Sunday 11 October 2009

Fossil fuel addicts have drug dependency fed by government

East Sussex County Council – an authority which absolutely refuses to invest in off-road cycle lanes - has just got government funding to spend £100 million on

a 3.5 mile single carriageway road between the A259 in Bexhill and the B2092 Queensway in Hastings, providing access to areas that have been identified for regeneration in addition to easing congestion and improving air quality on the A259 at Glyne Gap.

In other words, the Brown government remains fully committed to car dependency, and wholly indifferent to cycling, walking and public transport.

"That the Government is willing to approve £100 million on an environmentally damaging road scheme with no evidence that it will bring economic benefits is very worrying and hugely disappointing, especially as alternatives have never been properly investigated.

"The scheme would deliver more traffic and congestion, with higher CO2 emissions, and would undermine walking, cycling and public transport initiatives for years to come.

"Approving this road, which has doubled in cost in just four years, sends a terrible message to councils across the UK, especially in the run-up to the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen."

It’s no different in Bristol - or even the London Borough of Waltham Forest (see this and this).

The good news is that the world is running out of oil, fast. But as with climate catastrophe, political elites around the world are in denial:

A peak in conventional oil production before 2030 appears likely and there is a significant risk of a peak before 2020.