In the news

^^ philip davies has just finished up fillibustering a bill to teach kids first aid. what proof is there that these people are human?

We should drop Philip Davies onto Syria.

Does your inhumanity to the plight of the Syrian people know no bounds?

Zac Goldsmith, like most parachuted-in politicians, is as of yet still extremely badly briefed. This will change as his advisers become increasingly horrified by this sort of ignorant interview and he will hedge his bets more (although probably still think the same stupid nonsense) as the election approaches.

Having done this traffic thing for a while now, it still staggers me how little politicians understand transportation, any form of it.

They don't have to - they just need to know what to say to resonate with people who vote, i.e. if what they say matches the preconceptions of the voter then game on.

There's no political capital to be made saying something that the majority of your constituents don't think - so if they all want to drive, see driving as the natural and right way of doing things, then you pursue a driving agenda.

Well, of course. It's still no excuse to try plunging London back into a transportational stone age.

Bus priority is by far the most successful street-level transport policy London has ever had. It is, of course, very worrying that a pseudo-green like Zac Goldsmith already lets the cat out of the bag about the motor industry's strategy with electric cars, because of course they make it all right to isolate people in tin boxes, dissociating them and forcing them to travel increasingly long distances to do anything.

i wonder if his stock portfolio features electric car manufacturers?

He's just been on the wireless saying he'd consider forcing cyclists 'to use cycle lanes'. he really hasn't got the foggiest, does he?

This proposed change in the law is not so unlikely, and it's something that cycle campaigners have always known is a danger, particularly if we use the Netherlands as an example, where such a law is in force. Quite apart from the terrible designs you see appearing everywhere, it could well become reality. Obviously, the British legal tradition is against it, and it would require a change in primary legislation for which as Mayor of London Zac Goldsmith wouldn't have the power on his own, but it's certainly a worrying possibility. (In Germany, this long-standing legislation has just been effectively abolished, although technically it's still in force--only took 80 years. The duty to use cycle paths can still be imposed, but only in exceptional circumstances.)

whether it's possible or not is academic. he's gotten this far on a 'green' ticket. it's going to take a lot of bullshit shoveling to get the tub-thumping motons on side.

Well. Best news of the day:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/bank-blackspot-could-be-trafficfree-within-12-months-a3119371.html

I was slightly worried that the way in which the news leaked out a little while ago might be a problem, so I'm glad it's come through.

If it happens, it will easily be the best traffic scheme in London since the return of the Shoreditch gyratory to two-way operation.

the LTDA is going is going to go explode.

Solidarity with the Brownsons
https://www.gofundme.com/zxb6kzcs

I was thinking that, just slip in the mention that you've heard that Addision Lee are investigating switching to Electric Cars (I can see them doing this if Zac goes ahead with this) and are looking forward to Zac getting into office and letting them into the bus lanes for full on effect.

There are very few places in the world Europe where electricity is an emission-free form of energy. UK isn't one of them.

Edit: Go Leshoto!

There's a general quandary with energy which is that we want "clean" energy in the form of electricity from renewables.

At the moment, it's much more wasteful to use electricity than fossil fuels to do the same things (I think it's something like 3x more gas if you use an electric hob powered by electricity from a gas-fired power station to boil your water, compared with using a gas hob, all other things comparative).

But if we don't encourage take up of electricity, and build infrastructure for electricity, and reduce direct use of fossil fuels, how will the glorious renewable electricity future ever come?

Fuck all that green bollocks, exhaust fucking stinks - walking a 100m section of the A205 to get to Saino's and it's like breathing through a bin.

Bring on the leccy vehicles- it'll delay the day that I have to start digging a nightly trench across the road at Brockley/dropping a tree at Honor Oak.

Euph?

Worth sharing, if you haven't already.

Kind of bland/obvious about the overall minuteness* - but kind of shocking to see that there were less than 10k al-quaeda and maybe 100k Isis...

* I don't think I need to patronise any of my acquaintances with yet another "hey - not very many muslims are terrorists, y'know?" spam

Perhaps we need a graph to point out not all Christians are assholes, despite the Oklahoma bombings / The Roman Catholic church anti condoms stance (aids) / Sudan anti gay laws... (USA fundie church)

;)

Nah, all Christians are arseholes, fucking bake sales.

I don't think I need to patronise any of my acquaintances with yet another "hey - not very many muslims are terrorists, y'know?" spam

The paris attacks have caused a worrying and measurable shift in public opinion towards refugees and, in particular, those of Muslim faith. I think it's a useful and clear image in that context. Glad to hear your acquaintances are all well-informed and tolerant.

.

I wouldn't say they are well informed and tolerant as an absolute, but my facebook feed is without exception posting only messages and mostly reposts supporting refugees. So, not all my acquaintances, but the ones most likely to see an infographic, were I to post one.

Personally, it was definitely worth sharing, as I have family in the armed forces, who hold some very strong views.