Just in time for tonight’s Oscar awards! Carbusters is a magazine/website that “aims to serve as both an information source and a call to action, providing a full range of content from direct action skills to the latest research developments, feature articles on topics ranging from Driving as Addiction to Ecocity Visions, world news and even cartoons poking fun at the car and oil industries.”

Carbusters’ Second Annual No-Car Oscar Award

This year Carbusters reviewed six of the nine movies nominated for Best Picture. The other three movies (Lincoln, Django Unchained and Les Misérables) were not included since they are set in the early to mid-1800s, before the use of the internal combustion engine automobile.

Our No-Car Oscar Award focuses on these movies’ depictions of transportation: How often are main characters shown driving or riding in automobiles? How often are they shown using alternatives to automobiles? What messages do these movies send about driving and about using public or non-motorized transportation? Points are given for showing characters walking, riding bicycles and taking public transportation. Points are taken away for showing characters driving or riding in cars. Positive depictions of cars (cars used to show status, logos prominently displayed, car travel depicted as freedom and independence) lose points. Negative depictions of cars (traffic jams, accidents, expensive) earn points.

continues….