22 September 2021 Reading time: 4 min (1079 words)
New WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) provide clear evidence of the damage air pollution inflicts on human health, at even lower concentrations than previously understood. The guidelines recommend new air quality levels to protect the health of populations, by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which also contribute to climate change.

By Katarina Dulude
“When you travel Dexter Street now, you can see really clearly that it’s a thoroughfare that has all users in mind,” says John Flaherty of GrowSmart RI. He’s talking about Central Falls, the first city in New England to pass a Green and Complete Streets ordinance, in 2018, that lays out the framework for how future street projects will be executed. “They’ve got really clear crosswalks that have a different surface treatment to them, they have a sort of stamped concrete that appears to be brick, and you know, visually that sends a message to people who are driving that they’re actually crossing a pedestrian way.”

We’re launching the semifinals with two ads that are so toxic, they bend the definition of the word “commercial” itself — and stretch way past the time limit of the typical 30-second TV spot

But to understand why, exactly, this round’s contenders are so corrosive to our transportation culture, we’re bringing in an expert: Tom Flood, advertising and marketing pro, sustainable transportation advocate extraordinaire, and one of our very favorite Twitter follows. In fact, he’ll be providing commentary on all four semifinal bouts.
“This is a true clash of the titans,” Flood said when we showed him the first two contenders. “Honestly, it’s hard to even call these ‘ads,’ because they’re more like cinematic tributes to road violence. They’re essentially two-minute propaganda reels about how the vehicle will save us all and fulfill our most predatory speed fantasies, which, of course, is a total contradiction. But welcome to the world of auto marketing!”
Voters, start your engines. Let’s take a look at the first match-up. 
The Hummer EV

reduction of emissions outlined by Sir David King and the Chatham House report? 
Join us for an evening with:
Carlton Reid Transport historian, analyst and writer
Chris Todd, Transport Action Network 
in Conversation with Caspar Hughes, XR Roads Rebellion 
Monday, 11 October 2021, 7-8pm
from 06:30 PM in London

Welcoming improved cycling access to the Volkswagen Wolfsburg plant, Chairman of the Board Herbert Diess has commented that “In overcrowded urban centers, the car – including the emission-free e-car – will only be accepted in the future if the bike has enough space in the mobility mix.

The car giant has spent the past five years looking to improve cycling access to its facility and has now launched a pilot project to stimulate greater ridership amongst its 500 staff. Wolfsburg’s cycling infrastructure network is reasonably broad and key loops actually circle the Volkswagen facilities in the city.

This post is by Helena Bennett, senior policy adviser at Green Alliance.
Amongst the chaos of the fuel crisis, the hours of queuing and the uncertainty of being able to drive, a collective sentience has risen, which questions whether we have to be tethered to petrol anymore.
Car sales advisers have reported that the number of people searching online for electric cars has rocketed, with a 75 per cent increase reported in a week. Sales of e-bikes have shot up too with one seller reporting a 100 per cent increase in enquiries.

A citizens’ initiative calling for a ban on private car use in central Berlin would create the largest car-free urban area in the world.
The campaign group Berlin Autofrei has taken the first step in a process known as the people’s referendum, submitting a petition with more than 50,000 signatures calling for a ban covering the 88 sq km (34 sq mile) area circled by the “S-Bahn ring” trainline – an area roughly equal in size to all the boroughs in London’s zones 1 and 2.
People who depend on their cars for their trade or because they have impaired mobility would be exempt, as would emergency services. Everyone else would each be permitted up to 12 rented car journeys a year – in case they need to move house, for example.

The emission savings from replacing all those internal combustion engines with zero-carbon alternatives will not feed in fast enough to make the necessary difference in the time we can spare: the next five years.
Tackling the climate and air pollution requires curbing all motorised transport, particularly private cars, as quickly as possible.