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Car-free Fly-free days, emergency tools for climate action

25 Friday Nov 2016

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london-futures-aerial-flood2Robert Graves and Didier Madoc-Jones, aerial photograph Jason Hawkes

 

2016 is predicted to be the warmest year since records began. Regardless of Climate change denial or more accurately Climate Change deception from some unscrupulous quarters, most people are waking up to global warming crisis and realising that urgent action is required.
2014 saw the initiation of emergency car bans to cut toxic air pollution in Paris, where odd and even number plates were banned on consecutive days. The successful reduction in Paris’s air pollution encouraged Athens, Milan, Delhi, Rome, Mexico City, Beijing, Madrid to follow with their own car bans in 2015, as suffocating air pollution reached frightening levels.
In Paris in September 2015, leading up to COP21, Mayor Anne Hildago chose a car-free day to emphasise how cities around the world can cut both their carbon and air pollution emissions by reducing reliance on motor vehicles and encouraging walking, cycling and Public Transport. She is now Chair of the C40 and Sadiq Khan is Vice-chair.
Aviation and motor vehicles are major contributors to greenhouse gases. One return flight from London to New York uses up your entire personal carbon emissions for the year. Meanwhile cars are the fastest growing contributor to carbon emissions in the world.
In 2010 when the Icelandic Volcano erupted and flights in Europe were grounded for a week, there was a reduction of 2.8 million tons of carbon released into the atmosphere.
In Seoul, a voluntary one day a week car-free day has reduced Carbon Emissions by 10%.
70% of global greenhouse gases come from cities, even though they only make up 2% of global land. If we are to turn around global warming we need to do it in cities. Whilst we transition to cleaner modes of transport and renewable energy, we need to start implementing immediate and regular climate action like city car-free and fly-free Sundays.

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Formerly Cantrell Road in Tower Hamlets, this is the ultimate in car-free re-wilding.

20 Sunday Nov 2016

The former road, located alongside Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, was given to Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park in 1990s. Once home to a burnt out car, the Friends have sensitively re-wilded the road  by bashing the concrete to open up drainage to the ground beneath.

Rather than remove the road surface at great cost and environmental impact, it has been covered in soil, sand and chalk to create the ideal conditions for a diverse and rich habitat.

Teasels, briar rose, wild rocket and meadows provide food for wildlife and humans right on their doorstep. No air or road miles which increase air pollution, congestion and carbon emissions.

Most memorable taste sensations were juniper berries, freshly plucked from the tree. These are technically little pine cones. They mix aromatic pine with piquant peppercorn in a complex flavour delight worthy of any Michelin star restaurant. I was also impressed by allium triquetrum or three cornered leek which provides year round green vegetation.

Today I made a mushroom and wild rocket risotto with foraged, locally sourced food from a re-wilded road. A simple, delicious meal but with immense potential to transform our urban environment: Sustainable Urban Drainage, foraged food, thriving wildlife and a beautiful place to restore and re-connect with nature.

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