Thread by @philsturgeon

🌍 The way we talk about infrastructure projects in the U.K. is utterly broken. HS2 receives nationwide coordinated attacks on the project as a whole, but the drastically more destructive road construction (#RIS2) is left to be fought separately by small local efforts.

https://twitter.com/roadtoruinshrop/status/1380851337865363462

I suspect much of this is because “cars are normal”, and partly that the cost benefit analysis of HS2 has been warped so badly by disinformation. that people think there’s barely any benefits, and the environmental costs have been presented with no context.

https://twitter.com/philsturgeon/status/1372917696543784967

There’s the other concern that I hear a lot. The dreaded HS2 Ltd.

Can we for a moment separate the two ideas of:

1. HS2 (high speed rail releasing capacity on the existing network to reduce road/air passengers and freight)

2. HS2 Ltd the company managing the project

If we cannot have 330mi of low carbon electric trains because maybe HS2 Ltd, are Tory cronies... do you think the people building the roads are not?!

If we have bad people doing a good thing, and bad people doing a bad thing, why are we mostly complaining about the good thing?!

Give "conservative cronyism" a Google and see how much ridiculous crap pops up. Tory's gonna Tory. There are two options:

1. HS2 Ltd is an upstanding organization.

2. HS2 Ltd is full of corrupt Tory cronies just like most giant road construction projects always have been.

How can we get picture of how HS2 Ltd are doing when there's so much absolute garbage floating around. Disinformation on HS2 warps our perspective of HS2 Ltd's motivations. It's easy to think they're evil if you think HS2 is "pointlessly destroying our last scraps of woodland."

Now, I have heard that HS2 Ltd have destroyed some anicent woodland for temporary works. If that's true it's is obviously atrocious. Store your shit somewhere else.

But let's not pretend folks implementing 330mi of track are going to cause more lazy carnage that 4,000mi of road.

I'll be taking a look at some of the HS2 reforestation sites this week (got some time before I need to plant more trees), and I'm curious about how they're doing. In the mean time please focus up on the real enemy: money wasting bullshit road projects.

https://twitter.com/SilvertownTn/status/1380621471685427201?s=20

To find out about more of the pointless bullshit roads that'll absolutely destroy our chances of hitting our carbon emissions goals an averting the worst effects of climate change, follow: @RoadToRuinShrop @StopWensumLink @NoNewRoads1 @ArundelBypass @saverimrose. #NoNewRoads

The closest thing to a strategic defence from RIS2 is from @TransportActio2, who are mounting a legal case against the Gov. I’ve chipped in a few quid. If they can save us through legal action then we won’t need to lock ourselves to as many bulldozers. transportactionnetwork.org.uk/campaign/legal…

Because XR just retweeted I’m getting a lot of general anti-HS2 comments and some folks saying “ok well maybe both things are bad, doesn’t make HS2 worthwhile.” These people are victims of the HS2 disinformation campaign. Further comparisons and benefits.

https://twitter.com/philsturgeon/status/1373367620813078530

And finally yes HS2 can reduce flight and car use, and yes it can be carbon neutral in a few years with the most basic policies in place.

https://twitter.com/philsturgeon/status/1374030250011729921