CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL WARMING

[PanBiker]

We slipped up post war when modernising our road network, (decades behind some others in Europe). All trunk roads should have had properly segregated cycle lanes, not just a line painted down the side of the road 18" wide if you are lucky! It is so in France who had the benefit of being able to replace most of it's major road infrastructure as the country was used used in many parts as a mechanised warfare battleground and notwithstanding our additional contribution of bombing large areas to dislodge the enemy at the time. Even the motorways in France have cycleways following the major trunk routes. It would be a shame to loose the benefit of the cleaner air which has been gifted by an unintended consequence of the current pandemic lockdown. I don't think though that major retro-fit of fit for purpose cycle lanes will be top of the radar when the country restarts somehow, which is very sad.

[plaques]

As a young lad cycling up a 1 in 8 was considered a challenge its now become an impossibility. Even going down would be a bit frightening. About four years ago I took a ride along Skipton Rd Colne to Barlick. Frightened the life out of me, life in their hands and all that. Currently with the lockdown we see dozens ridding past the house but when the rat run start again it will all be different.

[Tripps]

All trunk roads should have had properly segregated cycle lanes,

The East Lancashire Road did have separate cycle lanes, and was built pre WWII. From memory they were quite wide but of course (in the 1950's) we didn't use them, preferring the better surface of the main carriageway, and the excitement of tailgating the slower lorries. .

I'm not sure of the date of this photo, but it shows the width of the cycle lane as I remember it.

Cycle_Path_-_East_Lancs_Road_-.jpg

[Tizer]

As part of the changes to deal with the nation's sudden realisation that pandemics and climate change are a danger the government is going to push through the legal actions for allowing the electric scooters to be used here. This is meant to go with the nudge towards using bicycles more often. I'm not sure how they are going to deal with the scooters. If there is a cycle lane provided i assume the scooter will be expected to use that. But where there are no cycle lanes does the scooter go on the road or on the footpath? If they go on the footpath it's going to be another hazard for pedestrians. Do any of you know the details?

[PanBiker]

I think there are two categories of mobility scooter, the lowest which can be little more than a seat on four wheels with a basket on the front are only allowed on the pavements. The more powerful ones which can be used on the carriageways have to be capable of 8mph minimum I think. That's as much as I know.

On the cycle lane issue, here is what is supposed to be sufficient on the A59, you take your life in your hands on that one:

A59.JPG

[Tripps]

Agreed - I think twice before driving along the A59 let alone cycling.

[Whyperion]

cycling as a transport means ( please give one to someone and ask them to cycle from the south side of Croydon to Waterloo and see how knackered they get)

But if they do it regularly they will get a lot fitter.

Thinking too of the lack of safe roadspace on say Barlick to Skipton. That old railway route as a cycleway would not be so stupid if the trains are not coming for a few more years

[Whyperion]

All trunk roads should have had properly segregated cycle lanes,

The East Lancashire Road did have separate cycle lanes, and was built pre WWII. From memory they were quite wide but of course (in the 1950's) we didn't use them, preferring the better surface of the main carriageway, and the excitement of tailgating the slower lorries. .

I'm not sure of the date of this photo, but it shows the width of the cycle lane as I remember it.
Cycle_Path_-_East_Lancs_Road_-.jpg

I had forgotten a lot of them. lack of maintenance, they had a lot of carriageway splits accross the joints and would get overgrown. Tailpipe emissions were not good for cyclists.

[PanBiker]

Thinking too of the lack of safe roadspace on say Barlick to Skipton. That old railway route as a cycleway would not be so stupid if the trains are not coming for a few more years

Indeed but if there was any will it could have been converted into a proper cycleway 50 years ago when the line was closed. All the bridges are missing now which kind of disjoints the direct through route.

[Whyperion]

Thinking too of the lack of safe roadspace on say Barlick to Skipton. That old railway route as a cycleway would not be so stupid if the trains are not coming for a few more years

Indeed but if there was any will it could have been converted into a proper cycleway 50 years ago when the line was closed. All the bridges are missing now which kind of disjoints the direct through route.

See sustrans and the likes of potential easy bailey type bridges on the old railway line into Padstow for example, it can be done and there appear to be funds avalible from govt.

[Stanley]

I'm afraid I am am pessimistic and agree with Ian, the drive is going to be aimed at growing the GDP and the easiest target will be big measures aimed at major industry and services. Lip service will be paid to climate matters but no real funding or movement. Cycle ways are going to be a long way down the order of priorities, the major national and party funders will come first.

[Tizer]

I think there are two categories of mobility scooter, the lowest which can be little more than a seat on four wheels with a basket on the front are only allowed on the pavements. The more powerful ones which can be used on the carriageways have to be capable of 8mph minimum I think. That's as much as I know.

No, I'm not talking about mobility scooters for oldies but the new electric scooters that are all the rage in other European countries. This sort of thing.... Halfords

[Stanley]

I had an idea that was what you meant Tiz. I saw one in the Pioneer car park ay Xmas doing about what looked like 20mph. Too fast for pavements!

[Tizer]

There's been a lot about them in the newspapers since January. It's one of those wild West areas at the moment.

[Tizer]

More evidence of the quality of British technology and its workers! And it's also evidence of who is releasing the most methane - take a look at the satellite photo of the coal mine plume...
`Methane observing firm eyes UK for key base' LINK
`The Canadian-based space company GHGSat says it intends to set up a global centre in the UK to analyse the emissions of greenhouse gases. The firm currently flies the spacecraft making the highest resolution measurements of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere. This satellite is the first in a planned network of orbiting observers. The British centre's job will be to take their data and assess the sources of emissions worldwide..'.

[Stanley]

Chatterly Whitfield colliery in Staffordshire in 1988. The black metal pipe with the cowl is the main vent for methane from the disused mine. We have similar vents in Barnoldswick at the landscaped landfill at Rainhall Rock, long disused. I saw one but I have forgotten where, where the methane was used for fuel to generate electricity. There are many such sources in the UK, out of sight, out of mind.
Not the only consequence of landfill, the leachate from many is dangerous but of late I have heard very little mention of this. I know some that have been deliberately used for very dangerous and illegal disposals.

[Stanley]

THIS is worth reading. A BBC report on the latest figures given by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, which is implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. According to them 2019 was the hottest year on record in Europe.
This will get lost in the virus news but is serious and worth noting.

[Tizer]

This week's Radio 4 Inside Science episode gave an update on non-coronavirus science news. About time too!

[Whyperion]

i think 2020 will be hotter, it is mostly that the northern winds are less cold and the southern winds more hot.

[Tizer]

I've just put a link in the covid thread to an article on`How scared should we be?'. I was tempted to write the following but didn't want to worry people reading that thread too much. The answer is `Not half as scared as we should be of the effects of climate change!'. If we don't step up dramatically our fight against climate change large areas of Earth will become uninhabitable and millions of people will migrate to the (relatively) cooler regions, bringing with them diseases, war and famine. Those cooler regions will experience summer drought and terrible winter floods. This pandemic should serve as a wake up call for governments around the world. They've been warned for decades about pandemics by scientists and ignored it all; they're doing the same over climate change. And fighting climate change needs all governments to work together, they'll fail if they continue fighting each other.

[Stanley]

Exactly Tiz. I am always extra careful about coming downstairs even, one of the most dangerous things we ever do. That's why I advocate worst case and risk management in my life and always have done. Life is a terminal disease and we all have to look after ourselves in the end. Climate change and global warming (two different subjects I reckon) are the real killers that face us on so many levels.

[Stanley]

I asked Margaret about the reported high winds in Western Australia. She says that north and south of Perth have been hit but Perth is just cold, wet and windy, (19C is cold to her.....)

[Tizer]

Here's excellent news on countering climate change and boosting the post-covid economy rolled up in one story - and it's another reason we should stay in the EU!...
`Climate change: How a green new deal really could go global' LINK
`...Politicians know they are going to need to spend huge amounts of money to kick-start economic activity as the threat of coronavirus finally recedes. It is a one-off, never-to-be-repeated chance to transform their economies. So the question is, what will they spend it on? This week the European Union put its cards on the table. On Wednesday it unveiled what it is billing as the biggest "green" stimulus package in history. "This is about all of us and it is way bigger than any one of us," announced Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, when she told European Parliament members what was planned. "This is Europe's moment," she said.'

`As well as being a big step towards federalism, the recovery package puts fighting climate change at the heart of the bloc's recovery from the pandemic. The scale of what is being proposed is mind-boggling. The headline figure is €750bn, but add in spending from future budgets and the total financial firepower the European Commission says it will be wielding is almost €2tn ($2.2tn). There will be tens of billions of euros to make homes more energy efficient, to decarbonise electricity and phase out petrol and diesel vehicles. The idea is to turbo-charge the European effort to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050..'.

[Stanley]

You are right Tiz. An excellent policy. Now let's see it put into action! And this is the terrible unelected regime we are resiling from. You couldn't make it up!
The extreme Spring we have just had, breaking all records for sun and lack of rain. Are we blind or just stupid?

[Tizer]

And followed up with this article today by Roger Harrabin...
`Make Covid-19 recovery green, say business leaders' LINK
`More than 200 top UK firms and investors are calling on the government to deliver a Covid-19 recovery plan that prioritises the environment. They say efforts to repair the economy should support the government's commitment to tackle the climate change crisis. They believe ministers should use the Covid-19 lockdown as a springboard to propel a green economy. The signatories to the letter include Lloyds Bank, Asda, Siemens and Sky. The proposals outlined by firms such as Mitsubishi, Signify and Yorkshire Water in a letter to the prime minister include:
*Driving investment in low carbon innovation, infrastructure and industries.
*Focusing support on sectors that can best support the environment, increase job creation and foster the recovery - whilst also decarbonising the economy.
*Putting strings on financial support to ensure firms getting bailout cash are well managed, and in step with climate goals..'.