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It seems Simon Wilson has paid another visit to the pixies at the bottom of the garden to get some corroborating evidence on solving climate issues. This was a good move by Simon as, while they are notorious pranksters, pixies are not malevolent and are known to help out a worthy human in need. They told him that Jacinda says we have a climate emergency on our hands. In fact, she is so convinced of this she has actually declared one in the House. So what to do?
Simon reminds us that our Paris commitments require that we halve our emissions by 2030. In discussions with Simon, the pixies appear to think the best way to achieve this is to hone in on transport. Transport provides 20 per cent of the country’s emissions. In Auckland, it is 40 per cent. Analyst Paul Winton, a financial consultant, says transport is the low hanging fruit although it is still at giraffe height. In my view, in Auckland in another few years, it will be out of reach of the giraffes.
Simon says by 2030, if population growth and transport behaviours remain the same, then from 2018 we will see a 28 per cent increase in emissions. Not surprisingly the main contributor is the number of cars on the road. In 2018 there were 1.26 million of them. Unless something changes by 2030 there will be 1.6 million of them. Simon asks if we can reduce emissions by 50 per cent or 70 per cent or even more. The pixies say the answer is yes, yes, and yes. Naughty little pranksters. How would they do it?
First off there’s the major new transport projects – the CRL, rapid busways from Botany to the airport and Botany to Panmure, light rail from downtown to Mangere and the northwest. Simon says we already know that will cost $20 billion, probably more. He says with the bus fleet converting to electric and public transport becoming twice as popular (a big ask), you wouldn’t want to be drinking your coffee while reading that, emissions could be reduced by about 300 kt CO2-e. He really has been talking to those notorious mischief makers.
Simon then goes on to say public transport is not the answer, rather it’s the light rail projects. I thought they were public transport. But even more than that, (and here he gets onto his favourite form of transport, the bike) in his view, we need to become the equivalent of Copenhagen. According to Simon, they have a population of 1.3 million people and a third of the trips in the inner city area are on a bike. In terms of low hanging fruit, you’re really not comparing apples with apples Simon. Looking at the topography of each city, a giraffe has a much better chance of getting the low hanging fruit in Copenhagen than in Auckland.
Other ideas from the pixies include carpooling for supermarket visits and kids’ sports. A visit to the supermarket buying for a family normally means a full boot and kids are often playing different sports at different times. More T2 and T3 lanes and more expensive parking. It’s expensive enough now thank you, Simon. An end date to importing petrol and diesel vehicles and a fringe benefit tax for utes. On and on it goes.
This is the problem with these climate change nutters. They are totally devoid of reality. None of these ideas will prevent 1.6 million cars being on the road in 2030. The reality of cycling as a means of reducing emissions in Auckland is that it is a completely unachievable and forlorn hope. Copenhagen is geared to cycling both with its topography and traffic control, not to mention its smaller land area. With regard to buses, from what I have observed in South Auckland, 15 minutes frequency on main local routes has done little to increase passenger numbers.
PS
Just this week a large container ship had to divert to Whangarei as the Council run Auckland port can’t keep up with shipping movements. All that cargo has to be trucked south. Some estimates point to that being an extra three thousand truck movements on inadequate roads. So much for cutting emissions.
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