Transport for a flourishing Future: Zero deaths, Zero Emissions, Zero Carbon - with John Whitelegg.

As we lurch towards irreversible climate chaos, how can we begin to pull back from the edge?  This week, we look specifically at the area of transport: how can we be mobile and yet reach the 3 Zeroes of Death, Emissions and Carbon?  What would it mean to live in an area with fair, free, extensive public transport? And how can we make this happen. Our lively, inspiring conversation with Dr John Whitelegg has answers. 

Dr John Whitelegg, BA PhD LLB, is visiting professor, School of the Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University and was formerly professor of geography and head of department at Lancaster University and a staff member of the global science policy organisation, the Stockholm Environment Institute. He has worked with the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Energy and the Environment (Germany) and is an associate of the Kassel Centre for Mobility Culture (Germany) and a board member of the Californian organisation “Transportation Choices for Sustainable Communities”.

John has edited the journal “World Transport Policy and Practice for 25 years and has written 10 books. In the most recent book Mobility, he presents an evidence-based case for a transformation of the totality of transport and mobility policy to achieve three zeroes (zero carbon, zero deaths and injuries and zero air pollution). He has also worked extensively on practical measures to achieve 100% decarbonisation of land transport.

In this episode, we talk at length about what needs to happen in our transport systems to bring about the three zeroes of death, emissions and carbon.  John has travelled widely and worked in Germany, Sweden, and the outer Hebrides as well as many locations in the UK.  He has a coherent set of ideas of what needs to be done - and we considered some of the ways ordinary people can begin to make these happen.  

Foundation for Integrated Transport: https://integratedtransport.co.uk/
Center for Research into Energy Demand Solutions: https://www.creds.ac.uk/
West Oxfordshire Community Transport: https://www.woct.org.uk/
South Shropshire Climate Action Group: https://southshropshireclimateaction.org/
Trust the People: https://www.trustthepeople.earth/the-course
Article on Car free cities UK - 1: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jan/26/city-entres-end-of-road-for-cars-brighton-bristol-york
Article on Car free cities UK - 2: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/dec/31/york-to-ban-private-cars-from-city-centre-within-three-years