malumbu

Today it was announced that there would be a 2/3rd likelihood that the 1.5 degrees threshold for global temperatures indicating that climate change is accelerating. What will you say to your grandchildren when they asked you what you did. Oh we campaigned for the status quo. Get some perspective rather than your own parochial self interest. Wouldn't your efforts be better placed trying to make a difference? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65602293

The Sun article glorified football violence. If he is a reformed character helping sick children in a hospital or re-homing orphan animals then I'd love to know. Otherwise hurting people for entertainment, as opposed to say joining a boxing or martial arts club, sounds like he is (or was) a psychopath, As for your disdain for locals you can look at it two ways. Very similar to football. In the past it was real and edgy but with violence (be it the Old Den or Lordship Lane). Gentrification has it's annoyances, commoditisation of football has in part destroyed the game I love. I find it hard to go to Dulwich Hamlet with all the recent newcomers who have little or no footballing heritage. But I welcome the safety and quality of both football and Lordship Lane. OK off to the best pub in Britain (the Blythe) to watch moneybags state funded Manchester City in the semi. Join me and we can continue the chat. There will be Millwall and Palace watching but no bother! And a pound a pint cheaper than SE22 (and a real pub, the Castle is the last one left in Dulwich). Heavens there are about four different threads in my post.

Sounds charming - www.thesun.co.uk/sport/22134815/millwall-hooligans-ginger-bob-fights/ The Sun refers to the reformed football hooligan but just talks about the violence. Are you a fan of the 'reformed junkie and racist' too - Roy Larner, who I witnessed on Rye Lane giving his unpleasant views on Muslims?

Heartblock I was commenting on your earlier post. Just some information that people may find interesting/helpful. To correct myself as PM has been cut from motor traffic, other sources, and particularly in winter wood burners, are having a greater percentage impact. That subject has been covered elsewhere. The link to the government's air quality strategy is relevant, essentially getting local authorities to do the dirty work. Worth looking at the national monitoring programme: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/networks/network-info?view=aurn Set up initially to determine national compliance with air quality standards. For reasons unknown there is no longer a monitoring station in Southwark https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/interactive-map And the London air quality monitoring programme https://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/publicbulletin.asp Two monitoring stations in Southwark but Honor Oak is the nearest to SE22 - obv Honor Oak is in Lewisham

Brief response to Heartblock and Penguin on some of the points raised. 1. Many (or most) drivers do not like stop start technology, and some will switch it off. Virtually all drivers will sit in traffic/lights etc with engines running. Ten years ago TfL had an anti idling campaign. Little impact. And few enforcement officers will take action when drivers are sitting their with engines running. 2. SO2 emssions, like lead, are a success story in that sulphur (excuse the old school spelling) has been removed from transport fuels. Pretty irrelevant to the general discussion. 3. WHO may set lower PM air quality limits but the UK has to meet domestic law, which aligns with the EU and elsewhere, so councils could not go further and I don't see the UK doing this as a Brexit benefit, as it would potentially harm the UK motoring industry (interesting that the VW cheating scandal actually ended up in improving air quality as emissions standards were toughened. Although having said this there may be tighter targets in the UK - poorly publicised air quality strategy, worth a read as this is directed at local authorities https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-air-quality-strategy-for-england/air-quality-strategy-framework-for-local-authority-delivery 4. There are many other sources of poor air quality but for NO2 high roadside levels will be predominantly from traffic as other sources will be diluted. 5. There has been good information through text alerts for those vulnerable to high levels of pollution for a decade or more. eg https://www.airtext.info/ 6. It's all very complicated eg the effect of Ozone (a photo chemical reaction), still calm weather with low inversion height and low wind speeds that reduces dispersion over winter days and the like. My understanding is rather rusty and quite peed off that this government are bad in putting information out (worse than earlier ones I dealt with). You could cut local authorities a bit of slack. I'm not commenting on Southwark's monitoring, others are far more aware. But do read the air quality strategy link above, I'll spend some time on this.

Snitch! (well in your defence it did tickle me, I assume you were teasing and not being serious)

I'm totally lost. But excited by the amount of traffic (posts not vehicles) on the Lounge. Could someone summarise where we are? I quite liked posting about buses. It seems to be Spartacus, First Mate and Rocks against Mr Chicken which appears to be unfair. I am planning to set up an Oxford Union type debate in a local pub - seriously, obviously with no animosity.

It does seem a bit daft to have another thread when this topic is on the Lounge. I don't buy the argument that people can't be assed to look at the Lounge. It's a click away. I'm not shutting down posting here Del, but in the 100s if not thousands of posts on the LTN (and CPZ and ULEZ) I doubt whether few have changed their minds. I think there are probably more entrenched views amongst those who are angry with Southwark as opposed to more open minded tree huggers like me 😀 There was a nice invite for people to present the opposing argument which I, but only a few others did, join in. Many, and I expect that includes Del, are simply cheesed off with the current impact. Del, I'll send you a separate message with my general thoughts, it's not hardline or confrontational just the way I see the world. Enjoy the sunshine everyone.

Ah shame it was getting interesting (commented on being moved to the Lounge). Not sure why those most concerned don't post on the lounge, like I do, and where we used to have epic discussions on issues including traffic policy in the past. Anyway, pleased that Rockets does all the right things on active travel yet this is such a paradox as you are so concerned about interventions by Southwark that affects motorists. I will reach out using another channel. Returning to buses I was rather obsessed a few years ago. Two big concerns were buses mounting and damaging the cycle route on Peckham Rye. The Council had done a lovely job, but the slightly raised curb has long since been a complete mess. If there is a commercial vehicle parked on the left eg to unload in the shops, the buses naturally move to the right and mount the cycle road. There is enough space not to do this, but it is tight. So you either get drivers not to do this (and risk taking off the odd door mirror), widen the bus lane (bit limited due to for example street furniture) or close the parking spot. I approached both Southwark and TfL on this and got bugger all response. My other obsession were cars and vans parked on the double yellows and what appeared to be the lack of enforcement. This caused big delays for buses and peed me off. Southwark didn't respond to complaints but the FOI showed there was a fair degree of enforcement although I never saw any. The shopkeepers dummies that Southwark employed (an 'affectionate' term used by five live for the assistant referees they used to have by European footy matches) even though supposedly enforcement officers only seemed to direct bin lorries. But that problem disappeared when they closed Rye Lane to traffic, and doesn't have seem to have returned.

Don't stop believing!

It looks as if everyone is now happy with LTNs. I'm not going to do my dead parrot alternative sketch again. As amusing as it is. We could play Where's Rockets!

Oh I thought that this was a vicious rumour. Carol and Rishi - an odd couple!

Biggest smile of the day thanks. Second biggest was the original post 😀

In deed, death for no reason, is a bit long winded.

Back to my earlier challenge, Rocks, do you use buses or simply come up with reasons not to use them? Returning to the subject do CPZs affect you or is it just another cause to attack Southwark?? They may well be brought in where I live and the locals are already up in arms. We should take a step back and put self-interest to one side. A family member has them and it seems to work fairly well - this is near to a station (in the home counties) that is used for commuting. Important issues are costs, enforcement charges and accommodating friends and other visitors. This allows people to park for up to two hours and gives residents books of half day permits free of charge. Accommodating parking near shops is fairly important - noting of course that huge swathes of central London have no free parking but shops stay in business. Right, off to the Lounge now to discuss LTNs - feel free to join me

Great spotted woodpecker has now decided to feed on the goldfinch feeder. Not really sure it was designed for them - this is sunflower seeds, doubt if it would feed on niger seeds. All my tadpoles gone, I've never had success. They may have been eaten but don't think algae or other elements of water quality were the reason.

Just going to reply but Mr Chicken just got in before. I was going to add that on buses there has been arrangements that they are not always caught in traffic for maybe 50 years plus. Bus lanes. There can also be arrangements for priority at lights and of course preference at turnings. Thanks for debating the issues Mr Chicken rather than flinging mud and/or going on another vicious attack at Southwark Council. To be personal, and a genuine question, do those of you who get so angry about interventions to reduce car use use buses?

Police adopted a three word slogan "arrest arrest arrest" I think in honour of a film on Pearl Harbour "Tora Tora Tora" (the Japanese code for the attack) And most of the phone in audience on Jeremy Vine yesterday "off with (their) heads" (on the protesters arrested and released without charge)

BTW you've lost me Mr C. You say that buses are only practical if there are less cars on the road. Well I've been using them for years and whilst my commute was almost always by bike, I'd use the bus (185) occasionally, ideally before 7.50 due to the school run (ie greater congestion eg on Camberwell New Road - Sacred Heart before the bus lane) as I could get a seat and read, and it cost me around a third of the real cost of motoring, and that was excluding parking and the congestion charge which would take the bus to around 5% of the cost of driving to central London. It was a few minutes quicker by train but hated standing up and the changes. Meant to attach this on 20mph - worth a read www.gov.wales/introducing-20mph-speed-limits-frequently-asked-questions#74859

Mate has one and he is happy to keep it on the street. For cargo bikes designed just for carrying cargo I expect that there is less likelihood of them being stolen, but for the people carriers I expect easier to offload on Brick Lane or Gumtree (personal experience of where my stolen bikes went) Bic - reducing speed limits generally increases capacity on the roads as vehicles can drive closer together more than compensating for the reduction in speed limit. This is why variable speed limits were originally introduced, say on the M25. In recent years, for example on the M4 coming out of London lower speed limits were introduced as less NO2 is emitted. I'm not sure if the benefits continue as low as 20mph, but the main issue here is junction design and other infrastructure and that most people are dreadful drivers in that they are heavy on the brake and accelerator. I was always tempted to video cars on Court Lane before the restrictions - accelerate to 30mph, brake to 15mph, repeat 14 times. Rather than drive between 23 and 15 slightly accelerating before the hump and then backing off to around 15 just before you accelerate again. Try it and you will be surprised and challenge yourself to see how far you can go by just using the accelerator to control speed. The next part of that game is to continue onto junctions where you don't have right of way and see how many times you can anticipate without braking. 20mph has to go hand in hand with infrastructure and at times local authorities could get this better, I'm thinking across London not necessarily local. Lambeth Bridge South Side is a particularly bad example. And a general plea don't make these discussions personal. Most wont agree with me but this is supposed to b e a forum as opposed to a soap box, eg many WhatsApp groups and Nextdoor.com If I have caused offence in the past (most likely when it was supposed to be teasing/banter/ironic) my apologies.

Again too many words! Come back with three. Up your bum would half work (Copy-write Cynthia Payne) www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/apr/17/how-we-made-wish-you-were-here-emily-lloyd

It's disingenuous to always go on about those less able in life. It's great that you are concerned (as am I, and I have the badge to wear) but I expect that most people use this up to support their own self interest. Most people are not disabled and can manage to walk a mile or two, cycle two or three miles and catch a bus. Where this is not the case arrangements should be in place to ensure other initiatives are in place. If you've got an hour or so go down to Herne Hill Velodrome and watch disabled people on adapted bikes https://wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk/cycling-sessions/ And read Isabelle Clement's amazing biography www.gov.uk/government/people/isabelle-clement https://wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk/honorary-mbe-awarded-to-wfws-director/

Some good points by Rofflick, good that not all of us are chanting "it's a blooming liberty". I'd like a question along the lines: We are in a climate crisis and are failing to meet legal limits on emissions. 40,000 people die each year in the UK due to poor air quality. What will you to reduce your emissions and carbon footprint? Answers could include: Reduce (or hopefully stop) frivolous purchases Do not get into the insane habit of online shopping, only to return many of your purchases Reduce my car use, and where I need to use it consider sharing journeys, drive smartly (avoiding unnecessary acceleration and braking) and preferably max out in terms of both a fuel efficient vehicle and general sustainability (manufacturing, life time and the like). Better still ditch the car, use alternatives and where necessary car clubs/car sharing schemes Reduce my meat consumption and look wherever possible to locally produced sustainable food Reduce my single use plastic consumption etc etc etc Few would vote to put up everyday costs, but most of you can afford the extra, and as fuel prices drop that's saving £100s for the average driver compared to the peak.

What you need to bet mass support is a good three word slogan. In the bad old days it was 'No Poll Tax". "Take back control" probably swung the Brexit vote. The odd one out was Make America Great, Again. Someone should have advised Donald on this. How well with not my king do?

Reminds me of the scouting and guides movement, having to swear allegiance to God and to the monarchy. We will be saluting the flag next. Well it will be over and done with soon and we can move back to dodgy government etc.