Ed Plowden

@edplowden.bsky.social

Green Party Councillor for Windmill Hill in Bristol, with Lisa Stone Chair of @bristolcouncil Transport Committee MSc, CMILT, MCIHT Views my own Promoted by Ed Fraser on behalf of Ed Plowden (Bristol Green Party) both at 17 Great George St, Bristol BS1 5QT

Covid lockdowns demonstrated, in a deeply imperfect way, the possibility of large-scale social solidarity for a higher cause. That is a prime reason why so many powerful people want us to run screaming away from them into the comforting arms of selfish individualist competition.

Hard to think of a more deeply damaging start to Burnham’s premiership than giving green light to new oil & gas in N. Sea, if true. It won’t lower bills or lead to greater energy security but will drive an even hotter planet. What a terrible signal to give to rest of the world #ClimateVandalism

BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) on X

Andy Burnham will announce plans for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea when he becomes prime minister on Monday, the BBC has been told. The announcement will form part of a flurry of policy m...

x.com

We also need to have a more honest conversation about how driving, no matter how useful to the person doing it, imposes harms onto other people. Until we try to reduce those harms as much as possible, it’s not clear how we’re going to take the steps needed to create a safer, healthier country 8/10

In other words, the classic educational approach doesn't look like it would solve this issue. Perhaps not surprising when so many structural factors - tax breaks, social norms, marketing, accommodating parking spaces, etc. - push people towards bigger vehicles 6/10

🚨 New research by us! 📣 Most British drivers don't know how dangerous SUVs are to other road users, but adding information to SUV marketing materials seems to do almost nothing to change people's plans to buy SUVs Here's a 🧵 on why harder action is going to be needed 1/10

A mockup SUV advert image with a prototype safety warning

From Monday, direct rail services between Bristol and Oxford will run regularly for the first time since 2003. The Green Group lobbied the ORR to support the bid from @gwr.com. These services provide important additional connections as well as extra capacity between Bristol, Bath and Swindon.

A screenshot of a train timetable showing a train departing Bristol Temple Meads at 07:14 and arriving in Oxford at 08:32.

Perhaps more people are noticing that streets congested with bigger and heavier cars don’t actually help anyone. Enabling and prioritising alternatives to driving helps us all, even the people sitting in jams in their cars. Which is why I’m proud of Green transport plans. bsky.app/profile/gazz...

Real Gaz on a proper bike: gazza_d@toot.bike@gazza-d.bsky.social · 4mo ago

I didn't need more reasons to vote Green, but here we are. Bring it on

A screenshot from the telegraph outlining what's supposedly Green party plans for driving. The text reads:
Greens plot 55mph motorway limit in ‘war on drivers

Motorway speed limits could be reduced to 55mph under Green Party plans to target drivers.

A policy paper drawn up by the party has listed an array of proposals to wage what critics have described as a “war on motorists”.

The plans include “incrementally” increasing taxes on motoring, reducing the number of parking spaces and making drivers retake their tests every five years.

Amazon, which saved $4B in taxes under Trump's Big Ugly Bill, has cut 30,000 jobs since last October. Verizon, which saved $2B, plans to cut 15,000 jobs this year. Meta, which saved $3B, plans to lay off 20% or more of its workforce. Trickle-down economics is a cruel joke.

✅ As my colleague @tobywells.bsky.social points out, "franchising is such a good idea that it was universally supported by all parties" in the mayoral elections. ❌ But now she is in power, Labour's mayor is dragging her feet. 🚌 We need better buses, not more Labour delays and broken promises.

'The mayor must be more ambitious and back control of our region's bus network'

Green councillor Toby Wells says metro mayor Helen Godwin needs to deliver "desperately needed change"

bristol247.com

8. Before you indulge the urge to complain about “too much traffic” or “not enough parking,” learn all you can about induced demand, the law of congestion, and car dependency. Practice repeating to yourself the truth that “I’m not stuck in traffic, I AM traffic.”

Massive car infrastructure in Dubai.