Nowhere was there a single mention of cycling!
On Monday 22 September, I went to a "Climate Protection and Sustainable Energy Strategy Consultation" meeting at the Southville Centre in Bristol. As usual with such things, the instructions provided in advance to get to the venue started with a map of the motorway network, then instructions on how to drive there through the city from the M32. To be fair there were instructions on how to walk or bus from Temple Meads. Also, on how to walk from the Centre "along the water" to Southville, with a map that did not mark all the roads mentioned. But nowhere was there a single mention of cycling! The irony of giving top priority to driving from the M32 for such a conference as this was lost on the organisers.
About 50 people were there, with much debating throughout the day. Transport accounts for 25% of CO2 emissions in Bristol (Council figures), so that was my interest. Someone made the point that people can be convinced of the logic of insulating houses, using low power light bulbs, recycling waste, etc., but if you try to prise them out of their cars they get very emotional and unreasonable. We agreed that statistics and leaflets were not enough to change attitudes. T. V, films, radio, hoardings and magazine ads. would have to be used to change the culture of unnecessary car use. But is there the political will (and finance) to do this?
At the end of the day it proved hard to find enough people to set up a working group to continue the project. The reason became obvious when polls of participants showed that half felt there was no point in carrying on, and about half felt their day had been wasted. Despair indeed!
Well, at least some of us cycled home.
For more information on Bristol's 'Climate Protection & Sustainable Energy Strategy'
contact Lorraine Hudson
email: lorraine_hudson@bristol-city.gov.uk
telephone: 01179224470
Kean Lamb
Photo credit
- Road Art: Andy Stott
