New Belgian anti-4x4 group makes the headlines

New Belgian anti-4x4 group makes the headlines

Here is a short update from Jeroen and Joeri from the Belgian actiongroup 4x4info.

"Well, we've got some busy times behind us. After getting our website online beginning of December, we released our first press release, together with about 15 other organisations. This first press-release was quite general, focusing on both environmental- and safety concerns about SUV's. Also from the beginning, we have chosen to talk about the problem with SUV's in a broader context where the car-industry keeps on moving towards bigger, heavier and more powerful cars. From the beginning, we have got the support from some people in the academic world, they helped us a lot getting our facts straight.

In December, we also started to distribute our stickers (with our logo and the website). We distributed them through fair-trade stores, ecological centers, and via friends. We hang them everywhere, but not in the least on SUV's off course. This also has gotten the attention of some 4x4-lovers, on 4x4forum.be . A heavy discussion is going on there, but their arguments are more rude than reasonable. The administration of this 4x4-club asked us to have a meeting with them though in the coming weeks, to discuss our point of view with them, and we will do so.

Yesterday then: the very first ACTION of 4x4info. Together with 15 motivated volunteers, we went to protest at the European Motor Show in Brussels. This went very, very good. The reactions of the visitors were mostly very positive. Their was quite some press, and our message was picked up by national tv and on almost all online newspapers yesterday evening. So a good chance we will have some articles in the newspapers tomorrow ...

In our press release we don't only focus on SUV's, but on the broader trend towards bigger, heavier and more powerful cars. More specific, our main message was that the car-industry can't use the promotion of biofuels as an alibi to hold them from getting the average fuel consumption down. As long as this is rising (and the offer of SUV's is one of the reasons), the ecological profit of new fuels and new technologies will be lost. Off course the media focussed on our anti-4x4 message, but online our broader message was picked up as well.

Besides that, 4x4info appeared in a debating program on french-speaking Brussels TV last Friday, and their dutch-speaking collegues were there yesterday to make a 6 minutes documentary on the subject of SUV's, congestion charge, ...

You can find an online-article here.

Is the SMMT in bed with the Nuclear Industry?

Recently Norwich officially unvieled it's own initiative to halt the spread of 4x4s. And to our surprise, our friend Chris McGowan of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders released the following press release on 05 December. You have to wonder, what does the motoring society have to do with the government's Energy Review? Understandably, they feel threatened because a policy to reduce automobile emissions would impact sales of gas-guzzling and poorly designed vehicles. The Alliance Against Urban 4x4s believes that all vehicles should be adequately taxed dependent on their CO2 emissions, not just 4x4s.

Contents : Environmental lobby ignoring the bigger picture on CO2 emissions, says Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders

SMMT has reacted with concern over a Friends of the Earth statement, calling for massive increases in tax on 4x4 vehicles, whilst seemingly refusing to participate in the nuclear debate.Friends of the Earth, and fellow lobbyists Greenpeace, have made their anti-nuclear position clear before a full and informed debate on the nuclear option. Yet a statement released by Friends of the Earth has urged Chancellor Gordon Brown to take more action to reduce the threat of climate change.

Nuclear power has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions significantly from the largest source of man-made carbon dioxide - the energy industries. At the moment, this accounts for around 38 per cent of total output, compared to 22 per cent for road transport.

SMMT chief executive Christopher Macgowan commented, 'Nuclear power may or may not be the way forward in terms of energy policy. However, to adopt a "no thanks" policy with its echoes from the cold war era, while berating drivers of 4x4 and SUV vehicles, is quite wrong. A full and informed debate on all efforts to cut CO2 across all industries would best serve the environment in the medium and long term.'

According to the BBC, Friends of the Earth and Green Party members are today targeting 4x4 drivers in Norwich, handing out 'parking tickets' in a protest over air quality.

Yet, once again, protestors are ignoring the facts. As well as average CO2 reductions of around 15 per cent in six years, a modern 4x4 diesel emits just seven per cent of the particulate emissions of a 15 year old saloon. Similarly on air quality NOx emissions, standards for the latest Euro 4 petrol 4x4s are six times as tight as those for a Euro 2 saloon, some of which are as little as five years old.

Will Friends of the Earth and Green Party members be ticketing drivers of older, more polluting saloons, estates and small cars?

Sports utility vehicles harm older pedestrians

Sports utility vehicles harm older pedestrians

Sports utility vehicles harm older pedestrians

Today the British Medical Journal has called for health warnings to come with Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) to highlight the increased dangers they pose to pedestrians.

There are also related articles on bbc.co.uk, the Times Online, and even the Mirror - have a read.

Following the BMJ editorial, the LibDems have also renewed their call for double congestion charge on all SUVs. According to Geoff Pope, 'Sports Utility Vehicles in city centres are a danger to pedestrians, a potential hazard to other road users, can cause more damage than any other type of car and take up more roadspace so increasing congestion.'

Mudwash in Kings Road, Chelsea

Today the Alliance offered a free mudwash to any 4x4 driver who was daring enough to take us up on the offer. Responding to the urban 'myth' that 4x4 owners in the city pay people to put mud on their 4x4s to look like they've traveled further afield than the local DIY shop, we offered drivers a menu of 'Mud Services', including 'Surrey Slurry' and 'Gloucestershire Gunk'.











Other groups also held mudwashes of their own. Here's a few pics from Manchester