While the global production of oil continues to increase, geologists who study the scale of reserves have warned that the world is approaching the point of "Peak Oil"; the point when oil cannot be extracted from the ground any faster and prices rise more quickly - and never come down. We here in the UK are particularly vulnerable because North Sea oil is now well into decline. Production in 2005 was 10% less than 2004 and will begin to fall quite quickly, making the UK a net importer of oil.
Faced with that harsh reality we must use our cars a lot less. We need a proper integrated pubic transport policy which is based more closely upon the Dutch model (cheap, reliable public transport with safe streets to encourage walking and cycling). We need: -
- Large scale investment in the bus network;
- Substantially greater bus subsidies, to encourage more people out of their cars;
- More bus activated traffic signals to help speed buses through traffic;
- More bus lanes;
- Demand management systems like the London Congestion Charge, reduced car parking facilities and increased car parking charges;
- More cycle lanes to encouraging cycling
- 20 MPH zones in busy urban areas to encourage walking and cycling
- The movement of more freight by rail, discouraging road transport
and - The investment in more high profile, attractive light rail projects in the largest cities and urban areas.
As petrol becomes more expensive the less well off will be the first to be forced to give up the relative safety of transport in cars. We must vigorously support road safety measures which protect the vulnerable and ensure that walkers and cyclists feel a high level of safety on all their journeys.
Zero emission cars
We demand that gas guzzlers be tackled effectively. The sale of cars which deliver less than 20 mpg cannot be justified and should be banned. There are some business/industrial/agricultural needs where less energy efficient cars are needed but we demand determined action to rid the domestic market of gas guzzling cars. So, the production and sale of the least energy efficient cars should be banned, followed by the introduction of heavy environmental taxes (VED) to discourage ownership of cars which deliver less than 30 mpg. Further financial incentives should be put in place to encourage the take up of cars which deliver more than 60 mpg, and discourage the ownership of less efficient models.
Duel fuel or hybrid vehicles provide a good stepping stone to a cleaner future but regulations and fiscal incentives should be put into place now which will lead the nation towards a zero emission future.
There are four technologies which might be considered to be zero emission at the exhaust pipe but, to be genuinely zero emission, the power source must be derived from renewable technologies. This is a brief summary of the main technologies: -
MDI Air Car
The compressed air should be provided at garages by wind turbines, thereby ensuring that this technology is a genuinely carbon neutral option.
Electric Battery Car
An example is the GWiz.
The electricity to charge battery electric cars should be bought from a renewable supplier but, in the future, the UK must ensure that all electricity entering the grid comes from carbon neutral sources - thereby ensuring that this is an environmentally sound option.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car
Hydrogen is often hyped as the energy source of the future but, when it comes to cars we are always told mass manufacture is at least 20 years away. The industry has been saying that for at least 10 years. But, there are signs of progress as reported here by the BBC online site.
Again, it is vital that the energy used to extract hydrogen must come from renewable sources.
For more information on greener cars visit the Energy Saving Trust.