A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail about the Bristol Cycle Expressway, a proposed cycle path that could connect large areas of north Bristol directly to the Bristol and Bath Railway Path:

Josh,

Be good to stay in the loop on this – as an interested cyclist who has two kids having to cross the Gloucester Rd on the way to / from school each day…. Thought of a cycle path alongside the Severn Beach line occurred to me a few years ago and I corresponded with Sustrans but they couldn’t be bothered thinking about anything other than reasons not to do it.

Thanks,

C

C’s e-mail got me wondering—how many times has someone with a good idea for a new cycle path contacted Sustrans and received this kind of response? How many perfectly good ideas have been thrown in the bin because of a bureaucratic lack of vision from those tasked with keeping that vision whole? How many opportunities have been lost and positive energy squandered? I wonder….

This e-mail was received the same week as it was revealed by a Bristol councillor that an investigation is underway into Sustrans’ cozy relationship with the city, specifically their employees being seconded to the City Council for the Cycling City project, and exclusion of other charities and firms to win contracts from the £11.4 million budget. Frankly, it’s too much to keep a lid on, and I felt like On the Level cannot ignore this issue any longer.

Because of these dispiriting experiences with Sustrans, I began to do some research into the organisation, speaking with former and current employees, co-founders, and doing research on the internet. Bear with me while I shatter some of your illusions about the UK’s “leading sustainable transport charity”…. read full story / add a comment

It just seems to keep getting worse. As residents of Bristol continue to suffer the effects of rising traffic levels and shoddy transport choices on their environment, health, and quality of life, our political leaders are scared stiff of appearing to be anti-car. Their paralysis, borne out of fear of intervening in society’s petrol addiction in any meaningful way- is preventing them doing anything to actually solve the problem. Instead, like a drug addict, we increase the dose to get the same high- we widen roads and build new car parks, hoping that it will make us forget our problems. Temporarily relieved, we wake up the next morning feeling worse than ever. Politicians talk green, but their actions are digging us deeper into the gaping black hole of car dependence and climate catastrophe every day.

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People living on streets with heavy motor vehicle traffic are experiencing a considerable deterioration of their local social lives according to Joshua Hart, a researcher from the University of the West of England. Results suggest that residents on busy streets have less than one quarter the number of local friends compared to those living on similar streets with little traffic. read full story / add a comment

This Saturday December 15th, starting at Noon, a herd of "wild animals" will be protesting the opening of the Shell Wildlife Photography Exhibition hosted by Bristol Museum.

The animals, together with some of their human friends, will be demanding that Bristol’s public museum reject the exhibition of wildlife photographs because of its sponsorship by Shell Oil Company, whose activities are causing climate change and habitat destruction, devastating the very wildlife which is the subject of the exhibition. read full story / add a comment

If you are a UWE student, we need YOU to vote for a sane climate policy at Frenchay THIS THURSDAY!! read full story / add a comment

Shell is the second largest oil company in the world. It is also the sponsor of the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, which is scheduled to appear at the Bristol Museum starting December 15th. read full story / add a comment

Inspired by Bristol Rising Tide's recent polar bear occupation of the Royal Bank of Scotland HQ in Trinity Quay, UWE Students affiliated with People and Planet today held a demonstration against Natwest for being the largest single UK financier of oil and gas projects around the world. These projects amount to 655 million tonnes of carbon dioxide destined for our already inflamed atmosphere. (more than the UK's total annual emissions) read full story / add a comment

The "Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award" exhibition comes to Bristol Museum from 15th December to 13th January.

How can it be that the winner of the 2007 Goldman Environmental Prize (the highest honour awarded for protection of the environment) won that prize for resisting the environmental destruction being caused by the sponsor of the 2007 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award?

While wildlife suffers the effects of oil exploration, spills and climate change, Shell oil executives shmooze shamelessly at highbrow cocktail events at the Natural History Museum admiring the splendour of the nature they are destroying, all while reaping good greenwashed pr for the company... It’s so sick....

....read more at http://onthelevelblog.wordpress.com read full story / add a comment

It has come to light that two drivers who drove their cars into cyclists at the May Critical Mass bicycle ride, have in all likelihood not been charged at all by Avon and Somerset Police.

During a larger than usual Critical Mass bike ride in Bristol last May, two drivers intentionally drove into the back of the mass as it rode through St. Augustine's Parade. When police arrived on the scene, they let the drivers go to the dismay of the gathered crowd, and proceeded to arrest two cyclists. read full story / add a comment

The Arctic has melted more than ONE MILLION SQUARE KM in 2007. If you live in the Bristol/ Bath area, and are wondering how you can get involved in efforts to curtail our greenhouse gas emissions, and prevent runaway climate change, this calendar is a good starting place. Please spread the word, submit your events, and support all the good actions happening locally! The more people, the bigger the noise!

See http://onthelevelblog.wordpress.com/summer-bristol-climate-action-calendar/ for the calendar. read full story / add a comment

Chooseday begins this October with ‘Tuesdays without cars’ – a challenge to ‘choose to leave our cars at home’ on this one day each week. Other campaigns will follow. read full story / add a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joshua Hart 0795 654 8966
Thursday, August 9 2007
Bristolians to Cycle from BIA to LHR Camp for Climate Action --
Group Part of National ‘Critical Mass’ of Cyclists Descending on Heathrow

Bristol residents fed up with the growth of polluting short haul flights and government plans to expand airports throughout the UK will cycle from Bristol International Airport to the Camp for Climate Action at London’s Heathrow Airport on Friday August 10th. The cyclists, as well as thousands of other people expected to protest at Heathrow next week hope to raise awareness of the fact that flying generates ten times the amount of CO2 as taking a train, and that aviation is the fastest growing source of carbon emissions in the UK. read full story / add a comment

Students and staff of the University of the West of England occupied the Frenchay Campus roundabout for the afternoon on Friday to raise awareness about the need to tackle Bristol’s car dependent transport system and its high carbon dioxide emissions. Protesters gathered on the roundabout despite rain and police presence of about a dozen officers. A Zebra aided students across the busy roundabout, and called for more crossings. Tea and sandwiches were shared, and spirits kept high as passersby smiled and drivers on the roundabout hooted their support. Signs that were planted on the roundabout and held by protesters included “Sea Levels Rising No Solo Driving”, “End Parking Subsidies”, and “Unfare Wasteful Emissions”. Mainstream press coverage included live segments on BBC Points West and BBC Radio Bristol, as well as Star Radio and the Evening Post. read full story / add a comment

The UWE Transport Action Network, a new grassroots coalition of UWE students, faculty, and staff will hold a demonstration on Friday 23rd Feb. at 1pm at the main Frenchay Campus bus stop, marching to the UWE roundabout to protest the lack of affordable, reliable bus service, lack of adequate cycling and pedestrian facilities, massive university parking subsidies, and the high carbon emissions that result.

A Critical Mass Cycle ride will leave the UWE Frenchay roundabout at 5:30pm and merge with the regular monthly Bristol Critical Mass ride, leaving from Arnolfini at 6:30pm. The Revolution will not be Motorized! read full story / add a comment