Questioner:

Ms Carol-Ann Banks, via email

Scrutiny Meeting:

ESSC Meeting 25 September 2023

Herefordshire Council would appear to be waging a war against private car ownership. The roads are narrowing, you are reducing parking spaces, forcing people into using public transport, spending £2m on electric buses powered by batteries which are anything but green all whilst aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to net zero as per the WEF Agenda30.

Facts:

·       carbon dioxide is only 0.04% of the atmosphere

·       only 3% of the 0.04% is produced by cars

·       1.3% of the 3% is produced by manufacturing, cows passing wind and bush fires

·       Only 1% of the 3% is produced by the UK

·       China emits in one day the equivalent of the UK emissions in one year

·       There has been global COOLING over the last 8 years, despite 450 billion tons of emissions, which is 14% of total human manufacturing CO2. (Part of the 1.3% of the 3% of the 0.04%).

(the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA))

Looking at the science:

A mature tree will absorb 21.77 kg of carbon dioxide per year. This doesn’t include other plant life.

The area of woodland in the UK at 31 March 2023 is estimated to be 3.25 million hectares.  This represents 13% of the total land area in the UK.

Woodland Carbon Code projects in the UK that were validated (including those that were also verified) at 31 March 2023 were predicted to sequester a total of 8.5 million tons of carbon dioxide over their lifetime of up to 100 years.

 (forestresearch.gov.uk)

Question: So why are we trying to reduce carbon dioxide emissions?

If carbon dioxide levels fall to 0.02% ALL life will cease to exist.

Response:

·       The Council is committed to providing residents with a transport network that supports all transport modes, enabling safe and sustainable travel choices for residents.

·       The Council is also committed to leading a local response to the Climate & Ecological Emergency, which was recently reaffirmed by unanimous vote at Full Council on the 28^th July.

·       Here we have set targets, and are making good progress to achieve:

-   carbon neutrality across the Council’s own emissions by 2030

-   and we are working with partners, businesses, communities and residents to achieve this countywide.

·         The importance of this commitment is reiterated within the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), who are the internationally accepted authority on climate change. Some headlines statements from this report include:

-   Human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching 1.1°C above 1850–1900 in 2011–2020.

-   Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred.

-   Human-caused climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe.

-   This has led to widespread adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people.

-   Continued greenhouse gas emissions will lead to increasing global warming, with the best estimate of reaching 1.5°C in the near term in considered scenarios and modelled pathways.

-   Risks and projected adverse impacts and related losses and damages from climate change escalate with every increment of global warming.

Questioner:

Ms Carol-Ann Banks, via email

Scrutiny Meeting:

ESSC Meeting 25 September 2023

Supplementary Question: Sent via email and read out by the clerk during the ESSC meeting 25 September

Given that carbon dioxide is essential for life, and that reducing carbon dioxide emissions to net zero could have disastrous consequences, what is your rationale for waging a war against private car ownership and reducing parking spaces?

Supporting information:

·       The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website shows that there has been global cooling over the last 8 years, despite 450 billion tons of emissions.

I look forward to receiving a response to my question at the meeting.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Kind regards

Carol

Response: A written response was provided to the question as set out below.

The Council remains committed to providing residents with a transport network that supports all transport modes, including private cars. Parking charges do play an important role in managing the balance between private car use, and promotion of other options such as walking and cycling.  

Work is currently underway preparing the development of the next Local Transport Plan which will set out the council's strategy for supporting economic growth, improving health and wellbeing and reducing the environmental impacts of transport.

Through the development of this new plan the Council will be activity consulting and I would encourage you to take part in the future consultations.