An idea for Readings new bicycling and walking plan

FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS

It should feel natural and safe to both walk and cycle from one neighbourhood to another. Options that make the idea more appealing  include pedestrian and bike paths, green space, lighting and safe pedestrian crossings in traffic.

The idea of ??the future Reading is for the community to be built block by  block into a close, safe and environmentally friendly town. The goal is vibrant neighbourhoods throughout Greater Reading, not just in the inner city.

It is part of our urban mobility strategy to make it easier to cycle in Reading throughout the yea ( and for the amount of cycle-miles to increase. A new Bicycle Plan explains how to increase bicycle commuting and how it will be easier and safer to ride in Reading.

The number of cyclists in Reading has increased significantly over the past ten years. More and more people have discovered the benefits of cycling as a means of transport. The bicycle is a simple, fast, inexpensive and environmentally friendly means of transport. You also get free exercise, and enjoy the health benefits of cycling. The city is currently working on a new bike plan to improve the accessibility for cyclists.

To develop the cycle network further, Reading is developing a new bike plan, which include a range of measures to build more bike paths and bike lanes, building bicycle commuter routes to facilitate bike commuting, and improving the service by building more bicycle parking, changing the priority of traffic signals and improving operation and maintenance. The Bicycle Plan was adopted by the Transport and the Real Estate Committee and the Environment and Health Committee in October 2012 and by the Borough Council in February 2013.

 

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Bike Week 2013

Bike Week, the UK’s biggest mass participation cycling event, had almost half a million people taking part in the celebrations of cycling across the UK in 2012.

Bike Week events offered something for everyone; from families, schools and companies, to seasoned cyclists and those who have never cycled before.

Bike Week 2013 will take place between 15 – 23 June. Don’t miss out and register your interest now to receive the latest news from us!

Business case 6 – Let´s take a closer look at Willmott Dixon Group

A  business case to study. Here is one good example that is both sustainable and climate change-friendly from Willmott Dixon Group. See links for info,

http://www.willmottdixongroup.co.uk/sustainability
(Sustainability – Willmott Dixon Group)

http://www.willmottdixongroup.co.uk/sustainability/energy-and-climate-change
(Planning for energy efficiency and carbon emission reduction)

http://www.willmottdixongroup.co.uk/videos/sunesis-school
(Learning for the future)

http://www.willmottdixongroup.co.uk/sustainability/energy-and-climate-change/travel
(Green travel policy)

http://www.fmjdata.com/2013/02/08/procuring-to-protect-the-local-community/
http://www.willmottdixongroup.co.uk/news?actv_news_news_id=240&actv_news_news_page=1
(Protecting the local community with environmental benefits)

 

https://twitter.com/WillmottDixon/status/299907141127532545/photo/1
(One of their twitter examples)

Ultra-low emission vehicles – Reducing greenhouse gases and other emissions from transport

The government has set an ambitious vision for almost every car and van to be a zero emission vehicle by 2050.

We are positioning the UK at the global forefront of ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) development, manufacture and use. Greater use of ULEVs will contribute to economic growth and will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution on our roads.

Through the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) we are providing over £400 million to advance ULEV technology and encourage people to buy and drive ULEVs.

Grants

  • To encourage more people to drive ULEVs we offer several grants:
  • Plug-in Car Grant
  • Plug-in Van Grant
  • domestic chargepoints
  • residential on-street chargepoints
  • residential on-street and rapid chargepoints for local authorities
  • train station car park chargepoints
  • chargepoints on the public sector estate

Investment in new technologies

We work closely with industry and other government departments to develop and strengthen the capability of ULEV manufacturing and its associated supply chain in the UK:

  • supporting automotive manufacturing and the UK supply chain

We actively participate in the joint government and industry UKH?Mobility project, evaluating the potential for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles in the UK and developing a roadmap for their commercial deployment from 2015.

  • key findings from the UKH?Mobility evaluation phase

We fund projects targeted at low and ultra-low vehicle technologies, designed to promote research, design, development and demonstration in the UK:

  • low carbon vehicle technology research and development

Recharging infrastructure

We have set out a framework for the development of recharging infrastructure to support electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles:

  • strategy on plug-in vehicle infrastructure

To inform future development of the UK’s recharging network, we are funding the Plugged-in Places programme.

  • Plugged-in Places

Support for fleets

We provide funding and support to fleets considering purchasing low emission vehicles:

  • Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme (LCVPP) funding for public sector fleets purchasing hybrid vans
  • fleet consultancy through the Energy Saving Trust’s Plugged-in Fleets initiative
  • infrastrucutre on the government estate

Interaction with the energy system

We work with the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) and the Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) to understand the interaction of plug-in vehicles with the energy system. In particular, we are mindful of the:

  • additional demands the electrification of transport might place on the electricity system
  • contribution that plug-in vehicles might make in terms of system balancing and the transition to smart grids, and energy security

New vehicle carbon dioxide emissions standards

EU regulations set out targets for emission reductions for new cars and vans. In the next few years we expect the EC to make proposals for post-2020 new car and new van emission standards, as well as a strategy for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from lorries, buses and coaches.

via Ultra-low emission vehicles – Reducing greenhouse gases and other emissions from transport – Policies – Inside Government – GOV.UK.

New station subway to open | Reading Borough Council

27/02/2013

To help deliver improvement works at Reading station the newly refurbished subway opens on Friday 1st March on the same day the section of the passenger bridge which links the station to the multi-storey car park will close for good.

The much-improved new pedestrian route from Vastern Road direct into the town centre will connect residents living north of the station.

The current passenger bridge will close permanently, to allow new platforms underneath it to be completed. For four weeks people will be able to use a temporary walking route via the new subway. Those using the temporary route should allow up to an additional 15 minutes to get to their trains.

The subway, which will be maintained by Council, has a new lighting and digital CCTV system linked to the station and police.

When the new northern entrance and passenger bridge is opened in April 2013, the subway will be the only means for those without train tickets to get from one side of the railway to the other.

via New station subway to open | Reading Borough Council.

Resource Efficiency Indicators (EEA)

European Environment Agency

A new in-depth report about “resource efficiency indicators” is out from the European Commission DG Environment.

The in-depth reports are a series of publications, which take a comprehensive look at the latest science on key topics in environmental policy.

Resource efficiency forms a vital part of Europe 2020, the EU’s growth strategy towards a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy. This In-Depth Report examines the progress in resource efficiency indicators, building on the EU’s Resource Efficiency Roadmap

resource-efficiency-indicat

Download the report here:http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/indepth_reports.htm

On vacation we do not consider the environment

Although many of us think of to make environmentally friendly choices in everyday life, when it comes to the holiday we prioritize other things.

Most tourists opt out of taking the green option when it comes to travel planning, especially regarding the mode of transport they use.

– Many people think of the environment in their everyday lives, for example they recycle, cycle or take public transportation to work and choosing organic foods – but when it comes to the holiday, it may seem that they do not want to take responsibility for the environment, but other things may control decisions, says Therese Hedlund ..

“Feels far away”

Her study shows that our decisions are more often based on individual, rather than the collective benefits when it comes to travel.

– For example flying is a quick and convenient way to get around when you have time constraints or are traveling with children, but the negative environmental impacts will affect us collectively. These negative feelings feel far away when we are making the decision, says Therese Hedlund.

Ironically tourists are also not willing to pay for an environmentally-friendly tour operator when considering the mode of transport to get to their destination, will however consider an environmentally-friendly, and often more expensive, accommodations at the resort.

– By choosing an eco-labelled accommodation you can show others that you are willing and able to pay for an accommodation that is more beneficial for the environment. This behaviour can provide status in today’s society, says Therese Hedlund.

 

ABOUT THE SURVEY

Based on a dissertation from Umeå University in Sweden that used two different surveys, one with 681, and the other with 732 response participants. The average age of the participants was 44 and 52 years, and there were equal numbers of men and women in both surveys.

 

Source: http://www.expressen.se/res/pa-semestern-bryr-vi-oss-inte-om-miljon/

US Environment Agency Releases First Climate Adaptation Plan

For the first time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has publicly released a draft plan on how the department’s programmes will adapt to global warming, in a move that could lay additional groundwork…

 

EPA-Stragetic-Plan

Download the full Report here (55 pages)
via EPA.GOV

 

Electrifying Reading Station

FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS
 
  • The aim is to become one of the UK’s first climate-neutral train stations
  • Electrifying key routes on the railway will mean faster, greener, quieter and more reliable journeys for thousands of passengers.
  • The overall goals are pointing towards climate-and fossil fuel-free district in 2030 where   carbon dioxide emissions below 1.5 tonnes per person per year by 2020
 
electrifying

Electric trains emits circa 20-35% less carbon per passenger than a diesel train. With zero emissions at the point of use, they  improve air quality in pollution hot spots such as city centres and main line stations. Electric trains are quieter than diesels and are virtually silent when waiting at stations.

Read about the progress at Reading station area development:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/reading

An Experiment in Zero Waste | Residence on Earth

An Experiment in Zero Waste

Posted on February 6, 2013

Ever since I read Elizabeth Royte’s Garbage Land, I can’t throw away anything without thinking about the secret life of trash. Royte followed her garbage to landfills where nothing decomposes and a hotdog from 1950 looks virtually the same in 2005. I followed her to the recycling plants where enormous batches of paper are made back into pulp, and where plastic bottles find a second life as carpets or outdoor furniture. I traveled vast distances as trash from New York City is trucked to landfills as far away as West Virginia and where toxic sludge from wastewater treatment plants is spread on fields as fertilizer. Knowing that Americans generate 250 million tons of trash per year, I began an experiment last summer to see how much waste I actually produced and could divert.

Recycling was the easy part. Because I do not drink soda or bottled water, my container recycling over the course of a week was usually one or two milk and orange juice cartons, an egg carton, and various paperboard containers, aluminum cans, and plastic tubs. My paper was fairly minimal because almost all of my printing was done at work and I subscribed to no paper newspapers or magazines. However I did get a large amount of junk mail…

An Experiment in Zero Waste | Residence on Earth.