New Books Network David Obst, "Saving Ourselves from Big Car" (Columbia Business School Publishing, 2025)
Feb 17, 2026
David Obst, investigative journalist and media producer who investigates corporate wrongdoing, discusses how "Big Car" shaped cities and public health. He traces leaded gasoline's cover-up, questions whether electric and autonomous vehicles truly solve problems, and spotlights cities trying bike, tram, and car-free alternatives. He outlines practical local experiments and the political barriers to breaking car dependence.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Personal Moment That Sparked The Book
- David Obst realized his personal role in traffic when his granddaughter said, “Pop up, you are the traffic.”
- That moment spurred his four-year investigation into how societies became car-dependent.
Big Car As An Industrial Complex
- "Big Car" is an interlocking complex of automakers, oil, insurers, steel, and media that shaped cities and policy for decades.
- Obst argues this coalition caused more human damage than World War II via neglected harms like lead poisoning.
Leaded Gasoline's Hidden Public Health Toll
- Leaded gasoline harmed millions by impairing brains and increasing violence, according to Obst and cited WHO/Duke research.
- Ethyl Corporation covered up lead harms for decades while profiting from additives.
