On the heels of just submitting a paper to the International Conference on Aging, Disability and Independence (a conference that three years ago was principally underwritten be the auto industry to keep aging US drivers behind the wheel), I opened with the provocative title and argument:

USA Today headline

Image by Peter Armstrong

HELP!� I FELL AND "MEANS-BASED" HEALTH CARE WON'T GET ME UP!

"Cars are killing people, but not in the way you think," an endocrinologist that refers clients to me told me over breakfast near his office. It's not the high-speed crash; it's a slower death. "Take a look out at this parking lot for instance", he gestured out the window, "watch as many elders hobble from their cars to labour through the 100 paces to their doctor appointments". "You will see the ravage that today's modern predator takes on the elders of our race. If more people would muster the courage to try some physical activity - simply walk or ride a bike -  my client list would drop dramatically. Maybe even get cut in half!"

Will labels disentwine the typical western lifestyle and what it's doing to the planet?

Not likely; when infrastructure and advertising demands that we burn that black gold.� A car's not like a fridge with an energy star that offers a fleeting (and private)�good feeling about helping the environment and saving money.� A car is a social instrument; an extension of the ego that screams out to the advertiser to create images of power, speed and sexy appearance.� So let's not hold our breath looking for that F1 Ferrari to go zipping by with OneClimate emblazoned on the hood!