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Press Release: Don't dig the climate change
hole
If Tony Blair is serious about taking action against climate change,
then he should step in and stop the second Tyne road tunnel project now,
says a local transport campaign group. Tyne Crossings Alliance, which is
campaigning against the construction of the second road tunnel, claims
that one of the key objections to the tunnel is the inevitable increase
in traffic using the tunnel and the attendant pollution this would
bring.
Brian Paget, Tyne Crossings Alliance spokesperson said:
"It's clear that climate change is on of the biggest environmental
challenges facing society, and one of the heaviest contributors to
global warming is the car. It's also agreed that building more road
capacity encourages more car use.
"The Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Authority's (PTA) feeble
and unproven claim that local pollution would be reduced at the portals
by the proposed new tunnel is overshadowed by the certain increase in
the release of carbon dioxide from the extra vehicles that would be
attracted to the roads generally.
"Our solutions to transport challenges can no longer be considered
only as local issues, and it's essential that serious consideration also
be given to the national and global impacts of transport.
"If the Government decides to appease the powerful pro-road lobby
and give the go-ahead for the construction of the second road tunnel it
would be signalling it's support for increasing road traffic and
ignoring the increase in its national contribution to global
warming.
"Action must be taken now on global warming. A suitable and
necessary response is to stop the construction of the second road
tunnel, in favour of sustainable alternatives. To go ahead with the
tunnel would be folly, and considered as criminally irresponsible by
future generations blighted by our transport choices."
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