23 hours ago Daniel Kraemer & Joe Whitwell
But as individuals we also contribute to damaging emissions. Here are some things you can do to reduce your personal impact.
3. Drive less, fly less
Transport is responsible for almost a quarter of carbon dioxide global emissions.
Living car-free might be “the most impactful thing we can do to reduce our transport emissions”, according to Dr Jennings.
However, ditching the car is not possible for everyone, particularly if you live in an area without good public transport, or work night shifts when it isn’t running.
Small steps still have an impact, like walking and cycling to the local shops or sharing car journeys with friends or neighbours.
Electric cars are becoming more widespread, but they are still expensive. And it is only truly green travel if the electricity used to power the car comes from green energy sources, such as wind or solar. Low-carbon sources made up 58% of the UK’s electricity in 2020, including nuclear.
Unfortunately for keen travellers, flying is one of the most carbon-intensive things we can do as individuals.
Domestic flights have the largest emissions per person per kilometre.
Train journeys can have less than a fifth of the impact of a domestic flight, although they might be more expensive. Booking in advance can help reduce the cost.
“For those who fly a lot, reducing the number of flights you take will make a considerable difference to your personal footprint,” says Dr Jennings.
Metaverse, Mars, meditation retreats: billionaires want to escape the world they ruined | The Guardian
Sam Wolfson
EC buildings guidelines recommend cycling provision – Cycling Industry News
Mark Sutton 25 October, 2021
Though the guidelines are not compulsory, they are used as an up to date reference in construction, prompting builders to consider working towards maximum energy efficiency. The European Cyclists Federation, which spotted the Commission’s publication, says that the goal to shoot for next is to set the inclusion of cycling as a primary transport form for residents into stone by building active travel provision into the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
Supply Chain Disruption | Musings from the Chiefio
Just a short note on the effects of “Supply Chain Disruption”.
I was watching a video about RV Life (as we may end up doing that) and the “story” of that episode was about tyres. These folks had a Big Class A with what looked like 19.5 or 22.5 inch (industrial truck sized) rims and tyres. The basic point they were making was that “they got the last 6 tyres of that size in the nation”. The tyre company had to call all over the place to fine tires, one at a time, and have them shipped Fed-Ex to them to install a set.
Paris To Become 100% Cycling City Within Four Years, Reveals New Plan – Forbes
Carlton Reid Oct 22, 2021
Paris is to increase the number of protected cycleways in the city as well as boost bicycle parking spaces, reveals the 2021-2026 cycling plan published October 21 and billed as Plan Velo: Act 2.
(Plan Velo is the existing, $174 million cycling plan which has been getting bolder and bolder with each update.)
The desire is to make the French capital—not that long ago a city that was toxic for everyday cycling—into a “100% cyclable city.”
As well as the creation of extra facilities for cyclists the new $290 million plan also pledges to maintain them with promises of “cleaning and snow removal from cycle paths.”
Cycle parking in the city will be significantly increased at the same time as car parking spaces are removed.
Paris is already in the process of removing more than 70% of its on-street car parking spaces.
There are 1.2 billion cars on the planet – Extinction Rebellion @ExtinctionR – Twitter
There are 1.2 billion cars on the planet. Should we try and replace them all with electric,
Four reasons why building new roads is folly – XR Roads Rebellion @RoadsXR – Twitter
Sunak criticised for failing to deliver on key infrastructure projects | Autumn budget 2021 | The Guardian
Labour criticises chancellor ahead of budget for ‘lots of announcements and not much delivery’
Peter Walker Sun 24 Oct 2021
Labour has criticised Rishi Sunak for “lots of announcements and not much delivery” on infrastructure projects, as the chancellor conceded that of £7bn in this week’s budget for expanding regional transport links, only £1.5bn is new money.
The chancellor said the metro mayors Andy Street and Andy Burnham had welcomed the announcements. “So what the money announced yesterday was about is about what we call intracity transportation, that’s about how do we get people who live in and around a city to be able to get into the middle of it and out again easily,” he said.
Challenged on how much of the £7bn for this was new, Sunak said he had already announced £4.2bn for the “overall envelope for improve how people get around our big cities … What we’ve actually done is top that up, as you said, by £1.5bn, but then crucially give out the allocations in that envelope – where all the bits are going to go.”
The ULEZ expansion explained – LCC
The ULEZ expands from central London to outer London on 25 October 2021. What does that mean for you and cycling?
What do drivers pay already?
London has had a congestion charge since 2003, covering central London only, which has been shown to reduce the amount of motor traffic in the city centre. It currently runs 7am-10pm daily and costs £15. Since 2019, the same zone also is covered by the ULEZ to tackle poor air quality. It costs £12.50 per day for vehicles that do not meet the minimum emission standards.
What is changing?
ULEZ is expanding on 25 October to a much bigger area, going up to, but not including, the North and South Circular roads.
Trading clunkers for electric bikes: France moves to offer financial incentive | Reuters
Reuters April 11, 2021
PARIS, April 11 (Reuters) – France is offering the owners of old, exhaust-belching cars the opportunity to hand over their vehicles for scrap in return for a 2,500 euro ($2,975.00) grant to buy an electric bicycle.
Lawmakers in the National Assembly have just approved the measure in a preliminary vote. It was an amendment to a draft climate bill passing through parliament that aims to reduce greenhouse emissions by 40% in 2030 from 1990 levels.
If adopted, France will become the first country in the world to offer people the chance to trade in an ageing vehicle for an electric or folding bicycle, the French Federation of Bicycle Users (FUB) said.
“For the first time it is recognised that the solution is not to make cars greener, but simply to reduce their number,” said Olivier Schneider of the FUB.
Trading clunkers for electric bikes: France moves to offer financial incentive | Reuters
Reuters April 11, 2021
PARIS, April 11 (Reuters) – France is offering the owners of old, exhaust-belching cars the opportunity to hand over their vehicles for scrap in return for a 2,500 euro ($2,975.00) grant to buy an electric bicycle.
Lawmakers in the National Assembly have just approved the measure in a preliminary vote. It was an amendment to a draft climate bill passing through parliament that aims to reduce greenhouse emissions by 40% in 2030 from 1990 levels.
If adopted, France will become the first country in the world to offer people the chance to trade in an ageing vehicle for an electric or folding bicycle, the French Federation of Bicycle Users (FUB) said.
“For the first time it is recognised that the solution is not to make cars greener, but simply to reduce their number,” said Olivier Schneider of the FUB.