My understanding is that trams are much more cost effective long-term than buses, because the rails last much much longer than asphalt or even concrete.
They also have other benefits:
Smoother, less bumpy ride
Bigger capacity than buses, with the possibility to add up to 5 cars
Don't have to wait at traffic lights (We can install sensors to detect a tram is coming and switch the light so that it can go ahead without waiting. That's technically doable for an BRT/SRB, but it's more complex and as you can see, they didn't do it for SRB Pie-IX...🙁)
Less noisy
Easier to electrify
Easier to automate (make them self-driving)
No tires means less pollution
Grass can be added between the 2 rails, making it more pleasant looking, absorbing heat and noise
I remember reading that city taxes should change from being based on the value of the building to only be based on the value of the land. This way it discourages only single-family homes.
Yes, and no. It's not as easy. We do need to switch to renewable energy if we want to solve the crisis, but more importantly we need to stop using fossil fuel. Unfortunately, if you look at history, every time we discovered a new energy source like solar, hydro or wind, we never actually stopped using the older energy sources. For example, if you look at coal, we use more coal today than ever before in history, despite having found "better" options like petrol.
So yeah, it cool that we have new ways to build solar panel, but unless we actually stop using fossil fuel, then it won't stop the crisis.
Does it include recycling cost? And more importantly, does it include the batteries to store that electricity? Batteries are not clean nor renewable. For example, just look at how cobalt is mined today and how it ruins ecosystem and populations.
Im really sorry to read that. It sounds like a giant mess that is affecting everyone. It must feel bad to do all those efforts and still feel like it's pointless.
Have you considered getting therapy for yourself? I think it's would be the best thing to do in your situation.