Climate notes for April 20th 2024
I dropped my bike off to be repaired this week. I'm away next week for work so it's a golden opportunity. I own a Van Moof S3 and have just-about hit 2000km on it. Almost every one of those km were short-hops to work or back, or the shops, etc. Nothing intense. But it's in great condition. If it wasn't built by someone trying to be overly ambitious with design logic (or lack thereof), it probably wouldn't even need a service! It's a bit battered and bruised but the bit that's wonky for me is the brakes, which are hydraulic silly things that are cool looking but totally unnecessary.
But my point is not to brag about my bike or habitual cycling. It's to note that Dublin is easy to cycle around. Yes, interacting with drivers is a daily torture. But the city is small, easy to get around and there are actually a lot of safe cycle routes, places to lock up, etc. We're more cycle friendly than we think. On my morning commutes, if it's about 8-8.30am, there's nearly always more cyclists at a set of lights than there are cars. We just consume less space so it doesn't feel like it. We've come so far. And I can already see the fairweather cyclists coming out now that the rain and wind is subsiding in lieu of sunshine.
Tabs
- Low cost airlines are atrocious
- Cloud seeding + Dubai flooding
- Researchers create device that consumes CO2 and generates energy
- Climate action on cars needs to be fair, but change is hard
- Startup showcase
- How fast food was underwritten by big banks
- The economic toll of the climate crisis. I've always noted that the climate crisis presents as many economic opportunities as it does problems. We could easily pivot into a greener, better future while also having a booming economy. We are politically stifled by idiocy at leadership level.
- New energy terminal
- Is minimum viable car a pipedream?. These cars exist alongside bikes and pedestrians on lanes, boats and roads in places like Amsterdam. They do not need to be a pipe dream. In fact, we have a big Tesla Model Y because 2 kids and a dog with accoutrements requires such a thing these days. But we use it as a toolkit when it's needed. I do not drive myself solo to work in it, etc. But as the kids get a bit older and their needs shift around, I would love the option of a cheap, small, electric run-around to drop kids, shop, etc. We'll need the big car for big trips, which we do take regularly, but there's no need for that when we're city driving.
- Climate: The article. Now do a musical!