CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Climate Crisis
(1297 posts)-
Posted 4 years ago #
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@ LB. thanks for link, will watch later.
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Carhenge
https://joanmcalpine.typepad.com/joan_mcalpine/2009/09/index.html
Posted 4 years ago # -
“News of the climate emergency does not seem to have reached Transport Scotland."
You don't say! The same agency spending 1.5 times the active travel budget on one road junction?
Posted 4 years ago # -
‘High likelihood of human civilisation coming to end’ by 2050, report finds
Over-conservative climate scenarios mean we could face ‘world of outright chaos’, says analysis authored by former fossil fuel executive and backed by former head of Australia’s military
Posted 4 years ago # -
Please don't share this type of thing.
1. It isn't mainstream science. Seriously. I talk to climate scientists as my job.
2. Physcologically, doomsday predictions make people less likely to act. You are in effect saying "give up and party into Armageddon."https://twitter.com/harrymachuk/status/1213942751580098565?s=21
Posted 4 years ago # -
“Physcologically, doomsday predictions make people less likely to act. You are in effect saying "give up and party into Armageddon." “
Yes.
The problem is (I feel) that there aren’t enough coherent (possible) alternatives beyond ‘eat less/no meat’, ‘fly less/not at all’ that any significant numbers of people can understand/sympathise with/be prepared to act on.
AND
it’s clear that (even en masse) individual/personal actions will not make much/difference WITHOUT significant Gov(s)/world action/policy changes.
Putin is looking forward to sea routes through the Arctic, Trump doesn’t see a problem, Morrison sees there is currently a problem, but mining jobs are more important.
Etc.
Things will change when (for instance) insurance companies stop insuring things on a large scale.
Doesn’t mean things will change much/enough.
Not advocating ‘party on to the end’ but there have to be better reasons to believe there is something viable/‘acceptable’ (for most people) other than a variation on ‘business as usual’.
Half the UK wants to believe that Brexit will make things noticeable better (in whatever ways they think they want ‘better’). Hard to know what the other half thinks now.
Will be interesting to see what Australians think in a few months time - and what difference that will make.
Many won’t be in a party mood though.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I believe the solution, and a sign of the human race "maturing" would be to move away from the current "me, me, me" system to one of "Public luxury, private sufficiency".
Basically, as many things as possible are built to be shared, and those shared facilities are of the highest standard and easily accessible to all.
For example, there should be no need for every house in the country to buy a trampoline for their back garden because there will always be a shared one nearby.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Here's a simple thing you can do. The STPR2 survey closes on Friday and will hopefully shape transport investment priorities for 20 years. It's actually one of the better consultation exercises (low bar I know). You can be bet there will be a ton of people wanting MOAR ROADS so this is your chance to weigh in on the other side
https://pedalonparliament.org/getting-strategic-why-you-need-to-respond-to-the-stpr2/
Posted 4 years ago # -
Sturgeon was tweeting that she’s heading to Oslo for business/political meetings to deepen collaboration with Norway, particularly on tackling climate change.
I suppose the next budget will show whether this is going amount to more than another grandstanding statement, with a few whizz-bang targets chucked in for our admiration.
The Scottish Government failed its first Climate Change Act target, a 0.6% emission cut, with a 2% rise instead. By 2015 Scotland had missed its emissions targets for 3 years.
In September 2019 the Scottish Parliament voted to pass the Climate Change Bill, with Green MSPs abstaining in the vote, arguing ‘targets are meaningless without actions to meet them.”
What environment gains have the Greens made out of their alliance with the SNP, so now they are called the SNP with recycling? The Workplace Levy in the Transport Bill is one thing I can think of. Anything else?
Posted 4 years ago # -
Spokes's take on the SG in 2020
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT 2020
In May 2019 the Scottish Government declared a Climate Emergency and stated, “This Scottish Government will be placing climate change at the heart of everything we do. I can confirm that it will be at the core of our next Programme for Government and Spending Review.”
We will discover what if anything this means in terms of cycling (and wider transport) when the Scottish Government budget 2020/21 is published. Due to the UK election and delayed UK budget the Scottish budget may have to be published in provisional form – possibly in February. In particular…
Will there be a halt to trunk road expansion, with the cash transferred to active and public transport? ...
Will the active travel budget be increased substantially from its current £80m per year? There has been no increase since 2017, when former Transport Minister Humza Yousaf introduced several major cycling initiatives including doubling the AT budget from £40M a year to £80m
Two significant positive steps, where the Scottish Government explictly linked climate and transport, have been taken so far…
- The proposed abolition of Air Passenger Duty has been scrapped, thus avoiding a probable cut in already undertaxed air fares
- A £500m fund for bus infrastructure on main roads has been announced.However there is plenty evidence of the need for more substantial change, including…
• An independent expert review of air quality commissioned and published (Aug 2019) by the Scottish Government, has recommended, inter alia, …
• reduced trunk road construction
• more cash for cycling, walking and public transport
• measures to cut fossil vehicle use must be accompanied by incentives for cycling, cargo bike and public transport – not automatically assuming electric cars and vans... etc
http://www.spokes.org.uk/2020/01/cycling-into-2020/Posted 4 years ago # -
“
Batters also urged ministers to come forward with plans for achieving net-zero carbonfor the agriculture sector. “British farming could achieve net zero by 2040 [10 years sooner than the government’s pledge for the whole country],” she said.
“The defining factor to reach our goal and help tackle climate change is a willing government. We are already leading the way in producing climate-friendly food in this country, and this government has a chance to enshrine the UK as a global leader in sustainability.”
“
Posted 4 years ago # -
Surely the Scottish Govt needs to streamline the planning process for building cycleways (and bus lanes).
That £80m may not even be getting spent due to the insane bureaucracy of getting anything done. Or if it is spent, it's probably frittered away on meaningless stuff like "behaviour change" or as part of road resurfacing.
If the Govt see the £80m as "difficult" to spend, why would they increase it?
Posted 4 years ago # -
The Greens vote with the SNP less often than the Tories do. The Greens have been the only party to negotiate with the SNP on the budget in recent years and reduced the cuts to local councils that the SNP were trying to push through as a result.
Posted 4 years ago # -
FlyBe has access to funding from Virgin Atlantic and Delta.
W Walsh head of BA is raising with EU.
Branson is of course great pals with BJ.Posted 4 years ago # -
“
Climate Change Takes Center Stage in Davos
“
http://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/20/business/energy-environment/davos-climate-change.amp.html
Posted 4 years ago # -
“
A new form of combined solar power generation and storage is being developed for the UK.
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Posted 4 years ago # -
Posted 4 years ago #
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“
Greta: Act now for your children's sake
...
From a sustainability perspective, the right, the left, and the centre have all failed.
No political ideology or economic structure has managed to tackle the climate and environmental emergency and create a cohesive and sustainable world.
Because that world, in case you hadn’t noticed, is currently on fire.
“
Posted 4 years ago #
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