P ave T hose D irt R oads ?
ome people want no dust or ruts when
they drive. The slow speeds irritate
some who are trying to “get some
where,” those trying to “live fast.”
Some sincerely wonder w hether there is more
erosion when dirt is exposed than if there is
pavement. There seems to be less erosion w ith
gravel roads, but there are still problems. But
the decision on whether to pave existing un­
paved roads is one that should take environmen­
tal, safety; and quality-of-life issues seriously.
The economics of paving have to do also with
who is being subsidized and who really pays for
the paving and maintenance later on. In light ot
anticipated world-trade pressures to boost
imports and exports, a vital question is whether
we will have viable local economies or one, big,
interdependent truck-driven distribution system
which only profits unaccountable strangers far
away. All these considerations take precedence
over mere conveniences of no dust and more
speed. And, a convenience today can actually be
the cause later of much inconvenience.
S
the “urban heat island effect.” Restoration of
road beds is easier when starting with unpaved
roads. Removal of roads, paved and unpaved,
and of parking lots, has been identified as a
source of forest improvement for salmon and for
employ ing displaced timber workers. Addition­
ally, farmland needs to be recovered from paved
areas in urban and suburban communities, and
the topsoil regenerated.
major effort into negotiations with other agen­
cies and local authorities, so the maximum rock
can be taken for gravel. “Recycled" bottles and
tires make up more and more of today’s raw
materials for U.S. asphalt demand.
ways of traveling and living.
In “less developed” or “developing” coun­
tries, paving and widening roads brings on a host
of social and economic problems threatening the
survival of traditional societies. The environ­
ment is degraded and exploited mainly through
roads, ironically often in the name of “sustain­
able development” or eradicating poverty. The
same is true in the U.S., where the preponder­
ance of dirt roads equates with poverty in the
dominant mindset of so-called progress. The
possible definitions of poverty, and exploring the
virtues of subsistence living, require thought and
experience beyond this particular paper.
If dust is a problem from vehicles passing by
homes and restaurants on unpaved roads, people
need to consider lessen-
ing the traffic instead of
paving. Rail needs no
Pavement is usually
pavement and makes no
in the form of asphalt,
dust. Bicycles require
the dregs of crude oil
only narrow pavement.
refineries. An imper­
The Alliance fora
meable surface, pave­
Paving Moratorium
ment concentrates and
Oil is a diminishing nonrenewable energy
exempts
bike- and
directs runoff and
source. The U.S. is expected to run out of oil by
footpaths from its
erosion off the road.
approximately the year 2020, according to the
proposal for a national
The more motor-
Hubbert Curve on oil production (an industry
______________
moratorium on new
vehicle traffic generated ______ _ _ _ _ _ _
and government forecasting standard). The rest
— —— — ———
roads and parking lots.
by “improving" or
‘
of the world may be out of recoverable oil by the
(Mountain bikes require no pavement, although
widening a road, the more water pollution
year 2040. More roads lengthen our domestic
some thoughtless riders go on muddy trails,
emanates from the motor and lubrication drip­
oil supply lines, promoting long-distance daily
pings (plus antifreeze, brake and air conditioning narrowly missing walkers, and cause erosion.)
travel for essential needs or imagined needs, and
Walking, another wonderful from of exercise,
fluids). Parking lots—even bigger sources of
Death on highways and neighborhood streets
discouraging local farming and gardening. Two-
kicks up little dust. A sedentary life (e.g.,
poison runoff—are a function more of paved
is a holocaust approaching 50,000 people per
driving) kills tens of thousands of Americans per thirds of U.S. roads are paved. As oil is a
than dirt roads. (It was a parking lot where A1
year in the U.S. If car, truck and bus fumes are
Gore’s son was almost killed by a car. Sadly, the year prematurely and adds billions to health care strategic commodity which fuels wars, less
included, the toll is perhaps 80,000. Road kills
dependence on oil is a prudent way to lessen
costs.
lesson of pavement and cars was not to be had
are responsible for perhaps a million animals
geopolitical tensions and promote peace. This
by the father, judging by his pro-vehicle (“clean”
(not including insects) dying each day on our
was the origin of the Alliance for a Paving
Another medical as well as social-justice
or otherwise) policies and lack of opposition to
nation’s roads. The loss of life of people and
Moratorium in 1990, when it was clear that
issue is how children, the aged or the infirm are
more highways.)
animals cannot happen on a major scale it
energy conservation was taking a back seat to
able to cross a wide street. A small dirt road, or
speeds are significantly slower. Survival rates
“war for oil” in national energy policy. Apart
a two-lane paved road, is a different ball game
Air pollution is increased at the higher
are favorable in collisions at 20 miles per hour
from the emerging New World Order of G A I1
than a four-laner or wider. Wide roads or paved
vehicle speeds that come with paving dirt or
but much more lethal at 40 mph. The great
to use up petroleum faster, nothing has changed
roads have to do with conservation biology:
speed of vehicles is unnatural to all species, even gravel roads. The California Air Resources
since 1990 except that a road fighting movement
animals are less apt to take a chance crossing
Board recently found that 35 mph may be the
to humans. Judgment fails a deer or a person
exists finally. In fighting new roads, let us not
optimum speed for internal combustion engines’ either a wider road or one that is not of the local
when a vehicle is tearing down the road at high
allow dirt roads to become paved.
dirt as surface material. Wider roads are almost
mileage efficiency. Thus, highway and traffic
speeds.
always paved ones.
engineers have been operating under a myth of
♦ ♦♦
Only pavement makes such speed possible on the efficiency of speed. Air pollution is prima­
It is still a matter of personal choice whether
rily a function of cars in the U.S., and autos in
the ground (excluding the issue of rail and
Written and researched by Jan C. Lundberg,
one
paves his or her own yard and has a drive­
the
U.S.
are
the
single
biggest
greenhouse
gas
trains). Speed fuels nothing more than the
August 1993 with additions in December 1994.
source globally . Six of the top seven air pollut­ way, although this is becoming a matter of
illusion of saving time, if, for example, com­
He founded the Alliance for a Paving Morato­
ants known to the U.S. Environmental Protection municipal interest because stormwater systems
mutes are lengthened, and less time is available
rium
in November 1990 with the cooperation of
have been overloaded by too many paved
Agency come from the automobile. Soot, from
with family and neighbors. There is a huge
several
environmental and transit groups. As an
surfaces including roof tops. Taxes addressing
social cost to weakened community connections. diesel fuel and factories, kills over 50,000
oil analyst he served industry, government,
this have gone into effect. But the issue of
people annually in the U.S. Tire dust is a major
utilities and major news media with data and
paving a dirt or gravel road, even on private
There are spiritual aspects to “sense of place" air pollutant. Most tires are simply refined oil
analysis on market trends for 15 years before
property, is not simply a personal decision; the
residue. They are a hazard when a pile catches
and with the perceived size of one’s universe:
founding the Fossil Fuels Policy Action Insti­
public and the ecosystem are affected. For
fire because it is almost impossible to extin­
with great speeds, people are able to easily cross
tute,
a California nonprofit corporation.
example, if a town paves a dirt road and a
guish. Empty tires
traveler passes through too fast for safety, the
catch water and
traveler’s rights have been violated, because the
breed mosquitoes.
REFERENCES:
required speed of the vehicle has been raised,
Natural
Resources Defense Council's Poison
stressing or even killing the driver and others.
Asphalt is a
Runoff
studies
of U.S. Environmental Protection
toxic material that
Agency
data
on
nonpoint source pollution, by
There are permeable surfaces being experi­
harms respiratory
Diane Cameron and colleagues.
mented with, and these have the advantage of
systems when hot
less runoff. But poison drippings from vehicles
and fresh, when it
Fact Sheets #1 and #2, Alliance for a Paving
must be applied.
do then go into the ground, migrating into
Moratorium, Arcata, California
Other toxics or
ground water. If it does not pollute way down
deeply, the poison is too near the surface for
corrosives or
“Don’t Go Down the U.S. Road,” by Jan C.
radioactive wastes
farming if depaving later happens.
Lundberg, Paving Moratorium Update #3, 1992,
are illegally dis­
and distributed as a separate Earth Summit
Crimes of violence and theft increase with
posed of through
PrepCom IV paper at the United Nations,
more pavement, as undesirable out-of town
hiding them in
March-April, 1992
characters in cars can prey upon local property
asphalt or road oil
owners, and escape handily. Some highways are
(to keep dust
down). Volatile
long corridors of crime. On the other hand,
Paving Moratorium Update/Auto-Free Times is
tourists with dollars in pocket are likely to visit
organic compounds
published for the Alliance for a Paving Morato­
(VOCs) are just
with their recreational vehicles. But are these
low-fuel-efficiency and highly polluting vehicles rium by Fossil Fuels Policy Action Institute, P.O.
some of the long­
Box 4347, Arcata, Calif., Ecotopia, 95521, USA.
desirable? Some of these drivers are senior
term pollutants
Regular
subscription
$30/year;
donations
tax
Cat-asaurus destructus (Homo asphaltus extinctusf
coming from any
and
citizens who
w i i u due
uuv to
iv diminished
uni*....-«.-.-.- reflexes
-- ------------
o
■
.
.
.
narrowed peripheral vision are unsafe behind the deductible. Groups are particularly encouraged
asphalt pavement.
to join APM. For further information write or
Asphalt “plants” (factories) are sited on roads for wheel at any speed. Then again, senior citizens
a former wilderness, hurtling down a freeway in
along with deaf people often have better driving
‘phone (707) 826-7775.
access, and there are usually people somewhere
less time than it takes to “digest” some fast food
safety records than young, alert teens,
,-------------------------------------------------------------------
nearby who suffer from the dangerous and
from a highway-eatery franchise. Thus, the
who
speed
for
fun
or
out
of
despair
annoying
fumes,
as
well
as
from
the
immense
universe in effect shrinks more and more, and
over the state of the world in which
truck traffic.
there is less and less individual and cultural
oads, pave­
they feel powerless.
connection to the land, trees, countless creatures,
ment and
High
utilization
of
oil
refineries’
crude
runs
is
and the weather. The consequences are ecologi­
motor
vehicles
Should roads be paved or widened
desired to maximize gasoline and distillates.
cal destruction and ignorance of local peoples
are the biggest
mainly for the few who really benefit?
Selling by-products (such as asphalt, tires,
causes of
who are driven past.
plastics, and pesticides which include roadside
Are those who are harmed by more
environmental
pavement
ever
considered,
or
their
destruction.
sprays
for
defoliation)
accommodates
oil
com­
Pavement is expensive to maintain. It
Show your
arguments
heard?
Sometimes
yes,
but
pany
profits
which
are
mainly
from
gasoline.
degrades naturally and causes harm to vehicles
support for the
only if these folk all appear at each of
This is because unless asphalt, tires, plastics,
and their occupants when it is out of repair. In
paving-morato­
etc., are disposed of, refiners’ crude runs must be the hearings on road projects which are
rium movement
the United States, low bids on road construction
reduced sharply. What environmentalist would
often mere formality—in effect a
by hanging your
ensure that the pavement has to be resurfaced
want to generate more asphalt, (the cheapest and sham. Is the corrupt influence on
poster proudly.
frequently. Almost $10 million are not being
Fun to color-get
government agencies by paving
spent each year to fix existing paved roads in the most common pavement) ’ Most of the U.S.
extra
copies for
_
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—
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4
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.
.
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nl
t
ff
z
A
t“
C
Z
A
I
tA
A
O
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A
citizenry is “environmentalist," or so imagines,
contractors, home builders, shopping
U.S., while new roads, road widenings and
kids. Price: $10
so there is an overdue awakening regarding
mall & business “park” developers,
“improvements” proceed apace via deficit
($5 for each
and vehicle interests always made
asphalt, cars, and trucked corporate products—
additional copy)
spending. This will continue as long as our
NomKW^ChUfOtHh . CCOTOFIh
clear?
No.
Do
the
mainstream
media,
includes deliv­
“green”
and
otherwise.
Staving
off
global
military establishment dwarfs the combined size
UJft
7 5 1 2 .1
ery. Information
warming
requires
a
halt
in
the
spread
of
pave­
with
their
advertising
coming
so
of the next ten biggest nations' military budgets:
ehite
U x 17” poster by Peter Bralver, black on wk
on road fighting
heavily from motor vehicle manufac­
ment.
Non-chlorine 100% post-consumer waste paper
the U.S. Interstate Highway System from its
and the Alliance
tures and dealers, honestly or objec­
inception is part of the Defense Department
for a Paving Moratorium comes with your purchase.
tively deal with transportation and
Road building for large paved roads means
Please make checks payable to APM.
network.
development issues? If they did, there
using great quantities of gravel, usually taken
Call (707) 826-7775 or write P.O Box 4347. Arcata. C alif 95521 APM is
coordinate J by Fossil Fuels Policy Action, a tax deductible public chanty
would
be
no
need
for
the
plethora
of
from
rivers.
This
has
seriously
degraded
many
Pavement is a dead zone; there is no life
Have your group or business join APM and be listed in our Resource ( nude
alternative press devoted to different
rivers, so that road-building agencies must put
possible on it. It increases local temperatures in
Air pollution is increased
at the higher vehicle
speeds that come with
paving dirt or gravel
roads.
Hang Up The Road Habit
R
.
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