The case for banning car adverts on TV

We need a fundamental shift away from transport by private car

A chara, – Congratulations and a huge thank you to Philip Boucher-Hayes and his team on an absolutely stunning and sobering first episode of Rising Tides: Ireland’s Future in a Warmer World.

If RTÉ could stop the relentless advertising by car companies which tends to characterise their stations, and the continued emphasis on travel by car (like naming a radio show Drivetime), this could have a positive impact on reducing transport-related emissions and could help accelerate the modal shift so badly needed if we are to decouple transport emissions from economic growth.

We need a fundamental shift away from transport by private car altogether, as opposed to a shift to electric vehicles (EVs).

EVs have huge levels of embodied carbon and do not bring any of the “co-benefits” of reducing private car travel (such as reduced road deaths, improved the public realm, improved health and reduced obesity, improved social equality, reduced financial burden on governments, etc).

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I welcome People Before Profit’s current Bill (Prohibition of Fossil Fuel Advertising Bill) in the Dáil to ban advertising of fossil fuel and fossil-fuel vehicles and hope this is expedited and implemented as soon as possible.

This Bill should be extended to cover the advertisement of all private cars. – Is mise,

LYNN McMAHON,

Dún Laoghaire,

Co Dublin.