{"id":18182,"title":"Time to Break the Cycle","description":"On World Bike Day, my anger at the UK government's inaction on climate change finally got the better of me.\n I never intended Rijden to be a campaigning organisation. However, I can no longer suppress my anger about the UK government\u2019s inaction regarding climate change. On World Bike Day it seems an appropriate time for me to break cover.","content":"

On World Bike Day, my anger at the UK government's inaction on climate change finally got the better of me.\"\" I never intended Rijden to be a campaigning organisation. However, I can no longer suppress my anger about the UK government\u2019s inaction regarding climate change. On World Bike Day it seems an appropriate time for me to break cover.<\/p>

Business As Usual<\/h3>

The current policy of failing to invest in renewable energy whilst heavily subsidising the fossil fuel industry will leave us in the same predicament. We\u2019ll be beholden to despots like Putin whilst inflating world CO2 levels.<\/p>

Rather than taking advantage of those early months of Covid when the roads were empty of cars and families were tempted onto their bikes, the government is following a \u2018business as usual agenda\u2019.<\/p>

Instead of investing in sustainable transport and world-class infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, it\u2019s ploughing billions into road building. They haven\u2019t learnt that more roads lead to more cars and more traffic jams.<\/p>

Five-Point Sustainability Plan<\/h3>

Here\u2019s my five-point plan to tackle the impending crisis. It\u2019s not hard but it requires money and above all the backbone to see it through. In no particular order:<\/p>

1. Divert funds for roads into cycling, walking and public transport<\/strong><\/h3>

People always say that they won\u2019t get used but they will if they support end-to-end journeys rather than short sections.<\/p>

The Dutch were going down the same path as the UK until the 1970s. They even had plans to tarmac over the canals in Amsterdam to cope with the mass increase in car ownership. They grasped the nettle and now they are reaping the benefits including much better adult health outcomes.<\/p>

We need well-thought-out public transport that is reliable, easy to use and affordable. Much as I love train travel, I cannot support HS2. It's a classic example of a grandiose waste of public money.<\/p>

2. Offer subsidies on bikes and e-bikes<\/strong><\/h3>

People often assume that because I enjoy racing bikes I must be against e-bikes. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rather than getting people to switch to electric cars, we should encourage a take up of electric bikes. I believe the whole planned switch to electric cars is a fallacy.<\/p>

Electric cars are not cheap. How will so many people be able to switch over to them? The infrastructure at homes and current petrol stations will not be able to cope with the need to charge them. Many people live in locations where it will be impossible to charge at home overnight.<\/p>

We don't generate enough electricity to support the mass demand for charging. Even if we did, a significant chunk would still be coming from CO2-emitting power sources.<\/p>

Producing an electric car generates huge amounts of CO2 and pollution which mean the switch from petrol and diesel to electric cars will increase CO2 consumption for a long time.<\/p>

The majority of particulate emissions from modern cars come from their tyres. This won't change with electric cars.<\/p>

Will electric cars improve the current levels of traffic jams that blight the UK? Of course, they won\u2019t. It will just be more of the same. Neighbourhoods will continue to be blighted by traffic.<\/p>

By contrast, electric bikes require no new infrastructure to charge. They would be affordable by the majority if subsidised by the government and would make longer journeys much more feasible. I know lots of people who have only taken up cycling because they can now use an e-bike.<\/p>

With decent cycling infrastructure, we could shift a huge amount of people out of cars and onto e-bikes. Of course, the UK is too hilly or too cold or too wet. Or at least so the cyclist-hating Daily Mail would have us believe. Strange how other European countries that are wetter, windier and just as hilly manage to cope.<\/p>

\"441p0assu0ysqivk52j3ebe6gekisdtp0kxr5n56b4g6zmim.jpg\"<\/u><\/a>Electric cargo bikes have the capacity to move goods around towns. Businesses are already investing in them because they deliver cost and flexibility benefits.<\/p>

I'm not suggesting that people shouldn't buy electric cars just that we shouldn't rely upon them to solve the crisis.<\/p>

3 Invest in renewables<\/h3>

I don\u2019t think I need to say anymore really.<\/p>

4 Stop investing in Nuclear Power<\/h3>

I\u2019m not anti-nuclear but it is utterly illogical to spend 10 years building something that will produce much more expensive electricity than renewables. Technology moves so fast that it is madness to operate on a 10-year planning cycle.<\/p>

5 Insulate the existing housing stock<\/h3>

It\u2019s the fastest and cheapest way to cut consumers\u2019 electricity bills as well as generate jobs.<\/p>

It might be expensive but what's the cost of the alternative?<\/p>

\"grrbpemyywmusal5merxugim70nijvc2vqzqxpkx6vlx83lu.jpg\"<\/p>

Thank you for reading. Happy World Bike Day.<\/p>

Tim Costello, 3 June 2022.<\/p>

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