Climate protesters block roads

[motco]

Vizsla said:

motco said:

It's interesting that very little is being reported on the TV and radio news lately. They were all over them before but not any more.

I'm old enough to have observed a certain 'rinse and repeat' scenario here:

50's - 60's Ban the Bomb, Flower Power
Stated aim: Ban the Bomb, turn-on, tune-in, drop-out
Real aim: smash the military/industrial complex
Result: total failure, more, not fewer, countries with nuclear weapons, not many terrorists with 'flowers in their hair'

90's Animal Rights
Stated aim: save the cute bunnies and fluffy kittens (nobody gave a st about millions of non-cute rats however)
Real aim: smash big pharma using intimidation and violence
Result: abject failure, huge global increase in demand (China, India, Russia) for new medicines, esp. biologics.

2000's G7/G8/G20 protests
Started aim: halt globalisation
Real aim: smash big banks, capitalism, financial systems
Result: failure, business as usual, even after 2008 life goes on

2010's Environmentalism
Stated aim: save the planet
Real aim: smash big oil, decimate consumerism, redistribute global wealth, back to an [never existed] idyllic existence
Predicted result: failure once people wake up to the realities

Same as, same as, all these 'causes' mastered by bitter, self-righteous misfits/failures with a virulent, oh-so-superior sneering hatred of, well, practically everything about life that most people value and enjoy.

Sad thing is, there always seems to be a ready supply of misguided cannon fodder only too willing to do the actual heavy lifting.

I agree with you and remember all that too. There was terrorism in the sixties and seventies but it was Bader-Meinhof in Europe and IRA here. My observation was simply that there seems to have been a sudden dearth of media exposure for XR compared with before.

[anonymous-user]

motco said:

I agree with you and remember all that too. There was terrorism in the sixties and seventies but it was Bader-Meinhof in Europe and IRA here. My observation was simply that there seems to have been a sudden dearth of media exposure for XR compared with before.

I think there is more media available to people now and it's more instant. That and all the school children getting involved with it (they made up most of the march in Bristol today), even though they have no idea what they are protesting about.

[Yertis]

Vizsla said:

I'm old enough to have observed a certain 'rinse and repeat' scenario here:

50's - 60's Ban the Bomb, Flower Power
Stated aim: Ban the Bomb, turn-on, tune-in, drop-out
Real aim: smash the military/industrial complex
Result: total failure, more, not fewer, countries with nuclear weapons, not many terrorists with 'flowers in their hair'

90's Animal Rights
Stated aim: save the cute bunnies and fluffy kittens (nobody gave a st about millions of non-cute rats however)
Real aim: smash big pharma using intimidation and violence
Result: abject failure, huge global increase in demand (China, India, Russia) for new medicines, esp. biologics.

2000's G7/G8/G20 protests
Started aim: halt globalisation
Real aim: smash big banks, capitalism, financial systems
Result: failure, business as usual, even after 2008 life goes on

2010's Environmentalism
Stated aim: save the planet
Real aim: smash big oil, decimate consumerism, redistribute global wealth, back to an [never existed] idyllic existence
Predicted result: failure once people wake up to the realities

Same as, same as, all these 'causes' mastered by bitter, self-righteous misfits/failures with a virulent, oh-so-superior sneering hatred of, well, practically everything about life that most people value and enjoy.

Sad thing is, there always seems to be a ready supply of misguided cannon fodder only too willing to do the actual heavy lifting.

I think – for completeness – you could add

1970s Militant Unionism

and

1980s – No Cruise! (CND resurgent, Greenham Women etc) and Nuclear Power? No Thanks! A campaign which effectively destroyed one of the safest nuclear industries in the world, an industry in which we were leaders, and left us still needing to buy our nuclear kit from abroad. (Thanks, Maggie.)

[bristolbaron]

I don’t recall if I posted this the other day.
Sums up Bristol’s protests perfectly.



I caught up with some work from home today expecting difficulties because of protests, it turns out the rains done normality the world of good! 2-4pm was planned as ‘clean up’ time for Castle Park, hopefully it’s clean as a whistle now

[anonymous-user]

The concrete blocks have been removed from Bristol bridge. It will be open to traffic by 18.00. Hopefully the protesters will take all their rubbish, banners and boats home with them.

[Zed 44]

Dr Jekyll said:

1ians said:

The volume of cars is not sustainable, there’s too much traffic and no where to park. I love driving but ditched clinging to my car for the daily commute a few years back.

Exactly, traffic finds it's own level.

Same with population. Only we might not like overcrowding, famine, disease and war.

[jules_s]

Well it's certainly raining hard enough here in Yate

Might leave the commute a bit longer just to be on the safe side

[turbobloke]

Grahamdub said:

The concrete blocks have been removed from Bristol bridge. It will be open to traffic by 18.00. Hopefully the protesters will take all their rubbish, banners and boats home with them.

They will surely do just that, these eco-protester types are highly responsible and have a much higher concern for their environment and fellow humans than mere mortals.

Environment Protesters Trash The Environment
https://order-order.com/2019/03/15/environment-pro...

Anti-fracking Activists Jailed for 'Causing a Public Nuisance'
https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/fracking...

[Graveworm]

Zed 44 said:

Same with population. Only we might not like overcrowding, famine, disease and war.

"Traffic" has increased by 2.9 percent in 10 years (Fallen by just under 5 percent in Urban areas which is where most think the "Overcrowding" is) but population has increased by 6 percent. It should have been easy to plan for the former, were it not for a lack of will to increase capacity.

[turbobloke]

Graveworm said:

Zed 44 said:

Same with population. Only we might not like overcrowding, famine, disease and war.

"Traffic" has increased by 2.9 percent in 10 years (Fallen by just under 5 percent in Urban areas which is where most think the "Overcrowding" is) but population has increased by 6 percent. It should have been easy to plan for the former, were it not for a lack of will to increase capacity.

Prescott (get well soon) cancelled lots of much-needed bypasses but research has shown that design and methods are available that protect the environment. The full report discussed below, which I read at the time, showed that biodiversity had increased post-bypass.The situation was even better than the BBC reported but these days you have to wonder what the coverage would look like.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1159732.stm

[1ians]

Grahamdub said:

Really ? Closing Bristol Bridge for a party is ok ? I work near there and it is a joke. I have a hospital appointment today, so hopefully they don't close off more random roads again.
The traffic is normally bad, but that is made worse by the piss poor road layout and constant roadworks. There is plenty of parking too, if you know where to look. The NCP I use is very rarely full.

Edited by Grahamdub on Friday 19th July 07:54

They did have permission to close the bridge, which is why the council installed those big concrete blocks. The closed roads this week also made me realise how much better the city centre is when it’s for people not traffic.

[turbobloke]

1ians said:

Grahamdub said:

Really ? Closing Bristol Bridge for a party is ok ? I work near there and it is a joke. I have a hospital appointment today, so hopefully they don't close off more random roads again.
The traffic is normally bad, but that is made worse by the piss poor road layout and constant roadworks. There is plenty of parking too, if you know where to look. The NCP I use is very rarely full.

Edited by Grahamdub on Friday 19th July 07:54

They did have permission to close the bridge, which is why the council installed those big concrete blocks. The closed roads this week also made me realise how much better the city centre is when it’s for people not traffic.

Better for you in some way(s) presumably. Your opinion may be more universally applicable, or not.

Any idea what the views of local businesses look like? Including the people who rely on them for jobs? And for retail outlets, the shoppers who buy things?

Nobody knows until these stakeholders are asked, and provide answers, but it would be interesting to know.
At least when they all get home they can relax breathing indoor air which is on average ten times more polluted than outdoor urban air (USA EPA/UK BRE) and up to 100x more polluted, with even greater relaxation available from the fact that we/they spend 90%+ of our time indoors.

[anonymous-user]

1ians said:

Grahamdub said:

Really ? Closing Bristol Bridge for a party is ok ? I work near there and it is a joke. I have a hospital appointment today, so hopefully they don't close off more random roads again.
The traffic is normally bad, but that is made worse by the piss poor road layout and constant roadworks. There is plenty of parking too, if you know where to look. The NCP I use is very rarely full.

Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 19th July 07:54

They did have permission to close the bridge, which is why the council installed those big concrete blocks. The closed roads this week also made me realise how much better the city centre is when it’s for people not traffic.

They had permission to close the bridge, but not the M32, Abbeywood and the numerous other blockades and protests. I'm sure the centre will be lovely for you when it is a cyclists and pedestrians paradise. Have you been in the Galleries lately and seen the closed shops ? Have you seen the empty offices ? Public transport is useless. The metro bus was a big white elephant and as for the underground ! Our company will not be renewing it's lease on its city centre office and I know others are heading the same way. Less traffic you probably say, but then also less money being spent in local cafes, shops and pubs too.

[Yertis]

Grahamdub said:

They had permission to close the bridge, but not the M32, Abbeywood and the numerous other blockades and protests. I'm sure the centre will be lovely for you when it is a cyclists and pedestrians paradise. Have you been in the Galleries lately and seen the closed shops ? Have you seen the empty offices ? Public transport is useless. The metro bus was a big white elephant and as for the underground ! Our company will not be renewing it's lease on its city centre office and I know others are heading the same way. Less traffic you probably say, but then also less money being spent in local cafes, shops and pubs too.

I think it’s now recognised that pedestrianisation is a pretty sure way to kill an area stone dead.

[1ians]

turbobloke said:

Better for you in some way(s) presumably. Your opinion may be more universally applicable, or not.

Any idea what the views of local businesses look like? Including the people who rely on them for jobs? And for retail outlets, the shoppers who buy things?

Nobody knows until these stakeholders are asked, and provide answers, but it would be interesting to know.

Depends if you believe the local rag or not. According to them, no or a slight increase. I know they were donating food to the protesters too.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/ho...

Bristol shopping was killed off years ago by the out of town shopping centre at cribs causeway.

[anonymous-user]

1ians said:

Depends if you believe the local rag or not. According to them, no or a slight increase. I know they were donating food to the protesters too.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/ho...

Bristol shopping was killed off years ago by the out of town shopping centre at cribs causeway.

The Bristol Post has been for the protest from the start. Our office was all working at home this week as were a few others. A coffee van I know stayed away this week too.
Cabot Circus revived the centre slightly, but they are losing shops now too. You will get your car free utopia soon though when the ULEZ comes in.

[GloverMart]

Grahamdub said:

They had permission to close the bridge, but not the M32, Abbeywood and the numerous other blockades and protests. I'm sure the centre will be lovely for you when it is a cyclists and pedestrians paradise. Have you been in the Galleries lately and seen the closed shops ? Have you seen the empty offices ? Public transport is useless. The metro bus was a big white elephant and as for the underground ! Our company will not be renewing it's lease on its city centre office and I know others are heading the same way. Less traffic you probably say, but then also less money being spent in local cafes, shops and pubs too.

Agree with all of that, Graham. As someone that's lived on the edge of Bristol for twenty years now, it's quite sad to see how far downhill the area around the centre has fallen. I've also never yet seen a Metrobus that's even half full... white elephant indeed.

[1ians]

We’ve two offices in the centre and they have continued business as usual. Few people got caught up on the day the M32 was blocked for about 30 minutes, which was a step too far.

It’s unfair to blame the decline of the city centre and the galleries on the proposed ULEZ etc. The simple truth is it’s easier to go shopping out of town with less traffic, bigger free car parks and undercover.

As for the empty offices, why would you want to work in the centre? Traffic is crap and you have to know where to park etc. It’s also more profitable to convert them to student accommodation.

What’s going to affect my company the most is not local factors but Brexit, we are shifting our work to Europe due to it being a more certain option.

As I asked earlier, anyone actually go speak to the protesters? Friendly bunch with an answer for most questions raised here.

I’m not exactly an eco warrior, I’ve currently 4 cars with the best doing about 20 MPG! Learnt a bit about micro plastics and fast fashion this week so their protest has got through to me.

[jules_s]

GloverMart said:

I've also never yet seen a Metrobus that's even half full... white elephant indeed.

Do i recall you are on the east side?

I'm going to disagree with you a bit here. The Metrobus (especially from the south west) does seem to have improved matters - and it may well get better again when they finally finish the temple meads area

Buses through Winterstoke road at rush hour run every 10 minutes and are absolutely rammed

The problem from the east side is/was the lack of agreement on the location of a P&R

[NRS]

So like most people you pick and choose the pieces you like/ that fits your lifestyle? Ignoring it's not enough according to many predictions.