NATIONAL BIKE WEEK has run all of this week and ends tomorrow. It is a week that celebrates and promotes the benefits of cycling. As a long time cyclist, I am fully convinced of the benefits.

For me, commuting by bike is both faster than other modes of transport and helps me fit exercise into a busy schedule. I also (mostly) enjoy cycling; it can reduce my stress levels and improve my mood.

In addition to the personal health and wellbeing benefits from cycling, there are also huge environmental benefits. This week, scientists are warning that temperatures are likely to temporarily rise above the threshold 1.5 degrees in the next five years.

It also emerged this week that Ireland was one of only four EU countries where green house gas emissions rose in the final quarter of 2022, and our 12..3% year-on-year increase was the highest of these four countries.

Although most of this increase can be attributed to airlines domiciled here, our 2021 emissions per capita were already the second highest in the EU, almost twice the EU average. To have any hope of meeting our emissions reductions targets we clearly need a modal shift away from our car dependency.

Although the electrification of vehicles can play a part in reducing transport emissions, particularly in rural areas, it is not a panacea. Even Norway, a world leader in electric car adoption, has accepted that rather than simply replacing combustion engine cars currently in use with electric, we need to move people out of cars and encourage active travel. Increasing the numbers cycling, especially in urban areas, could lead to significant emissions reductions.

Our love affair with the car

In Ireland, more than half of journeys under 2km are made by car, and in the Dublin metropolitan area, 38% of people travel by car five or more days a week. Switching from driving to cycling, even just for short trips, would reduce individual transport emissions by about 75%.

Given the volume of people travelling short distances frequently, there are substantial emissions savings to be made. For example, recent TUDublin research estimates that currently 5% of students and 16% of staff cycle to campus, but there is potential to support 40% and 46% respectively, given the distances they travel.

As an economist, I think about how people make decisions. People will cycle if the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs. There is a monetary cost saving to be made if you switch from other modes of transport to cycling, but there are also non-monetary costs to consider.

The risk of being knocked off your bike is a cost that can be greatly reduced with the provision of good cycling infrastructure and segregated cycling lanes. Although investment in better infrastructure is needed to encourage motorists to switch to carbon neutral options, that alone is unlikely to be sufficient.

A few weeks ago, I was cycling home from work and a van trying to turn left from a side road into the standstill traffic had stopped across the cycle lane. With no room to squeeze through the cars, I calmly pointed out to him that he had blocked the cycle lane and I couldn’t get past.

I was met with a tirade of abuse; he shouted, cursed, and gesticulated at me until the traffic started to move and I could cycle away.

I can’t imagine another setting in which simply pointing out an error to a stranger would result in such aggression in response. Yet this was not the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of verbal abuse while on my bike, and cyclists will tell you that encounters of this kind are far from uncommon. For many considering cycling, the risk of threatening behaviour from drivers means the costs are too high.

To reduce these costs, we need to re-frame the narrative to change attitudes and behaviours. Transport modes do not define us, and the categories of cyclist and motorist are not mutually exclusive. It is not a binary choice to own a bike or to own a car, the majority of cyclists are also motorists who pay tax and insurance but have in this instance left their car at home.

We don’t need to eliminate car use to reduce transport emissions, simply reducing the number of car journeys, and switching to cycling where feasible would make a big impact. The false dichotomy of cyclist or motorist leads to the ‘othering’ of cyclists and levels of hostility not encountered to the same extent in other settings. This has allowed an anti-cycling culture to develop in Ireland, one that is perpetuated by certain media organisations and commentators. Recognising that as a vulnerable minority group cyclists need to be respected and protected, is a first step in changing that culture, increasing the number of people cycling, and shifting social norms.

An economic principle in how people make decisions is that they respond to incentives; when benefits or costs change, the choice made will likely change. Lowering the risk of accidents and lowering the risk of encountering aggressive behaviour both incentivise cycling by reducing the costs. Another way to incentivise cycling is to increase the benefits.

Many countries in Europe pay people to cycle to work. In some schemes, this is a direct payment, paid by the employer but tax deductible, per km cycled up to a capped amount. In other schemes, the cyclist can claim personal tax credits for each km cycled, again up to a yearly cap. A pilot scheme of this type involving 18 companies in France showed a 50% increase in the number of employees cycling to work.

Given the urgency of the climate crisis and our high levels of rising emissions, we need to do everything we can to reduce our carbon footprint. A combination of building cycling infrastructure, addressing our anti cycling culture, and giving monetary incentives to cyclists would significantly increase the number of people cycling and help to move our emissions downwards.

The resulting reduction in congestion would decrease journey times for motorists who need to drive and for those who take public transport. For those individuals incentivised to take up cycling, they could find themselves fitter, happier, and even more productive too.

https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/cyclists-and-motorists-6070935-May2023/

It is indeed a strange trail of logic to go from “Our airlines are the
cause of the rise in the country’s emissions” to “In order to deal with
this, we will have to give up cars and travel by bicycle”.

On some planet somewhere, that might make sense. Just not here.

Worried about a 1.5degC rise in global temperature?

Fear not, at the start of this interglacial period, some 11000 years ago,
the planetary temperature was 2.5 to 3.0 degC warmer than now.

And there were very few people about, no industry at all. Funny, that.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> NATIONAL BIKE WEEK has run all of this week and ends tomorrow. It is a
> week that celebrates and promotes the benefits of cycling. As a long time
> cyclist, I am fully convinced of the benefits.
>
> For me, commuting by bike is both faster than other modes of transport
> and helps me fit exercise into a busy schedule. I also (mostly) enjoy
> cycling; it can reduce my stress levels and improve my mood.
>
> In addition to the personal health and wellbeing benefits from cycling,
> there are also huge environmental benefits. This week, scientists are
> warning that temperatures are likely to temporarily rise above the
> threshold 1.5 degrees in the next five years.
>
> It also emerged this week that Ireland was one of only four EU countries
> where green house gas emissions rose in the final quarter of 2022, and
> our 12.3% year-on-year increase was the highest of these four countries.
>
> Although most of this increase can be attributed to airlines domiciled
> here, our 2021 emissions per capita were already the second highest in
> the EU, almost twice the EU average. To have any hope of meeting our
> emissions reductions targets we clearly need a modal shift away from our car dependency.
>
> Although the electrification of vehicles can play a part in reducing
> transport emissions, particularly in rural areas, it is not a panacea.
> Even Norway, a world leader in electric car adoption, has accepted that
> rather than simply replacing combustion engine cars currently in use with
> electric, we need to move people out of cars and encourage active travel.
> Increasing the numbers cycling, especially in urban areas, could lead to
> significant emissions reductions.
>
> Our love affair with the car
>
> In Ireland, more than half of journeys under 2km are made by car, and in
> the Dublin metropolitan area, 38% of people travel by car five or more
> days a week. Switching from driving to cycling, even just for short
> trips, would reduce individual transport emissions by about 75%.
>
> Given the volume of people travelling short distances frequently,
> there are substantial emissions savings to be made. For example, recent
> TUDublin research estimates that currently 5% of students and 16% of
> staff cycle to campus, but there is potential to support 40% and 46%
> respectively, given the distances they travel.
>
> As an economist, I think about how people make decisions. People will
> cycle if the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs. There is a monetary
> cost saving to be made if you switch from other modes of transport to
> cycling, but there are also non-monetary costs to consider.
>
> The risk of being knocked off your bike is a cost that can be greatly
> reduced with the provision of good cycling infrastructure and segregated
> cycling lanes. Although investment in better infrastructure is needed to
> encourage motorists to switch to carbon neutral options, that alone is
> unlikely to be sufficient.
>
> A few weeks ago, I was cycling home from work and a van trying to turn
> left from a side road into the standstill traffic had stopped across the
> cycle lane. With no room to squeeze through the cars, I calmly pointed
> out to him that he had blocked the cycle lane and I couldn’t get past.
>
> I was met with a tirade of abuse; he shouted, cursed, and
> gesticulated at me until the traffic started to move and I could cycle away.
>
> I can’t imagine another setting in which simply pointing out an error to
> a stranger would result in such aggression in response. Yet this was not
> the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of verbal abuse while on my
> bike, and cyclists will tell you that encounters of this kind are far
> from uncommon. For many considering cycling, the risk of threatening
> behaviour from drivers means the costs are too high.
>
> To reduce these costs, we need to re-frame the narrative to change
> attitudes and behaviours. Transport modes do not define us, and the
> categories of cyclist and motorist are not mutually exclusive. It is not
> a binary choice to own a bike or to own a car, the majority of cyclists
> are also motorists who pay tax and insurance but have in this instance
> left their car at home.
>
> We don’t need to eliminate car use to reduce transport emissions, simply
> reducing the number of car journeys, and switching to cycling where
> feasible would make a big impact. The false dichotomy of cyclist or
> motorist leads to the ‘othering’ of cyclists and levels of hostility not
> encountered to the same extent in other settings. This has allowed an
> anti-cycling culture to develop in Ireland, one that is perpetuated by
> certain media organisations and commentators. Recognising that as a
> vulnerable minority group cyclists need to be respected and protected, is
> a first step in changing that culture, increasing the number of people
> cycling, and shifting social norms.
>
> An economic principle in how people make decisions is that they respond
> to incentives; when benefits or costs change, the choice made will likely
> change. Lowering the risk of accidents and lowering the risk of
> encountering aggressive behaviour both incentivise cycling by reducing
> the costs. Another way to incentivise cycling is to increase the benefits.
>
> Many countries in Europe pay people to cycle to work. In some schemes,
> this is a direct payment, paid by the employer but tax deductible, per km
> cycled up to a capped amount. In other schemes, the cyclist can claim
> personal tax credits for each km cycled, again up to a yearly cap. A
> pilot scheme of this type involving 18 companies in France showed a 50%
> increase in the number of employees cycling to work.
>
> Given the urgency of the climate crisis and our high levels of rising
> emissions, we need to do everything we can to reduce our carbon
> footprint. A combination of building cycling infrastructure, addressing
> our anti cycling culture, and giving monetary incentives to cyclists
> would significantly increase the number of people cycling and help to
> move our emissions downwards.
>
> The resulting reduction in congestion would decrease journey times for
> motorists who need to drive and for those who take public transport. For
> those individuals incentivised to take up cycling, they could find
> themselves fitter, happier, and even more productive too.
>
> https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/cyclists-and-motorists-6070935-May2023/
>

--
Spike

QUOTE:
I was met with a tirade of abuse; he shouted, cursed, and gesticulated at me until the traffic started to move and I could cycle away. ENDS

These cowardly drivers attack and abuse lone women - it masks their pathetic inadequacy.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE:
> I was met with a tirade of abuse; he shouted, cursed, and gesticulated at
> me until the traffic started to move and I could cycle away. ENDS

> These cowardly drivers attack and abuse lone women - it masks their pathetic inadequacy.

Yet you cheered the video of a woman cyclist that criminally damaged a
vehicle before scarpering.

Funny sense of right and wrong, it would seem.

--
Spike

On Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 6:21:55 AM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> QUOTE:
> I was met with a tirade of abuse; he shouted, cursed, and gesticulated at me until the traffic started to move and I could cycle away. ENDS
>
> These cowardly drivers attack and abuse lone women - it masks their pathetic inadequacy.

Remember "clown takes a pratfall"?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FwpR2PPWcAML168?format=jpg&name=medium

Spike <Aero.Spike@mail.invalid> wrote:
> swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
>> QUOTE:
>> I was met with a tirade of abuse; he shouted, cursed, and gesticulated at
>> me until the traffic started to move and I could cycle away. ENDS

>> These cowardly drivers attack and abuse lone women - it masks their pathetic inadequacy.

> Yet you cheered the video of a woman cyclist that criminally damaged a
> vehicle before scarpering.

> Funny sense of right and wrong, it would seem.

Do you think that might stem from a sense of pathetic inadequacy?

--
Spike

On Saturday, 20 May 2023 at 22:35:14 UTC+1, Spike wrote:
> It is indeed a strange trail of logic to go from “Our airlines are the
> cause of the rise in the country’s emissions” to “In order to deal with
> this, we will have to give up cars and travel by bicycle”.
>
> On some planet somewhere, that might make sense. Just not here.
>
> Worried about a 1.5degC rise in global temperature?
>
> Fear not, at the start of this interglacial period, some 11000 years ago,
> the planetary temperature was 2.5 to 3.0 degC warmer than now.
>
> And there were very few people about, no industry at all. Funny, that.
> swldx...@gmail.com <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > NATIONAL BIKE WEEK has run all of this week and ends tomorrow. It is a
> > week that celebrates and promotes the benefits of cycling. As a long time
> > cyclist, I am fully convinced of the benefits.
> >
> > For me, commuting by bike is both faster than other modes of transport
> > and helps me fit exercise into a busy schedule. I also (mostly) enjoy
> > cycling; it can reduce my stress levels and improve my mood.
> >
> > In addition to the personal health and wellbeing benefits from cycling,
> > there are also huge environmental benefits. This week, scientists are
> > warning that temperatures are likely to temporarily rise above the
> > threshold 1.5 degrees in the next five years.
> >
> > It also emerged this week that Ireland was one of only four EU countries
> > where green house gas emissions rose in the final quarter of 2022, and
> > our 12.3% year-on-year increase was the highest of these four countries..
> >
> > Although most of this increase can be attributed to airlines domiciled
> > here, our 2021 emissions per capita were already the second highest in
> > the EU, almost twice the EU average. To have any hope of meeting our
> > emissions reductions targets we clearly need a modal shift away from our car dependency.
> >
> > Although the electrification of vehicles can play a part in reducing
> > transport emissions, particularly in rural areas, it is not a panacea.
> > Even Norway, a world leader in electric car adoption, has accepted that
> > rather than simply replacing combustion engine cars currently in use with
> > electric, we need to move people out of cars and encourage active travel.
> > Increasing the numbers cycling, especially in urban areas, could lead to
> > significant emissions reductions.
> >
> > Our love affair with the car
> >
> > In Ireland, more than half of journeys under 2km are made by car, and in
> > the Dublin metropolitan area, 38% of people travel by car five or more
> > days a week. Switching from driving to cycling, even just for short
> > trips, would reduce individual transport emissions by about 75%.
> >
> > Given the volume of people travelling short distances frequently,
> > there are substantial emissions savings to be made. For example, recent
> > TUDublin research estimates that currently 5% of students and 16% of
> > staff cycle to campus, but there is potential to support 40% and 46%
> > respectively, given the distances they travel.
> >
> > As an economist, I think about how people make decisions. People will
> > cycle if the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs. There is a monetary
> > cost saving to be made if you switch from other modes of transport to
> > cycling, but there are also non-monetary costs to consider.
> >
> > The risk of being knocked off your bike is a cost that can be greatly
> > reduced with the provision of good cycling infrastructure and segregated
> > cycling lanes. Although investment in better infrastructure is needed to
> > encourage motorists to switch to carbon neutral options, that alone is
> > unlikely to be sufficient.
> >
> > A few weeks ago, I was cycling home from work and a van trying to turn
> > left from a side road into the standstill traffic had stopped across the
> > cycle lane. With no room to squeeze through the cars, I calmly pointed
> > out to him that he had blocked the cycle lane and I couldn’t get past.
> >
> > I was met with a tirade of abuse; he shouted, cursed, and
> > gesticulated at me until the traffic started to move and I could cycle away.
> >
> > I can’t imagine another setting in which simply pointing out an error to
> > a stranger would result in such aggression in response. Yet this was not
> > the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of verbal abuse while on my
> > bike, and cyclists will tell you that encounters of this kind are far
> > from uncommon. For many considering cycling, the risk of threatening
> > behaviour from drivers means the costs are too high.
> >
> > To reduce these costs, we need to re-frame the narrative to change
> > attitudes and behaviours. Transport modes do not define us, and the
> > categories of cyclist and motorist are not mutually exclusive. It is not
> > a binary choice to own a bike or to own a car, the majority of cyclists
> > are also motorists who pay tax and insurance but have in this instance
> > left their car at home.
> >
> > We don’t need to eliminate car use to reduce transport emissions, simply
> > reducing the number of car journeys, and switching to cycling where
> > feasible would make a big impact. The false dichotomy of cyclist or
> > motorist leads to the ‘othering’ of cyclists and levels of hostility not
> > encountered to the same extent in other settings. This has allowed an
> > anti-cycling culture to develop in Ireland, one that is perpetuated by
> > certain media organisations and commentators. Recognising that as a
> > vulnerable minority group cyclists need to be respected and protected, is
> > a first step in changing that culture, increasing the number of people
> > cycling, and shifting social norms.
> >
> > An economic principle in how people make decisions is that they respond
> > to incentives; when benefits or costs change, the choice made will likely
> > change. Lowering the risk of accidents and lowering the risk of
> > encountering aggressive behaviour both incentivise cycling by reducing
> > the costs. Another way to incentivise cycling is to increase the benefits.
> >
> > Many countries in Europe pay people to cycle to work. In some schemes,
> > this is a direct payment, paid by the employer but tax deductible, per km
> > cycled up to a capped amount. In other schemes, the cyclist can claim
> > personal tax credits for each km cycled, again up to a yearly cap. A
> > pilot scheme of this type involving 18 companies in France showed a 50%
> > increase in the number of employees cycling to work.
> >
> > Given the urgency of the climate crisis and our high levels of rising
> > emissions, we need to do everything we can to reduce our carbon
> > footprint. A combination of building cycling infrastructure, addressing
> > our anti cycling culture, and giving monetary incentives to cyclists
> > would significantly increase the number of people cycling and help to
> > move our emissions downwards.
> >
> > The resulting reduction in congestion would decrease journey times for
> > motorists who need to drive and for those who take public transport. For
> > those individuals incentivised to take up cycling, they could find
> > themselves fitter, happier, and even more productive too.
> >
> > https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/cyclists-and-motorists-6070935-May2023/
> >
> --
> Spike

And in the days following 11/9 global temperatures increased due to lack of aircraft contrails reducing insolation.

> Remember "clown takes a pratfall"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PFRdEUN240

Mike Collins <cmike8828@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Saturday, 20 May 2023 at 22:35:14 UTC+1, Spike wrote:
>> It is indeed a strange trail of logic to go from “Our airlines are the
>> cause of the rise in the country’s emissions” to “In order to deal with
>> this, we will have to give up cars and travel by bicycle”.
>>
>> On some planet somewhere, that might make sense. Just not here.
>>
>> Worried about a 1.5degC rise in global temperature?
>>
>> Fear not, at the start of this interglacial period, some 11000 years ago,
>> the planetary temperature was 2.5 to 3.0 degC warmer than now.
>>
>> And there were very few people about, no industry at all. Funny, that.
>> swldx...@gmail.com <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> NATIONAL BIKE WEEK has run all of this week and ends tomorrow. It is a
>>> week that celebrates and promotes the benefits of cycling. As a long time
>>> cyclist, I am fully convinced of the benefits.
>>>
>>> For me, commuting by bike is both faster than other modes of transport
>>> and helps me fit exercise into a busy schedule. I also (mostly) enjoy
>>> cycling; it can reduce my stress levels and improve my mood.
>>>
>>> In addition to the personal health and wellbeing benefits from cycling,
>>> there are also huge environmental benefits. This week, scientists are
>>> warning that temperatures are likely to temporarily rise above the
>>> threshold 1.5 degrees in the next five years.
>>>
>>> It also emerged this week that Ireland was one of only four EU countries
>>> where green house gas emissions rose in the final quarter of 2022, and
>>> our 12.3% year-on-year increase was the highest of these four countries.
>>>
>>> Although most of this increase can be attributed to airlines domiciled
>>> here, our 2021 emissions per capita were already the second highest in
>>> the EU, almost twice the EU average. To have any hope of meeting our
>>> emissions reductions targets we clearly need a modal shift away from our car dependency.
>>>
>>> Although the electrification of vehicles can play a part in reducing
>>> transport emissions, particularly in rural areas, it is not a panacea.
>>> Even Norway, a world leader in electric car adoption, has accepted that
>>> rather than simply replacing combustion engine cars currently in use with
>>> electric, we need to move people out of cars and encourage active travel.
>>> Increasing the numbers cycling, especially in urban areas, could lead to
>>> significant emissions reductions.
>>>
>>> Our love affair with the car
>>>
>>> In Ireland, more than half of journeys under 2km are made by car, and in
>>> the Dublin metropolitan area, 38% of people travel by car five or more
>>> days a week. Switching from driving to cycling, even just for short
>>> trips, would reduce individual transport emissions by about 75%.
>>>
>>> Given the volume of people travelling short distances frequently,
>>> there are substantial emissions savings to be made. For example, recent
>>> TUDublin research estimates that currently 5% of students and 16% of
>>> staff cycle to campus, but there is potential to support 40% and 46%
>>> respectively, given the distances they travel.
>>>
>>> As an economist, I think about how people make decisions. People will
>>> cycle if the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs. There is a monetary
>>> cost saving to be made if you switch from other modes of transport to
>>> cycling, but there are also non-monetary costs to consider.
>>>
>>> The risk of being knocked off your bike is a cost that can be greatly
>>> reduced with the provision of good cycling infrastructure and segregated
>>> cycling lanes. Although investment in better infrastructure is needed to
>>> encourage motorists to switch to carbon neutral options, that alone is
>>> unlikely to be sufficient.
>>>
>>> A few weeks ago, I was cycling home from work and a van trying to turn
>>> left from a side road into the standstill traffic had stopped across the
>>> cycle lane. With no room to squeeze through the cars, I calmly pointed
>>> out to him that he had blocked the cycle lane and I couldn’t get past.
>>>
>>> I was met with a tirade of abuse; he shouted, cursed, and
>>> gesticulated at me until the traffic started to move and I could cycle away.
>>>
>>> I can’t imagine another setting in which simply pointing out an error to
>>> a stranger would result in such aggression in response. Yet this was not
>>> the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of verbal abuse while on my
>>> bike, and cyclists will tell you that encounters of this kind are far
>>> from uncommon. For many considering cycling, the risk of threatening
>>> behaviour from drivers means the costs are too high.
>>>
>>> To reduce these costs, we need to re-frame the narrative to change
>>> attitudes and behaviours. Transport modes do not define us, and the
>>> categories of cyclist and motorist are not mutually exclusive. It is not
>>> a binary choice to own a bike or to own a car, the majority of cyclists
>>> are also motorists who pay tax and insurance but have in this instance
>>> left their car at home.
>>>
>>> We don’t need to eliminate car use to reduce transport emissions, simply
>>> reducing the number of car journeys, and switching to cycling where
>>> feasible would make a big impact. The false dichotomy of cyclist or
>>> motorist leads to the ‘othering’ of cyclists and levels of hostility not
>>> encountered to the same extent in other settings. This has allowed an
>>> anti-cycling culture to develop in Ireland, one that is perpetuated by
>>> certain media organisations and commentators. Recognising that as a
>>> vulnerable minority group cyclists need to be respected and protected, is
>>> a first step in changing that culture, increasing the number of people
>>> cycling, and shifting social norms.
>>>
>>> An economic principle in how people make decisions is that they respond
>>> to incentives; when benefits or costs change, the choice made will likely
>>> change. Lowering the risk of accidents and lowering the risk of
>>> encountering aggressive behaviour both incentivise cycling by reducing
>>> the costs. Another way to incentivise cycling is to increase the benefits.
>>>
>>> Many countries in Europe pay people to cycle to work. In some schemes,
>>> this is a direct payment, paid by the employer but tax deductible, per km
>>> cycled up to a capped amount. In other schemes, the cyclist can claim
>>> personal tax credits for each km cycled, again up to a yearly cap. A
>>> pilot scheme of this type involving 18 companies in France showed a 50%
>>> increase in the number of employees cycling to work.
>>>
>>> Given the urgency of the climate crisis and our high levels of rising
>>> emissions, we need to do everything we can to reduce our carbon
>>> footprint. A combination of building cycling infrastructure, addressing
>>> our anti cycling culture, and giving monetary incentives to cyclists
>>> would significantly increase the number of people cycling and help to
>>> move our emissions downwards.
>>>
>>> The resulting reduction in congestion would decrease journey times for
>>> motorists who need to drive and for those who take public transport. For
>>> those individuals incentivised to take up cycling, they could find
>>> themselves fitter, happier, and even more productive too.
>>>
>>> https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/cyclists-and-motorists-6070935-May2023/
>>>
>> --
>> Spike
>
> And in the days following 11/9 global temperatures increased due to lack
> of aircraft contrails reducing insolation.

So we have jet aircraft to thank for keeping the planet cool. One wonders
what the greenies make if that.

--
Spike

On Sunday, 21 May 2023 at 14:13:37 UTC+1, Spike wrote:
> Mike Collins <cmik...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Saturday, 20 May 2023 at 22:35:14 UTC+1, Spike wrote:
> >> It is indeed a strange trail of logic to go from “Our airlines are the
> >> cause of the rise in the country’s emissions” to “In order to deal with
> >> this, we will have to give up cars and travel by bicycle”.
> >>
> >> On some planet somewhere, that might make sense. Just not here.
> >>
> >> Worried about a 1.5degC rise in global temperature?
> >>
> >> Fear not, at the start of this interglacial period, some 11000 years ago,
> >> the planetary temperature was 2.5 to 3.0 degC warmer than now.
> >>
> >> And there were very few people about, no industry at all. Funny, that.
> >> swldx...@gmail.com <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>> NATIONAL BIKE WEEK has run all of this week and ends tomorrow. It is a
> >>> week that celebrates and promotes the benefits of cycling. As a long time
> >>> cyclist, I am fully convinced of the benefits.
> >>>
> >>> For me, commuting by bike is both faster than other modes of transport
> >>> and helps me fit exercise into a busy schedule. I also (mostly) enjoy
> >>> cycling; it can reduce my stress levels and improve my mood.
> >>>
> >>> In addition to the personal health and wellbeing benefits from cycling,
> >>> there are also huge environmental benefits. This week, scientists are
> >>> warning that temperatures are likely to temporarily rise above the
> >>> threshold 1.5 degrees in the next five years.
> >>>
> >>> It also emerged this week that Ireland was one of only four EU countries
> >>> where green house gas emissions rose in the final quarter of 2022, and
> >>> our 12.3% year-on-year increase was the highest of these four countries.
> >>>
> >>> Although most of this increase can be attributed to airlines domiciled
> >>> here, our 2021 emissions per capita were already the second highest in
> >>> the EU, almost twice the EU average. To have any hope of meeting our
> >>> emissions reductions targets we clearly need a modal shift away from our car dependency.
> >>>
> >>> Although the electrification of vehicles can play a part in reducing
> >>> transport emissions, particularly in rural areas, it is not a panacea..
> >>> Even Norway, a world leader in electric car adoption, has accepted that
> >>> rather than simply replacing combustion engine cars currently in use with
> >>> electric, we need to move people out of cars and encourage active travel.
> >>> Increasing the numbers cycling, especially in urban areas, could lead to
> >>> significant emissions reductions.
> >>>
> >>> Our love affair with the car
> >>>
> >>> In Ireland, more than half of journeys under 2km are made by car, and in
> >>> the Dublin metropolitan area, 38% of people travel by car five or more
> >>> days a week. Switching from driving to cycling, even just for short
> >>> trips, would reduce individual transport emissions by about 75%.
> >>>
> >>> Given the volume of people travelling short distances frequently,
> >>> there are substantial emissions savings to be made. For example, recent
> >>> TUDublin research estimates that currently 5% of students and 16% of
> >>> staff cycle to campus, but there is potential to support 40% and 46%
> >>> respectively, given the distances they travel.
> >>>
> >>> As an economist, I think about how people make decisions. People will
> >>> cycle if the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs. There is a monetary
> >>> cost saving to be made if you switch from other modes of transport to
> >>> cycling, but there are also non-monetary costs to consider.
> >>>
> >>> The risk of being knocked off your bike is a cost that can be greatly
> >>> reduced with the provision of good cycling infrastructure and segregated
> >>> cycling lanes. Although investment in better infrastructure is needed to
> >>> encourage motorists to switch to carbon neutral options, that alone is
> >>> unlikely to be sufficient.
> >>>
> >>> A few weeks ago, I was cycling home from work and a van trying to turn
> >>> left from a side road into the standstill traffic had stopped across the
> >>> cycle lane. With no room to squeeze through the cars, I calmly pointed
> >>> out to him that he had blocked the cycle lane and I couldn’t get past.
> >>>
> >>> I was met with a tirade of abuse; he shouted, cursed, and
> >>> gesticulated at me until the traffic started to move and I could cycle away.
> >>>
> >>> I can’t imagine another setting in which simply pointing out an error to
> >>> a stranger would result in such aggression in response. Yet this was not
> >>> the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of verbal abuse while on my
> >>> bike, and cyclists will tell you that encounters of this kind are far
> >>> from uncommon. For many considering cycling, the risk of threatening
> >>> behaviour from drivers means the costs are too high.
> >>>
> >>> To reduce these costs, we need to re-frame the narrative to change
> >>> attitudes and behaviours. Transport modes do not define us, and the
> >>> categories of cyclist and motorist are not mutually exclusive. It is not
> >>> a binary choice to own a bike or to own a car, the majority of cyclists
> >>> are also motorists who pay tax and insurance but have in this instance
> >>> left their car at home.
> >>>
> >>> We don’t need to eliminate car use to reduce transport emissions, simply
> >>> reducing the number of car journeys, and switching to cycling where
> >>> feasible would make a big impact. The false dichotomy of cyclist or
> >>> motorist leads to the ‘othering’ of cyclists and levels of hostility not
> >>> encountered to the same extent in other settings. This has allowed an
> >>> anti-cycling culture to develop in Ireland, one that is perpetuated by
> >>> certain media organisations and commentators. Recognising that as a
> >>> vulnerable minority group cyclists need to be respected and protected, is
> >>> a first step in changing that culture, increasing the number of people
> >>> cycling, and shifting social norms.
> >>>
> >>> An economic principle in how people make decisions is that they respond
> >>> to incentives; when benefits or costs change, the choice made will likely
> >>> change. Lowering the risk of accidents and lowering the risk of
> >>> encountering aggressive behaviour both incentivise cycling by reducing
> >>> the costs. Another way to incentivise cycling is to increase the benefits.
> >>>
> >>> Many countries in Europe pay people to cycle to work. In some schemes,
> >>> this is a direct payment, paid by the employer but tax deductible, per km
> >>> cycled up to a capped amount. In other schemes, the cyclist can claim
> >>> personal tax credits for each km cycled, again up to a yearly cap. A
> >>> pilot scheme of this type involving 18 companies in France showed a 50%
> >>> increase in the number of employees cycling to work.
> >>>
> >>> Given the urgency of the climate crisis and our high levels of rising
> >>> emissions, we need to do everything we can to reduce our carbon
> >>> footprint. A combination of building cycling infrastructure, addressing
> >>> our anti cycling culture, and giving monetary incentives to cyclists
> >>> would significantly increase the number of people cycling and help to
> >>> move our emissions downwards.
> >>>
> >>> The resulting reduction in congestion would decrease journey times for
> >>> motorists who need to drive and for those who take public transport. For
> >>> those individuals incentivised to take up cycling, they could find
> >>> themselves fitter, happier, and even more productive too.
> >>>
> >>> https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/cyclists-and-motorists-6070935-May2023/
> >>>
> >> --
> >> Spike
> >
> > And in the days following 11/9 global temperatures increased due to lack
> > of aircraft contrails reducing insolation.
> So we have jet aircraft to thank for keeping the planet cool. One wonders
> what the greenies make if that.
>
> --
> Spike

On 21/05/2023 11:23 am, swldx...@gmail.com...

....pretending not to answer Spike, said:

> On Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 6:21:55 AM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

>> QUOTE:
>> I was met with a tirade of abuse; he shouted, cursed, and gesticulated at me until the traffic started to move and I could cycle away. ENDS
>>
>> These cowardly drivers attack and abuse lone women - it masks their pathetic inadequacy.
>
> Remember "clown takes a pratfall"?

Yes!

Who could forget it?

<https://tinyurl.com/p8dxn55m>

Clowns don't come any more clownish than that do they?

On 21/05/2023 01:18 pm, Mike Collins wrote:
> On Saturday, 20 May 2023 at 22:35:14 UTC+1, Spike wrote:
>> It is indeed a strange trail of logic to go from “Our airlines are the
>> cause of the rise in the country’s emissions” to “In order to deal with
>> this, we will have to give up cars and travel by bicycle”.
>>
>> On some planet somewhere, that might make sense. Just not here.
>>
>> Worried about a 1.5degC rise in global temperature?
>>
>> Fear not, at the start of this interglacial period, some 11000 years ago,
>> the planetary temperature was 2.5 to 3.0 degC warmer than now.
>>
>> And there were very few people about, no industry at all. Funny, that.
>> swldx...@gmail.com <swldx...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> NATIONAL BIKE WEEK has run all of this week and ends tomorrow. It is a
>>> week that celebrates and promotes the benefits of cycling. As a long time
>>> cyclist, I am fully convinced of the benefits.
>>>
>>> For me, commuting by bike is both faster than other modes of transport
>>> and helps me fit exercise into a busy schedule. I also (mostly) enjoy
>>> cycling; it can reduce my stress levels and improve my mood.
>>>
>>> In addition to the personal health and wellbeing benefits from cycling,
>>> there are also huge environmental benefits. This week, scientists are
>>> warning that temperatures are likely to temporarily rise above the
>>> threshold 1.5 degrees in the next five years.
>>>
>>> It also emerged this week that Ireland was one of only four EU countries
>>> where green house gas emissions rose in the final quarter of 2022, and
>>> our 12.3% year-on-year increase was the highest of these four countries.
>>>
>>> Although most of this increase can be attributed to airlines domiciled
>>> here, our 2021 emissions per capita were already the second highest in
>>> the EU, almost twice the EU average. To have any hope of meeting our
>>> emissions reductions targets we clearly need a modal shift away from our car dependency.
>>>
>>> Although the electrification of vehicles can play a part in reducing
>>> transport emissions, particularly in rural areas, it is not a panacea.
>>> Even Norway, a world leader in electric car adoption, has accepted that
>>> rather than simply replacing combustion engine cars currently in use with
>>> electric, we need to move people out of cars and encourage active travel.
>>> Increasing the numbers cycling, especially in urban areas, could lead to
>>> significant emissions reductions.
>>>
>>> Our love affair with the car
>>>
>>> In Ireland, more than half of journeys under 2km are made by car, and in
>>> the Dublin metropolitan area, 38% of people travel by car five or more
>>> days a week. Switching from driving to cycling, even just for short
>>> trips, would reduce individual transport emissions by about 75%.
>>>
>>> Given the volume of people travelling short distances frequently,
>>> there are substantial emissions savings to be made. For example, recent
>>> TUDublin research estimates that currently 5% of students and 16% of
>>> staff cycle to campus, but there is potential to support 40% and 46%
>>> respectively, given the distances they travel.
>>>
>>> As an economist, I think about how people make decisions. People will
>>> cycle if the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs. There is a monetary
>>> cost saving to be made if you switch from other modes of transport to
>>> cycling, but there are also non-monetary costs to consider.
>>>
>>> The risk of being knocked off your bike is a cost that can be greatly
>>> reduced with the provision of good cycling infrastructure and segregated
>>> cycling lanes. Although investment in better infrastructure is needed to
>>> encourage motorists to switch to carbon neutral options, that alone is
>>> unlikely to be sufficient.
>>>
>>> A few weeks ago, I was cycling home from work and a van trying to turn
>>> left from a side road into the standstill traffic had stopped across the
>>> cycle lane. With no room to squeeze through the cars, I calmly pointed
>>> out to him that he had blocked the cycle lane and I couldn’t get past.
>>>
>>> I was met with a tirade of abuse; he shouted, cursed, and
>>> gesticulated at me until the traffic started to move and I could cycle away.
>>>
>>> I can’t imagine another setting in which simply pointing out an error to
>>> a stranger would result in such aggression in response. Yet this was not
>>> the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of verbal abuse while on my
>>> bike, and cyclists will tell you that encounters of this kind are far
>>> from uncommon. For many considering cycling, the risk of threatening
>>> behaviour from drivers means the costs are too high.
>>>
>>> To reduce these costs, we need to re-frame the narrative to change
>>> attitudes and behaviours. Transport modes do not define us, and the
>>> categories of cyclist and motorist are not mutually exclusive. It is not
>>> a binary choice to own a bike or to own a car, the majority of cyclists
>>> are also motorists who pay tax and insurance but have in this instance
>>> left their car at home.
>>>
>>> We don’t need to eliminate car use to reduce transport emissions, simply
>>> reducing the number of car journeys, and switching to cycling where
>>> feasible would make a big impact. The false dichotomy of cyclist or
>>> motorist leads to the ‘othering’ of cyclists and levels of hostility not
>>> encountered to the same extent in other settings. This has allowed an
>>> anti-cycling culture to develop in Ireland, one that is perpetuated by
>>> certain media organisations and commentators. Recognising that as a
>>> vulnerable minority group cyclists need to be respected and protected, is
>>> a first step in changing that culture, increasing the number of people
>>> cycling, and shifting social norms.
>>>
>>> An economic principle in how people make decisions is that they respond
>>> to incentives; when benefits or costs change, the choice made will likely
>>> change. Lowering the risk of accidents and lowering the risk of
>>> encountering aggressive behaviour both incentivise cycling by reducing
>>> the costs. Another way to incentivise cycling is to increase the benefits.
>>>
>>> Many countries in Europe pay people to cycle to work. In some schemes,
>>> this is a direct payment, paid by the employer but tax deductible, per km
>>> cycled up to a capped amount. In other schemes, the cyclist can claim
>>> personal tax credits for each km cycled, again up to a yearly cap. A
>>> pilot scheme of this type involving 18 companies in France showed a 50%
>>> increase in the number of employees cycling to work.
>>>
>>> Given the urgency of the climate crisis and our high levels of rising
>>> emissions, we need to do everything we can to reduce our carbon
>>> footprint. A combination of building cycling infrastructure, addressing
>>> our anti cycling culture, and giving monetary incentives to cyclists
>>> would significantly increase the number of people cycling and help to
>>> move our emissions downwards.
>>>
>>> The resulting reduction in congestion would decrease journey times for
>>> motorists who need to drive and for those who take public transport. For
>>> those individuals incentivised to take up cycling, they could find
>>> themselves fitter, happier, and even more productive too.
>>>
>>> https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/cyclists-and-motorists-6070935-May2023/
>>>
>> --
>> Spike
>
> And in the days following 11/9 global temperatures increased due to lack of aircraft contrails reducing insolation.

I didn't know that, but accept what you say.

Did anything similar happen during the depths of the pandemic?
>

On 21/05/2023 01:48 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> Remember "clown takes a pratfall"?

Yes - that idiotic chav-cyclist (sorry for the double tautology) riding
into a parked car because he wasn't looking where he was going
(rank-chav-cyclist style).

JNugent <jenningsandco@mail.com> wrote:
> On 21/05/2023 11:23 am, swldx...@gmail.com...
>
> ...pretending not to answer Spike, said:
>
>> On Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 6:21:55 AM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>>> QUOTE:
>>> I was met with a tirade of abuse; he shouted, cursed, and gesticulated
>>> at me until the traffic started to move and I could cycle away. ENDS

>>> These cowardly drivers attack and abuse lone women - it masks their pathetic inadequacy.

>> Remember "clown takes a pratfall"?

> Yes!

> Who could forget it?

> <https://tinyurl.com/p8dxn55m>

> Clowns don't come any more clownish than that do they?

The common factor in those crashes, apart from the self-righteous cyclists
themselves, is the fact that they just don’t look where they are going.

--
Spike

This is the shocking moment a motorist launched into an expletive-laden rant at a cyclist - only to end up on the floor.

The road rage row was caught on camera by the cyclist after he claimed the driver passed too close to his bike on a Reading road, Berkshire.

His attempts to remonstrate with the motorist sparked a torrent of abuse from the furious man who leaned out his window to yell: 'Mate, how f***ing big is that bicycle? Enraged, the Peugeot 405 driver continued in his foul-mouthed rant telling him: 'Put your f***ing mouth shut! You are really p***ing me off.'.

He also makes obscene gestures at the other man, before finally driving off..

But he pulls up just a few hundred yards away and gets out on foot to confront the cyclist, who later uploaded the video under the title 'A clown takes a pratfall' on You Tube.

The argument continued, with the 51-year-old, from Henley-on-Thames, covering up the camera on the bike and once again goes to leave. But the cyclist, called uphillfreewheeler on Youtube, appears to goad him until the driver chases him.

The four minute footage ends with the middle aged man running down the street until he appears to trip over something.

He goes flying and fall, head-over-heels, into the road.

As well as his hurt pride, and most likely a few bruises, the driver will also have a criminal record.

Thames Valley Police confirmed they had investigated the incident and said that the motorist had been given a caution for a public order offence.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3182298/Are-f-ing-tank-Video-shows-motorist-turning-air-blue-foul-mouthed-confrontation-cyclist-doesn-t-end-him.html

On 21/05/2023 04:07 pm, Spike wrote:

> JNugent <jenningsandco@mail.com> wrote:
>> On 21/05/2023 11:23 am, swldx...@gmail.com...
>> ...pretending not to answer Spike, said:
>>> On Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 6:21:55 AM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>>>> QUOTE:
>>>> I was met with a tirade of abuse; he shouted, cursed, and gesticulated
>>>> at me until the traffic started to move and I could cycle away. ENDS
>
>>>> These cowardly drivers attack and abuse lone women - it masks their pathetic inadequacy.
>
>>> Remember "clown takes a pratfall"?
>
>> Yes!
>> Who could forget it?
>> <https://tinyurl.com/p8dxn55m>
>> Clowns don't come any more clownish than that, do they?
>
> The common factor in those crashes, apart from the self-righteous cyclists
> themselves, is the fact that they just don’t look where they are going.

They don't *have* to, do they?

Mad Mason has always defended their right not to.

Me too, i'm roaring lol. I normally would feel distress at violence and aggression but this is just insanity, the guy lost the plot and the poor passenger is looking for a hole to crawl in. However, its unfair to blame the cyclist (no helmet?) as he did contain a flashpoint situation that could have ended quite serious. Here's another giggle for you, play the Benny Hill earworm to the cyclist pedalling away at speed, too funny.