Category Archives: environment

Royal College of Physicians Calls For More Cycling To Reduce Air Pollution Deaths

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In a Royal College of Physicians report published this week, doctors have urged people to cycle to save deaths from motor-pollution.
The recommendations of the report include;
Government, employers and schools should encourage and facilitate the use of public transport and active travel options like walking and cycling. Active travel also increases physical activity, which will have major health benefits for everyone. Local transport plans, especially in deprived areas, should:

  • expand cycle networks
  • require cycle training at school
  • promote safe alternatives to the ‘school run’, based on walking, public transport and cycling instead of cars
  • encourage employers to support alternatives to commuting by car
  • promote leisure cycling
  • develop ‘islands’ of space away from traffic, for safer walking and cycling.

Read the report by following this link -> https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/…/every-breath-we-take-lifelong…

65% of Motorists “Don’t Have a Clue” About Emissions

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One of the main arguments made by UK politicians, and indeed many cycling campaigners, is that people can be “persuaded” to cycle more once they realise its health and environmental benefits. Accepting UK road infrastructure as “immutable fact”, they believe that people can be “nudged” in the direction of cycling through little changes in behaviour. So how open to ideas about environmental benefit are non-cyclists? Well, a good place to start, given the tiny levels of regular cycling in the UK, is with motorists.

A new study by car comparison site car buzz  asked new car buyers what they looked for first in a new car. The result is summarised in the graphic above.  Most were, not surprisingly, most interested in price, seating space, and running costs. Only 1% considered CO2 emissions important, and of these two-thirds did so to save money. Only one in ten expressed concern about the environment, ie just 0.1% of all surveyed.

This echoes an earlier survey conducted by the Environmental Transport Association in 2008, which found that 65 per cent of drivers “didn’t have a clue” how much CO2 they produce when driving. The survey also found that men are less worried than their female counterparts about the effect their driving has, with younger drivers being more environmentally aware.

But most UK cyclists are also car drivers. Might there be some sort of conversion to environmentalism once we mount the saddle? Although there is no definitive equivalent survey for cyclists available – most cycling-related attitudinal surveys seem to be asking non-cyclists “what would make you cycle?” – anecdotal evidence such as the proliferation of T shirts like this one would suggest that at least some cyclists rank environmental reasons as important.  On the other hand, the few times cyclists are asked to say why they cycle, they come up with all kinds of other – often philosophical and contemplative – reasons. Helping the environment, it seems, is all a bit too altruistic for most people.

It is clearly a waste of time hammering on about moral reasons to get people cycling more. At the end of the day, cycling needs to be more convenient, cheaper, quicker and more pleasant than driving. Good quality infrastructure delivers this. But as long as our politicians gaze upon our urban roads without any awareness of how backward our urban environment has become, they will continue to declare that a UK cycling experience of necessity involves rubber knickers.

CO2 Reduction More feasible With More Cycling Infrastructure

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According to research bureau CE it is much more effective to reduce CO2 by improving bicycle infrastructure than by investing in a better flow of motor vehicles. It is however unknown how much CO2 benefit bicycle measures would provide. Therefore effects should be better monitored.

The CE-study ‘Minder emissies door investeren in infrastructuur’ has investigated several options to reduce CO2 emissions. These are measures to improve traffic circulation, change the modal shift and reduce energy use of vehicles. According to CE improving bicycle infrastructure provides the highest return of all ‘mobility measures’ studied.

Investments in (car) infrastructure primarily aimed at improving traffic flow prove to be ineffective in fighting climate change. Improved traffic flow does cause lower emissions per vehicle kilometre but in the long term also an increase in overall traffic, states CE.

A better bicycle infrastructure may contribute to a substantial CO2 reduction according to CE. CE works out that if, for example, bicycle policy in a town results in 2,500 people driving 5 kilometres less a day that would save 1 kilotonne of CO2. The maximum potential for the Netherlands might possibly be in the range of 100 to 250 kilotonnes a year. Improving bicycle infrastructure has many positive side effects on air quality, noise pollution and public health, besides climate effects. Various measures are feasible to improve bicycle friendliness by adapting infrastructure, like:
– construction and/or improvement of bicycle parking facilities;
– construction of bike paths or e.g. bicycle routes through residential neighbourhoods or town centres, preferably separate from car traffic;
– construction of bicycle tunnels;
– adjusting traffic lights and adapting priority arrangements at intersections and roundabouts. It is however hard to quantify the potential of these measures as there are insufficient evaluations which quantify the effects of improved bicycle facilities on the decrease in car use, CE states. Better monitoring of the effects on investments in bicycle infrastructure is therefore recommended.

A wealth of information about Dutch cycling initiatives and research available here, the website of Dutch cycling consultancy company Fietsberaad.

An alternative to road pricing?

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Copenhagen has been trying to implement road pricing (like London’s Congestion Charge), but is being blocked by central government. So…

he has now proposed something City Hall calls ‘Intelligent Traffic Control’.

It involves setting up sensors that measure air pollution in Copenhagen and the levels of pollution they report will regulate the traffic heading into the city.

If the pollution levels are too high on any particular day, all the traffic lights on the main roads into the city will turn red and stay red longer than normal. The time the traffic lights are green will be reduced by 10 percent.

More genius from Copenhazanize: Intelligent Traffic Control in Copenhagen.

Inconvenient Truth in Darlington

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Over 60 people, including many Borough Councillors, viewed ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, Al Gore’s Oscar winning film about climate change at the Friends Meeting House in Darlington on Wednesday 5th March. This successful event, organised by Darlington Friends of the Earth, was followed by a discussion with a panel of local councillors representing the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties supported by council officials. Darlington Cycling Campaign was also present.

Councillor Veronica Copeland, the Labour Cabinet Member with responsibility for Environment and Climate Change, told the meeting that every one would learn from watching the film and she would make it her duty to organise showings so every Darlington Borough Councillor can see the ‘The Inconvenient Truth.’

The consensus of the meeting was that on such an important issue, all politicians should pull together to use their influence to pursue policies to improve the environment and halt climate change. Several people present called on local councillors to set an example and lead from the front.

Darlington Friends of the Earth Coordinator, Kendra Ullyart, told the meeting that the group and its members will continue to pressure for change. She said ‘that in addition to our national campaign for a strong climate change law to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050; we will also be concentrating on local issues, and campaigning to get robust recycling policies in place throughout the area’, She then invited the audience to continue their interest in the environment and join the group. The next meeting of Darlington Friends of the Earth will be held on Monday 10th March at 7.30 pm where members will have the opportunity to quiz Ian Thompson, the Borough Council’s Assistant Director of Environmental Services, about waste management policy and practice.

How politicians lead from the front – in Germany! Dr. Reinhard Loske, Environment Senator, Bremen.