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New Lord Provost unveils eco-friendly ambitions

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  1. cb
    Member

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/new-lord-provost-unveils-eco-friendly-ambitions-1-2283278

    "HE drives a hybrid Toyota Prius and last year installed a bank of solar panels on his home.

    The Capital’s new Lord Provost Donald Wilson has pledged to live up to his green credentials – and hopes to start by swapping the official three-litre BMW saloon for an eco-vehicle."

    "He told the Evening News he will lead by example when taking office later this month and hopes to see the official large 7 Series saloon replaced with a more eco-friendly vehicle."

    A bicycle?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. RJ
    Member

    I would imagine official rickshaws might be more in keeping with the dignity of the office ;)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    "The fact Gavin Corbett topped the poll in Fountainbridge-Craiglockhart, the first Green to come first in Scotland, shows the party has strong support in the Capital. And their thoughts will often be echoed by our Prius-driving, solar panel-owning new Lord Provost, Donald Wilson."

    EN Editorial -

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/the-greens-will-have-a-strong-voice-1-2282764

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. kaputnik
    Moderator

    You could replace every car in Edinburgh with a Prius. There would still be the same number of cars on the roads and the same number parking in cycle lanes or jumping red lights.

    But at least we could shout at them "why don't you pay some road tax?" Then they could tell us there's no such thing but they're in a VED zero-rated conveyance.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    "As Chair of the South West Neighbourhood Partnership for five years I have struggled with the fact that they were made into 'Advisory bodies' instead of the decision making Committees they were originally designed (by me as Executive Member for Modernising Government) to be."

    http://donaldwilsons.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/there-are-so-many-issues-across-huge.html

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. Min
    Member

    A bicycle?

    That was my thought exactly.


    “And I would like nothing better than to have the first hybrid lord provost’s car.”

    Oh. Right.

    An eco-friendly lord provost that is only interested in driving. Great.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. crowriver
    Member

    "Labour intends to take on the transport portfolio, including overseeing the trams, which is regarded as one of the most high-profile positions. Former lord provost Lesley Hinds is among the likely candidates for the role."

    So, five more years of shared use paths then. Hope she rolls out more 20mph zones.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. crowriver
    Member

    An eco-friendly lord provost that is only interested in driving. Great.

    But cycling is hard work and dangerous. I mean, 3,000 folk turned up the other week to protest about how dangerous it was!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. wingpig
    Member

    'But at least we could shout at them "why don't you pay some road tax?"'

    At least we wouldn't have to shout too loudly, if they were all running in electrical mode. There'd be no tyre noise as they wouldn't be moving.

    Prii and solar panels are quite non-committal routes to greenliness, in that they require no lifestyle adjustments.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. cb
    Member

    "Prii and solar panels are quite non-committal routes to greenliness, in that they require no lifestyle adjustments."

    And also require a certain level of personal well-off-ness.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    donald.wilson@edinburgh.gov.uk

    http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/councillors/29/donald_wilson

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. crowriver
    Member

    Anyway, it's Lesley Hinds we want to be worrying about, not the Provost. (See above and below).

    http://www.edinburghlabour.com/2012/03/cycling-in-capital-lets-improve-it.html

    http://mccraw.co.uk/spokes-hustings-edinburgh-elections/

    http://www.kimharding.net/blog/?p=1770

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=6071

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. chdot
    Admin

    "Anyway, it's Lesley Hinds we want to be worrying about"

    Not certain she'll get the job.

    At least she is a bus user.

    Her husband cycles and she's said she's 'too scared', so might actually be more understanding than many.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    Only just read http://www.edinburghlabour.com/2012/03/cycling-in-capital-lets-improve-it.html - actually pretty encouraging.

    She wasn't great at the Spokes Hustings,

    On one hand it was nice to hear her (as a politician) admit she was 'new to this', but she seemed low down on the learning curve.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. crowriver
    Member

    It seems Labour intend to take on the transport portfolio. Hinds is Labour transport spokesperson. Ergo, she is very likely to get the job.

    If anyone here lives in Inverleith ward, you can pester her as a local elector once/if she's appointed transport supremo.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. crowriver
    Member

    “There are three immediate priorities for Labour”, says Councillor Hinds. “We want to make the utility companies, who dig up our roads, far more responsive to local people. We want to restore the health of the city centre after the battering it’s taken from the botched tram works by making it much more comfortable for pedestrians. And, most important, we want to set up a Transport Forum of experts and citizens to think through our modern transport needs. Mapping the way forward for our common prosperity is a complex challenge, so we will need some time, a breathing space to do that work.”

    http://www.edinburghlabour.com/2012/03/cllr-lesley-hinds-at-manifesto-launch.html

    When you see that photo of the manifesto launch, there is no doubt in my mind that Cllr Hinds will be transport convener for Edinburgh.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. crowriver
    Member

    Further from the manifesto statement:

    Labour is proposing a two-year period of ‘stability’ in which the only work will be on the everyday repairs and maintenance and improving cycling safety “Except for one really important piece of work,” she says “which is putting some life back into Leith Walk and especially the historic heart of our city after the battering they’ve both had from tram works. That means putting the needs of the pedestrian first. Pavements have to be levelled and repaired, clutter and unnecessary signs cleared out, crossings made simple and safe. After all, it’s pedestrians who spend money in shops and cafes and visit our museums and gardens. They are the life-blood of the city centre and they must take first place.”

    Actually sounds pretty good.

    http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/councillors/19/lesley_hinds

    These are the 60 ideas on transport which came out of Labour's manifesto consultation:

    http://lesleydoestransport.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/sixty-ideas.html

    Cllr Hinds signed the POP petition:

    http://lesleydoestransport.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/pedal-on-parliament.html

    She also likes Spokes it seems:

    http://lesleydoestransport.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/impressed-by-cyclists.html

    "It shows the power of consistent, courteous and well-argued views." she writes.

    Presumably this is how Cllr Hinds will prefer to be approached when she is transport convener. Consistent, courteous, and well-argued views. Over to you, Dave du Feu! :-)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  18. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Provost is just there to shake hands, wear robes and get driven around in presidential Beamer / Prius, therefore ultimately harmless, yes?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  19. Instography
    Member

    Yeah, like the Speaker of the House. Potentially embarassing (thinking of Eric Milligan and the flash loo he had installed) but not powerful.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  20. wingpig
    Member

    Robes? He'll need a mixte or step-through, then.
    Even if people in figurehead/mascot positions don't have much power (beyond the occasional casting vote) the slightly raised platform from which their opinions might be aired could be risky if they come out with anthing along the lines of "let them install solar panels and drive Priuses" in response to the need for greater greenliness.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  21. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    "...[i]drive Priuses[/.]..."

    Prii? Priae?

    The former Lord Provost was presented with a Bakfiets at the Danish cycling thnig that was on at the Botanics a few years back. I believe it got donated to the Bike Station?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  22. wingpig
    Member

    "'...drive Priuses...'"

    "Prii? Priae?"

    I refer the honourable gentleman to the answer posted above.

    We could club together on here and present the new one with a Spokes map and some printouts of charts showing the distribution of mean annual earnings across the city's population versus the cost of various hybrid electric vehicles.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  23. Min
    Member

    "Prii? Priae?"

    Priapus

    Posted 13 years ago #

  24. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    I don't have time to read entire threads! Sheesh!

    Anyway, I hear the Lord Provost is planning on giving up his BMW for a Prius and Lesley Hinds might be the next Transport bod at the Council> Remember, you heard it here first.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  25. crowriver
    Member

    The former Lord Provost was presented with a Bakfiets at the Danish cycling thnig that was on at the Botanics a few years back. I believe it got donated to the Bike Station?

    Not a Bakfiets, a Christiana trike - the powder blue one, scroll down for photo on web site. Out Of The Blue have it now, use it to transport food for the café at Dalmeny St. Also I understand the café manager does the school/nursery run with it...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  26. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    I'm just going to shut up now...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  27. crowriver
    Member

    We could club together on here and present the new one with a Spokes map and some printouts of charts showing the distribution of mean annual earnings across the city's population versus the cost of various hybrid electric vehicles.

    Good idea!

    Another chart with mean annual earnings versus the cost of instaling solar panels?

    Lord Provost: "I can run the tumble dryer, air conditioning and the hot tub, and still feel good about my carbon footprint thanks to investing in solar panels. And whilst I'm out at work, the feed-in tarriff is bringing in extra cash! Now I can afford a Priapus!"

    Posted 13 years ago #

  28. Morningsider
    Member

    This seems a little mean spirited - the Scotsman article says the new Lord Provost is a teacher at Newbattle High in Dalkeith and lives in Stenhouse. Hardly sounds like he is rolling in cash - would you rather he hadn't installed solar panels or bought a fuel efficient car? I would imagine he is well disposed towards cycling due to his green views, even if he doesn't cycle himself.

    I think we should focus on cultivating allies rather than attacking well intentioned people before they have even taken up office.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  29. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    What he said... ^^^

    *shuts up again*

    Posted 13 years ago #

  30. SRD
    Moderator

    "Not a Bakfiets, a Christiana trike - the powder blue one, scroll down for photo on web site. Out Of The Blue have it now, use it to transport food for the café at Dalmeny St. Also I understand the café manager does the school/nursery run with it..."

    his kids must be at school now. maybe they'll give someone else a shot on it?

    Posted 13 years ago #

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