Author name: Steven Edwards

Dozens of towns and cities in Britain are at risk of disappearing into the sea within 80 years, new maps predict.
The maps, published by news organisation Climate Central, present a sobering image of the disastrous effects of climate change on the UK.
Climate Central has predicted that much of London could be underwater by 2100.
A 3˚C global temperature rise would have a “disastrous impact” for Britain, the non-profit organisation said.
And it’s not just Britain at risk. Climate Central estimates that 275 million people live in the areas that will go underwater by 2100.

E-bikes seen as natural replacement to cars in cost of living crisis

15 November 2022
Half the respondents to a survey believe that, faced with the cost of living crisis, electric bikes are the natural replacement for cars.
Cycle advocacy campaign Bike is Best commissioned the survey to explore the impact the rising cost of living is having on people’s habits.
Of the 2,000 respondents, two thirds (69%) have changed or are considering changing their transport behaviour, with 86% citing saving money as the reason for the change.
The study found that 84% plan to drive a lot less

The hidden environmental and social costs of van deliveries in London amount to nearly £2.5 billion per year, says new research

Rapidly decarbonising London’s transport system will not just make the city healthier, cleaner, and safer; it will also save Londoners money, says a new report Delievering Value from Just Economics.

The scrappage scheme will help clean the city’s air by providing grants to successful applicants to scrap or retrofit their older vehicles and use cleaner, greener modes of transport – including cargo bikes.

The researchers said future city planning must include a focus on reducing dependence on cars, promoting fewer and shorter trips and encouraging walking and cycling as primary modes of local transport. Public transport should be encouraged for longer journeys, the researchers argued, and cars should only be used for emergencies or special occasions.
For the paper, published in Open Science, researchers created a mathematical model of car use in a city, where residents either used a car on a daily basis or used public transport. Estimated costs were the length of time journeys take because this is the biggest factor when deciding how to travel, with the baseline for the model being driving with no traffic.

Polling of residents in New York, Paris and London has found majority support for the idea that cities should no longer be car dominated spaces and that transport focal points should better address greater freedoms for pedestrians and cyclists.

Conducted by research group Survation on behalf of the Car Free Megacities campaign, the headline results include the finding that across London, Paris, and New York support for fewer cars being present in cities stood at 72%, 66%, and 72%, respectively.
Alongside that attitude shift, support for giving more space to pedestrians and cyclists on city streets stood at 68%, 70%, and 71% respectively; while support for cities going completely car-free – with exemptions for car-sharing clubs and cars used by disabled people – stood at 51%, 45% and, 49%, respectively.
The primary drivers for the wish to see change amongst citizens hinged on a desire to address air pollution, carbon emissions and dangerous driving. Globally, 21.6% of all emissions come from road transportation, the bulk of which comes from private cars. 81% of Londoners studied suggested they want direct actions to address climate change.