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Paul Bigland

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Paul Bigland

Category Archives: HS2Rebellion

The fake environmentalists of Hs2Rebellion let their mask slip…

04 Thursday Feb 2021

Posted by Paul Bigland in 'Green' madness, Air Travel, Hs2, HS2Rebellion, Malaysia, Politics, Travel

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

'Green' madness, Hs2, HS2Rebellion, Malaysia, Railways, Travel

I’ve always said that Extinction Rebellion and HS2Rebellion are anything but real environmentalists. Both organisations have jumped on the ‘green’ bandwagon to further a wider (anti-capitalist) agenda and nothing more – hence some of their mad tactics that do nothing to promote tackling climate change. Exactly the opposite in fact. One only has to look at the way XR have frequently disrupted public transport in the UK, even going as far as disrupting electric public transport by gluing themselves to trains on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) or standing on the roofs of Underground trains!

HS2Rebellion are doing the same with High-Speed 2, opposing a green railway that is the only way we’ll have the rail capacity to get modal shift from road air to rail to cut our biggest source of Co2 emissions (transport) and meet our international obligations to tackle Climate Change.

Today, HS2Rebellion let the cat out of the bag by showing they either don’t understand the issues – or just don’t care. Their target was the news that Malaysia has cancelled the proposed High-Speed rail project between Kuala-Lumpur and Singapore and they used this (superficial) report on the BBC from a freelance journo based in Singapore. In the report it mentions that there are 30,000 local flights between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur per annum – as well as a 24 hour bus service. Here’s what XRebellion have to say on their Facebook page.

Yet again we have supposed ‘environmentalists’ playing along to the right-wing libertarian narrative about costs. This is bizarre. After all, aren’t they the ones who’re always telling us that there is no ‘Planet B’ and that the environment is priceless? Not if you’re intending to build High-Speed rail it seems (roads? No problem – carry on!).

What is it that these ‘environmentalists’ are deliberately ignoring? Simple, just how much carbon those different modes of transport generate. Take a look at this and compare domestic flights, buses and high-speed rail (mentioned as ‘Eurostar’ on this chart).

Here you have the blatant hypocrisy of XR and HS2Rebeliion exposed in black and white in one simple chart.

Over in the UK there’s a similar picture. The biggest market for domestic aviation is between Scotland and London’s airports. HS2 (like HS1 before it with flights to Brussels and Paris) will make severe inroads into that market by speeding up Anglo-Scottish services, as Chris Ogilvie often points out.

I have to declare an interest here. I know Malaysia (and Singapore) well. I’ve been travelling there since 1992 and maintain a keen interest in the areas political, economic and transport issues. In the past, I interviewed the then head of Malaysian Railways for the International Railway Journal and I maintain contacts inside both countries, which is why I know the BBC story isn’t the full story by any means. Even so, for ‘environmentalists’ to gloat over the failure to building a carbon-neutral alternative to 30,000 horribly polluting domestic flights a year (never mind all those 24 hour, 5 hour coach trips) is mad – but then, these people aren’t real environmentalists. What’s depressing is the number of genuine ‘green’ groups and people who’ve been taken in by them. We’ve now gone from saving the planet by any means to saving the planet – just as long as the price is right! This is why I’ve long maintained that the the UKs ‘green’ movement (or what passes for it) simply isn’t fit for purpose as they’ve become just another limb of the libertarian right. You have to ask, how (and why) did ‘greens’ suddenly start celebrating the failure of plans for high-speed rail networks whenever and wherever in the world they happen, and how on Earth can they still call themselves greens?

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

Hs2Rebellion, the gift that keeps on giving…

29 Friday Jan 2021

Posted by Paul Bigland in Hs2, HS2Rebellion

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

Covidiots, Hs2

As if their doomed campaign campaign hadn’t reached farcial new lows at Euston over the past few days, they’ve decided to descend even more into parody this afternoon.

Remember these are people are supposed to be concerned for the environment. Of course one of the best things for the environment is green travel options – like electric railways for example. Ah, but not if you’re of an Extinction Rebellion mindset! Remember they’ve a history of really dumb stunts like gluing themselves to electric trains which provide eco-friendly mass-transport around London. The last time they did this it really didn’t go down well with ordinary Londoners and XR hastily back-tracked, claiming it was a ‘mistake’ (damned right it was! Ed).

It appears they have the memories of Goldfish, because this has just appeared on the Hs2Rebellion Facebook page.

So, these ‘environmentalists’ have closed down a green railway in the capital in the height of a pandemic, this preventing key workers – which will include NHS staff, fire-service staff, and other public-transport workers getting to/from work. For example, University College Hospital (UCH) is only across the road from the station. How many people could potentially lose their lives because of stupid stunts like this unless this idiot is removed quickly and Euston station reopened – and what the hell do these people think they’re playing at?

My only hope is that the police now deploy the full force of the law here, as this has gone way beyond the bounds of legitimate protest. This is putting innocent people’s lives at risk.

I’ve a favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course (although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab!), but the revenue from them helps to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances need all the help that we can get. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Thank you!

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