Tunnel vision – the folly of the Silvertown Tunnel

JVL Introduction

In January mayor Sadiq Khan announced new targets for London to reach “net zero by 2030”.

Welcome news, you would think, as we face up to the realities of the climate emergency we face.

Yet two major building projects threaten this goal in major ways: the Silvertown tunnel and the Edmonton incinerator.

The mayor is committed to the Silvertown tunnel. It will, as Simon Pirani makes clear here, contradict the goal of reducing CO2 emissions, exacerbate dreadful air pollution problems locally and increase road transport.

It has no discernible local support On the contrary, there is huge local opposition.

What London needs is to reduce traffic levels by at least a quarter by 2030. The Tunnel will increase them.

In this article from the Ecologist Pirani unravels the doublethink underpinning the decision to press ahead with the tunnel…

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In a separate article to follow soon we will  look at the folly of rebuilding the Edmonton incinerator which the Labour councils of the North London Waste Authority are committed to.

This article was originally published by the Ecologist on Tue 16 Aug 2022. Read the original here.