|
media release
everyone campaign
Scottish environment charities urge the SNP:
Make sustainable
transport a priority
Friday 16th March, 2007
The 25 environment charities campaigning together
as ‘everyone’ are
staging an event on sustainable transport at this weekend’s Scottish
National Party conference in Glasgow.
The everyone campaign is giving those attending the conference an opportunity
to focus on the importance of greener transport options and its benefits
for people and wildlife. The campaign is asking that the Scottish Executive
ensures that every school and public centre in Scotland is accessible
via pollution-free, safe walking and cycling networks by 2017.
Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:
“The Scottish Executive’s whole environmental record – especially
on climate change – has been undermined by its failure to bite
the bullet on road and air transport. Executive support for road building
and new air routes into Scotland has added to the difficultly of cutting
climate emissions to sustainable levels. The failing is not just of the
current Executive partners, but is shared by most parties in Scotland,
including the SNP which not only promotes more roads and the removal
of tolls from bridges, but even opposes investment in public transport
such as Edinburgh’s proposed tram scheme. Transport policy will
be a key indicator of whether Scotland’s political parties can
hope to meet the public’s growing demands for environmentally sustainable
approaches.”
Also speaking at the event is Davie Black, Wildland
Campaign Officer at the Ramblers’ Association Scotland and Jonathan
Hughes, Policy and Campaigns Manager, Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Davie Black
of the Ramblers’ said:
“Almost two-thirds of Scottish adults and one-third of Scottish
children are now obese, and 64% of adults are not physically active enough
for their health. Walking and cycling could play a major role in improving
the health of Scotland, and our quality of life. The government talks
about "encouraging" walking and cycling but nobody is going
to leave their car at home unless there are safe, pleasant off-road paths
to use for travelling around and between communities.”
Jonathan Hughes, Policy and Campaigns Manager, Scottish Wildlife Trust
said:
“We need to do more to raise the standard of people’s quality
of life by ensuring Scotland’s planning system delivers a network
of green routes in our urban areas. Green networks deliver a plethora
of benefits; they provide people with safe, attractive and sustainable
transport routes, they improve our physical and psychological well-being,
they act as the ‘green lungs’ of our towns and cities and
in future could provide ‘escape routes’ for Scotland’s
wildlife in the face of rapid climate change. This is an important environmental
justice issue and one where there are sound common sense arguments for
making these networks happen on the ground.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The event, titled ‘Green Networks: Transport
Options to reduce your carbon footprint’, will take place at the
SNP Conference, Saturday 17th of March, Glasgow Science Centre.
Time: 5pm - 6pm
Room: Science Show Theatre, 1st Floor, Science Mall.
2. The everyone campaign is an initiative by Scottish
Environment Link, the umbrella body for Scotland’s environment
charities. 25 organisations support the campaign.
3. The 2007 everyone election campaign includes four asks:
- Green Networks for people and wildlife
- Measures to tackle climate
change and fuel poverty
- Better protection and management of Scotland’s
nature
- Healthy, sustainable food for Scotland’s
schools and hospitals
|