Cont: Global warming discussion V

[dann]

I notice that you didn't get hit by cars. It was the other way around.
As for, "1. Rode into the side of a taxi, the driver was coming out from a side street, and blocked my lane," I once saw a driver do the same thing, i.e. he stopped very suddenly, blocking the bicycle lane. A young woman hit the car, rolled over it and landed on the other side. She got up, punched him in the face through the open side window a couple of times, got back on her bike and rode on.

I've never heard Danish cyclists call themselves "'hard core' because I [they] rode every day, regardless of weather conditions." It stops being hard core when almost all of us do it – and to stress it again – because it's safe and convenient.

 

[Tero]

I had a discussion today with a Finn, who may be married to an American but they are living in Finland. He has lumped all unpleaseant things such as regulation as wokism. I have not had these discussions for 15-20 years. For entertaiment purposes mostlY:

Toni: Yes, Finland is a socialist country, and a badly woke country. After all, there is only one right-wing party in parliament, that is, the one that the state media, supported by tax money, boycotts and calls extreme right-wing.

I voted for the National Coalition Party 30 years ago when it was still patriotic, defending reasonable taxation, small business and the interests of its own people.

Fortunately, like dammed water always manages to flow through some crack, justice is still genuinely realized in the form of one party.

We: What bothers you about that wokism?

Toni: everything. There is no rational reason for the woke country, just like there is no reason for socialism in general. There is no "human-caused climate change". It is just another way to fund sheep. That is, socialism.

The Earth is 4.6 billion years old. During that time, there have been colder AND hotter periods than NOW. And right now we are heading in a BIG PICTURE direction towards a colder climate. This is what we should be prepared for instead of warming.

(picture of earth temperature for 540 million years)

Me: I've seen the chart. It's missing a completely important factor: geology. Such a small box doesn't have enough space for an explanation. And it would be pointless. But I just learned a new word: post-truth. If there is enough data, you can prove many things to be lies. Then the other side gets twice as much new information. They win the round. You mentioned people. 93% of all people throughout history have died and 7% of us are living now. If it's human-caused climate change, then who are we taking to court?

It's comiocal how quickly the Finns picked up wokism, as the word. All liberal things are now woke. The original use is by African Americans to be aware of all aspects of racism, with the academics going for Critical Race Theory.

 

[dann]

I had a discussion today with a Finn, who may be married to an American but they are living in Finland. He has lumped all unpleaseant things such as regulation as wokism. I have not had these discussions for 15-20 years. For entertaiment purposes mostlY:

It's comiocal how quickly the Finns picked up wokism, as the word. All liberal things are now woke. The original use is by African Americans to be aware of all aspects of racism, with the academics going for Critical Race Theory.

Yesterday, I noticed that Finns apparently have the smallest percentage of 'never Trumpers' in the Nordics:

As for the word woke, ask them what they think it means and embrace the term if it makes sense and reject it when it doesn't. (It usually doesn't.)
"Yes, I'm woke! Thank you for noticing, but you don't seem to know what it means." is a response they hate!
It's not a bad word if used correctly! Woke (Wikipedia)

 

[dann]

Another great video from Not Just Bikes about bicycle infrastructure:

Why Google Maps Fails in Amsterdam (Not Just Bikes on YouTube, Feb 1, 2026 – 25:25 min.)
Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:47 Designing for drivers vs. people
3:00 Hoofdnetten & Plusnetten
3:50 Ontvlechten (unbundling)
6:00 Stop signs & one-way streets
7:56 Bicycle safety
10:50 Keeping cars out
12:41 Navigation for cars vs. bicycles
16:43 Car-bias in maps
20:10 Car-bias in directions
22:29 Conclusion
22:57 Thanks, Nebula, & Day Pass!

In another video, he claimed that cycling in Amsterdam is better than in Copenhagen. Based on this video alone – I haven't been to Amsterdam in this century – I think he's probably right.
By the way, Google Maps also fails in this respect in Copenhagen.

I have yet to see a bad video from this guy. They have all been excellent so far. He knows his stuff, both the theory and the practical side.
Two more:

Every Reason to Hate Cars (Not Just Bikes on YouTube, Mar 29, 2026 – 22:53 min.)
Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:38 Car Harm
3:00 Vehicular violence
6:23 Air pollution
8:14 Other pollutants and tyres
11:10 Noise & light pollution
12:57 Climate change
13:59 Sedentary lifestyle & isolation
15:59 Motonormativity
17:01 Advertising and propaganda
18:53 Disproportionate harm
20:04 Children
23:04 People with disabilities
24:28 Low-income households
27:47 The costs of automobility
30:08 Parking
32:08 Housing
32:55 Infrastructure costs
36:07 Land use and habitat destruction
38:09 Small businesses and retail
39:10 Everyone hates cars
40:51 Reducing car harm
42:14 People want fewer cars
43:48 Concluding thoughts
46:06 Nebula & Day Pass

And the good news:

When Oil Gets Expensive, Cities Get Better (Not Just Bikes on YouTube, April 12, 2026 – 48:30 min.)
Chapters
0:00 Intro
2:52 The first oil crisis
4:48 Dutch vs American protests
7:19 Changes in the US & Canada
11:13 Two responses to an oil crisis
14:25 Alternatives to oil
15:34 Stop lighting ◊◊◊◊ on fire
18:16 Suburbia lives off of cheap oil
19:43 A new hope & conclusion
20:41 Day Pass & Nebula

19:43--> I was involved in urban advocacy in Canada for many years before moving to the Netherlands, so I know how hard it is to change the status-quo. There are some people, especially wealthy people, who benefit substantially from the way things are today, and they will do everything in their power to prevent that from changing. But there are also a significant number of people who are just resistant to change – any kind of change – even change that may theoretically benefit them. The good news is that when the status-quo becomes so obviously broken, even the most change-adverse people cannot argue in favour of keeping things the way they are, and change becomes music easier. So while I’m not looking forward to the coming oil crisis, and the inevitable recession, I am genuinely looking forward to seeing how the world’s best cities respond to it, and the positive changes that will come as a result.

 

[dann]

:

'What the world needs now' ... sure as hell isn't "new oil and gas subsidies"!

T. Ryan Gregory on bsky, April 29, 2026
Carney fans, rationalize away! www.nationalobserver.com/2026/04/28/n...

Carney government issues new oil and gas subsidies in spring mini-budget
The Canadian government has unveiled two new oil and gas subsidies as part of its Spring Economic Update, including a carbon capture tax credit that aims to boost production from the Alberta oil patch...

 

[wobs]

Another great video from Not Just Bikes about bicycle infrastructure:


In another video, he claimed that cycling in Amsterdam is better than in Copenhagen. Based on this video alone – I haven't been to Amsterdam in this century – I think he's probably right.
By the way, Google Maps also fails in this respect in Copenhagen.

I have yet to see a bad video from this guy. They have all been excellent so far. He knows his stuff, both the theory and the practical side.
Two more:


And the good news:

One of the major issues stopping more people cycling in urban areas are safety fears. While some blokes will take to the streets on bikes in traffic, fewer women and hardly any kids will. I often see women riding a traditional women's shopper bike with helmet and hi-viz, but cycling on the pavement. They shouldn't do this of course, but they most likely don't feel safe cycling on the road.

As NotJustBikes often points out: most people are not into bikes or cars, they just want to get from A to B with the minimum of fuss. We need to make it easier to do so by something other than car.

 

[3point14]

One of the major issues stopping more people cycling in urban areas are safety fears. While some blokes will take to the streets on bikes in traffic, fewer women and hardly any kids will. I often see women riding a traditional women's shopper bike with helmet and hi-viz, but cycling on teh pavement. They shouldn't do this of course, but they most likely don't feel safe cycling on the road.

As NotJustBikes often points out: most people are not into bikes or cars, they just want to get from A to B with the minimum of fuss. We need to make it easier to do so by something other than car.

I live in a country where, when new car sales started falling, we did not say 'Great, we need fewer cars, lets slow production and we can rip fewer of the earths limited natural resources out of the ground and benefit the environment immensely'.

Noooo. What we did is we paid loads of taxpayer money to scrap thousands of perfectly serviceable used cars so that people would buy new ones instead.

Making it easier to do something that's not going by car isn't really on anyone's agenda around here.

 

[The Atheist]

One of the major issues stopping more people cycling in urban areas are safety fears.

And rightly so, in my opinion.

I love my bike and used to ride it on trips <5km instead of driving. Hi-vis, firmly to the left and well out of traffic, I gave it away after a second truck flew past me with mere inches to spare. In neither case did the driver have any reason to be that close other than being a ◊◊◊◊.

Saving the planet is fine, but being squashed under 18 wheels isn't a price I'm prepared to pay.

 

[dann]

Trump 'helps' Americans transition to renewables

One of the major issues stopping more people cycling in urban areas are safety fears. While some blokes will take to the streets on bikes in traffic, fewer women and hardly any kids will. I often see women riding a traditional women's shopper bike with helmet and hi-viz, but cycling on the pavement. They shouldn't do this of course, but they most likely don't feel safe cycling on the road.
As NotJustBikes often points out: most people are not into bikes or cars, they just want to get from A to B with the minimum of fuss. We need to make it easier to do so by something other than car.

Facts and Figures on Cycling in Denmark (Visit Denmark, 2022)

Cycling-in-Denmark facts (Vejdirektoratet.dk)
Gender of cyclists in percentage of cycling trips: male 49%, female 51%

More than 60-70% working age, 9% age 6 to 11, 9% 70+.

I live in a country where, when new car sales started falling, we did not say 'Great, we need fewer cars, lets slow production and we can rip fewer of the earths limited natural resources out of the ground and benefit the environment immensely'.
Noooo. What we did is we paid loads of taxpayer money to scrap thousands of perfectly serviceable used cars so that people would buy new ones instead.
Making it easier to do something that's not going by car isn't really on anyone's agenda around here.

Trump is doing it the other way 'round: Forcing people to find (non-existent) alternatives to the cars, which infrastructure is made for:

We might be at $5 a gallon soon’: Connecticut voters weigh in on ballooning gas prices (MS NOW on YouTube, May 3, 2026 – 7:08 min.)Gas prices are soaring nationally and some voters are having to make difficult decisions on how they’ll get to their job or school. MS NOW Reporter Laura Haefeli shares what voters are saying from a gas station in Greenwich, CT. University of Michigan economics professor Justin Wolfers joins Alex Witt with his analysis.

0:20--> This highway right here actually feeds into New York City, so people have to stop at these gas stations to fill up their tanks. But look at what they're dealing with: $4.69 for regular! And look! Wow! I'm just seeing this, Alex: Look at that total: $$114 for a gas tank! That is an astronomical number!
I have been covering this story for literally months. I've never seen that number before. Drivers are frustrated. This is a big commuter town. They need their vehicles to get into the city.Some are looking to alternative forms of transportation, but one thing is clear, it's not easy for anybody. Take a listen:
– There's been promises from the Trump administration that they're going to go down. Do you believe them?
– No, I don't think so. I feel like it's going to go up. I honestly feel like we might be like at five something a gallon soon. And that's crazy. Three, maybe three, four days ago, I left behind somebody and his was 120. And I said, yeah, I'm not doing that.
– As soon as you see over $100, you're out.
– I'm just going to get a bike and just go everywhere with a bike because that's it!

Thank you, president Trump!
It is obvious that you never meant to, but you are doing more inadvertently to drive people away from fossil fuels than your fans could ever have imagined.

ETA:

'Simply wrong’: GOP lawmakers caught LYING about gas prices (MS NOW on YouTube, May 1, 2026 – 14:44 min.)
“If your message going into the midterms is to lie about gas prices, voters are going to laugh you out of office,” says Chris Hayes on Republicans like Tim Scott and Steve Scalise pretending gas prices aren’t at record-level thanks to Trump’s Iran war. GasBuddy’s Patrick De Haan joins to discuss.

Oil shock could BACKFIRE on fossil fuel-loving Trump, ignite ‘green future’ (MS NOW on YouTube, May 2, 2026 – 14:51 min.)
Trump’s Iran war may hand oil companies a windfall in the short term, but the resulting price shock could also speed America’s turn toward cheaper, cleaner energy. Chris Hayes and Heatmap’s Robinson Meyer joins to discuss.

 

[dann]

And rightly so, in my opinion.
I love my bike and used to ride it on trips <5km instead of driving. Hi-vis, firmly to the left and well out of traffic, I gave it away after a second truck flew past me with mere inches to spare. In neither case did the driver have any reason to be that close other than being a ◊◊◊◊.
Saving the planet is fine, but being squashed under 18 wheels isn't a price I'm prepared to pay.

Some people will jump at any opportunity to panic:
New Zealand Road Safety Profile 2025 (Asian Transport Observatory) "In 2021, road crash injuries accounted for 1.1% of deaths in New Zealand, estimated at around 300 fatalities (WHO)." Cyclists: 2% of road crash fatalities.
COVID-19 by the numbers (NZ Royal Commission COViD-19 Lessons Learned) At 145, 2025 was the first pandemic year with fewer C-19 deaths than road crash fatalities in NZ. In 2024, the number of C-19 deaths was 669.

So get back on that * and help save the planet! The risk seems to be a small price to pay!
Making the infrastructure suitable for riding bikes is also an option that should be considered – for the sake of both the cyclists and the planet.

* In the category People, X (and thus ISF) has six emojis of people in wheelchairs, not one of somebody riding a bike! I suspect it's a reflection of the U.S. mindset.

 

[The Atheist]

So get back on that bike and help save the planet! The risk seems to be a small price to pay!

Congratulations on making the dumbest post this century.

You've never been to New Zealand, have no clue about the state of our roads, the attitude of our drivers, or the number of cyclists on the road, yet you post in total ignorance as though you had a valid point.

You don't.

 

[dann]

I do, actually, and once again The Atheist seems to forget that you don't have to be in a place to know what it's like nowadays. The internet makes it possible! My NZ links make it obvious!
As for the state of the roads in New Zealand, I have previously pointed out that the number of annual traffic deaths in NZ was considerably higher than in Denmark – in spite of being lower than the number of C-19 deaths.

So do something about that piss-poor NZ infrastructure instead of panicking!

ETA:

 

[dann]

Pushed by Trump policies, top U.S. battery scientist is moving to Singapore (Science, May 1, 2026)
Shirley Meng explains why her passion for decarbonizing the global economy required her to relocate
Meng took the job because she thinks the U.S. has turned away from a commitment to decarbonize its economy. She’s leaving with mixed emotions—and the hope that the political environment for more sustainable energy sources will improve once President Donald Trump leaves office.

 

[Lukraak_Sisser]

I do, actually, and once again The Atheist seems to forget that you don't have to be in a place to know what it's like nowadays. The internet makes it possible! My NZ links make it obvious!
As for the state of the roads in New Zealand, I have previously pointed out that the number of annual traffic deaths in NZ was considerably higher than in Denmark – in spite of being lower than the number of C-19 deaths.

So do something about that piss-poor NZ infrastructure instead of panicking!

ETA:

I do think you are a bit dismissive of someone who knows actual conditions here.

As a dutchman I have the luxury to live in a country that was willing to invest into infrastructure besides cars and like most of my countrymen I choose the method of moving from A to B that gives the best comfort to speed to cost ratio, which often means taking public transport or using my bike.
But I've lived in Manchester for a while, which also has 'bikelanes' and a few seperate bicycle paths. And while I dared to cycle there, it was clear car traffic saw me more as an annoying moving target then as a legitimate road user, with cars and often busses cutting you off or driving past exceedingly close and I doubt that now that I'm older and a bit slower I'd still dare to cycle there.
Sure, me getting killed in a road accident would save the planet a bit more, but I don't care about the planet that much.

 

[dann]

I do think you are a bit dismissive of someone who knows actual conditions here.

I'm not.
I'm dismissive of caring about one's own life and health and not giving a ◊◊◊◊ about the health and lives of other people.
A bit of empathy would result in concerns about the lack of proper infrastructure for everybody in NZ – and everywhere else.
Notice that my response to wobs and 3point14 is very different.
Besides, I have been writing about proper infrastructure as an important part of the solution to anthropogenic global warming for years in this thread and criticized attempts to blame individuals for not wanting to risk their lives and instead telling them to be brave cyclists and defy conditions that make cycling unsafe. If you had been a regular follower of the thread, you would know that.
In the thread about the obesity epidemic, I have also stressed how cities built (or reconstructed) for walking and cycling tend to improve people's health and lives in general. Denmark and the Netherlands are good examples of that: #136 and #127 on a list of countries going from #1 (most obese) to #191 (least obese), with the USA at #13 and the UK at #66, and that is a benefit in addition to what switching from cars to bicycles and public transport does for the climate.
You are barking up the wrong tree, but I can see why you would misunderstand my POV if you base it on that one post. You don't notice the sarcasm or the reason why I mention panicking!

From my recent criticism of a post by Stout:

A contradiction in terms: "cyclists never make videos about the other whiny reasons they don't ride to work." Cyclists make videos about why other people don't ride to work, obviously! And the reason why other people don't ride bikes is lack of proper infrastructure, i.e. infrastructure that makes cycling convenient and safe. The irony is that this is made blindingly obvious by Stout's own argument: "Cyclists have to learn the paying attention thing and get out there and turn the pedals rather than beaking off about how scary things are." He describes conditions where cycling is scary, where cyclists get hit by cars, and then he blames cyclists for "beaking off" about those conditions.
It makes me wonder if Stout used to be a follower of John Forester's Cult of the Vehicular Cyclist mentioned in the Not Just Bikes video in post 2,177.
If there is a difference, I don't see it.

 

[wobs]

Facts and Figures on Cycling in Denmark (Visit Denmark, 2022)

More than 60-70% working age, 9% age 6 to 11, 9% 70+.

I was referring to countries with more typical conditions. Denmark and Netherlands are countries we need to learn from to get more people cycling for everyday use.

 

[The Atheist]

My NZ links make it obvious!

Alas, my zealous little friend, it's actually the exact opposite. But how typical to think that you can know by reading things on the internet.

You do realise zealotry is completely counter-productive, and that ignorant zealotry is doubly so?

 

[EHocking]

I was referring to countries with more typical conditions. Denmark and Netherlands are countries we need to learn from to get more people cycling for everyday use.

Coincidentally I dropped off our new car (hybrid) for a service today. Google maps had the drive to the service as 12mins (peak time & school drop off) via the motorway.
The bike ride home was 14mins (non-motorway)

 

[dann]

I was referring to countries with more typical conditions. Denmark and Netherlands are countries we need to learn from to get more people cycling for everyday use.

Yes, I'm aware of that. I just wanted to point out that it's a thing that changes once riding bikes is made safe.
In Denmark, Red Cross offers bicycle classes for refugees and immigrants. It is considered to be an important part of integration.
Some bicycle classes for immigrants are targeted at women and children:
Nogle kurser er målrettet kvinder og børn. (Frivillige i Dansk Flygtningehjælp)

 

[dann]

Unfounded Health Concerns Are Powering a Solar Backlash (ProPublica, April 24, 2026)

Reporting Highlights​

• Health Fears: Some critics say large solar farms are a public health threat. While there is little reputable evidence for this, their claims have helped power a backlash.
• Stalling Solar: Restrictions on solar development are proliferating nationwide, helping to slow the growth of installations even as consumer energy costs are rising.
• Michigan Battleground: Solar policy is especially fraught in Michigan. Fierce local battles include restrictions based on public health and local governments challenging state authority.

Unless a solar farm is visible from one of Trump's golf courses, he probably won't come up with an imaginary sound made by solar panels, a disease they cause, or a species of animal they kill.

Desi Lydic Chronicles Trump's Forever War on Windmills (The Daily Show on YouTube, April 27, 2026 – 5:52 min.)
Not even the war in Iran can distract Trump from his longstanding blood feud with wind energy, but what's behind the president's anti-wind vendetta? Desi Lydic chronicles how, for Donald Trump, wind turbines morphed from a simple eyesore near his Scottish golf course in 2012 to the source of all the problems on planet Earth, in this installment of The Art of the Altercation.