Changing Hollywood's Car Culture with Ed Begley Jr.

Changing Hollywood's Car Culture with Ed Begley Jr.

Author: The War on Cars, LLC December 3, 2024 Duration: 1:00:44

From mockumentaries to dramas to situation comedies, Ed Begley Jr. has done it all. His truly one-of-a-kind acting career has seen him work with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, and more. But beyond his impressive resume, Ed Begley Jr. is also known for his environmental activism. He's probably the most famous person to have owned some version of an electric vehicle for a lot longer than most people have even been aware of EVs. Ed has been been committed to environmental conservation since at least the 1970s, and he's designed his life so that it's as free of fossil fuels as possible, with solar panels on the roof, an e-bike in the garage, and a house chosen for its proximity to transit. Notably, he's taken the LA Metro to the Academy Awards, making a statement in an industry and a city where fancy cars and conspicuous consumption are signs of success. In this fun conversation, Ed Begley Jr. invites us into his home to talk about his work, his activism, and his philosophy about life.

*** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, special bonus content, stickers, merch discounts, and more. Plus, get pre-sale access to our upcoming live show in New York with CityNerd! ***

This episode was produced with the generous support of the Helen & William Mazer Foundation.

Check out the latest offerings from our friends at Cleverhood and Sheyd Bags

LINKS:

Buy Ed Begley Jr.'s memoir, To the Temple of Tranquility…and Step on It! at our official Bookshop.org page.

Hayden Begley documented her dad's trip to the Oscars via LA Metro on TikTok.

The Actor Who Who Rides the Subway to the Oscars (NY Times)

Support Streets For All in Los Angeles by becoming a member.

Grab some podcast merch in our official store.

This episode was edited by Doug Gordon. It was recorded by Avishay Artsy. Transcriptions are by Russell Gragg. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear.

TheWarOnCars.org


Imagine a world not built around traffic jams and parking lots, but shaped for people. The War on Cars is a dispatch from the front lines of that effort, a collective conversation questioning the automobile’s dominance over our cities, our environment, and our daily lives. Each episode digs into the real-world fight to reclaim public space, examining everything from the politics of a new bike lane to the history of how cars came to rule. You’ll hear from urban planners, activists, historians, and ordinary people pushing back, offering a mix of sharp analysis, on-the-ground reporting, and compelling narratives. This isn’t just about transportation; it’s about the culture and societal choices that have led us here, and the tangible, often inspiring work to create safer, quieter, and more connected communities. Tune in for a thoughtful and necessary critique of the status quo, a podcast dedicated to the idea that our streets can-and should-be for so much more.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The War on Cars
Podcast Episodes
Back to School with the Bike Bus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:54
If you've never heard of a bike bus—or a bicibús, as it's known in the Catalonian capital of Barcelona—it's a beautifully simple idea. Kids and parents ride their bikes to school along a pre-planned route, picking up cla…
Inclusive Transportation with Veronica O. Davis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:30
In her new book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, Veronica O. Davis — the Director of Transportation and Drainage Operations for the city of Houston, Texas — takes a hard look at t…
TEASER: Chaos in the Bike Lane with Aaron Gordon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:49
The rising problem of mopeds and motorcycles in New York City bike lanes is impossible to ignore but the solutions are anything but simple. Recently, journalist and friend of the podcast Aaron Gordon wrote an essay for h…
EXTRA: Inside Automotive Journalism with Bob Sorokanich [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:54
***This is a bonus episode that was previously only available to Patreon supporters of The War on Cars. If you want to hear more bonus episodes like this, please enlist today! We'll taking a very short summer break and w…
TEASER: Live from New York! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:58
This special episode of The War on Cars was recorded live before a sold-out audience at Caveat on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and was styled after a community board meeting... except instead of people yelling at eac…
Traffication with Paul Donald [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:29
In his groundbreaking book, Traffication: How Cars Destroy Nature and What We Can Do About It, scientist and researcher Paul Donald synthesizes dozens of studies to help us understand what cars and roads do to living thi…
SPECIAL: Freeway Exit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:37
This is a special presentation of the first episode of Freeway Exit, a six-part series produced by award-winning reporter Andrew Bowen of KPBS Public Media in San Diego, California. Freeway Exit reveals the mostly forgot…
Is It Worth It To Confront Drivers? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:25
Have you ever been walking across the street when a driver turned into your path and almost hit you? Or riding your bike when a hostile horn-honker laid into you for delaying them to the next red light by a few seconds?…
TEASER: Inside Automotive Journalism with Bob Sorokanich [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:07
Have you ever wondered what the reporters who cover the auto industry think about oversized SUVs and pickups and whether the fever for these gas-guzzling, space-hogging, planet-heating and people-killing monstrosities wi…

«1...678910