Dave Mathieson

Like, in one sense they're correct, but the mindset of treating climate as a niche issue that can only be mentioned in special "climate/environment" segments has a huge part to play in why we're where we are in terms of climate politics.

What I find bleak is how all of the politics/economics reporting around this war not only uses "energy" as synonymous with fossil fuels, but also has literally *nothing* to say about the politics/economics of moving off these fuels. Their continued use is 100% baked-in to all mainstream geopolitics.

The article adopts the general tone (which is the same as ministers, commentators and senior management at relevant agencies) whereby public transport is useful only as a way of getting other people off the roads so there's less traffic for actual commuters.

"I'm Dave from Slough and I persuaded Professor Griff to take the rapping outside" is a pretty good anecdote to be fair.

It's the car parking, every time.

white painted bike lane Proposed bike lane cancelled after failing to get approval from every living and deceased resident within 25 km.

"Proposed bike lane cancelled after failing to get approval from every living and deceased resident within 25 km."

My oil truck driver told me the traffic on the Strait of Hormuz was brutal this morning.

Suburbia is Subsidized: Here's the Math [ST07] YouTube video by Not Just Bikes

WATCH: If you STILL don’t understand how car-dependent suburbia is HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED by downtown and all the urban parts of your city, watch this EXCELLENT video by #NotJustBikes with #Urban3 & @strongtowns.bsky.social. And PLEASE SHARE it as much as possible.

I’ve sent it to a LOT of politicians.

[We see a close up of a young white male, tanned, white teeth, coiffed hair clearly an influencer on social media. It is an image such as you see when social media posts are shown on the news. In the corner of the screen is named a location: DUBAI. He is staring slightly off-camera for several silent panels of the comic strip. His eyes move slightly. He is having a thought.] From off-screen a newsreader’s commentary comes: NEWSREADER: Extraordinary images here of an expat in Dubai [The influencer’s eybrows raise slightly] …Having their first ever geopolitical thought. [CUT TO a BBC news scene. The BBC newsreader CLIVE MYRIE is talking to an interviewee next to the screen showing the social media influencer’s face. The interviewee’s name is David Jones]. CLIVE MYRIE: To explain the significance of this moment we’re joined by David Jones, our Expat Thoughts correspondent DAVID JONES: Clive, this is momentous It was caught on film at the end of an Instagram post titled: ‘Dubai Is Brilliant’. [Pointing at the screen, the influencer’s expression still the same] You can clearly see in the eyebrows here, the dawning realisation that there *might* be something in the world beyond his dickhead self. It marks a *huge* departure from all the Dubai Expat’s previous thoughts. CLIVE MYRIE: Which are…? DAVID JONES: You've Got To Get Yourself Out Here Mate, Everything Is So Clean, I Don't Have To Pay Taxes, I Am Incurious As To Why I Do Not Have To Pay Taxes, and Spa. CLIVE MYRIE: And might we see an expansion of these new Thoughts in coming days? DAVID JONES: I think we can expect to see: “I Deserve To Be Airlifted By A Country I Pay No Tax To” CLIVE MYRIE: Mmm. [Ends]

I have a more controversial opinion that Patrick's / Paddy's Day should get a "ziz" on the end for consistency with St. Stephen's Day.

I just put it down to the fact that Patty sounds pretty much like Paddy anyway in most American accents. Like Atom / Adam.

Yeah, but think of all that quality time standing around breathing in fumes and wondering if the crossing button actually works?

A diagram showing how a 2 minute delay to an active travel trip reduces the accessible area from a 15-minute trip by 25%

As I was made to wait 2.5 minutes to cross a road this morning, let's again do the maths simple.ghost.io/lets-do-the-...

They can't help themselves, can they? Terrified that even stating the existence of a driver is some kind of accusation of culpability.

Glad he's there to give us the inside track on the exclusive information that film stars and russian UFC fighters live there.

I think it's more the case that they think (or hope) that we're dumb.

And of course he may look into those specific 36 cases, but there undoubtedly are lots more similar cases scattered across the country that will receive no coverage or political attention.

Cycling in Dublin for commuting rises 50% as most residents back more bike lanes Residents of Ireland’s five main cities want more space for cyclists, even at the expense of cars

"The vast majority of residents across the State’s five main cities want increased investment in cycling infrastructure, even when that results in less road space for cars, the NTA’s 2025 Walking and Cycling Index has found." @darraghobrientd.bsky.social
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/dubl...

The vast majority of residents across the State’s five main cities want increased investment in cycling infrastructure, even when that results in less road space for cars, the NTA’s 2025 Walking and Cycling Index has found.

I know I'm not paid the big bucks to fix traffic problems, but I'm sure this will be top of Darragh O'Brien's list of things he's not writing off.

www.irishtimes.com/ireland/dubl...

Another reason to abandon fossil fuels...and GREEN THE FUCKING GRID

Basically this diagram but with even more mutually-incompatible constraints

bsky.app/profile/bren...

They're searching for that sweet spot where traffic disappears, nobody who drives has to change to a different transport mode, all parking will be maintained, nobody has to pay any more for anything, and nothing has to change in terms of planning or land use.

Government's planned LNG terminal slammed as 'fundamentally incompatible' with climate policy Last year, the government approved the Floating Storage and Regassification Unit.

Irish government policy is to make us more reliant on foreign energy like LNG, while paying out tens of billions of euros in fines for failure to meet climate targets.

Moving to renewables is the only way for Ireland to develop its own sustainable, sovereign energy source. #speirgorm

If it saves one life....

a lion on grass with a person saluting in camo gear Toronto Zoo removes costly fences for lion enclosure, opts to hand out camouflage clothing to patrons - inspired by city cycling infrastructure. Be Safe Be Unseen is their new slogan.

Toronto Zoo removes costly fences for lion enclosure, opts to hand out camouflage clothing to patrons - inspired by city cycling infrastructure. Be Safe Be Unseen is their new slogan.

Good choice of words as "writing things off" is literally what he did when he delayed public transport projects.

Are there people who are politically conservative, who aren't that convinced by the main climate/environmental arguments, but shift their position towards renewables for exactly this reason? Genuine question - don't think I've heard this point of view (not recently anyway).

In his case it's worse than "we've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas".

Darragh O’Brien drafts in state agencies to find solutions to traffic congestion in the capital Transport Minister ‘not writing anything off’ in bid to ease problem in urban areas

Has he considered not shelving rail projects? Not cutting funding for expansion of public transport could be worth looking at too.