News this month.

Remember April ’06?
I questioned the accuracy of speed cameras. Surprise, surprise! A televised news feature 2nd February ’07 highlighted the low accuracy of many of these devices. As I often say, “You heard it here first!”
Speed cameras need not just be put where accidents might be prevented, they may now be put where vehicles habitually speed. Fortunately they still have to be sited in a visible position and painted yellow and the speed limit must also be posted nearby. Without this precaution the cameras would be excessively effective and flash too many drivers. It is considered that antagonising motorists excessively may lead to a backlash.
Slow driving involves low gears, low gear results in poor fuel consumption. Please could we have a higher fuel tax and end this ridiculous emphasis on everyone driving slowly (and inefficiently)? We need more efficient roads; the present policy of hobbling them is bad for the environment!
Global Warming
January in England was the hottest on record. The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – a group of three hundred scientists and representatives of 113 governments – unanimously portrayed the problem of global warming as ‘An existing and worsening threat’. Scientists convening in Paris came to this uncomfortable consensus which included that global warming could render popular foreign holiday destinations too hot for normal human habitation. We MUST reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Today, Saturday 10th on Radio 4 a well known politician sounded off that ‘global warming has taken on the dogma of religion’. This just illustrates just how ill informed some of our leaders seem to be. I wish that this politician had read the relevant articles which appeared in the New Scientist, which I picked up from a local service station a few days ago. Believe me, they make scary reading!
I was aware of the likely affect of global warming thirty years ago and decided that diesel cars would be the best way forward. In spite of the problems of buying this fuel at the time I bought a VW Golf Diesel. Diesel cars were very rare at the time and finding diesel pumps was a problem. I cut my carbon emissions by 50% that year! It was worth the inconvenience.
The way forward will be electric vehicles. More about these in a later blog.
You cannot stop global warming by driving efficiently but you may be able to help Scientists by giving them a little more time to investigate ways of reversing the process. Obviously this involves cutting CO2 emissions by driving sensibly.
Please see the new chapter on Global Warming we have placed on the driving tips page where we provide various ways we can all help reduce emissions associated with driving.