14 June 2021
Why climate change threatens public health
As the Earth warms, extreme weather events, increased disease risk and even compromi…
The key to easing partisanship on the topic of global warming may be in the way the messages are conveyed, according to new research.
Tailoring online messaging and advertising toward Republican voters could shift their views on climate change, a new study published Monday in Nature Climate Change suggests.
As of 2020, 73% of Americans believed that global warming was happening, and 62% think that it was caused by human activities. In 2010, only 57% of Americans thought that global warming was happening, researchers said.
But, the shift in public opinion on climate change has largely been driven by Democrats. In previous research, when asked how high of a priority global warming should be, just 22% of Republicans said it should be a “high” or “very high” priority, compared to 83% of Democrats, according to the study.
UK refuses to commit to immediate lowering of air pollution limits | The Guardian
Government accused of disregarding coroner’s words about death of Ella Kissi-Debrah, aged 9
Sandra Laville Thu 17 Jun 2021
The government has refused to commit to an immediate lowering of legal levels of air pollution as a result of the death of a nine-year-old child from toxic air.
Ella Kissi-Debrah was the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of their death in a historic ruling by a coroner earlier this year.
The schoolgirl died after an asthma attack following multiple seizures and hospital admissions. Her death sparked calls for the immediate lowering of legal air pollution levels to bring them in line with those recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO says particulate pollution from fine particulate matter PM2.5 should not exceed an annual mean of 10 μg/m3. For PM10 the limit is 20 µg/m3 annual mean. But the UK currently has higher limits for fine particulate matter: 40 µg/m3 annual mean for PM10 and 25 µg/m3 for PM2.5.
Police investigate as London cyclist killed after crashing into car door | road.cc
The cyclist, a 65-year-old woman, was treated by paramedics at the scene of the crash which happened at around 4.40pm on the afternoon of Friday 28 May, but she died in hospital two days later.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police Service said that the victim had been riding on Coleridge Road, N8 “when she collided with an open car door.”
There was no mention of whether the door had been open for some time, or whether it had been opened as the cyclist approached, and officers are appealing for witnesses and information.
Police said that the driver of the parked car is helping them with their investigation, and they do not believe there were any other vehicles involved.
Anyone who saw the crash or has any dash cam footage or CCTV is asked to call the Serious Collision Investigation Unit at Alperton on 0208 246 9820.
Micromobility Will Change Your Commute | DataDrivenInvestor
Back to the Office? Not In a Car.
Benjamin Schroeder
This is the first part of a three-part analysis on micromobility. The first part aims to explain why micromobility is so appealing as an alternative to public transportation. The second part of the analysis will focus on how COVID has affected the industry. Lastly, the third and final part of the analysis will focus on the future of the industry.
City residents have by now undoubtedly observed the explosion of e-bikes, e-scooters and electric mopeds that have taken over bike lanes. In New York City alone, I’ve seen everything from generic electric Citibikes to custom-made, light-up and music-blasting electric mopeds ride down the bike lane outside my apartment.
As cities become more congested, the pre-existing, car-focused infrastructure has struggled to keep up. A Texas A&M Transportation Institute study found that commuters wasted an average of 54hrs in traffic every year (pre-pandemic). In New York/Newark, that number nearly doubles to 92hrs/year.
Yet, a study by the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy found that nearly 60% of all vehicle trips were less than six miles.
Railway bridge infilling furore – petition update on filling of Musgrave bridge in Cumbria generates huge backlash – road.cc
14 June 2021
The latest update to a petition(link is external) aimed at preventing Highways England from filling in heritage railway bridges around the UK has provoked a furious response. The update to the ‘Protect our railway heritage from Highways England’s wrecking ball’ petition, posted on 12th June, claims that it’s looking “increasingly likely” efforts to save Great Musgrave bridge in Cumbria from being filled in will be lost:
“Highways England started to infill this bridge on 24 May. It does not have planning permission and the local authority has twice asked it to stop. But it has continued with this vandalism regardless, citing Permitted Development powers which only facilitate temporary works in emergency situations presenting a risk of death or injury”, said the petition’s author.
One commented: “They are doing the same to a railway tunnel on the old Bradford – Queensbury – Halifax line. They started to pour concrete down a ventilation shaft but had to stop after a local outcry. There are local plans to incorporate the tunnel into part of a cycleway between Bradford and Halifax but it seems that they are waiting to rush in and completely fill it, ignoring the fact that most local people want to keep it open.”
The petition has attracted over 13,000 signatures so far, and says that while the UK’s network of foot and cycle routes “has brought new life to many old railways over the past 50 years”, Highways England has plans to demolish or infill 3,200 of them.
Online troll who abused Labour MP over low traffic neighbourhoods sentenced | road.cc
Brian Haven claimed he had been wound up by radio talk shows – highlighting that divisive rhetoric can have real-life consequences
An online troll who sent a Labour MP abusive emails regarding low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) has been handed a suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to harassment.
Brian Haven, from Brixton, also accused Vauxhall MP Florence Eshalomi of acting in collusion with property developers and made offensive comments about her physical appearance, says the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Haven sent a number of emails to the MP between 15 December 2020 and 1 February 2021, and according to the CPS, the 59-year-old claimed he had been wound up through listening to radio talk shows.
Webinar: Saving Stonehenge World Heritage Site, 3 June 2021 – Stonehenge Alliance
Jun 10, 2021
A webinar with distinguished speakers Mike Parker Pearson, Professor of British Later Prehistory at the Institute of Archaeology, UCL, and Phil Goodwin, Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow of Transport Policy at UCL and the University of the West of England, explaining why Britain’s most iconic World Heritage Site should be saved from irreparable damage from the catastrophic A303 Stonehenge road widening scheme. The event was chaired by Tom Holland, Stonehenge Alliance President and award-winning historian, author and broadcaster.
Further information and references: www.stonehengealliance.org.uk Donations: www.crowdjustice.com/case/save-stonehenge-world-heritage-site PROGRAMME & TIMINGS
Global bike shortage set to continue, Halfords chief executive warns | Halfords | The Guardian
Bicycle and motoring retailer’s profits rise 184% to £64.5m after cycle sales surge during Covid pandemic
Sarah Butler Thu 17 Jun 2021
Halfords has warned of ongoing shortages of bikes around the world as it almost tripled profits after a surge in cycle sales during the pandemic.
The bikes and motoring retailer said pretax profits rose 184% to £64.5m in the year to 2 April, as total sales rose almost 14% to £1.3bn.
Growth was led by a 54% rise in sales of cycling products at established stores as the nation turned to two wheels for leisure and to socially distanced alternatives to public transport. Sales of e-bikes and electric scooters were particularly strong – up 94%. The company also repaired and serviced over 1m bikes last year as the nation dug old sets of wheels out of sheds and garages.
Quarter of UK pupils attend schools where air pollution is over WHO limit | The Guardian
Estimated 3.4m children learn in unhealthy environment, says charity behind research
Damian Carrington
Millions of British children attend schools where air pollution is worse than the World Health Organization limit, campaigners have said.
An analysis found that more than a quarter of schools, from nurseries to sixth-form colleges, were in locations with high levels of small particle pollution. This means an estimated 3.4 million children are learning in an unhealthy environment, said Global Action Plan (Gap), the charity behind the research that was released on Clean Air Day on Thursday.
Tiny pollution particles, called PM2.5, are particularly dangerous as they not only harm the lungs but can pass into the bloodstream and affect many other parts of the body. Developing bodies are especially vulnerable, and dirty air has already been linked to increased asthma, obesity and mental disorders in children.
What makes a successful 15-minute centre, and why? – transportxtra
Compact centres are back on the agenda. They may be described as 15 minute neighbourhoods or cities – and, as ever, the more popular the concept gets, the more variants are proposed and discussed.
The common idea is to create a locality in which basic day-to-day needs can be met within a 15 minute walk or cycle from home – and with good transport connectivity, public transport options and digital links as part of the mix. With Paris currently leading the way, cities around the world have been enticed by this model for resilient communities.
Melbourne, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Ottawa and Seattle are among those working on similar plans, but have a range of differnt approaches to tackling the challenges.