Westside - a decarbonisation zone

Westside pitches has really bad air quality on a calm winter day. all the chimney fumes settle there. I've been there with the kids and had to leave because it was so bad.

Twitter. Originally meant to me 400 households - but looks like only 300 signed up to the NO2 air monitoring scheme https://www.cleanairtogether.ie/

Wonder what the long term goal on a "decarbonisation zone" is really.

In the UK their decarbonisation zones(ULEZ) have seen people with non-electric cars charged 12 pounds per day for use of their own car.

The alternative option if you need car transport in these ULEZ areas has been to purchase an electric car which tends to be very expensive. In effect, it means in the UK that less well-off neighborhoods become car-free zones not by consensus or choice but by financial necessity.

Well done on falling for the conspiracy theories.

The reality is that the only vehicles excluded from the ULEZs are petrol cars more than 17 years old and diesel cars more than 7 years old. Many even older cars are also allowed if they were among the ones that met the relevant standards before they were mandatory.

The idea that all but electric cars are banned is one promoted by the same cynical misanthropes that are presenting the 15 minute concept as akin to a concentration camp (literally) rather than something that gives people the option to access services close to their homes.

Where is the conspiracy theory? I was posing a question as to exactly what the meaning and long term implications of a non carbonized zone would be and used the one example of the implementation of that closest to home. I didn't suggest this would be implementation of the concept in Galway.

My points were valid and you accused me of "falling for a conspiracy theory". Why would I not refute your interpretation as you can mine?

Wading in to insult someone as "falling for a conspiracy theory" is silly and condescending, and a misunderstanding of the issue.

It's not about 17 Yr old cars, it's about long term, trying to sell cars that are 12/13/14 yrs old as future use for them has collapsed, as has money for them. What you might get for one now won't buy you a car in those areas that can be used for any reasonable period of time. Implications is that over a short period of years cars disappear from less well off areas. No one really disputes that.

Video from EPA about Air Quality monitoring and the CleanAirTogether project

https://youtu.be/MWeInekc7KY?si=JWPjG4FntbySeEdP

The following statement from you is wholly untrue and closely mirrors conspiracy theory talking points.

The reality is that you could purchase a 17 year old petrol car and have the same freedom to move through ULEZs as any electric car driver does.

The claim that only electric cars are allowed into ULEZs is deliberate misinformation that has been propagated by the same conspiracy theorists trying to convince people that ULEZs are part of a secret plan to introduce a concentration camp system where people are locked into a zone defined by a 15 minutes radius from their homes and legally forbidden from travelling outside it.

This recent Twitter post, which closely resembles what you wrote in your own post, went massively viral. 13.5m views of that tweet alone and then magnified by many times that on other social media channels. It was deliberately written to mislead and aimed at an international audience ($ equivalent dropped in), not just those in the UK. There's a comprehensive debunking of it here and more background here.

This kind of misinformation has seen gullible protesters on the streets, who actually own compliant cars, complaining that they are going to be prevented from driving yet, when asked, they haven't even checked whether their own car is compliant because they bought into the misinformation that only electric cars comply.

There is certainly some validity to your arguments about lower income people being priced out of driving, although I don't think there was ever a time when 12/13/14 year old cars could generally be expected to sell for more than the £2000 scrappage London is offering. And I think it's also worth considering that the fact that 40-50% of London households never had cars in the first place means this is really likely to impact a relatively small proportion of the population. But if you choose to couch valid arguments in conspiracy theory rhetoric, and post easily disprovable misinformation, you can't expect not to be called out on that.

My new favourite saying applies here too; 'if your argument was a strong one to begin with you wouldn't have to make stuff up to try to get your point across'.

@what_traffic but those points ignore the reality of the kind of care being provided - Xrays, a diagnostic imaging hub providing MRI and CAT scan ultrasound, also services like physiotherapy and occupational therapy do generally attract people who are unwell, injured or somewhat disabled by their ailment. They wouldn't tend to be cyclists or even using public transport. I say that as someone who has been unwell and has not been able to stand at a bus stop or walk from my home to one, so I'm assuming many others would face similar issues. Going to appointments in UCHG for me, and others I know with similar health issues, has meant getting a taxi or a lift from relations because I couldn't rely on finding parking there and certainly could park off campus and walk there. I have 4 relations in a similar situation right now & also friends. I'm sure you can think of someone in your own life in a similar situation. I personally think needs like that should be factored into any healthcare facility provision and hardships incurred in other facilities should be avoided in the next. I would be surprised to find a reasonable proportion of the people requiring these services arriving by foot, bike or bus.

You have to remember we are talking 127 parking spaces for 300 staff and a possible 500 patients of varying physical wellbeing. I don't know how that seems adequate except in a situation that ignores the reality of the demographic involved and also the reality of car usage in Galway as stands.

@berrecka I think perhaps you are thinking of the intention to transition elderly care to a home care model rather than use nursing homes. Where more can be provided at home by carers. Those are non-professional roles ensuring someone can safely stay at home, helping provide meals, ensuring meds are taken, minor health checks like blood pressure are performed. That's a totally different role than a primary healthcare centre provides. Realistically to move professional healthcare to an home model you would have to allow for several lost professional hours spent in transit to various homes and increased money on expenses for petrol etc. I don't forsee any possibility of our health budget allowing for that. Also why would you build an 8 storey healthcare facility if you were attending to pursue an entirely different model that would eat way more financial resources. I should say no HSE bus transport model has been suggested.

As long as its carbon neutral! Only allowed to go online on windy days, the days Westside air is probably cleanest. Win win for everybody!

Beauty of course of this is that 10 -20 Car parking = 80-160 bike parking spots #MakeWestsideADecarbonisationZone

Wow that's amazing that your sibling has received that kind of care. From my experience that isn't at all typical. I have had two elderly neighbours have car accidents recently, one broke a pelvis, one broke his spine, and both were forced to attend physio in Merlin despite considerable difficulty with pain,lack of mobility and needing their children to take time off work to bring them. One eventually hired a private physio to come to his house due to the impossibility of attending in person. I have also had to physically attend for appointments while very ill and even missed appointments because I have been too ill too and no one has offered home appointments. The public health nurses are great of course and have always been around as a necessary service but they would not be considered primary care in this context. I'll find a list of what is intended to be in the new clinic though.

While that is wonderful that you've had an option of homecare, and it really is, I would love to see more people get that level of care, I can't see it becoming widespread considering cost and considering that they are creating a building with a large section dedicated to the service. Physio and OT are only 2 services though. Providing extra parking there does not mean that if there is a shift in Galway towards bike transport that people will come to avail of the parking spaces by car. It just means there are options for those who physically,absolutely have to attend by car that 127 spaces for a proposed 800 users of the site doesn't allow for. I'm sure as a person who has had illhealth you have experienced the extreme inconvenience the parking at UCGH is too. I wish the very best for you and your sibling btw - hope better health comes your way.

Why are they building offices if nobody is going to be there? Does not add up.

That's what I thought as well but you seem to imply in the thread that ALL staff will spend max 30 min per day at this location?