We stopped at the side of the N22 road to Killarney the other day to take a photograph of the new Macroom bypass.
It's an amazing feat of engineering and is ahead of its proposed completion date.
There are videos on You Tube of the new road. No one who travels through the town of Macroom can really argue that it is not a bottle neck for traffic and a bypass is needed yesterday. The same could be said for my nearest town Bantry and many others in West Cork and no doubt where you all live?
I know that cars are a necessary evil and public transport and subsidised rural taxis are virtually non existant in rural Ireland.
The reason why I'm writing this post is to ask what about the wildlife? First of all the birds and animals who lived in the fields and had their habitat destroyed permanently and the new road is built between fields.
How much road kill victims will there be when the road is up and running? Could they not budget to put perspex see through panels at the sides of the roads or fencing? Or can you think of some way to prevent road kill on our rural roads?
Watching Fantastic Mr Fox made me think about these sensient creatures.
This post was inspired by a young badger road kill victim we noticed on a recent car trip to County Kerry.
We were only talking about this the other day. The Government destroyed woods etc and people got turned out of their houses for HS2 and then they decided not to do it. I almost give up.
ReplyDeleteBriony
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It drives you mad doesn't it Briony? According to Professor Google there are 32 million cars in the UK and 2.2million cars in Ireland. Ireland's population is nearly 5 million and the UK's is 67.2 million. I hate seeing roadkill.
ReplyDeleteSoon we shall not be able to drive our cars anyway if the oil supplies dry up... or we just won't be able to afford it.
ReplyDeleteVery true JayCee. Diesel went past 2 Euros a litre in Ireland today. Perhaps we will have to find alternative fuels, avail of more public transport and only have one car or car share? I am the domestic and wildlife animal population would like to see less cars and trucks, especially at night?
ReplyDeleteSince moving into town, we hardly use the car any more so that helps a little I suppose. We use the bus or Shanks' pony.
DeleteSorry. I meant to say I am sure the domestic...
ReplyDeleteIt's not often anyone thinks about the wildlife. It reminds me of a new road near us which bypasses 2 villages. We drove it last week and passed 2 squashed foxes and some other animal. Progress they say but it always comes with a negative side.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if in a few years cars will be only for the rich. Prices for petrol and heating oil are going up daily.
I like to use Shanks'pony where it's safe to do so. I know people who have moved to town to avail of the facilities because they are non existent where they lived. I wish we had a daily and nightly rural public transport system and the government subsidised rural taxi fares for rural dwellers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that Linda. Totally agree with you that its not often anyone thinks about the wildlife. Years ago people lived in the countryside very cheaply. Then along came the car and rural properties became expensive and people could to the towns and cities for work. We rely too much on fossil fuels and the fuel companies. No doubt these price increases will be passed on to the supermarket food prices and the haulier and shopper.
ReplyDeleteA recent study at University of Massachusetts, Cape Cod campus determined that roads were a major boon for crows and other carrion eaters. Furthermore, they determined that the vast number of crows were killed by trucks (lorries) rather than cars.
ReplyDeleteCrows are extremely intelligent and organized. They always have a sentry crow posted in a nearby tree or light pole to scout for oncoming danger.
Apparently the sentries are able to call "Ca! Ca! Ca!" and they crows scatter before being hit by cars. Unfortunately they are unable to call "Truck! Truck! Truck!"
Thanks for that Eaton Rapids Joe. I didn't know there had been road kill studies. I know there are roadkill recipes books on Amazon. Think I will stick to supermarket bought meat.
ReplyDeleteThey paved paradise and put up a parking lot.
ReplyDeleteJoni Mitchel,Tasker? Great enviromental folk ballad.
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