Peter Kenyon

National Express cycle challenge

Planning a holiday by train and bike? Beware. I have just been told by National Express East Coast that it will be unable to carry our bikes on a bus replacement service on the weekend of 28-29 June between Newark and Peterborough.

NXEC website boasts:

National Express East Coast welcomes cycles on its services and conveys them free of charge, provided it is safe to do. Standard Bicycles Space is limited and there is a maximum number of bikes we can carry on each service. Cycle reservations are compulsory on all of our trains: they are free of charge and should be made 24 hours before travel. Folding bicycles are welcome on all National Express East Coast services and should be stowed in the luggage racks at the end of each coach. They must be folded before boarding and must not be reassembled until you have left the train. For more information and to make cycle reservations please contact us.

Yeah, yeah. So here's the challenge:

National Express better known as a bus company, than a train operating company:

1) purchase cycle/baggage trailer (hint go here or here to satisfy yourselves they are available)

2) fit tow bars to small fleet of rail replacement buses

3) inaugurate by 28 June 2008

4) redeploy fleet on popular routes likely to be patronised by cyclists (bus 'n bike, for example, London to the New Forest for a fraction of the price of South West Trains)

5) Don't even think of offering excuses - if these people can do it - so can you.

Looking forward to an invitation to cut the ribbon, with Holly Bruce from Customer Relations who thinks its a good idea and has promised to escalate inside NX. if you are a cyclist and support the challenge, let NX know at c.relations@nationalexpress.com

Charge the bag, 61% of shoppers approve

No, I'm not being disrespectful. But a survey reported here showed 61% of shoppers back paying for plastic bags in shops, compared with 20% against. And another survey by another polling organisation cited in the same report said 84% of shoppers would not switch supermarkets if they were charged. Go Gordon get a grip on that bag.

Talks are indeed scheduled with the British Retail Consortium as reported here.

Renewable vision - go with the flow Gordon

Newsnight went to town on renewables last night, while I was down the pub after Cities of London and Westminster CLP's General Committee.  Hat tip to zerochampion.  No one should doubt the difficulties of achieving the targets. But if Gordon wants to appear visionary as Labour Party leader, he is going to need to get up to speed on just how much electoral support there is for clean renewables, and put the resources of the state behind the technologies to achieve tough EU renewable targets. That will include exploring tidal lagoons as recommended by the Sustainable Development Commission.

Brown long on wind, short on tidal renewable pledge

Gordon Brown in reaffirming the Labour Party's commitment to EU renewable energy targets - a welcome development at PMQs today - needs to update his script. As Hansard will show tomorrow he repeatedly referred to on and offshore wind farms and mentioned the Severn Barrage once. But he missed an opportunity to let everyone know he is keeping up with the red boxes (don't mention the cost).

The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) published its report Turning the Tide on 1 October 2007. I know he might have something else on his mind at the time. But there has been plenty of time since to catch up and rejoice in the scope for adding to UK renewable energy capacity. This can be achieved as the SDC recommends by new investment in tidal technologies to exploit both tidal flow and tidal range resources around the UK coast.

Labour - green?

This is what was said a long time ago. According to the then BBC environmental correspondent Alex Kirby:

When it took office in 1997, the United Kingdom's Labour party undertook to be "the first truly green government ever".

and I believed. Sooooooo green.

Tidal tease for Labour

Now for something completely different. The Sustainable Development Commission today published its report Turning the Tide. For the SDC overview go here. The essence is that some 10% of Britain's energy requirements could be produced from technologies generating electricity from tidal flow and tidal ranges, of which possibly some 4.4% could come from building a £15 billion barrage across the Severn Estuary. I have to declare an interest in a particular tidal range technology, called tidal lagoons.

The tease for Labour is that it sought the SDC's views on tidal technology in its Energy review last year. Though Jonathon Porritt categorically denied to me after today's press conference that the SDC, as I suggested, had deftly passed the ball back to the government, the facts are that the SDC is saying if there is to be a Severn Barrage it must be government-owned and compensatory habitats must be created for wildlife. Business Secretary John Hutton, who portfolio also includes energy, has already jumped in and ordered another feasibility study. I do not think the creation of a new nationalised utility and strengthening the arm of environmentalists was what the government was hoping for. In the meantime, it gives those of us who are interested in tidal lagoon technology an opportunity to prove its worth. My own ambition is to have the technology and its exploitation owned by the development trust movement.

Labour - confusion over consultation fuels cynicism

News of the withdrawal of the green lobby from the nuclear power consultation here and reactions from Labour's John Hutton on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme highlight the risk of growing confusion over the engagement with the public and the restoration of trust in the political process.

With MPs clamouring for a referendum over the European Constitution Treaty, allegations that Gordon Brown is trying to gag his own political party, proposals for more Labour Party local policy forums, the launch of citizen juries - the electorate's cynicism risks being hardened rather than eased.

Time for a period of calm reflection? With the Labour Conference only just over two weeks away, I fear another Command Performance.

GB UN speech: rallying call to join Labour

Today's speech by Gordon Brown to the United Nations was somewhat low-key, but no less effective. I watched it live on BBC 24 News. It was fact/action packed and inspirational. His was a wake-up call to international agencies, governments, NGOs and the private sector to meet agreed targets and more. We know how to tackle global poverty, we have the means to address the challenges - we need to get on with it. A skilful counter-balance to the diplomatic obligations of yesterday at Camp David. So for anyone in two minds about the direction of travel: Join the Labour Party to signal endorsement and make sure it happens.

Political weather report: Sun caught in Dalston

Whenever the sun shines in Dalson, it is caught in the act. Even if there are clouds in the sky. There is no escape.

The occasion yesterday was the official opening of the Bootstrap Company's first solar roof on its Print House building in Ashwin Street Dalson. It's a social enterprise of which I am a Trustee. We are now generating enough electricity to meet most of the needs of tenants in our affordable workspace at the Print House. A display in the Reception tells everyone how much we are generating and how much CO2 has been saved.

The investment was possible thanks to a Labour government funded grant scheme and the European Regional Development Fund.

When we can afford it we will put an energy-efficient display on the roof too - where it can be seen from the street and not block the sun.

If every roof in Britain with a southerly aspect was made of what we have got...might we escape the need to even think about nuclear power?

UPDATE: Daily Telegraph report:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/07/23/easolar123.xml

CO2 action exhausts DirectGov

Thanks very much for visiting the carbon calculator - we really value your interest. So that we are able to ensure your journey through the calculator is as quick and efficient as possible and because it is proving so popular we are currently expanding the site's capacity.

It will be raring to go shortly, so please visit again.  Brummm...brummmm!