Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Air Quality

Auto Worship Still a Sign of the Times

times_shot.JPG 
When the Supreme Court held this week that the Environmental Protection Agency does, in fact, possess the latitude to protect the environment, the New York Times called it "a victory for a world whose environment seems increasingly threatened by climate change."

"It is a vindication for states like California that chose not to wait for the federal government and acted to limit emissions that contribute to global warming," read a Tuesday Times editorial. "And it should feed the growing momentum on Capitol Hill for mandatory limits on carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas."

The Times' editorial position on the landmark high court ruling is consistent with the paper's voluminous coverage of global climate change -- which, its reporters tell us, isn't going to happen, but is happening. Barely a day passes when the Times doesn't publish a story detailing a new angle of the crisis.

All of which makes its indulgent coverage of the New York International Auto Show more than a little perplexing. As usual, the Times has deployed an army of contributors to unleash a barrage of articles and special features hyping the New York event -- as it did the Detroit show in January, debuting a special car blog to mark the occasion.

In a story containing barely a passing reference to nuisance issues like heavy traffic and congestion pricing, the celebration kicked off with this paean:

New York motorists must be the nation's most ardent car lovers, considering the hardships they accept -- the scarce and exorbitant parking, the gridlock, the inevitable tickets and some of the nation's highest insurance rates -- for the pleasure of driving a car and the freedom to escape the city on a whim.

Such myopia might be excused in another time, back when serious discussion of global warming was still the province of junk scientists and Chicken Little fringe-dwellers. But now?

Granted, the Times hasn't always been consistent in its reportage (left hand, meet right hand), but the same editorial board that seemed to applaud this week's Supreme Court decision also recently came out in favor of a new DOT Commissioner "who promotes use of public transit, walking and cycling as not just a way to a destination, but as a way of life."

If only our paper of record would set the tone, rather than alternately condemning and glorifying the one consumer product most responsible for the environmental damage accounted in its pages on a daily basis.

Stay tuned for Streetsblog's own first-hand auto show coverage from Sarah Goodyear.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Four Things to Know About the Historic Automatic Emergency Braking Rule

The new automatic emergency braking rule is an important step forward for road safety — but don't expect it to save many lives on its own.

April 30, 2024

Who’s to Blame for Tuesday’s Headlines?

Are the people in this photo inherently "vulnerable", or is this car just dangerous?

April 30, 2024

Why Riders With Disabilities Have To Sue For Accessible Transit Stops

A Bay Area transit agency is only the latest to be sued over inaccessible stations. What will it take to get every American stop ADA compliant?

April 30, 2024

Monday’s Headlines Reconnect With Pete

More than $3 billion is flowing out of the White House to help correct infrastructure mistakes in Black communities.

April 29, 2024

‘Buy, Bully, Bamboozle’: Report Shows App Companies Threaten Democracy

App delivery companies seek to block worker-led improvements by spending big money on political influence, leveraging their data, and even co-opting progressive language, argues a new report that lands days before a national one-day strike by app-workers. 

April 29, 2024
See all posts