In the news

What part of London though?

^ Good to know. All I need now is a car.

They're over-rated. Get a bike.

Get a bike.

Another one?

West Putney, SW15.

Hence shit like this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56647128

That's what I meant - it's a cultural phenomenon, not just a money thing.

Move to SE London, it's just better.

In UK, Russia schools you

Can we agree that, while not all SUV owners should have their tyres deflated, Russian oligarch SUV owners most definitely should?

Last car was a Skoda their SUV was poor on emissions so I went to Toyota.
Official emissions are lower. Over 2 years I’ve got 48.7mpg (on petrol) to the Skoda 39 mpg(diesel).
I drive carefully and switch it to “Eco” and “Eco” climate control whenever I can. Early in the morning I regularly get over 58mpg on drives like West Norwood to Ilford, if I really try it can go over 62mpg.

Move to SE London, it's just better.

agree, but it's not exactly devoid of cars (plenty of which SUVs) round here either....

climate control

you monster

Yeh so you have compared new to old which is apples and oranges rather than Toyota SUV vs Toyota estate or hatchback with the same engine and level of trim which is apples for apples
(happy to give the benefit of doubt that I just badly worded my initial post)

Please go full Aerocivic on your Toyota!
https://www.aerocivic.com/

Re the pointlessness of activism thing - they maybe dickheads and clowns but surely the fact we've spent a Sunday discussing the issue of SUVs and that something as dull as the need for retrofitting thermal insulation has made it into the news on a regular basis recently, means that even these stunts have some effect and purpose. As the woman blockading a fuel terminal recently said to the news reporter "You wouldn't be speaking to me now if I'd just written to my MP".

I was volunteering at a thing last weekend that involved 'engaging members of the public in discussions about climate change'. I didn't much like the conversation-starter we had, as it focused far too much on inconsequential individual habits, but it was an easy in and we (as many people as possible) just have to be talking about this stuff far more frequently than we are.

Invalidating activism because it doesn't target the worst climate-change denier is just a weird idea. Most people aren't complete deniers, but they are in denial to some extent. If the outright deniers haven't been persuaded that there's an actual problem so far, it would be foolishly optimistic / unrealistic to imagine anything a lowly activist could do would change their minds - but the aim isn't to change everyone's mind, it's to change more people, enough people and the right people. It's not always obvious who the 'right' person is - not just those with power and influence but other kinds of agency too. No-one goes out to do something they know is doomed to failure or that they know won't work - but it's never guaranteed to work either. Chances can be pretty slim. Sometimes, stupid stunts backfire. I'd love to put my 'spare' time into doing things with a better chance of success but I'm running out of ideas.

I used to be very sceptical about the "you're just doing this to make yourself feel better" aspect of activism, but fuck it, we're human. So long as it isn't the motivating factor, there's nothing wrong with feeling better about doing something than nothing.

500k miles out of the first engine and then just fitted a new engine lol

Re the pointlessness of activism thing - they maybe dickheads and clowns but surely the fact we've spent a Sunday discussing the issue of SUVs and that something as dull as the need for retrofitting thermal insulation has made it into the news on a regular basis recently, means that even these stunts have some effect and purpose.

I agree with this. We are never going to get government-led change without a percentage of individuals radically altering their outlook, and people are unlikely to alter their outlook without some challenging tactics.

So as a private citizen how do you counteract increasing SUV popularity then assuming the government isn't going to bother (what percentage of MPs/ministers have Range Rovers do we reckon?)?

Deflating tyres is one option but probably just entrenches people, a la Insulate Britain. But at least it's free.

Get Rashford to do an advert pointing out their terrible attributes regarding the climate and pedestrian safety (especially children)? Footballers probably share a big chunk of the blame for SUV popularity actually. Such an ad would probably have no effect and would cost a lot of money.

Let's hear your ideas

We are never going to get government-led change without a percentage of individuals radically altering their outlook

Ha! Timely, 25% apparently
We are never going to get government-led change without a percentage of individuals radically altering their outlook

Write to your MP
Engage your friends and family
Get angry on niche forums

I have to move a lot of work stuff/dog/long legged family so it had to be a mid sized hatchback. Whether for fashion or just needing room for the batteries manufacturers produce the this vehicle as a SUV the all wheel drive comes as a consequence of having motor-generators at both ends.

Has anyone calculated the CO2 emissions from commuting and business travel? Given the popularity of wfh, seems a good hook to radicalize people with.

I'm going to be the #notallsuvs guy again

look what you've started. there's no need.

Commuter journeys make up 15% of all journeys in the UK, the second-highest, next to shopping.

This study revealed that during lockdown the overall carbon emissions from commuting fell to roughly 30-38% of what they had been before lockdown.

https://decarbon8.org.uk/work-from-home-if-you-can/

scrapping hs2 stations for areas that werent Tory enough

To be honest we'd prefer better train services. Maybe fully electrifying the current system and getting rid of the shitty 'busses that became trains'.

Decent services and rolling stock between Leeds/Sheffield/Manchester/Liverpool/Bradford and, dare I say it, Hull as a proper Transpennine route would do a lot more that a fast connection to the South of England.

getting rid of the shitty 'busses that became trains'

I think the last Pacer went this summer

Ha, ha, ha, ha...

Good joke.