Notes from our meeting this morning

It was really great to meet you, Rob and to hear all you had to say.

My own important points for our excellent Climate Change Cabinet member are these:

• Such is our total dependency on finite fossil fuels for every aspect of our lives: the more we spend the more greenhouse gases are emitted.
• Therefore, Andy Street's £15 billion (Jan 2020 figure) for 8 lines, 150 miles, 380 tram stops by 2040 is completely the WRONG thing to do.
• For example, the steel for the 150 miles of tracks, alone is ruinous!
• Michael Portillo on 'Great Coastal Railway Journeys' (filmed last year) said that for every one ton of steel produced, 2 tonnes of carbon dioxide are emitted.  Some of that steel comes up on one track of our Black Country Railway to Tata Steel.
• Concrete for the viaducts and tram stops is also very high in greenhouse gas emissions from the cement manufacture.
• Andy's (and I voted for him in 2017 and 2021 and much like the man) multi-modal transport means more of everything - heavy rail, light rail, very light rail and ultra light rail (Stourbridge Shuttle); Sprint buses ((the bus that thinks its a tram), Platinum buses, hydrogen buses.
• For me, this means a mighty mix-up mish-mash of many modes that cause more delays and changes to discourage modal shift from cars to public transport.  Metro Westside is an example of trams now permanently blocking fast bus travel through Five Ways underpass and only some buses can use Broad Street, entwining with the trams.

BACKGROUND

All our politicians, transport experts, trade unions, train enthusiasts were responsible for the entire tram network wiped off the face of the map in the 1950s to be replaced by diesel buses.

The lot of them are wholly responsible for wiping out one third or more of our railway network in the W Mids in the decades following the 50s disaster.

The 60s also saw the demolition of New St Victorian station and the new concrete monstrosity meant the polluting trains went underground.  Utter idiocy!

The 70s saw the demolition of Snow Hill Victorian station and its immediate replacement with more concrete and only four platforms from the previous eight.

The 80s saw the start of Midland Metro from the W Mids County Council and elected councillor, Phil Bateman that was to be the silver bullet to all our road congestion problems.

The 90s saw the opening of the first tramline on a perfectly good mainline railway out to Wolverhampton Low Level Station and Shrewsbury.  Except, the trams destroyed 3 or 4 Kms of track and the station!

The second tramline was to be opened by the year 2000, according to Dudley leader, Cllr Fred Hunt in the mid-90s in a chat with me.  This was on an even more important mainline railway from Worcester, Dudley, Walsall, Derby.  Only now being built to be opened in the autumn of 2024.  An official 10.7 Kms for £449.5 million (2019 figure when construction started).

The 00s saw the precious pronouncement that light rail was to be the catalyst, the enabler for the return of heavy trains to the 120 Kms Black Country Railway.  "Light rail investment provides the basis for restoring heavy rail services at the appropriate time."

The 10s saw the Laura Shoaf prized comment on BBC 'Midlands Today' of "passive provision" to enable the return of heavy rail trains once the trams have taken it all over!  All it means is that both have the same width of track.  And one set of track for both - totally impossible and unachieved 

2016 was the "bus on rails" tram bypassing Snow Hill station, leaving platform 4 wasted, unused still to this day!  The nearest stop to the station is Bull Street, a walk of 300 metres to the train platform!

The 2020s:-  still no commuter/regional trains on a single stretch of freight only railway lines of which there are 106 Kms in the Black Country and Brum!

NETWORK RAIL and TfWM are the problem

I've been told that Network Rail does not want passenger and freight trains mixing on the same track.

I've been told by Laura that freight trains are not allowed on the 120 Kms Black Country Railway until 2040s, at the earliest.

Big, highly prestigious schemes like Crossrail 1 and 2 and HS2 must have the bulk of the available money for railway restoration.

PER KM CONSTRUCTION COSTS:

£7m for Scotlands' Borders Railway rebuilt in 2015.  54% single track.

£21m for M6 Toll built in Dec 2003

£50m, at 2019, for Wednesbury, Brierley Hill Extension (WBHE).  But, possibly £100 m for Canal Street tram stop to Cottage Street terminal of 1.2 Kms distance.  Saved if the railway line is shared with Tata Steel trains to Stourbridge.

£75m (2017) for Metro Westside to make public transport worse

£133m (2020) for Metro Eastside

£200+ m for HS2.

MY RED LINE, please Rob to ensure, if you possibly can:

The 400 metre viaduct must keep well away from my landscape enhancement scheme, PLEASE, so that the trees are not affected.

Neither must any of the High Plateau housing scheme be taken for the tramline.  Please try and get them to redraw the route line on their plan.  Elsewhere in Europe trains/trams are raised on elevated steel structures over rivers, canals and roads.

MY PINK LINE:

Metro trams use the double track between Tata Steel (Round Oak) and Stourbridge Jct.

The Port Talbot steel trains use their one track at night (not liked by the workers)

OR, the steel trains use one track and Metro uses one track.  Network Rail may prefer this.

PATRICK'S enthusiasm for Metro may well mean that Dudley town shoppers may prefer using the tram to get to and from Merry Hill, to the detriment of Dudley town centre businesses.

THE short-lived 1990s Merry Hill monorail was brilliant for the Weller family!  REINSTATE!!

Best wishes

THIS MUST BE THE ULTIMATE ABSURDITY TO RIVAL BREXIT!

Dear Brad - and copied to people who can confirm, correct or deny the accuracy of what I have written here.

You are brilliant at not being so high and mighty that you cannot reply.  You have the common decency and courtesy to engage and to engage honestly, too.  THANK YOU!  Everyone of my local politicians and officers could learn a thing or two from your fine example.

However, I still don't think it has dawned on you that the mainline railway, almost adjacent to the Waterfront, will be wasted, unused, possibly for the rest of time.  A railway "of national strategic significance" being used as a shuttle "bus on rails" tram line to 'Grand Central Shopping Centre and Diesel Perfumed Basement Station', aka New St Sta. This is a most terrible waste of transport infrastructure that has already had millions of pounds spent on it and will now remain wasted, possibly for an eternity!  You will never be connected to the NE and the SW of England by fast, regional and even intercity trains.  Instead, you are being sold a pup - when you could have a mature, grown up dog!  Instead of the tram line at double the expense per kilometre of the M6 Toll when it opened in December 2003, you could have passenger trains from all parts of the country coming to Merry Hill - as used to be the case, of course.  They came to the station in Brierley Hill, itself because your site was Merry Hill Farmhouse and farmlands and the northern part was Round Oak Steelworks - either side of Level Street.  This was the case from around 1850 in the midst of the ultimately catastrophic, climate changing Industrial Revolution.  Even then, apparently, some scientists were warning of the terrible consequences of burning fossil fuels!

I don't think you get it, Brad.  No shuttle tram but a grown up regional and even national service on the full 120 Kms.  You would be able to get about that more easily in your car when driving through the Midlands.  Some motorists will use the mainline railway to allow you to have a more pleasant drive on motorways with fewer vehicles!

Anyway, it doesn't matter that you cannot see the grand scheme that could be yours!  You must settle for very much less than the best, as TfWM/WMCA also want.  You are in good company.

14 March 2019  

I wrote all that yesterday morning.  I have woken up today and feel that I must add this.  To be blunt, you are facilitating the permanent destruction of the UK's only/last mothballed mainline railway over 120 Kms between Worcester and Derby.  The northern and southern sections are in use but the most important section is YOUR section, in the middle through the Black Country and that bypasses "one of the worst railway congestion bottlenecks in the UK", viz: 'Grand Central Shopping Centre and Diesel Perfumed Basement Station' aka New St Sta.  The intention of the 'experts' is for a railway "of national strategic significance" to be used as a shuttle "bus on rails" tram line to 'Grand Central'. This is a most terrible waste of transport infrastructure that has already had millions of pounds spent on it and will now remain wasted, until humanity is passed over in favour of other life forms!  Millions of pounds was spent in recent years for the flyovers and tunnels over the forgotten 56 Kms to allow new dual carriageways and motorways to be built.  But the idiots forgot to go on to the next step - the rather vital trains and stations!

Your Waterfront Mainline Railway station must be connected to the shops by electric buses or by electric, driverless, elevated monorail. NOT the railway "of national strategic significance" used as a piddling little shuttle tram line. The current intention is as shocking as the chaos of our government's Brexit. It was the stupid transport planners and small minded politicians who allowed an excellent top model, Swiss monorail from Von Roll to be built and opened in, I think, 1990. Yet, the foolish, ignorant, authorities failed to connect the last 400 metres, from Waterfront monorail station, to the nationally important railway at Round Oak. Even then, the much needed commuter/regional trains and stations should have gone back - in 1990! Round Oak is almost adjacent to the Waterfront that you own.

I think, Brad that only you and your company can knock some sense into the heads of the public sector top officials, politicians and 'experts'. It is your national duty to do so. Seriously!

Very best wishes

PROMPTED BY DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S 'AFRICA' - episode 6 - 'The Future”

His talk of climate change and more difficulties for wildlife and humans provoked incensed, vitriolic  comments on 'The Independent' blog site.

1)  Why do so many contributors use such weird and wonderful names?  Are they so ashamed of what they write that they cannot bear to stand by their comments using their real names?

2)  Why does no-one ever concede a point or even give credit to a valid point made by someone else in the discussion?

3)  Nothing that the climate scientists tell us, ever makes the slightest difference.  We all go our own sweet way, anyway.  We all carry on regardless with our fingers crossed, doing what we want to continue with our ever-rising and unsustainable material standards of living.

4)  Even if the climate scientists are wrong (I hope they are) and James Delingpole IS right about everything (I hope he is), is it not wise to take all the many positive, practical and helpful measures that will leave more finite resources for future generations?  Living more simply so that others may simply live is simply ethical and ecological.

1. The history of the planet is one of constant warming and cooling periods that is perfectly natural and normal. What we, so intelligent and sophisticated and clever humans are doing, is NOT – and, we are part of nature and NOT above it and that is the problem!

2. It seems to have started with the white European races burning and clear felling their forests for farming and building. Now, everyone is doing it. Next, the Europeans started on the fossil fuels – in earnest from the 18^th century – converting carbon into carbon dioxide. Now, everyone is at it. So far, we have got away with it. It may not be for ever, however.

3. Margaret Thatcher, in one of her three major speeches on the environment as Prime Minister, commenting on our industrialisation said, "we have unwittingly begun a massive experiment with the system of this planet itself.”

4.  This not too dissimilar from the more direct, "Either, we get our numbers and our activities into harmony with the powers of the earth to support life or, collapsing eco-systems will do the job for us." In other words, we either live within the rules of the way the planet works or, we get our come-uppance.  We respect and preserve and in harmony with eco-systems (life support systems) or, they collapse and our numbers and activities suffer.  We live within Nature's parameters or, Nature has the last word.

5.  The other unfortunate effect of ripping through our one-off geological inheritance is that we leave nothing for our children and grandchildren who will then be up against it. But, that doesn't matter because it will NEVER happen in OUR lifetime – and that's all that matters!

Telegraph thunders against thermomaniacs!

Thanks v much for the Daily Telegraph page featuring a broadside against the thermomaniacs like me and the telling cartoon next to it.

The cartoon summarises my position nicely. We in the rich West and North of the planet are so busy making wealth (bonuses from our "you've never had it so good" sham society) that we haven't noticed that there is an unfortunate downside to our ever rising material standards of living - that is, rising problems! In other words, what we take today we won't have tomorrow and, these heavy footed life styles affect the planet's life support systems to the detriment of life on earth. The cartoon has snow and ice turning into water to leave little habitable land on which to enjoy our material bonuses - ever rising material standards of living gives rising problems like energy and food security issues. Even the government is now realising they must get to grips with securing energy and food for our descendants.

We all enjoy being promised the moon by the main parties who are not at all bothered about the rather more important but mundane matter of guaranteeing the earth for our children and grandchildren! Only the Green Party has, in fact, got its priorities right. In other words, we gain the whole world (literally from the most extensive, longest-lasting and most powerful empire in the history of humanity that is still in control) and lose our soul - as someone a little wiser than Simon Heffer said!

Heffer, Lawson, Melanie Phillips, et al are all part of the self-satisfied, self-enhancing majority who think that sacrifice is all about the heroic sacrifice of being killed in Afghanistan by the resistance fighters rather than the restraint and noble sacrifice of living to tread more lightly on the planet to leave a land fit - not for heroes - but for others!

This trio of unbelievers do, of course, have a huge problem with climate science being championed by the Greens and the greens and other assorted left wing groups for over 30 years. The right has grown complacent with their built-in majority amongst the electorate and in government. Now, we have won the battle and they don't like, one little bit, the left being right and the right wrong!

I think it is more sensible to hope for the best but to prepare for the worst. More sensible to assume that the vast majority of international climate scientists are right and to behave accordingly.

'The Age of Stupid'

Worth seeing. I saw it yesterday evening, put on by Transition Stourbridge. Another climate change film with a novel approach. You look out through a computer screen at Pete Postlethwaite operating a touch screen to bring down film clips to keep your attention and interest.

One is of a remarkable 82 year old mountain guide from Chamonix taking his clients up the Alps, including via ferrata and showing how glaciers have retreated. Good shot of Mt Blanc at one point. Another, clip of a young wealthy man setting up the Indian equivalent of Easy Jet or Ryanair and contrasted with crowded trains and poverty. One film of an heroic young English guy trying to set up nine wind turbines on an old airfield in Bedfordshire but being foiled by NIMBY protesters determined to keep their view (of elecy pylons, I expect!). Oil and Africa is also featured; animation to depict our glorious colonial past to bring civilisation and light to the heathen tribes in their darkness; and, a man saving lives in drowned New Orleans. Plus, much else.

Owning up to our little peccadillos!

At every level, racial (whites), religious (Christian), wealth (the rich),

geographical location (western Europeans, Australasia, and North

Americans), it is our ancestors and we today who are the problem on this
planet. Our side, for a thousand years and going strong, are the primary
perpetrators of suffering for all humanity - and, some would say, the
animal kingdom, too.

First it was from exploration, trade, war and subjugation. From that list,
for some, we can now only delete 'subjugation'. To the list is now added

the catastrophic consequences of the industrialised nations' climate change
and their rapacious exhaustion of resources. They/we are imperilling all

humanity by these ruinous behaviours.

Africa: basket case, breadbasket and case of carbon famine

Africa was almost certainly doing fine until the white man came on the scene with his alien culture, religion, slavery and warfighting (Tony Blair's alternative to 'warfare'). The culture was alien, the religion divisive, the slavery also involved whites and Africans enslaving/killing Africans and the warfighting resulted in the UK being the first, I think, with a scorched earth policy and the English named concentration camps that killed over 20,000 Boer women and children .

Wikipedia has:
"Eventually, there were a total of 45 tented camps built for Boer internees and 64 for black Africans. Of the 28,000 Boer men captured as prisoners of war, 25,630 were sent overseas. The vast majority of Boers remaining in the local camps were women and children. Over 26,000 women and children were to perish in these concentration camps."

In more recent years, the white powers and China see the continent, yet again as a mine for 'gold digging'; this time for the exploitation of mineral wealth to put in our mobile phones and computers. We carry on regardless, despite the complete inability of too many African countries to use their wealth to benefit all. We exploit and use this irreplaceable wealth to benefit ourselves, knowing full well that the Thatcherite trickle down theory will result in the rich West/North and the African elite continuing to enrich themselves - and, themselves alone.

In addition, we set them a very bad example with our unethical and hypocritical and aggressive foreign policy. No wonder the African leaders are such a shower when we are even more of a shower!

Our wealth grabbing lifestyles of carbon binging also result in catastrophic climate change that is resulting in the African deserts advancing while, at the same time, the African forests are, probably, being clear felled - like, almost, everywhere else.

I think we still have the major responsibility for the parlous state of Africa. We reckon ourselves the policeman, judge, jury and punisher of failed/rogue states in the world. We - the US/UK - are the hyperpower; therefore, we have the major responsibility by virtue of our self appointed world role, to alleviate the war and poverty in too much of Africa.

After all, we do run the economic and trading systems and structures of the
world so that they operate in our best interests!

This I Believe

Faith is very much part of the problem when even Bible-believing Christians insist that when the Lord comes again He will make a new heaven and a new earth and all will be well. It leads to complacency and a carry on regardless mindset when our lifestyles - our numbers and our activities - are putting the planet's life support systems under such strain.

For them, catastrophic climate change already affecting the poor nations, together with the fast melting of the Arctic ice and, resource depletion just does not impinge upon the far greater issue of an eternity with the Lord. Everything else - even ecocide - pales into insignificance when compared with making disciples, of saving souls, winning all who are to be saved for the Kingdom in the end days. However, this is no longer an adequate response, in my opinion.

Not adequate because our extravagant lifestyles - and warfare, for that matter (Armageddon in the Middle East is biblical and essential and fully supported by the righteous of the Lord, who do so like to help things along!) - is seen as much amongst the Lord's faithful as it is amongst everyone else. There is no difference. Complacency - and scepticism that we need to change our behaviours - is as prevalent amongst the Lord's saved as it is amongst the rest. In fact, for the Lord's people, the certainty of His return takes away any urgency to do anything about over-filling the earth with humans and subduing it to leave less and less in the way of essential resources and habitable land.

Pure, unadulterated genius!

My compliment to the person who chose such a simply brave but meaningful and short title for a major Roman Catholic conference in Manchester. "LIVESIMPLY!" was the title to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the papal encyclical 'Populorum Progressio' (On the Development of Peoples).

The challenge to livesimply "is this generation's response to the document and the values it embodied", according to the event booklet. That 1967 document commands: - sharing the earth's resources with all; there is more to progress than economic growth; free trade can only work well between two equal partners; justice and the removal of the over-rich and the over-poor must be the basis of peace with justice; a duty to be of service to all, especially generations to come; dialogue between the wealthy and those in need; and, education to feed the mind.

This conference summarised the document for today as live simply, live sustainably and live in solidarity with the poor. For me, living simply is the perfect summary for living sustainably and, for standing alongside the poor. To live simply, you have to live sustainability and in solidarity with the poor. 'Sustainable' is now hopelessly overused with the word, but not the deed, being incorporated into so much. We now have sustainable development instead of economic development. It has long been hijacked by the concrete, brick and tarmac brigade of expansion come what may. Yet, this kind of sustainability is no way like the Green Party's unique 'Manifesto for a Sustainable Society' that is a blueprint for making human life - and all life - last indefinitely on earth.

It was the best conference I have ever been to with the most outstanding speakers, first rate drama and children signing reflections. Throughout, excellent organisation and timekeeping, too. However, where were the clergy? Few were in evidence in this 600 strong gathering of only the laity! Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor really should have been there. The Rt Rev Vincent Nichols was.

Livesimply means simply smaller - smaller families, smaller cars, smaller homes. However, the Catholic emphasis on the sanctity of life and the outlawing of even abortion brought within the law, and contraception, does make me think that that sanctity is jeopardising all life on earth as we relentlessly press on with more wanted babies and more unwanted babies. And the babies of us lot - the over-rich - are living ever longer to have an increasing impact on climate change, peak oil and resource depletion, with their attendant famines, floods and droughts. Our babies are more of a problem than the teeming billions in the poor South. Yet, it is their population growth that worries us; not our own smaller growth in the UK that has a much bigger impact on deteriorating life support systems! Hypocritical? I think so.