Car use in the sprawled urban region of Noord‐Brabant is above the Dutch average. Does this reflect car dependency due to the lack of competitive alternative modes? Or are there other factors at play, such as differences in preferences? This article aims to determine the nature of car use in the region and explore to what extent this reflects car dependency. The data, comprising 3,244 respondents was derived from two online questionnaires among employees from the High‐Tech Campus (2018) and the TU/e‐campus (2019) in Eindhoven. Travel times to work by car, public transport, cycling, and walking were calculated based on the respondents’ residential location. Indicators for car dependency were developed using thresholds for maximum commuting times by bicycle and maximum travel time ratios between public transport and car. Based on these thresholds, approximately 40% of the respondents were categorised as car‐dependent. Of the non‐car‐dependent respondents, 31% use the car for commuting. A binomial logit model revealed that higher residential densities and closer proximity to a railway station reduce the odds of car commuting. Travel time ratios also have a significant influence on the expected directions. Mode choice preferences (e.g., comfort, flexibility, etc.) also have a significant, and strong, impact. These results highlight the importance of combining hard (e.g., improvements in infrastructure or public transport provi-sion) and soft (information and persuasion) measures to reduce car use and car dependency in commuting trips.
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This paper presents the results of an experimental field study, in which the effects were studied of personalized travel feedback on car owners’ car habits, awareness of the environmental impact of their travel choices, and the intention to switch modes. For a period of six weeks, 349 car owners living in Amsterdam used a smart mobility app that automatically registered all their travel movements. Participants in the experiment group received information about travel distance, time, and CO2 emission. Results show that the feedback did not influence self-reported car habits, intention, and awareness, suggesting that personalized feedback may not be a one-size-fits-all solution to change travel habits.
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This research explores the attitudes of children from different socio-economic backgrounds towards cars. This paper explores their projected choices and motivations in the context of (1) post-materialist values; (2) economic constraints; and (3) social status theories; and draws upon survey research among 140 upper elementary school children in the Netherlands between September 2010 and January 2011. Comparative analysis shows that there are significant differences in attitudes of children from different socio-economic backgrounds. Pupils from the affluent predominantly ethnically Dutch schools showed greater awareness of and concern about their parents’ and general use of cars, and less desire to own a car in the future, children from less economically advantaged schools demonstrated lower environmental awareness and concern and more desire to own a car in the future. This study is based on a small sample and indicates a need for large-scale follow-up study of children's attitudes towards cars. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2012.07.010 https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenkopnina/
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Two key air pollutants that affect asthma are ozone and particle pollution. Studies show a direct relationship between the number of deaths and hospitalizations for asthma and increases of particulate matter in the air, including dust, soot, fly ash, diesel exhaust particles, smoke, and sulfate aerosols. Cars are found to be a primary contributor to this problem. However, patient awareness of the link is limited. This chapter begins with a general discussion of vehicular dependency or ‘car culture’, and then focuses on the discussion of the effects of air pollution on asthma in the Netherlands. I argue that international organizations and patient organizations have not tended to put pressure on air-control, pollution-control or environmental standards agencies, or the actual polluters. While changes in air quality and the release of greenhouse gases are tied to practices like the massive corporate support for the ongoing use of motor vehicles and the increased prominence of ‘car culture’ globally, patient organizations seem more focused on treating the symptoms rather than addressing the ultimate causes of the disease. Consequently, I argue that to fully address the issue of asthma the international health organizations as well as national health ministries, patient organizations, and the general public must recognize the direct link between vehicular dependency and asthma. The chapter concludes with a recommendation for raising environmental health awareness by explicitly linking the vehicular dependency to the state of poor respiratory health. Strategic policy in the Netherlands then should explicitly link the present pattern of auto mobility to public health. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781118786949 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenkopnina/
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Background: Parents of children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) have extensive care duties. This study describes the phenomenon “parenting a child with PIMD.” Method: We conducted in-depth interviews with 25 Dutch parents. A reflective lifeworld research. Findings: The essential meaning of the phenomenon was understood as “continuously struggling to create and maintain new equilibriums that protect the child and the family from hardship; changing in context through time.” The following eight constituents were identified: (1) medical complexity; (2) multidimensional weariness; (3) care for siblings; (4) social connectedness; (5) uncertainty about the future; (6) wrecking bureaucracy; (7) dependency on healthcare delivery; and (8) financial concerns. Conclusions: Healthcare services should provide families with easy access to assistive technology and services needed to manage family life. Responsiveness to parents’ challenges offers them the possibility to participate in society. Healthcare professionals should address the parents’ perspectives related to the child’s quality of life.
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A replacement of cars with conventional internal combustion engines (ICEs) by electric vehicles (EVs) is seen by many as a means to improve local air quality, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and CO2 emissions. The market for EV is slowly developing with a growing number of (subsidized) manufacturers offering EV models in different market segments to (subsidized) car owners. The number of EVs is still small in most countries, but policymakers and manufacturers see partial or even full replacement of ICEs by EVs as realistic in the coming decade. EV engines are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Li-ion is produced from precursors, either liquid (brine metal salt) or solid (hard rocks). Lithium mining is still concentrated in a few countries. Lithium is used for batteries, ceramics, grease and medicine. This reliance comes at a cost, as conventional lithium mining creates several externalities. The following main question will be addressed: How to source a required volume of lithium in a way that reduces the environmental and social-economic impact of mining this resource? To address this question, we will use a combination of relevant literature and a local case study supported by a model-based estimation. The focus is on the Netherlands, an EV user country, but the approach is generic.
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Whitepaper: The use of AI is on the rise in the financial sector. Utilizing machine learning algorithms to make decisions and predictions based on the available data can be highly valuable. AI offers benefits to both financial service providers and its customers by improving service and reducing costs. Examples of AI use cases in the financial sector are: identity verification in client onboarding, transaction data analysis, fraud detection in claims management, anti-money laundering monitoring, price differentiation in car insurance, automated analysis of legal documents, and the processing of loan applications.
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