Stopping climate change starts at home
Tyne Crossings Alliance has called
for MP Alistair Darling to stop the proposed second Tyne road tunnel
as a response to growing concerns about climate change. Mr.
Darling said recently that "Climate change is a fundamental priority for this Government".
Lets hope that he applies this priority (and
PM Tony Blair's) when he makes his decision about the tunnel.
Hot air from South Tyneside
More climate change greenwash
from South Tyneside council, who are trying to stake out the
environmental high ground by claiming it's thinking of the
environment. Cllr Jim Perry said "The Environment Strategy is a commitment to the future environment of South Tyneside and its seven key themes set out action for the Borough in the context of global climate change and the need to work for a more sustainable future for everyone."
What a mouthfull! Unfortunately, South Tyneside council are one
of the major backers of the second road tunnel project, which will help
fuel the expected growth in car travel, and therefore CO2 emissions.
Ignorant of this fact, it seems South Tyneside council doesn't know sustainability really is.
A tale of two Hepburns
Jarrow MP Stephen Hepburn has signed up to Early
Day Motion 178, which proposes a bill called the Climate Change
Bill, which would create a framework of laws obliging the government
to
On the other hand, Mr Hepburn is also a big fan of the second Tyne
road tunnel, and has even stood
up in Parliament to ask about it. Is he blind to the
contradiction between his support for the Climate Change Bill, and his
support for a project that will contribute to, and encourage, increases
in climate changing CO2 emissions?
Tall tales at the tall ships
Newcastle
City Council are planning to make the forthcoming Tall Ships Race event
in July a 'carbon neutral' event. However, the Lib-Dem controlled
city council has been pretty quiet about how the
proposed second road tunnel (which they support) will contribute to the region's carbon
emissions, or indeed how the emissions at the tunnel would be 'neutralised'.
The Lib-Dems' Shadow Environment Secretary Norman
Baker MP, who said that "We need to start with firm action to tackle climate change",
seems ignorant of his own party's two-faced attitude to climate change.
Happy Birthday!
It's been two
years since the start of the Inquiry into the proposed second Tyne
tunnel, and still the government hasn't made up it's mind. As Tyne
Crossings Alliance Co-ordinator Paul Winch says in our press
release,
"It is clear that the case for a new tunnel has unraveled". Let's
hope the government's apparent cold feet walk away from this disastrous
proposal.
Dirty tricks?
South
Tyneside Council and the PTA changed their minds on how some green
spaces should change hands from the Council to the PTA. Why?
We don't really know, but could it be that they are trying to avoid
public accountability? We posed the question,
but curiously, there was no answer.
Don't dig the climate change hole
Despite Tony Blair's claims that he is concerned about climate change,
the PTA are still pressing ahead with their plans for the second Tyne
road tunnel. Also the ugly head of 'The Northern Way' has been
reared by John Prescott, which includes the proposed tunnel as one of
the transport 'solutions' for the North East, without considering the
environmental impact, or the fact that his own office has yet to give a
ruling on the tunnel project. We
issued a press release on the
relationship between the road tunnel and climate change.
Don't be yellow Lib Dems!
Now that the Lib Dems are in power in
Newcastle City Council, they have an opportunity to make their election
promises come true by dropping support for the second road tunnel.
They say "you can't build yourself out of congestion". Who are we to disagree with such wise
words? We are hoping that
our press release will prod them into keeping by their word.
You can do your bit by
contacting the new Liberal Democrat leader, Cllr Peter Arnold at peter.arnold@newcastle.gov.uk,
or through the Newcastle
City Council website and let him know that the tunnel is a bad idea.
Tell the teacher
We've had to fess up to the teachers that they might be using a resource
allegedly meant to help them teach students about citizenship, but is
nothing more than a corporate marketing tool for the PTA's tunnel
plans. So we wrote an
open letter (and issued a press
release) to the local education authority chiefs asking them to
ensure that they apply impartiality when using the material,
impartiality the PTA failed to use.
It's still not too late
You can still get your voice heard about your objections to the proposed
tunnel. After all the propaganda spewed from the PTA many people
believe that the second tunnel's a done deal. It's not - and you
can let Alastair Darling know your feelings at stopthetunnel.
Carbon neutral nonsense
The worthy people behind the Carbon Neutral Newcastle project seem to
have forgotten to mention to their bosses at Newcastle City Council that
perhaps they shouldn't sponsoring the second Tyne Tunnel. We
call for Newcastle City Council to drop their support for the second
tunnel project, and go for carbon reduction (and not carbon neutral)
through improved cross Tyne public transport.
Tunnel tuition tosh
An online education resource has been created, using the second Tyne
Tunnel project as material for the citizenship stage of the
curriculum. It was prepared with the help of Tyne and Wear
Passenger Transport Authority and Tyne Tunnels - the organisations
behind the project. No references have been made to the campaign
against the second tunnel, or to any links to resources like the Tyne
Crossings Alliance website. Read our press release here.
Darling announces upgrades to A19
Despite all his posturing about 'you can't build yourself out of
congestion', Alastair Darling does a spectacular u-turn and announces
upgrades to the junctions on the A19 in Tyneside. When viewed in
the context of the proposed second road tunnel, this forces us to ask a
lot of serious questions. Read our press release here.
In the interests of fairness
We decided to give a balanced argument for the tunnel, and offer
visitors to our site a link to a web page which gives evidence in
support of the tunnel here.
No end to noise
Residents in the Lindisfarne Road area of Jarrow, next the A19 access to
the Tyne Tunnel, are demanding that South Tyneside Council fits their
homes with double glazing to keep out the noise. If the second
tunnel and the upgrades to the A19 (see above) go ahead, no amount of
glazing will keep the noise out. We had some interesting
things to say at the Inquiry about road noise, is answer to the
proponents of the tunnel suggestions that noise won't be a problem for
the residents. Then again, the tunnel sponsors won't have to live
next to it.
What you can do
Even though the Inquiry is over, you can you can write to ask your MP to encourage Mr
Alastair Darling to make the right decision and stop the second tunnel!
You can find out who your MP is and how to contact them through the House
of Commons location service.
Make your voice heard!
Out of cash
The Engineer to the Tyne Tunnels has reported to the PTA, advising
that the costs for pursuing the second road tunnel will
"significantly increase" in the next financial year. The
answer is simple - stop the tunnel project now!
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