BRFR Cake Stop 'breaking news' miscellany

[AndyRM]

"Hey, how about not dealing with the pollution itself? That should fix it!!" It's a bit like giving people Elastoplasts for gangrene.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2wzq49ej4o

"Work to see whether erecting a barrier between a road and the pavement would reduce exposure to pollution at a known hot spot has been commissioned by a council. Stephenson Road in Heaton, Newcastle, has high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Newcastle City Council is exploring whether a barrier, or rerouting the pavement itself, could reduce the amount of pollution pedestrians are exposed to."

That's a really weird place to be carrying out an experiment like that. Also there's nowhere to reroute the pavement to.

But then Newcastle Council aren't always known for their wisdom.

 

[Pross]

"Hey, how about not dealing with the pollution itself? That should fix it!!" It's a bit like giving people Elastoplasts for gangrene.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2wzq49ej4o

"Work to see whether erecting a barrier between a road and the pavement would reduce exposure to pollution at a known hot spot has been commissioned by a council. Stephenson Road in Heaton, Newcastle, has high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Newcastle City Council is exploring whether a barrier, or rerouting the pavement itself, could reduce the amount of pollution pedestrians are exposed to."

Just ban pedestrians, problem solved

 

[briantrumpet]

That's a really weird place to be carrying out an experiment like that. Also there's nowhere to reroute the pavement to.

But then Newcastle Council aren't always known for their wisdom.

There ought to be a parallel to Occam's Law, along the lines of "If a solution to a problem is obviously fucking stupid & pointless, it's fucking stupid & pointless".

 

[AndyRM]

There ought to be a parallel to Occam's Law, along the lines of "If a solution to a problem is obviously fucking stupid & pointless, it's fucking stupid & pointless".

Yup. Where they're doing that there's a big dip in the road, so I reckon that's why pollutants collect there? There's also a small tunnel which I doubt helps.

Obviously based on this and my excellent understanding of science, they really are f*cking morons, and a better place to be doing the test would be about 500m back up the road.

 

[First Aspect]

There ought to be a parallel to Occam's Law, along the lines of "If a solution to a problem is obviously fucking stupid & pointless, it's fucking stupid & pointless".

It's not completely clear cut. They are having to deal with what I suspect is an acceleration zone on a multi lane road, right next to a residential area. It is a failure of urban planning.

The air pollution expert is kind of confirming the point I made a few years ago that there is no direct proportional link between pollution output by vehicles and pollution experienced by people. i.e. The high levels are very localised.

All things considered, if rerouting the pabement is possible, you would imagine that this and some things like "plants" would be a nicer barrier than a replica of the Berlin wall.

 

[icowden]

""Work to see whether erecting a barrier between a road and the pavement would reduce exposure to pollution at a known hot spot has been commissioned by a council. Stephenson Road in Heaton, Newcastle, has high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Newcastle City Council is exploring whether a barrier, or rerouting the pavement itself, could reduce the amount of pollution pedestrians are exposed to."

I think I've found the problem. Where do I collect my £100k?

 

[briantrumpet]

They are having to deal with what I suspect is an acceleration zone on a multi lane road, right next to a residential area. It is a failure of urban planning.

A bit like those moments when someone asks for directions, and the only sensible answer is "I wouldn't start here", i.e., all solutions are bad or daft.

 

[First Aspect]

Correct. You can see they solved the problem further along with a flyover, but not the acceleration zone out of the previous junction. So what they really need is a flyover or a tunnel, or compulsory purchase orders for some houses to create more of a barrier.

All of which would seem to cost more than a fence.

 

[AndyRM]

Build a dome all the way along the Coast Road and have Mad Max style battles in there.

Combine insanity and tourism.

I see no flaws.

 

[Pross]

When they had a problem with pollution on a road in these parts adjacent to a terrace of houses the solution they came up with was to compulsory purchase and demolish the houses.

2021

2025

 

[First Aspect]

What a waste. They could have used them to imprison asylum seekers.