Two thirds of generally law-abiding, fairly moderate Times readers support a right to roam in England. It’s time for all parties to take a good look at this issue (Times online poll results just now)

Disappointing to see Defra is the joint worst department for transparency, granting in full less than 1 in 5 Freedom of Information requests. Good piece by Lucas Amin and Peter Geoghegan @ democracyforsale.uk open.substack.com/pub/democracyf…

Which car manufacturers are being reckless with people’s lives by failing to install intelligent speed assistance? They must be exposed and boycotted. Fascinating article by ⁦Nicholas Hellen⁩ thetimes.co.uk/article/0b5cf5…

Professor condemns his own university’s collaboration with Exxon on “greenwash” carbon capture project opendemocracy.net/en/southampton…

How shameful that these 15 companies which profit from fast fashion refused to give evidence to MPs about its impacts. That speaks volumes about their disregard for the environment. They should be compelled to attend.

Smart move by £8.2m a year British Gas boss: get people debating smart meters rather than the need to stop using gas thetimes.co.uk/article/66bb58…

The Telegraph gives huge publicity to a pedestrian injured in a collision with a cyclist. Waiting to see similar publicity for the 90 cyclists killed on the roads each year. telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/1…

✍️ | We've joined Plant Based Health Professionals UK and organisations representing more than 1 million healthcare professionals in writing to AHDB and Defra UK asking them to withdraw their misleading campaign promoting dairy and red meat consumption dauk.org/news/2024/05/1…

Anti-cycling Columns for Dummies: 1. Include references to “men in Lycra”. 2. Claim to be a cyclist yourself. 3. Don’t mention that 100 pedestrians die after being hit by a car for every 1 who dies after being hit by a cyclist.

An advertising campaign trying to sell us more red meat was approved by a Tory minister who farms beef - openDemocracy reveals opendemocracy.net/en/red-meat-le…

Incisive and timely investigation by Peter Geoghegan @ democracyforsale.uk and Lucas Amin

Wow, nimbies in their East Anglian rural retreats want us to spend up to £7billion extra to bury power cables to protect their views thetimes.com/article/5085c4…

The standard supermarket PR response to such horrible revelations is to “suspend” the farm then quietly reinstate it when the media furore has died down. We need permanent improvement in pig welfare, not sticking plasters. thetimes.com/article/31a460…

Why is the water company which was fined the highest amount for illegal sewage pollution being allowed to raise bills by the highest amount? Southern Water has hired former regulators and has played a blinder with the regulator bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

There’s a lesson here for all the journalists who were invited down to the’Venice of Britain’ and wrote puff pieces which delighted the developer: ask tougher questions. thetimes.com/article/bcbe12…

It’s good that people who want to allow faster driving on 20mph residential roads in Wales will be forced to justify it with evidence, rather than the position in England where it’s very hard to cut the limit from 30 or 40 even where it’s obviously lethal thetimes.com/article/1a4655…

Exxon is talking about maybe building a CO2 pipeline from Fawley refinery which it says would cut emissions by the equivalent of taking 5m cars off the road. Meanwhile it is actually building enough new diesel capacity at Fawley for about 4m cars. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

I know I harp on about the wonders of London’s public transport. Oh, and spot the 3 Bromptons

Abolishing the transport secretary’s ministerial car would help⁦ ⁦Louise Haigh⁩ understand transport issues better. She says she doesn’t know if Dennis, her driver, would let her cycle in London! Let’s get them both on bikes! theguardian.com/politics/artic…

Familiar pattern: announce tough net zero target; do little towards it; blame others when it becomes obvious you won’t achieve it bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…