I know it’s a year away (and in Glasgow), but -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-49650909
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
COP26
(219 posts)-
Posted 4 years ago #
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“
O’Neill, under her Twitter handle of @COP26President, wrote on Friday evening: “Very sad that the role I was offered by Boris Johnson last year has now been rescinded as Whitehall ‘can’t cope’ with an indy COP unit. A shame we haven’t had one climate cabinet meeting since we formed. Wishing the COP team every blessing in the climate recovery emergency.”
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Posted 4 years ago # -
Claire O'Neill is not entirely blameless.
According to Richard Dixon at FoE Scotland she made no attempt to get ScotGov on board at announcement.
Also FoE Scotland not invited to launch in London. ScotGov having a twin COP26 launch today in the host city. Meanwhile the planet warms...From twitter...
"BBC News - #COP26: Sacked president accuses Boris Johnson of leadership failure https://t.co/s08Fj7wz4P < Claire O'Neill commendably calls for a role for @NicolaSturgeon and a ‘4-nations’ COP. Some irony for woman who came to Glasgow to announce COP without telling @scotgov"Posted 4 years ago # -
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“Unless we take urgent action, we will get 3C hotter,” the prime minister told a gathering of climate experts, business leaders and civil society groups at the Science Museum in London on Tuesday morning. “As a country, as a society, as a planet and as a species, we must now act.”“
Posted 4 years ago # -
That action of course means flying 90,000 delegates to Glasgow from all over the world to have a pointless talking shop. We know what needs done, we just don't have the will to do it.
Posted 4 years ago # -
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Johnson must also do more to show the UK’s leadership in cutting emissions, beyond the promise to reach net zero by 2050, he said. “It’s very important that the UK has domestic policies in place that allow them to inspire confidence in other countries,” said de Boer.
One long-time observer of COPs, who asked not to be named, said Johnson’s handling of the launch, at which he failed to set out clear stepping stones to a successful outcome for COP 26 or domestic policies to reduce emissions, had hurt his standing among world leaders on the issue. “There was nothing there, it was a mess,” they said. “It made me angry.”
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Posted 4 years ago # -
Cop must be value for taxpayers' money.
Of course, situating the houses of Parliament and Lords in Central London, refurbishing Westminster, purchasing second homes for MPs etc and funding their every request in the name of representation of the people (ha ha) is a shining example of providing value for taxpayers' money.
Posted 4 years ago # -
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UK Prime Minister
@10DowningStreetThe Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP @AlokSharma_RDG has been appointed Secretary of State @beisgovuk
He will also be Minister for @COP26
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Posted 4 years ago # -
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Surprise choice has poor record on Commons votes affecting the environment
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Posted 4 years ago # -
Posted 4 years ago #
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"Alok Sharma can make Cop26 a success – but does he have the will?"
Normal way to get Cop26 going in the right direction might be to talk with the administration of the country where it is taking place?
Will he have words with Tories here about their support for the establishment of a Scottish National Investment Bank but with dilution of climate targets (along with SNP sadly)?
Will he tell RBS (soon to be NatWest) to disinvest in companies that damage environment?Personally I think he will do none of these.
Posted 4 years ago # -
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The Treasury has been considering a hike in fuel duty both to raise revenue and to bolster the government’s green credentials in a year that the UK is hosting the Cop26 summit about the climate.
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Posted 4 years ago # -
Given the increase in large less efficient models of cars on our roads since last time fuel duty was changed I think we all know what needs to happen.
Posted 4 years ago # -
As we are now dealing with the Brexitory Party I expect they will do nothing of note. They are deeply conservative and fairly irrational and wedded to a love of adversity. Each time the climate kicks back they will kick harder in the other direction cheered on by their media chums.
They will leak ideas to press to appear to be 'mindful' of COP but will settle back down to rewarding driving.
Parts of England going underwater will not make people change transport approach other than temporary use of boats to get around some streets. In fact I think sales of larger, higher, heavier vehicles able to go through floods will be a theme - particularly for business users. Bicycles do work too especially if you have a higher model with bottom bracket 80cm off the ground.What of electric vehicles in floods? Some comments...
Most web stuff is PR with Tesla claiming that one of their vehicles can float.- "The battery pack of an EV is on the underside of the car and due to its weight/size, it’s fairly low to the ground. So the fact that the BMW i3 can go through a fairly deep 9.8”/26 cm level of water is positive and again suggests that the battery pack is sealed off."
"Lithium-ion batteries that make up an electric car’s battery pack can be dangerous if damaged by water, with explosion a real risk. Similarly, the high voltage electrical motor can also be dangerous if it’s water-damaged."
26cm of flood water is not 'fairly deep' when you have a climate meltdown?
Posted 4 years ago # -
Hmmm - I think Alastair has got that one wrong. Relying on people feeling self conscious about making trips by car seems unlikely to produce a reduction in car travel. A combination of carrots (better public transport, comprehensive network of safe cycle lanes etc.) and sticks (taxation, charges, reallocation of road space) is what works.
Posted 3 years ago # -
“Relying on people feeling self conscious about making trips by car seems unlikely to produce a reduction in car travel.“
Yep
Time for more sticks - at least financial ones that address the (relative) reductions in the costs of motoring.
Certainly time for noticeable increase in fuel tax at a time when (officially) ‘the future is electric’.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Assuming the security is even more in-your-face than for the Commonwealth Games active travel will be strongly discouraged by the closure of key routes and river bridges...
(Glasgow correspondent)Posted 3 years ago #
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