Remember the 2016 Formula One Canadian Grand Prix? No, not the race itself, but the interviews afterwards. An affable Sebastian Vettel uttered a one-liner that has stuck with me ever since: “Everybody’s a Ferrari fan. Even if they are not, they (still) are a Ferrari fan”. As the Scuderia recently competed in their 1000th grand…
Comment
Should we ban cars in cities: for the drivers
Hoping to tackle air pollution and reduce congestion, a Birmingham transport plan has been released which will ban private cars from driving through the city centre. The goal is for travel within the city to be public transport-oriented, not car-oriented According to a resident of an adjacent village, the current public transport system is so unreliable that…
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Should we ban cars in cities: for the environment
The fewer cars there are in a city, the better that city is for people. They are bad for health and the environment, as well as being one of the most space inefficient modes of transport. It’s no surprise then that cities around the world are planning for what a car-free future might look like, and Birmingham…
News
Norwich city set for Car Free Day
Norwich is set to join 2,000 cities in 46 countries around the world in holding a Car Free Day on Sunday 22nd September. This follows a decision earlier this summer to exclude diesel and petrol vehicles from the well-loved Lord Mayor’s Procession to reduce the environmental impact of the event. Green city councillor Ben Price…
Global
Italy’s recession raises concerns of eurozone contagion
Italy’s economy has entered a recession after posting a contraction of 0.2 percent in gross domestic product (GDP) in the final three months of 2018. This follows a 0.1 percent negative growth in the previous quarter. The Italian coalition government of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, and the far-right League party, had promised to…
Finance
The finance roundup
Bank of England raises interest rates. For the first time in over a decade, the Bank of England has raised interest rates. The lon g-anticipated move is the first since July 2007, and restores interest rates to 0.5% – the rate it was at before it was cut to 0.25% after the EU referendum. The…