With increasingly powerful scientific warnings of climate breakdown, with transport now Scotland’s biggest source of climate emissions, with cycle use increasing too slowly, and with a Climate Bill going through the Scottish Parliament, our Spring public meeting will consider the relationship between climate change and transport … from trunk roads to cycling … from national politics to how we commute…
Click for pdf
Latest… From 6.45 till 7.15, and possibly briefly at the end of the meeting, there will be stalls from…
- Fridays for Future (#YouthStrike4Climate)
- 2050 Climate Group
- FOE Scotland & Stop Climate Chaos Scotland
- Edinburgh Uni Dept of Social Responsibility & Sustainability
- Edinburgh Bike Hire
- Spokes Stall – info, map sales, join/renew membership
- The meeting is being live-streamed to customers at VeloCity community bike cafe in Inverness
Venue… The meeting is not at our usual venue (Augustine United). It is at University of Edinburgh, Appleton Tower. Please use Chapel Street entrance not Crichton Street.
What is happening
- Climate: “If we don’t take action the collapse of our civilisations is on the horizon” Sir David Attenborough, 3.12.18
- Transport: Transport now accounts for 37% of Scotland’s climate emissions; that figure is rising, with road transport the main source and aviation the fastest-rising. UK Committee on Climate Change, Sept 2018
- Cycling: Only 3% of work journeys, 1.5% of all journeys and 1% of school journeys in Scotland are by bike. Transport & Travel in Scotland, 2017
- The Climate Bill: 20,000 people have asked the Scottish Government to strengthen it. FOE (Scotland) report
Speakers [10 minute presentations]
- Claudia Beamish MSP [Co-convener of Scottish Parliament cross-party group on cycling, walking and buses; Labour Environment & Climate spokesperson] … How parliament and government are (or are not) responding to the climate challenge – with special emphasis on transport and cycling
- Alex Luetchford [2050 Climate Group, Co-Chair of the Policy Sub-Group] … A young person’s perspective
- Dave Gorman [Head of Edinburgh University Department of Social Responsibility and Sustainability] … How a major local institution, Edinburgh University, is responding to the climate challenge – ranging from academic research to how staff and students travel
- Caroline Rance [Friends of the Earth Scotland, Climate Campaigner] … The Climate Bill and related actions
- followed by a one-hour audience QA/ panel discussion chaired by Elizabeth Bomberg [Professor of Environmental Politics, University of Edinburgh]
Photo: http://grist.org/
Practicalities
- Wednesday 20 March, 7.30-9.30pm
- Doors open 6.45 for coffee, stalls & chat. Tea/Coffee available 6.45-7.15
- Edinburgh University Appleton Tower Chapel Street entrance [NB – not our usual Augustine United venue]
- Wheelchair users .. use Chapel Street entrance then ask at reception about lecture room and the separate tea/coffee area
- Poster .. click mini-poster above for pdf download
- Live streaming … youtube.com/user/spokesvideos
- Queries? / More info? Email spokes AT spokes.org.uk
Please help
- Tell interested friends and colleagues about the meeting
- Download the poster and disseminate it [Spokes members will get a printed copy in their late-February mailing]
- Retweet our tweet about the meeting (use #SpokesMtg if writing your own tweet) and like our forthcoming FB post
“I’ll be there”
- “Thanks for flagging this up, an important discussion with great speakers – it’s in my diary now” Edinburgh University Rector, Ann Henderson
Climate & Cycling – inspiration
More Background Links
- Spokes Bulletin 132 – see Climate article on page 5
- European Cycling Federation comments on EC Climate Strategy (28.11.18)
- Place-Based Climate Action Network (P-CAN) – Edinburgh chosen to be one of the 3 cities (also Belfast & Leeds) in this UK-govt initiative
- Transform Scotland .. Evidence to Parliament on the Climate Change Bill .. Other Transform Climate links
- Stop Climate Chaos Scotland .. Evidence to Parliament on the Climate Change Bill .. Other SCCS Reports
#schoolstrike4climate international movement started in 2018 by 15-year-old Greta Thunberg- Extinction Rebellion international movement started in 2018 to act on the ‘global emergency’ of climate change
- Guardian article on cycling & climate by @peterwalker99 (1.12.15)
