Truck and Cruiser, “a specialized law enforcement response team that will inspire and unleash the inner hero in everyone.” We’re not sure what kind of trouble is brewing in Santa’s workshop, but the truck looks like what would arrive in response to a terrorist attack. Meanwhile, the cruiser, the smaller truck-within-the-truck, is an “armored-response vehicle” that gives off big Cybertruck vibes… if the Cybertruck included a battering ram and could actually work off-road. We discuss the 2023 Hess Truck and what it says about the state of the world. Plus, since we're not the target audience for this toy or its marketing, we hear a kid explain what makes the Hess Truck fun and cool. **This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. For complete access to this and all of our bonus content, become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars.** 2023 Hess Truck ad. (YouTube) Learn more about the Hess Truck (Hess) They Hess Truck's Back And It's Worse Than Ever (Steve DaSilva, Jalopnik) TheWarOnCars.org

In his new book, Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping The Future of Our Planet, independent conservation journalist Ben Goldfarb writes about how roads and cars are wreaking havoc on nature across the globe. He reports back about the people trying to save everything from butterflies to deer to wallabies to salamanders from the destructive power of motordom. Plus, he helps us analyze a couple of egregious ads that show how humans use roads to assert our dominion over the natural world…to our own eventual detriment. Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers. This episode is produced with support from Cleverhood. Listen to the episode for the latest Cleverhood discount code. LINKS: Pick up Ben Goldfarb’s Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping The Future of Our Planet at our official Bookshop.org page. See The War on Cars LIVE at Caveat on NYC on Wednesday, January 31st. Tickets are going fast! Register for the Winter Cycling Congress, February 22-24 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We will be there! Buy official War on Cars merch at our store.  Find us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts.  TheWarOnCars.org

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has declared it’s time to end what he calls “the war on motorists.” First, the Conservative Party leader announced he was delaying the UK’s commitment to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars. He followed that with what he called his “plan for motorists,” which would severely restrict local efforts to implement low-traffic neighborhoods, 20 mph speed limits, bus-only lanes, and other policies intended to benefit people walking, cycling, and taking transit. Finally, he scrapped a major portion of HS2, a high-speed rail line linking some of the UK’s biggest cities. So… what the hell is happening in the UK? With similar setbacks in Berlin, Madrid, New York and elsewhere, is this part of a broader global backsliding? Are we losing the The War on Cars or is the prime minister just grasping at culture-war straws? The Guardian’s Peter Walker returns to the podcast to help us figure it all out. ***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers.*** This episode is produced with support from Cleverhood. Listen to the episode for the latest Cleverhood discount code. SHOW NOTES: “Sunak ‘backs drivers,’ announces scaling back of HS2, and delays the UK’s ban on gas-powered vehicles by five years. (Peter Walker & colleagues, The Guardian) Rishi Sunak says he’s “slamming the brakes on the war on motorists.” (The Sun) King Charles III makes his first “King’s Speech.” (YouTube) British Transport Secretary Mark Harper on “sinister” 15-minute-city plans. (The Independent) Hear Peter Walker discuss his book, The Miracle Pill, on this Patreon bonus episode of The War on Cars. Pick up Peter Walker’s How Cycling Can Save the World at our official Bookshop.org page. See The War on Cars LIVE at Caveat on NYC on Wednesday, January 31st. Tickets are going fast! Register for the Winter Cycling Congress, February 22-24 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We will be there! Buy official War on Cars merch at our store.  Find us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts.  TheWarOnCars.org

Have you ever found yourself wondering, how did Aaron, Doug and Sarah get mobilized into the war on cars? What made them this way? If so, you’re in luck. In this bonus episode, exclusively for Patreon supporters, we dive deep into our own pasts and reveal how our personal experiences with cars drove us to activism, research, writing…and ultimately, The War on Cars podcast as you know it today. You’ll learn how Doug dealt with a soul-crushing commute in Atlanta and how Sarah drove recklessly on the California coast. You’ll also hear the words of wisdom Aaron’s father imparted during their first driving lesson. ***This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. For complete access to this and all of our bonus content, become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars.***

Since he was elected mayor in 2020, John Bauters has gained an international reputation for his work to transform transportation and housing in the tiny city of Emeryville, which is wedged between Oakland and Berkeley on the shores of San Francisco Bay. Emeryville, population 13,000, is only one square mile in area. But it’s home to some big employers, including Pixar, and several big box stores. It also has I-80 blasting through it, and it is a major hub for Amtrak, regional rail, and freight rail. It’s a challenging environment in which to create a green city with a great active transportation network. But that’s exactly what Bauters has been working toward for his whole term. We visited with him, rode some of the great bike and park network that Emeryville has been building, and talked about the kind of political will that’s necessary to make real change. ***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers.*** This episode is produced with support from Cleverhood. Listen to the episode for the latest Cleverhood discount code. LINKS: Follow John Bauters on X, if you’re still there. Really. It’s worth it. Ride along with Mayor Bauters and Streetfilms through the streets of Emeryville. (YouTube) ‘Why the mayor of tiny Emeryville matters’ (The Real Deal) Register for the Winter Cycling Congress, February 22-24 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We will be there! Buy official War on Cars merch at our store.  Find us on Mastodon, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and whatever godforsaken new social media platform pops up next.  Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts.  TheWarOnCars.org  

In his new book, Dark PR: How Corporate Disinformation Harms Our Health and the Environment, Grant Ennis — a lecturer at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia — identifies the "nine devious frames" that corporations such as automobile manufacturers and road builders use to advance their interests, manipulate the public and maintain a status quo that harms human health and the environment. Dark PR is a thought-provoking book that shines a light on the tactics used by major industries to lock in an unhealthy, unsafe and unsustainable status quo. Ennis offers some food for thought for safe streets advocates as we try to improve our world and fight back against these powerful interests.   Special thanks to Cleverhood for their support. For the latest discount code on the best rain gear for cycling and walking, listen to the episode.   ***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free episodes, exclusive bonus content, stickers, and more.***   LINKS:   Buy Dark PR as well as titles by other podcast guests at our Bookshop.org page.   Watch "Human Traffic Signals," a PSA from Buick of Shanghai.   Here's GM's vision of driving in 1976... as imagined in 1956.   The European Automobile Manufacturers Association thinks the solutions to traffic safety are pretty complex. Buy official War on Cars merch at our store.  Find us on Mastodon, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, and Threads. Follow and review The War on Cars on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us!  TheWarOnCars.org

This year, 2023, marks the hundredth anniversary since chemical engineer Thomas Midgley, Jr. made the discoveries that led to the invention of leaded gasoline. Of all the many harms that the automobile has caused the environment and humanity over the last century, the effects of leaded gasoline have to be pretty close to the top of the list. Science and industry were well aware of the dangers of lead in the 1920s. But adding small amounts of it to motor fuel made internal combustion engines work better, and that made it possible to turn the automobile into a viable mass market product. As a result, pretty much every American born between 1960 and 1980 was, to some extent, poisoned by lead. In this episode, bestselling author Steven Johnson joins Aaron Naparstek to talk about Midgley, his legacy, and what his story can teach us about our technological inventions and their future consequences.   ***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers.*** This episode is produced with support from Cleverhood. Listen to the episode for the latest Cleverhood discount code. LINKS: “The Man Who Broke the World” by Steven Johnson for the New York Times Magazine, March 15, 2023.  Find more of Steven Johnson’s work on his website. Subscribe to Steven’s newsletter, Adjacent Possible. Find all thirteen of Steven’s books here. War on Cars fans will enjoy The Ghost Map -- it’s a page-turner of a mystery/thriller about urban planning and epidemiology. You can buy Steven’s books at our Bookshop.org store.  Interested in digging deeper into the history of leaded gasoline? Check out Toxic Truth by Lydia Denworth.  Buy official War on Cars merch at our store.  Find us on Mastodon, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and whatever godforsaken new social media platform pops up next.  Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts.  TheWarOnCars.org

In this bonus episode just for Patreon supporters of The War on Cars, we do a quick news roundup before getting to the thing that matters most: WINNING. Last month we reached out to our liteners and asked them to send us their wins, from policy and infrastructure victories to cultural changes they helped usher in, even at just the individual level. Let's face it: it's a tough world out there so celebrating victories big and small is really important. Thanks to all of you, we are making progress in The War on Cars one parking space at a time. ***This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. For complete access to this and all of our bonus content, become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars.***