Ken Redfern, my fantastic environmentalist brother-in-law (my sister's husband), I think got it right when he perceptively said in the early 80s, "We need a hole under the Channel like we need a hole in the head." He understood all about ecology, nuclear physics and the essential restraints we should be living under in the light of finite resources but, their burning led to unrestrained whiplash from nature hitting back - as we are now seeing more obviously, I fear, as does my sister, too. The tunnel then led to HS1 through the Garden of England and, now HS2 ... Ken died far too young from cancer in December 1993. He is one of my heroes and his firstborn son, Tom I much admire. His dad would be proud of him. I cycled all the way to Ken's home in Somerset on the 10th anniversary of his death for a small do in his memory. I bivied out in a wood and then was disturbed by the Police in the morning!
HS1, HS2, Metro, Sprint are all highly attractive, glossy and glamorous transport schemes. But, as a result they are extremely expensive and that means high GHG emitting, too.
They are symptomatic of our human existence and activity being far too dominant, expansive and shows human hubris, I think. Shows, too our inability to show restraint but wanting ever more greedy, wealth-flaunting, vanity, grossly extravagant projects. Just because we can afford to do anything we like does not make it right or sensible or in line with the laws of nature.
We realise we cannot go on building motorways to solve our congestion problems, so we have turned to high speed railways instead. And highly expensive transport schemes to replace boring buses and trains with flash trams in order to entice motorists out of their cars. But it has not worked to reduce car dominance and the rush hour crawl.
Our activity to give economic growth is concreting, bricking over and tarmacing the countryside. However, some countryside concreting is essential as the population rises and demand for good housing continues.
But HS1/2, trams and Sprint always divert money away from the more mundane schemes like replacing the joke, slum disgrace of Kiddi bus station and the odd Victorian-like coffin rest-like bus shelter in the town centre, of all things! Or, giving us more Fare-Free Public Transport, electric buses and bus/business lanes. Or making Northern Rail as good as the railways in London and the SE, with their new Elizabeth railway at £19 billion and a second on the way, for London north-south travel.
We always want more gung ho, more, bigger, fancier things from our poor planet that is not expanding in line with our ever greedy demands.
Recession or, at least, steady-state economics with social justice for the rich to help out the poor. The answer? What good, competent national government is meant to be all about, I thought.
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