to some Dudley councillors

30 October 2021

Dear friends

Literally for decades - since about 1980 - I have been following climate science reports on, mainly BBC Radio 4.  The science goes back to the 1850s, in fact!  It is urgent that you leading Dudley councillors now act to help turn things round, instead of business as usual as we carry on regardless with our fingers crossed.

Patrick was brilliant, yesterday in letting me put my own 25 suggestions in your pigeon holes.  An even more famous Patrick, Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK's Chief Scientific Adviser, was on the 'Today' programme two mornings ago.  He "called on leaders to take urgent action to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels – beyond which more severe impacts of global warming will be felt.

"The statement, signed by nearly 40 chief scientists and equivalents, said it was still possible to curb temperature rises to 1.5°C, but only with steep reductions in global emissions by 2030 and reducing them to zero overall by 2050."

"Vallance said that most of the technologies needed to shift to a greener world are already “visible”, and warned against relying on a “magic new technology” coming along in future years that would solve the problem.

He added that the “green choice needs to be the easy choice”, including on price and convenience, and that people need a clear understanding of what they can do on an individual level to make a difference."

Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2295076-eat-less-meat-and-fly-less-to-help-climate-says-patrick-vallance/#ixzz7AlG0jBxj

Sir Patrick is urging behavioural change on all of us.  I am leading by example, as I mentioned in my 25 suggestions.  I am walking the talk.  Therefore, I can rightfully urge you never again to move Dudley Leisure Centre that Google says is a 15 mins walk away from Wellington Road leisure centre that is much newer than Halesowen's.  (Thanks for our refurbishment that will cut greenhouse gases considerably, I hope)

 MY CLUES FOR A CLUELESS, FLOUNDERING, WAYWARD G...

INSULATE DUDLEY BOROUGH

This must now be your top priority.  Secondary glazing must be used where double or triple glazing cannot be.  Council housing stock must be brought to Passivhaus standard and every other building in your ownership, where at all possible.

Smaller, highly energy efficient homes and apartments must be built in the town centre and people encouraged to walk to the shops there, if at all possible.  And, certainly, not to use Metro to get to Merry Hill more quickly and easily.

It is almost certainly still much cheaper to cancel the Dudley and Sandwell Metro and pay those fees than to persist in the destruction of the borough's 7th railway line between Worcester, Walsall and Derby.  There is still room for the return of Dudley railway station on the east side of Tipton Road.  BCIMO should use the Brierley Hill to Himley via Brockmoor and Bromley 3 Kms line, as I pointed out in 2014.  This is a second line they could still expand onto, as well as use Castle Hill railway tunnel as they do now.  This, eventually, returned to railway use between Derby, Dudley and Devon to relieve Brum railway stations and to regenerate Dudley.

 Dudley's Seven Smashed railway lines

Best wishes

Tim