Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Cartoons

A Round and a Roundy: The One Upside of Climate Change

Cartoon: Bill Roundy

Editorial cartoon of Bill Roundy by editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy.
Editorial cartoon of Bill Roundy by editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy.
false

Like everyone else who cares about the future of human civilization on this planet, our editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy was horrified, scared and angered by the recent United Nations report suggesting that humanity now has the narrowest of windows to act if it is to survive human-induced global warming.

He took that fear, fright and rage and started scouring the web for inspiration — and found himself more fearful, more frightened and more angry over how few analysis pieces really delved into how quickly and fundamentally we need to change the way we get around. Yes, there were pieces about how we need to green up the electrical grid and eat like 98 percent less meat (all true!), but very few of our elected leaders were able to look voters in the eye and tell them that they need to stop driving so much. (Transportation is the single biggest contributor to greenhouse gases in America today.)

"So I came up with this simple idea, but I don't think it's too simple," Roundy told us. "It's about the entitlement that car drivers feel about being able to drive wherever they want whenever they want. It's the same entitlement that makes them choose climate-destroying cars instead of just taking the bus like the rest of us."

Our guess is that drivers will keep exerting their entitlement to the very end, unchallenged by a political class that is dominated, alas, by drivers (check out Gov. Cuomo getting into his muscle car after his resignation speech on Tuesday). Hence, Roundy's take.

All of Bill Roundy's cartoons are archived here. Collect 'em all.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

StreetSmart7: Sam Speroni and Automobile Debt

In StreetSmart Episode7, Streetsblog California editor Damien Newton and Sam Speroni from UCLA discussed the unequal distribution of car ownership costs in Los Angeles, using data from 2021 to 2023. 

May 23, 2025

Friday’s Headlines

CA vs. Republicans is national news, but there's plenty of other news happening around the state.

May 23, 2025

Metro Quietly Withdraws Lyft Bike-Share Contract Vote

The current twice-botched will-they-won't-they procurement process is not doing Metro Bike Share any favors.

May 22, 2025

SGV Hikes and Bikes: Duck Farm River Park

Tucked in the crook of the 605 and Valley Boulevard is some much needed breathing room for the East Valley.

May 22, 2025

Revealed: MTC Canceled Bridge Bike Lane Meetings Because Staff Findings Showed it Should Stay Open

Thanks to a public records request from Bike East Bay, we now know why two public hearings were cancelled at the last minute.

May 22, 2025
See all posts