Comments on: Government toys with emissions standards http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/ hopping along the corridors of power Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:36:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: bjchip http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-18404 bjchip Fri, 03 Nov 2006 09:08:49 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-18404 Insider I have seen bushes that could handle this. Not the sort of hedges an Englishman would expect, but with a bit of berm and a bit of effort I expect that there are some native shrubs that can cope with the extreme winds. All we are talking here is organizing them a bit... and I would expect SOME solid stuff to be put in place in the worst spots, just not perspex. respectfully BJ Insider

I have seen bushes that could handle this. Not the sort of hedges an Englishman would expect, but with a bit of berm and a bit of effort I expect that there are some native shrubs that can cope with the extreme winds. All we are talking here is organizing them a bit… and I would expect SOME solid stuff to be put in place in the worst spots, just not perspex.

respectfully
BJ

]]> By: insider http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17971 insider Wed, 25 Oct 2006 21:52:39 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17971 Tochigi The rope tow idea is purely my own! But they work for skiers.... I suspect it won't work for many reasons - mechancal reliablity and road crossings etc. regular shuttles that can handle people and cycles would be more practical. BJ Did you miss this week's southerly? If the hedge could survive the salt from the waves crashing over the shorline it's likely the leaves would be shredded. My dark overgrown native bush garden is now remarkably light and airy. It needs to be solid resistant materials that protect from north and south winds. Tochigi

The rope tow idea is purely my own! But they work for skiers…. I suspect it won’t work for many reasons - mechancal reliablity and road crossings etc. regular shuttles that can handle people and cycles would be more practical.

BJ
Did you miss this week’s southerly? If the hedge could survive the salt from the waves crashing over the shorline it’s likely the leaves would be shredded. My dark overgrown native bush garden is now remarkably light and airy. It needs to be solid resistant materials that protect from north and south winds.

]]> By: bjchip http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17968 bjchip Wed, 25 Oct 2006 20:53:11 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17968 Yes, well Perspex is a wonderful material, but to stop the wind would we not be able to simply grow a decent hedge off to the side? As for rain, we're experts in tin roofs and glass actually works OK as well. I don't think this is so far fetched as to be out of reach. Might need actual lanes in each direction if we're planning to have tow ropes. respectfully BJ Yes, well Perspex is a wonderful material, but to stop the wind would we not be able to simply grow a decent hedge off to the side? As for rain, we’re experts in tin roofs and glass actually works OK as well. I don’t think this is so far fetched as to be out of reach. Might need actual lanes in each direction if we’re planning to have tow ropes.

respectfully
BJ

]]> By: artyone http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17967 artyone Wed, 25 Oct 2006 20:22:38 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17967 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylic_glass 2 kilos of petroleum required to make 1 kilo of perspex. If it's burned it turns into carbon dioxide and oxygen. Well I suppose it'd wouldn't be burnt as petrol in cars but held in state as perspex for as long as that stuff lasts. A few decades maybe. Not trying to rain on anybodies parade. I just thought it was interesting that perspex was made from petroleum. So even creating tunnels for cyclists would add to peak oil. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylic_glass
2 kilos of petroleum required to make 1 kilo of perspex. If it’s burned it turns into carbon dioxide and oxygen.

Well I suppose it’d wouldn’t be burnt as petrol in cars but held in state as perspex for as long as that stuff lasts. A few decades maybe.

Not trying to rain on anybodies parade. I just thought it was interesting that perspex was made from petroleum. So even creating tunnels for cyclists would add to peak oil.

]]> By: alistair http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17964 alistair Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:18:46 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17964 Anecdote Warning! I almost feel guilty living in Europe with an extraordinarily wide range of public transport options open to me. Including the <a href="http://www.velov.grandlyon.com/" rel="nofollow">world's best public bicycle system</a>. Yesterday, feeling guilty about the fact that I generally drive from work to my girlfriend's place (across town, about 7 km as the crow flies, takes about half an hour) I decided to leave the car at work and go there by metro, cable car and bus. Changed my mind on the way to the metro, and picked up a public bike to cycle to the cable car. (Very pleasant cycling into the setting sun, though the paving in the medieval part of the city is a bit uncomfortable... cobblerstones.) Unfortunately the bike station at the cable car was already full (obviously), so I rashly started uphill on my bike. The public bike is an unwieldy 3-speed, fine on the flat, I got a third of the way up then became a pedestrian... pushed the bike past the Roman theatre etc. Still. Only took me 35 minutes door to door. No problem finding a space in the bike station at the top of the hill! (obviously) Tried to do the reverse trip this morning, but there were no bikes left at the station at 8.30 (obviously). Took the bus/metro, 40 minutes door to door. Anecdote Warning!

I almost feel guilty living in Europe with an extraordinarily wide range of public transport options open to me.

Including the world’s best public bicycle system.

Yesterday, feeling guilty about the fact that I generally drive from work to my girlfriend’s place (across town, about 7 km as the crow flies, takes about half an hour) I decided to leave the car at work and go there by metro, cable car and bus. Changed my mind on the way to the metro, and picked up a public bike to cycle to the cable car. (Very pleasant cycling into the setting sun, though the paving in the medieval part of the city is a bit uncomfortable… cobblerstones.) Unfortunately the bike station at the cable car was already full (obviously), so I rashly started uphill on my bike. The public bike is an unwieldy 3-speed, fine on the flat, I got a third of the way up then became a pedestrian… pushed the bike past the Roman theatre etc.
Still. Only took me 35 minutes door to door. No problem finding a space in the bike station at the top of the hill! (obviously)

Tried to do the reverse trip this morning, but there were no bikes left at the station at 8.30 (obviously). Took the bus/metro, 40 minutes door to door.

]]> By: bjchip http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17954 bjchip Wed, 25 Oct 2006 09:04:27 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17954 It makes a lot of sense and wouldn't cost a heap of money. We'd need to work out the route and the easements might take some doing, but a bikeway like that reaching Johnsonville and another reaching to Lower Hutt would be darned useful. The tow rope for the steep bits is just the thing for those who no longer have the perfect vitality of youth. Actually something as simple as bicycle lock-ups at the train stations would help a lot. respectfully BJ It makes a lot of sense and wouldn’t cost a heap of money. We’d need to work out the route and the easements might take some doing, but a bikeway like that reaching Johnsonville and another reaching to Lower Hutt would be darned useful. The tow rope for the steep bits is just the thing for those who no longer have the perfect vitality of youth.

Actually something as simple as bicycle lock-ups at the train stations would help a lot.

respectfully
BJ

]]> By: tochigi http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17953 tochigi Wed, 25 Oct 2006 08:29:08 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17953 i agree with bj about the wind shelters. as an experienced cycle commuter, i can safely say that wind is the biggest issue. don't really care about cold or rain. you'll soon warm up. even heat can be handled, within reason. although summer in Tokyo is not practical for cycle commuting. Singapore-like weather. almost put myself in hospital once with heat exhaustion (from only a half-hour cycle!). this is obviously not an issue in Wellington :-) but yes, Wellington hills i can see might be an issue. good for fitness work, though! so insider, rope tows sound very practical. anywhere else in the world using a system like that? i agree with bj about the wind shelters.
as an experienced cycle commuter, i can safely say that wind is the biggest issue. don’t really care about cold or rain. you’ll soon warm up. even heat can be handled, within reason. although summer in Tokyo is not practical for cycle commuting. Singapore-like weather. almost put myself in hospital once with heat exhaustion (from only a half-hour cycle!). this is obviously not an issue in Wellington :-)

but yes, Wellington hills i can see might be an issue. good for fitness work, though!

so insider, rope tows sound very practical. anywhere else in the world using a system like that?

]]> By: insider http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17946 insider Wed, 25 Oct 2006 03:46:43 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17946 BJ I agree with you re bikelanes. there is a god awful one from Petone to the city alongside the motorway. It is usually windswept and most riders use the road which can be dangerous. That could have a Kelly Tarlton's like protective perspex shield over the top to keep the wind off - assuming it doesn't turn it into a wind tunnel My other stupid idea is nutcracker rope tows up the major hill roads for those without legs of steel... BJ

I agree with you re bikelanes. there is a god awful one from Petone to the city alongside the motorway. It is usually windswept and most riders use the road which can be dangerous. That could have a Kelly Tarlton’s like protective perspex shield over the top to keep the wind off - assuming it doesn’t turn it into a wind tunnel

My other stupid idea is nutcracker rope tows up the major hill roads for those without legs of steel…

]]> By: bjchip http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17909 bjchip Tue, 24 Oct 2006 01:37:08 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17909 artyone - I don't agree entirely with "getting used to this" as it is a form of poverty, to have only the energy of ones own muscles to move things. This is not required to accomplish energy independence and it is not required to be green... at least not to my way of thinking. I WOULD like to see some form of covered/shielded bikeway from Porirua all the way into Wellington. It is not reasonable to expect people to cycle uphill against the wind in a whole gale... and I point out, as I have many times before, that individual vehicles pre-date the invention of internal-combustion engines by thousands of years. Generally these were one-horsepower jobs, but the engines consumed biomass and were entirely bio-degradeable. In other words, I don't want to be so very hasty to toss out the good bits of civilization with the wasteful bits? Otherwise dead right, we DO have to get used to that individual transportation costing somewhat more and being significantly different from what we are used to these days. respectfully BJ artyone - I don’t agree entirely with “getting used to this” as it is a form of poverty, to have only the energy of ones own muscles to move things. This is not required to accomplish energy independence and it is not required to be green… at least not to my way of thinking. I WOULD like to see some form of covered/shielded bikeway from Porirua all the way into Wellington. It is not reasonable to expect people to cycle uphill against the wind in a whole gale… and I point out, as I have many times before, that individual vehicles pre-date the invention of internal-combustion engines by thousands of years. Generally these were one-horsepower jobs, but the engines consumed biomass and were entirely bio-degradeable.

In other words, I don’t want to be so very hasty to toss out the good bits of civilization with the wasteful bits? Otherwise dead right, we DO have to get used to that individual transportation costing somewhat more and being significantly different from what we are used to these days.

respectfully
BJ

]]> By: bjchip http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17908 bjchip Tue, 24 Oct 2006 01:28:00 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2006/10/16/government-toys-with-emissions-standards/#comment-17908 Andrew... I did WAY above this in the thread, allude to the blood price of the oil.. just so you know I didn't miss it out entirely :-) respectfully BJ Andrew… I did WAY above this in the thread, allude to the blood price of the oil.. just so you know I didn’t miss it out entirely :-) respectfully BJ

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