Eats plants
Elizabeth had her highland dance exam today. It all went well as far as we know but she won't get any feedback for a little while as it was recorded and the judges will have to watch it. I took this photo of her waiting outside the dance studio in her full dance outfit. They… Continue reading Highland dance exam
As many of my readers know a pet hate of mine is when motorists sit in their cars with their engines running poisoning us all with their fumes. Last year I contacted the council about the problem to see whether they could help. After all, it is illegal in Scotland to leave your engine idling.… Continue reading Don’t be an idler competiton
I'm the most hated parent at Highland Dance. I asked another two motorists today to switch their engines off. They both did and were very good about it but I know how much people dislike being told what to do even if when it's done politely. I had to do it though because the man… Continue reading Engine idling, butt flashing, and balance training
As regular readers of my blog will know, one of my pet peeves is when people sit in their cars with the engine running. This happens a lot outside primary school gates where children gather and inhale the fumes. Pollution from motor vehicles is especially harmful to children because they are smaller and absorb more… Continue reading Engine idling and nobody in London needs an SUV
This weekend we're getting the tail end of storm Alex which has brought a deluge to France and Italy and caused severe flooding. Yesterday we had heavy rain non-stop all day here. Elizabeth had highland dance in the afternoon and so I cycled her there in my cargo bike, Hoss. One of the nice things… Continue reading Storm Alex, cycling, and cat-shaming
I got myself a face mask. They're not required here but it is recommended by the Scottish government and also now the WHO. I have been secretly wanting a face mask for years to filter out pollution from motor vehicles when I'm walking and cycling because I know how unhealthy it is to breathe. Now… Continue reading Face masks
Air pollution from motor vehicles is harmful to humans but especially harmful to children. We know it can damage the growth of their lungs, raise the risk of asthma and allergies, affect brain development and intelligence, raise the risk of heart disease and cancer, and it even affects unborn children in their mother's womb. But… Continue reading Pollution from cars is harmful to children
Why do people feel the need to tell me this? It's not my job to defend cyclists who go through red lights just as it's not my job to defend motorists who go through red lights. Or motorists who drink and drive. Or motorists who speed. Or motorists who go the wrong way down a… Continue reading But I once saw a cyclist go through a red light …
It has been three years since we dispensed with the family car and I don't regret it, not even a little bit. Car ownership is governed by the same law that rules chocolate: when there's chocolate in the fridge it will be eaten and when there's a car in the garage it will be driven,… Continue reading Living without a family car
I cycled into town with the kids this evening and they had a huge fight in the bike. The fight was because Daniel said he can click his fingers and Elizabeth says he can't. This is the downside to having kids in a bike. When you're in a car members of the public can't hear… Continue reading Arguing in a bike, swishing, and pollution
I copied the following factsheet from George Monbiot's blog, Car Sick. He is encouraging people to share it: https://twitter.com/GeorgeMonbiot/status/838655094816112640 I shared it with our local primary school on Twitter in the hope they might share it with parents. They did not. I also shared it on the school Facebook page but only one person liked it.… Continue reading What Traffic Fumes Do to Our Children
I'll acknowledge there's a bit of click bait with my title but it's not so far from the truth. Yesterday the high court ruled that the British government's plans for tackling air pollution are so feeble they're illegal. Air pollution from motor vehicles kills 50,000 people every year and the government is required under EU law to keep pollution within… Continue reading Government loses fight to poison the people
A little part of me grieves whenever someone chops down a tree and this very nearly happened today. This morning some workmen appeared on our street to chop down several beautiful old beech trees. We did not receive any warning of this other than a street sign which appeared about a week ago to say there'd be roadworks… Continue reading Should I chain myself to a tree?
I have just read the most extraordinary articles and need to have another rant to calm myself down. A friend of mine in Christchurch hinted that there had been some objections to building bicycle paths in the city and so I searched to find out more. Big mistake that was! I should not have read… Continue reading A rant … feeling better already
There's a documentary screening in New Zealand at the moment which is about New Zealand's 100% pure image and how - with the rising pollution of rivers and swimming spots in New Zealand - this is increasingly at odds with reality (h/t to HotTopic for this). Episode 2 of the series is about climate change. Here's… Continue reading 100% pure?
I have a solution for all of society's ills. It involves getting fat arses out of cars and onto bicycles. If I were Prime Minister, I'd redirect our colossal spending on roads and motorways to spending on cycling infrastructure instead. When I say cycling infrastructure, I don't mean painted lines on roads or share-and-care footpaths,… Continue reading How to save the world by bicycle
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