UK government-funded local weather assume tank requires peak vehicles by 2030 – watts with that?
Guest contribution by Eric Worrall
According to the Institute of Public Policy Research, even electric vehicles are not green enough to allow car ownership to grow unhindered.
Climate change: Set a goal to reduce car use, the minister said
By Roger Harrabin
BBC environmental analyst
The move to electric vehicles will still leave the UK with serious transportation problems, a report said.
The IPPR think tank said emissions will decrease, but the number of cars on the roads will continue to increase.
It envisaged a 28% increase in car ownership by 2050, which would create more congestion and damage to the economy.
But the government said it had plans to make transport more environmentally friendly and it was committed to offering people a range of travel options.
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Without a change in policy, car ownership is expected to be driven by a growing economy and population.
The IPPR% said that failure to address this issue will have negative effects on:
- health: Walking and cycling (if it makes sense) are healthier than sitting in a car.
- Resources: A constantly growing car fleet consumes raw materials and energy.
- Urban space: Fewer cars would mean more trees, space and space for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Traffic jams: traffic jams damage the economy and create demand for more and larger roads.
- Inequality: Continuing current trends will widen the social gap between those who own cars and those who don’t.
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IPPR’s proposals to fairly achieve the UK’s low carbon transition include a national guarantee that allows you to live a good life without having to own a car.
It states that seven days of public transport should be included for all areas and that everyday needs can be reached within 20 minutes on foot, by bike or by public transport.
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Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57570010
Why do think tanks like IPPR keep trying to mess up ordinary people’s lives?
Outside London, UK public transport is generally inaccessible, unsafe and infrequent. Cars protect you from muggers in a much safer way (provided your employer can be pressured to keep the parking lot safe) and keep you warm and comfortable in bad weather.
Even in London, I can’t imagine what it is like for single women trying to travel at night. As a regular commuter on UK transport, including the London Underground, I have come across many situations that have made me feel unsafe. Britain’s revolving door justice system is keeping a steady supply of drug addicted muggers and rapists to keep life interesting for public transport commuters.
Yet, despite the obvious problems, there seems to be an enduring determination among climate activists and progressives to force people to return to using public transport or to force them to give up long commutes altogether, regardless of the damage that this does to people’s lives which means personal safety.
The IPPR could try to listen to the people whose interests they claim to represent, to drop the climate nonsense, to listen to the obvious desire of the British to own a car. They could try to overcome car ownership inequality by using their funds to help poor people buy their first car. But for some reason, think tanks like IPPR almost never seem to support solutions that empower the common people whose interests they claim to represent.
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