‘You first’ might be one response. Once again the BBC, like a lot of the media, tries to frame ‘greenhouses gases’ and ‘pollution’ as the same thing, which confuses the reporting even more. Note the capital letters: ‘Zero Carbon’. All part of the make-believe future they are trying to sell to the public, but now exposed as unrealistic.
MPs say people will have to stop driving if the UK is to meet its Zero Carbon goals by 2050, reports BBC News.
The Science and Technology Select Committee says technology alone cannot solve the problem of greenhouse gas emissions from transport.
It says the government cannot achieve sufficient emissions cuts by swapping existing vehicles for cleaner versions.
The government said it would consider the committee’s findings.
In its report, the committee said: “In the long-term, widespread personal vehicle ownership does not appear to be compatible with significant decarbonisation.”
It echoes a report from an Oxford-based group of academics who warned that even electric cars produce pollution through their tyres and brakes.
The AA said the committee had underestimated the power of new technology to solve pollution in cars.
But the MPs are demanding improvements in public transport, walking and cycling, which benefit health as well as the climate.
They also criticise the government’s recent policies on the costs of transport.
They point out that most of the increase in average new car emissions in 2017 was caused by consumers choosing more polluting models because financial incentives to buy cleaner cars are insufficient.
Improving public transport
A government strategy should aim to reduce the overall number of vehicles required, the report says.
This would be achieved by:
— Promoting and improving public transport
— Reducing the cost of public transport relative to driving
— Encouraging vehicle usership in place of ownership (car sharing, car hire and taxis)
— And boosting walking and cycling.
Ministers have held down fuel duty increases in recent years following lobbying from motoring groups.
But the MPs say they should ensure that the annual increase in fuel duty is never lower than the average increase in rail or bus fares.
For drivers investing in electric vehicles there should be a better network of charging points.
But there’s a warning that more research is needed on the environmental impact of the batteries of electric vehicles.
The report warns: “Hydrogen technology may prove to be cheaper and less environmentally damaging than battery-powered electric vehicles. The government should not rely on a single technology.”
Full report here.
via Tallbloke’s Talkshop
August 22, 2019 at 04:30AM
Iowa Climate Science Education 