You might have missed it, but this week was bike week, running from 14th to the 22nd of June. People were getting on their bikes in support, others were getting on to a bike for the first time, and I even had a few hours fun trying to teach a friend how to ride a bike. There is still two days left for you to be empowered to make the change and start cycling, change your life, your health and the environment for the better.
Of course bike week was the time to announce government funding of £100m through a scheme aimed at encouraging cycling. Bristol intends to double the number of cyclists over the next three years with a series of innovations, becoming the UK's first "cycling city", and a model for the rest of the UK.
Sharing the funding will be York, Stoke, Blackpool, Cambridge, Chester, Colchester, Leighton Buzzard, Southend, Shrewsbury, Southport and Woking.
With the price of oil increasing, analysists continually increasing their estimates, $250 a barrel in 12 months or more, it's no wonder Ford are killing off their fuel inefficient models such as large SUVs and focusing on core small fuel efficient models. The positives are lower government tax and reduced running cost.
As the squeeze gets tighter and inflation is at a record high, 3.3%. Its highly likely we will see a further rate increase from the Bank Of England.
Mark Lynas' Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet is almost certain to experience a jump in sales after winning the coveted Royal Society Prize for Popular Science Writing, and the £10,000 prize money that comes with the accolade. The book explains how Earth will change for every degree rise in temperature, from droughts to mass extinctions.
Previous winners have included Bill Bryson, Stephen J Gould, Roger Penrose, and Stephen Hawking.
Eco-Tube recently launched itself to the world, in a nutshell its YouTube for the EcoAware. Chris Smith who created and launched the site had this to say;
"I have just launched Eco-tube, the green youtube. This came about directly as a result of doing a Masters Degree (MSC) in Ethics & Business Responsibility at Bath University. I was introduced by coincidence to a local businessman in Bath who also happened to be an eco philanthropist.
Now the site is up and running I am now appearing in my own films which is quite a revelation to me. I never before had an urge to appear on camera and it came about by accident when I filmed an eco audit at a celebrities home. People on the MSC watched the film and said they thought it was good enough to be on television. So as well as curating the website I am also appearing in my own films.
That aside we have films covering every eco related subject, Obama on climate change, energy saving deals, recycling videos etc."
Eco-Tube is a new venture which looks to provide a one-stop shop for environmental films and video clips. This enables the user to access the clips, and possibly more specific videos than rival sites. The clips are relevant to the search you intended. In the near future look out for embedded EcoTube clips on the blog.
A Portland man says he was tackled, pushed off his bike, and then tasered repeatedly by a Portland Police officer in Southeast Portland last night. The Portland Police Bureau, in a written statement about the incident, say that Phil Sano (a.k.a. “Rev Phil”) did not have a front light on his bicycle and that he refused to stop when officers requested.
The incident occurred around 9:30pm on SE 7th Street, just north of SE Morrison Ave. Phil Sano says he was riding along and felt cold, so he went to zip up his jacket. Then, in an email he sent me just hours after the incident, he wrote,
“Across the street a man in all black shouted at me and started walking my way. I stopped pedaling, but didn’t stop because my hands were not on my brakes. He then sprinted, lunged and tackled me. I then scuffled to separate him and stood apart from him in a defensive position. I felt a sharp sting in my back and heard a repetitive clicking. I turned around to see that I was being tasered!”
At that point, Sano maintains he still did not know what was going on and he repeatedly asked the officers to explain what he had done wrong. At that point, Sano says two officers were holding him down and he could still feel the taser charge flowing into his back.
“I was still freaked out and yelled again, why are you shooting me?”
Sano says the cops yelled for him to “get down”, but that he still had no idea who was accosting him. He wrote, “It was pretty dark and they were wearing all black without any sort of shiny badge…. They looked kinda’ like cops, but generally cops do not tackle bikers unless it is Critical Mass.”
According to Sano, he was tasered “point blank” in the chest and the lower back and that he began to “spasm out of control as the surge of electricity involuntarily constricted” his muscles.
After pleading repeatedly for them to stop, Sano says they continued and that, “without question, I could tell they enjoyed seeing me become so helpless, so weak. It was humiliating.”
Once the tasering stopped, Sano said he laid in a small puddle of his own urine, breathing irregularly and “seething with rage”.
“I can still feel their knee on my neck as I write this, but even then I knew they were in the wrong… really, really fucking wrong.” He added, “There was no cause for such violence; I was not harming anyone and I made sure that everyone within earshot knew it.”
Sano says that all the while, a barb from the taser remained lodged in his chest. Luckily, he remembers, a passing ambulance heard him screaming, stopped on the scene, and removed the electrode from his chest. Sano says that the EMT, “was very concerned” that his speeding heart rate would not slow down.
Once everything calmed down, Sano says the cops told him that he was stopped because he didn’t have a front light.
Sano admits he didn’t have his front light on his bike, because someone had stolen the cradle it attaches to. He says the cops found his light in his fannypack a few minutes later.
According to Sano’s recollection of the incident, he heard Officer Smith say, “You should have stopped when I told you to. Then none of this would be necessary.”
A written statement just released by the Portland Police Bureau’s Public Information Officer Brian Schmautz says that the officers were in uniform and were dealing with another woman and had “turned on their lights to alert traffic while they talked to her.”*
Then, writes Schmautz, they saw Sano roll by without a light and, “One of the officers told Sano to stop, but Sano ignored him.” Here is the rest of Schmautz’s statement:
“The officer, then reached out to stop Sano and they began to struggle. Sano refused to comply with any of the officers orders and continued to resist until additional officers arrived. The officers attempted to Taser Sano, but it was ineffective because of Sano’s clothing.
Sano was eventually arrested and taken to jail. Sano apparently admitted he had been drinking, but was not given field sobriety tests because the officers were not arresting him for DUII. FYI, the officers checked Sano’s history and learned that the Police Bureau had given Sano a warning for a bike light and a free bike light in the past.”
Diana Spartis, a 28 year-old Sellwood resident, was being cited for not having a light on her bike when the incident took place. On the phone with me this morning, she said Officer Smith was telling her about the importance of having a light when Sano rode by on the other side of the street.
Spartis says the Officer noticed Sano also didn’t have a front light then yelled at him to stop. She then told me, “He [Sano] didn’t stop immediately, and the cop took two steps after him, grabbed him by the shirt, yanked him off the bike, ran him up the sidewalk and slammed him against the wall and then right away started tasing him.”
Sartis recollects that she was “maybe 50 feet away” and says, “I did not see him [Sano] do anything physical to the cops… he wasn’t cooperating fully, but he also wasn’t doing anything that should have provoked them that much. He was screaming, ‘no! no!, why are you doing this?’”
The two officers involved in the incident were Officers Erin Smith and Ron Hoesly. Both are members of the Traffic Division.
I have no knowledge of Officer Smith other than this report from a Critical Mass ride back in February of 2005. Officer Hoesly is a motorcycle cop. Back in August of 2006 I joined Officer Hoesly for a ride-along. I frequently see Hoesly around town and he is always friendly and congenial.
Hoesly and Smith initially charged Sano with Resisting Arrest, Attempted Escape III, and Disorderly Conduct. He was also cited for not having a front light (ORS 815.280) and Failure to Obey a Police Officer (ORS 811.535).
At his arraignment at the Justice Center in downtown Portland a few hours ago, Sano says the clerk told him he had been given a “no-charge”. According to a source who is a lawyer that means (for whatever reason) the case is not going forward, but the charges can brought back to life at a later date. My source says this could be an indication that either the police or the DA’s office didn’t think they could prove, or didn’t want to try to prove, the charges.
This isn’t the first time Sano has had run-in with the police. During the 2006 World Naked Bike Ride, Sano was involved in an altercation with an off-duty police officer who was the passenger in a motor vehicle that was being held up during the ride. Sano alleged that the vehicle’s driver tried to run him over.
In that case, Sano was charged with several misdemeanors (including Criminal Mischief and Disorderly Conduct) and faced 2 1/2 years in jail. The case was ultimately dismissed and Sano was set free.
Using the example of travelling daily from Lisburn to Belfast in Northern Ireland we are going to compare how taking the train can be beneficial, not just for the environment, but also for your pocket and time.
Translink offer a free car park at Lisburn station, and will soon extend the number of available spaces by 272, at a new proposed car parking facility located in close proximity to the station, allowing even more people to take advantage of the park and ride scheme. With a daily return ticket to Belfast at only £3.30 (current promotional rate). This takes the hassel out of the 7.8 miles journey to the city centre, and not to mention the time to find a car parking space. So why do so many people still drive when the journey can take up to an hour in both directions, Google maps cite a 23 minute driving time on an average day, during regular travel. Even at this the train can take a mere 9 minutes point to point. Saving at least 14 minutes off the drive time. According to the AA, it would cost £6.09* (or more) in associated costs to drive, taking into consideration tax, insurance and car maintenance.
Also taking into account many companies do not offer car parking, or do so at a reduced rate, the cheapest car parking in the area of central Belfast was £3.40* a day.
So travelling to work by train costs £3.30 a day (with greater discounts for weekly and monthly tickets) compared to £9.49 per day by car. With this the journey time of 9 minutes compared to 23 minutes at least by car. Annually this would save you 121 hours, added to that the time gained from being able to carry out those tasks on the train, such as texting, reading the paper, checking the news that you would not be able to do in the car. You would save £31 a week and £1,609 a year travelling by train, and if you include your time into the equation, you could consider further savings in excess of £1,000 per year.
*Based on Travelling in a car worth less than £10 000 new, and travelling 10 000 miles a year, not allowing for recent surges in petrol prices. Source: AA *Based on Secure designated car park space with Key/Fob for automatic shutter door entry, on Great Victoria Street, Belfast, Source: Gumtree
The US embassy in London has criticised a government plan to tax airlines on each plane rather than each passenger, from November next year. In a letter leaked to the Daily Telegraph the embassy disputes the Treasury case that the change is aimed at lowering CO2 emissions.
It says the new tax appears to be just a way of generating extra revenue, and could breach international laws. The Treasury denies it is proposing any tax which could be considered illegal. The embassy letter expresses the "deep concern" of the US government with the Treasury's plans. It lists a number of international agreements that it says would be breached by the new tax. The Americans also say there's no evidence of any environmental benefit, as the extra millions raised would simply go into the government's coffers.
The Treasury's new tax will vary, depending on the size of the aircraft and how far it is travelling. Airlines estimate that under the proposed tax change, the tax payable on a flight from the UK to the US could more than double to £100 per person. The Government says the new tax will help cut emissions, by discouraging airlines to fly planes that are half empty.
But critics say that the tax will not affect budget airlines - as they normally fill their planes to capacity. There are also fears that airlines will avoid British airports - choosing instead to operate from other European airports where they will not be subject to the tax.
A new report (YIMBY Generation - yes in my back yard!) examining consumer attitudes towards microgeneration heat technologies released today by the Energy Saving Trust and Open University and funded by the University of East Anglia's Carbon Connections Fund reveals the financial, regulatory and logistical solutions that will encourage a greater uptake of microgeneration heat technologies in homes across the UK.
With 75 per cent of all household CO2 emissions coming from water and space heating, the Energy Saving Trust believes that microgeneration heat technologies could make a significant contribution in helping to meet the UK's carbon reductions. The UK Government is expected to set ambitious targets of up to 80 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050.
"Currently the microgeneration market is niche, yet our own research has identified the barriers and proposes solutions that would make far greater numbers of householders install microgeneration. Also, and based on the Growth Potential for Microgeneration report (also supported by us and released today), we would urge Government to set targets for microgeneration and put in place the right combination of policies to achieve these targets. We are now ready to work with Government and industry to put in place a raft of measures to help achieve these targets and make the purchase of microgeneration a viable and desirable option for every household in the UK." Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust
The YIMBY Generation report summarises the responses to a survey of over 900 households who were considering or buying microgeneration heat technologies. The Energy Saving Trust and Open University found that people, in the past, have been put off from purchasing microgeneration for a range of reasons: the price and pay pack period, practicalities e.g. lack of space, and perceptual e.g. lack of confidence in the technology.
The report identifies the following five key solutions, which the Energy Saving Trust and Open University believe would help to encourage and stimulate a greater uptake of microgeneration heat technologies across the UK.
Independent advice and support. Respondents cited difficulties finding installers and with the installation process, something that the Energy Saving Trust will address through their new advice centres being rolled out across the UK. These provide people with a 'one stop shop' (Act on C02) advice service for information on energy efficiency, low carbon, transport, water conservation and waste. However, more funding is needed to give the detailed advice many people will need on microgeneration.
Dealing with up front costs. 53 per cent of those surveyed identified an annual reduction in council tax after installation as a financial measure which would encourage them to purchase microgeneration heat technologies. In addition, long lasting incentive schemes, like feed-in tariffs which enable people to sell excess electricity back to the grid at a premium price or the extension of the Government's Renewables Obligation to explicitly include microgeneration and renewable heat, would help encourage people to take up microgeneration. For example, if payments for energy generated by the microgeneration system were paid up front to the consumer this would allow them to use this money towards the capital cost of their microgeneration technology and thereby making it far more affordable. In policy terms, up-front payments are also more cost-effective: they can lead to up to five times more renewable microgeneration installed.
Improving usability of the systems. 37 per cent of respondents who own a microgeneration system said that they were uncertain how best to operate the system and its controls to make most efficient use of the fuel or energy. The Energy Saving Trust is helping by carrying out trials of how new technologies work when they are installed in a domestic setting.
Developing regulations. 80 per cent of respondents supported an obligation on gas and electricity suppliers to offer subsidised low carbon energy systems, in a similar way to the current insulation schemes. In addition, 'compulsion' could be a very effective way of bringing microgeneration uptake. For example, by mandating that boilers are replaced with microgeneration heating technology at time of boiler replacement and that solar thermal, wind or PV are to be made mandatory at time of roof repair, up to 9 million microgeneration technologies could be installed in the UK by 2020, at low cost to Government.
Need for independent monitoring / demonstration of microgeneration technologies to boost consumer confidence.
Old news now, but last week Northern Ireland Electricity announced like its counterparts in mainland Britain that electricity prices are to rise by 14% with effect from July, with a further rise in the near future of 15% highly likely by Autumn 2008.
NIE blamed like other electricity companies prior, that the increase in wholesale fuel costs, citing that since their last pricing review, they had increased by 85%. NIE has up until now absorbed the cost, however with the continuing increases in oil, gas and coal prices, it is highly likely this is the first of many price increases that will occur in the near future.
"We had hoped to hold our prices until later in the year, but wholesale gas, oil and coal prices have increased substantially in recent months. This increase is in line with recent GB energy supply companies' pricing announcements, and both the utility regulator and the Consumer Council have been closely consulted. Over 453,000 of our customers get a discount on their electricity supply, and I would encourage more of our customers to take advantage of one of our discount schemes." NIE Statement
The 14% increase has effectively handed the government with a £10m windfall according to the Consumer Council of Northern Ireland, through VAT on fuel at 5%. Which they hope the MPs will lobby the Treasury to return to the NIA to reinvest in programs to assist those in fuel poverty. Northern Ireland has one of the highest rates of fuel poverty in all of the UK.
"The sheer scale of these energy price increases should trigger an emergency financial package to help alleviate hardship in fuel poor households this winter. All possible ways of paying for this emergency fund must be urgently explored. Consumers should make sure that they are receiving all payments they are entitled to, budget carefully and save money where they can and be as energy efficient as is healthily possible." Eleanor Gill, Consumer Council
Well you can catch up with Question Time on iPlayer, where the panel this week, including Green Party MEP Caroline Lucas, discuss the price of oil and what the future holds.
Posts
You might have missed it, but this week was bike week, running from 14th to the 22nd of June. People were getting on their bikes in support, others were getting on to a bike for the first time, and I even had a few hours fun trying to teach a friend how to ride a bike. There is still two days left for you to be empowered to make the change and start cycling, change your life, your health and the environment for the better.
