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Libyan crisis, rising oil price, and over-due realism
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cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 10:21 am    Post subject: Libyan crisis, rising oil price, and over-due realism Reply with quote
    

See:
https://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/mar/05/oil-uk-energy-sources?CMP=twt_iph

Quote:
John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK, said that despite the initiative, which was welcome, only some in government appeared to understand the need to break free from oil. "Sadly, over at transport, Philip Hammond is still confused. Cuts to public transport, coupled with his recent proposals to raise the speed limit, appear designed to reduce fuel efficiency and increase our dependence on oil. Huhne really needs to drag Hammond away from Top Gear and force him to spend some time watching the news," he said.


Of course an entirely car-sick government like the current one will, at best, roll out ever more eletric charging points for ever more electric cars, which can only be bought by the very rich, and even then are subsidised. And the electricity will be generated primarily from gas and coal. They've been so wedded in to the goal of personal hyper-mobility, the idea that we can just keep filling tanks with petrol and just keep rolling forever, that thie fuel price problem we're now facing has come as a complete surprise to them. What have they got to answer this with? Greenwash, thus:

Quote:
The transport secretary, Philip Hammond, who has infuriated green groups by floating the idea of raising the motorway speed limit from 70mph to 80mph, will be told he must produce a nationwide strategy to promote installation of infrastructure for electric cars by June.


Too little. Too late.

Penny Outskirts



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....
PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 10:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Reduce the speed limit to 55, everywhere.

It would stop a lot of congestion too.

They are all so spineless.

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 10:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Didn't you hear? Phillp Hammond, the transport secretary, has been wanting to raise speed limits to 80mph. Apparently that would be good for the economy. He's also on record as saying that road safety shouldn't be the only deciding factor either.

jema
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28100
Location: escaped from Swindon
PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 10:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I'd really like to know the trends on mobility especially related to work.

I used to commute to London when petrol was 42p a litre which was about £200 a month in fuel, now it would be £600, but I suppose on purely financial grounds that is still not expensive enough to be a deterrent.
It is still within the margins of higher pay in London, lower living costs if you live 80 miles away

Brownbear



Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West
PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 10:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Road safety should never be the one deciding factor, nor should price, environment, economy etc.

It should be a matter of balancing various factors. Personally, I think it would be better to set a lower limit.

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 10:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

jema wrote:
I'd really like to know the trends on mobility especially related to work.


In real terms, the cost of motoring in the UK has been getting lower over the years. As this has happened people have travelled further and further by car. The cost of public transport has rocketed. The fact that this is, and has always been entirely unsustainable, was lost on the last government, and the one before. And it was lost on this one (spectacularly!) until, well, now.

Penny Outskirts



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....
PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 10:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

cab wrote:
Didn't you hear? Phillp Hammond, the transport secretary, has been wanting to raise speed limits to 80mph. Apparently that would be good for the economy. He's also on record as saying that road safety shouldn't be the only deciding factor either.


I know - very frightening really, how out of touch they are.

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 10:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Penny Outskirts wrote:

I know - very frightening really, how out of touch they are.


Its populism. Just like Labour are saying that they'd scrap the rise in fuel duty. Hyper-mobility is popular, and its apparent that both left and right wing politicians in the UK are too spineless to stand up and say that we can't go along as we are. They're in touch with public opinion, but as you rightly point out, they're out of touch with reality.

Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 10:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

What do you suggest they do to sort it?

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 10:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Ty Gwyn wrote:
What do you suggest they do to sort it?


Same as I've been suggesting for, well, forever really. See many threads here on Downsizer.

Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Bit difficult cycling with a few feed bags on the bike frame.

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 11:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Ty Gwyn wrote:
Bit difficult cycling with a few feed bags on the bike frame.


Read the other threads too.

And no, it isn't difficult cycling with a bike trailer. Not even up a hill.

There is no 'business as usual' option.

Penny Outskirts



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....
PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 11:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Reduce the speed limit to 55mph

Support local economies, so jobs are created locally

Create proper local cycle route networks, nationally.

Nationalise and subsidise all public transport

....for starters

Brownbear



Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West
PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 11:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Announce no rise in limit.

Tax on company car parking spaces.

Tax relief on home-working technology.

No more out-of-town shopping centres.

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 11 11:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

...and on top of Brownbear and Pennys suggestions, reverse the decision to scrap Cycling England, tax out-of-town shopping parking spaces to create parity on parking costs with city centres, remove VAT on bicycles, subsidise the sale of electric bikes (why subsidise cars and not bikes?)... So many things that should be (and among some posters here have been) core to 'a sustainable and ethical future'.

We can't go on as we are. Its leading us to ruin.

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