"Green" policies are destroying this country

unfortunately, many of our politicians and political parties have very poor understanding of what many citizens have to endure in order to get by, its truly just the disconnection of the political class. i know some green party members, even a party td, they mean very well, but they truly dont understand the world of the many, which leads to some of these ridiculous ideas you mentioned.

we all know countries such as china are horsing out astonishing rates of pollution, but they alone arent the problem, we all are, we all know most production from china is for our markets.... i.e. a lot of this is our problem, but continually pointing the finger at consumers isnt gonna solve the problem, its just gonna p1ss people off, and it wont reduce pollution much, if at all.... china is actually showing up the west in regards its investment in alternatives, we truly are the laggards, we have a refusal to accept western economic and political ideologies have ultimately failed...

I am so sick of the China thing. If Ireland, the EU, and other rich countries stopped importing everything from China they wouldnt be the polluter they are. Even the way things are Ireland and Europe are much higher polluters per capita.

All the people who moan about China have houses full of crap produced in their factories.

Yeh the Dutch really living like plebs aren't they. All those slums of coherent sensibly laid out high density urban areas easily served by effective and varied tansport systems, literally the worst thing that could happen to irish cities. Our polluted car chocked motorways and bypasses are great fun, I'm really loving being stuck in the car for over an hour daily as there is literally no alternative to it.

What are you on about? When you think of an argument against improvements and gravitation toward better cycling infrastructure,instead of childish snipes, then feel free to bring them to the thread. For now you're just making what little arguments exist in favour of car primacy, look even less convincing.

Over a third of Dutch and almost 40% of Danish people cycle to work daily. Are you going to seriously try and tell us that irish people are living their 'best life' by sitting in a traffic jam for hours daily, while the stone age northern europeans cycle around? What are ye on lads, I'd love a bit, would make this hideous anglosphere commuter lifestyle more bearable alright I'll give you that. The car centric urban philosphies have really brainwashed ye well

I was specifically talking about banning private car ownership. If that happens it would be a massive drop in living standards.

Cycling from an apartment to a workplace in Rotterdam may be better than sitting in a rush hour traffic jam yeah but obviously bicycles are not equivalent to cars overall. You're trying to take one scenario as representative.

We don't want to go backwards to a world where everyone was mostly confined to their local village. I want to be able to jump in my car and shoot up to Belfast or down to Waterford anytime I like.

If I need to move house or transport building materials I can't just get a couple of cargo bikes and some friends together.

I mentioned a horse and carriage because that is what the horseless carriage (aka the car) replaced. A two-wheel foot-pedalled vehicle is not an equivalent to either of these.

you are partly factually incorrect on the first part, cycling actually gets very minimal space, certainly it is a minority activity and always will be but space given to it is going to increase in line with the increase in numbers which will still be small as is quite right as those who wish to cycle have to be catered for.

the fact is that the car is the mode of transport which gets the most space, and it is long past being financially viable to continue to cater to it at the levels we are, as the space requirements are getting ever larger and the costs ever higher.

there are always going to be cars and nobody is suggesting getting rid of cars altogether but we have to cut their use hugely.

yes however it does not cover the costs of the car in full to the state.

the state pays out more over all to facilitate the car then it takes in from the car.

yes so it's not doing to badly then since linux is used quite a bit and is reasonably liked, okay not the same level as windows but the linux level of popularity and usage for cycling is good going really.