Right this time - MMD#562
Good day my good friend.
You may have noticed the number of the newsletter has jumped. That is because I have used the wrong number for the last few weeks, because I am an idiot. I am quite clearly as brainless as England’s batting. It is right now.
If you have any suggestions for interesting news items or bits of research to include in this newsletter, you can email me.
Mobility Camp is taking place on 29th September 2023 in Birmingham. It would be great to see you there. Get your tickets now.
James
Put your money where your mouth is
Transport has a gender problem. Namely that we serve a world where women are in the slight majority, yet we are overwhelmingly dominated by men, and serve the needs of men. You know this, I know this, and I wish that we have not lived to see such times. But in the words of Gandalf the Grey “so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” And so we must decide to do something about.
That is why I am backing the Women in Transport Equity Index, by sponsoring through my company Mobility Lab. The premise is simple: compare your company and how well it does in equity terms compared to others. My ask of you is simple. Check it out, and do all you can to get your company to be part of this index. Only by knowing where we are in equity terms will we know where we need to get to. No doubt your company talks a good game on equity. Now is your chance to prove it.
Want to reduce carbon emissions? Build a high speed rail line
Yangtze is not a dice game, but the location of a study that has turned up something interesting when it comes to city carbon emissions. The lower carbon emissions of trains verses many other modes of transport is very well known indeed. But this is kind of moot when, after you build a new railway, all you get is more travel and not modal shift. So, do new railway lines reduce carbon emissions on the whole?
It appears that they do. Data from China shows that there are marginal reductions in the estimated total carbon emissions of a city when a high speed rail line is built. Whatsmore, due to the spillover effect, there is some evidence that this carbon reduction may extend to other nearby cities and towns, though the data for this is less reliable. Seems like the case for building high speed lines continues to get stronger and stronger…
Random things
These links are meant to make you think about the things that affect our world in transport, and not just think about transport itself. I hope that you enjoy them.
Starbucks reverts to cash amid tech glitch (Payments Dive)
EU Looks Into Blocking Out the Sun as Climate Efforts Falter (Bloomberg)
Notes on postmodern programming (ACM SIGPLAN Notices)
Here’s to blue foods (aeon)
Economic inequality cannot be explained by individual bad choices, study finds (PhysOrg)
Something interesting
Cities need to do more green things. We need to do more of this.
If you do nothing else today, then do this
Connected Places Catapult published a report on hydrogen options for airports. Yes, this is hydrogen, and its about flying which is contrary to climate goals, but its still worth a read.