Paved highways facilitate the trade of goods and the journeying of travellers. With little physical effort people in a day can move themselves and large quantities of material along a distance farther than many creatures migrate. Given the ease of transport, often then the goal is simply for pleasure or personal gain.

India has a road network extending over 3.4 million kilometres. They plan on adding 20 kilometres a day for five years to improve their infrastructure. India is also home to the cheapest car, Tata’s Nano. This represents a serious investment by a nation that hopes this leads to economic growth and a lessening of poverty.

Where might this endeavour lead? Roads are only good for transport; they won’t nurture plants or animals. Cars age and fail thus adding greatly to a waste problem. How will this infrastructure avail as the supplies of petroleum inexorably shrink?