Car ownership is a sign of societal failure in the U.S. In 2022, the average U.S. household owned 1.8 cars. And that's bad news for all of our wallets because nearly one in five Americans have a car payment of at least $1,000. But it's also bad for the planet because cars and trucks make up nearly one fifth of all U.S. emissions. Lucky for all us Americans, there's actually a really simple solution that would save us all money and be more environmentally friendly. And that's high-speed trains.

Trains can move around more people for less money and less emissions. Which means it's better for the planet, it's better for your wallet, and it's better for the economy. But unfortunately for all of us, the United States has spent the last 80 years building a network of highways to connect our country instead of a network of high-speed trains.

In fact, the U.S. love affair with cars is so strong that not only have we not been building trains, we also ripped up any previously existing trolley and streetcar lines just so we could put down more roads for cars. Listen, cars have their place, for sure, but the United States' adamant refusal to incest in the same type of transportation that most of its peer nations have invested in is weird.