Prof. Ian Walker
LightNews LightNews
banner
ianwalker.bsky.social
Prof. Ian Walker
@ianwalker.bsky.social
19K followers 2.4K following 3.2K posts
Environmental psychologist: transport, energy, water, buildings. Motonormativity person. Head of Psychology, Swansea University 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿. Charity trustee x2. My views

Guinness World Record for the fastest bicycle ride across Europe drianwalker.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
ianwalker.bsky.social
Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · Feb 17
HOT RESEARCH NEWS!

Motonormativity ("car brain") is a bias that stops people making rational judgements about driving en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motonor...

Our new study shows where this bias comes from AND how it makes people think they're odd for supporting changes to the transport system 🧵
Cover sheet of a journal article: "Why do cars get a free ride? The social-ecological roots of motonormativity" by Ian Walker and Marco te Brömmelstroet
ianwalker.bsky.social
Listening to my nephew learning about plants in the next room and he's really pushing Maslow's hierarchy:

-What do plants need to grow?
-Soil! Water! Entertainment! Food!
January 24, 2026 at 11:52 AM
ianwalker.bsky.social
Some important clarification here from @cyclinguk.bsky.social on submitting close-pass video evidence to the police

www.cyclinguk.org/blog/it-wort...
Is it worth submitting video footage of close passes?
After concerns that police in Wales might not be accepting video submissions of close passing, we met with the Head of GoSafe in Wales to find out more. Here’s what he told us, along with his advice f...
www.cyclinguk.org
January 23, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Prof. Ian Walker
hoxtonrich.bsky.social
Another casualty as another car hits another bus stop. Almost as if the real safety issue at bus stops isn’t the schemes to make them accessible for school kids to pass on bikes.
January 23, 2026 at 9:48 AM
ianwalker.bsky.social
Anyone else here walking the LDWA Hundred this year?
January 22, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Prof. Ian Walker
wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk
To help with your responses to the DfT’s consultation on powered mobility aids, we are hosting a series of free webinars to discuss mobility aid regulations and how we can ensure Disabled people have the same journey-making choices as non-disabled people
Graphic titled "mobility aid regulations are out of date. Disabled people need future-proofed laws that enable us to choose the mobility aids that work best for us." There are three mobility aids shown - a recumbent e-trike with one rider, an in-line tandem mobility scooter with two riders, and an invented robot dog based on a Boston Dynamics walking robot combined with a powerchair, with one rider. The people using these devices are saying: "My e-trike is my mobility aid" "Our tandem mobility scooter is our mobility aid" "My robo-dog is my mobility aid". A man standing on the left is holding a scroll which reads "Ye olde invalid carriage regulations 1988" and saying "Er..."
January 21, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Reposted by Prof. Ian Walker
saveoursaferstreets.org
Court of Appeal just ruled Tower Hamlets DECISION to remove the Bethnal Green LTN is UNLAWFUL.

Councils can't remove without going through proper process & getting Mayor of London's approval.

This is a MASSIVE precedent for London. Years of work vindicated.
#SaveOurSaferStreets
#LTN
January 22, 2026 at 10:49 AM
ianwalker.bsky.social
I'm a couple of weeks late with this, but if you've made a New Year's resolution to do something useful, a donation to @wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk is something you might consider?
wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk Wheels for Wellbeing @wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk · 2d
Julian got cycling!!

Julian tried out our Van Raam Easy Rider Compact, with e-assist, comfortable seat and semi-recumbent riding position.
Just one of many on our scheme!

Want to find out if a cycle might suit you and loan one for free?!

Get in touch today to find out more. www.wheels4me.co.uk
A dark green graphic with the words Julian Got Cycling! at the top. The Wheels4Me logo is in the top right-hand corner. Underneath is the text “Julian tried out our Van Raam Easy Rider Compact, with e-assist, comfortable seat and semi-recumbent riding position. Just one of many on our scheme! Want to find out if a cycle might suit you?” In a grey box are the words “loan for FREE!” and underneath that a white box with the words “Enquire Now”. To the right is a yellow circle with a photo inside of a white man sat on a Van Raam Easy Rider Compact. He is wearing a cycle helmet, a bright blue jacket and black trousers. In the background are shrubs and a road with a white car going by. At the bottom of the graphic in a yellow box are the words “contact us 020 7346 8482”, email info@wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk , Visit our website, wheels4me.co.uk
January 22, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Reposted by Prof. Ian Walker
wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk
Julian got cycling!!

Julian tried out our Van Raam Easy Rider Compact, with e-assist, comfortable seat and semi-recumbent riding position.
Just one of many on our scheme!

Want to find out if a cycle might suit you and loan one for free?!

Get in touch today to find out more. www.wheels4me.co.uk
A dark green graphic with the words Julian Got Cycling! at the top. The Wheels4Me logo is in the top right-hand corner. Underneath is the text “Julian tried out our Van Raam Easy Rider Compact, with e-assist, comfortable seat and semi-recumbent riding position. Just one of many on our scheme! Want to find out if a cycle might suit you?” In a grey box are the words “loan for FREE!” and underneath that a white box with the words “Enquire Now”. To the right is a yellow circle with a photo inside of a white man sat on a Van Raam Easy Rider Compact. He is wearing a cycle helmet, a bright blue jacket and black trousers. In the background are shrubs and a road with a white car going by. At the bottom of the graphic in a yellow box are the words “contact us 020 7346 8482”, email info@wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk , Visit our website, wheels4me.co.uk
January 22, 2026 at 12:18 PM
ianwalker.bsky.social
This is also a good reminder of the astonishing skill gap between a proper professional driver and the millions of people we allow to pilot vehicles with barely any training or safeguards
manbikesdog.bsky.social ManBikesDog @manbikesdog.bsky.social · 2d
Great video - and I hadn't appreciated another use of ASLs - allowing an emergency vehicle to turn left out of a junction after "wrong siding it" (at 6:15 into video) youtu.be/kSoOW35qO84?...
Driving in a fire engine through London - Watch how traffic reacts!
YouTube video by The Online Driving Instructor
youtu.be
January 21, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Reposted by Prof. Ian Walker
carolinelucas.bsky.social
This is a truly horrifying account of increasingly likely collapse of essential natural systems which would bring mass food shortages, price rises & global disorder. Commissioned from UK intelligence chiefs but scandalously suppressed by Govt, & sneaked out now while attention is elsewhere 👇
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
January 20, 2026 at 9:48 PM
ianwalker.bsky.social
I'm no fan of the car industry, but even so I have to give them some free advice: Guys, do you realise how much you're cheapening your brands with these tacky illuminated logos?
January 21, 2026 at 3:59 PM
Reposted by Prof. Ian Walker
jjaron.bsky.social
As we all know, evil fossil fuel firms extract oil and gas and then immediately burn it. No one else is involved. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Half of world’s CO2 emissions come from just 32 fossil fuel firms, study shows
Critics accuse leading firms of sabotaging climate action but say data increasingly being used to hold them to account
www.theguardian.com
January 21, 2026 at 8:29 AM
Reposted by Prof. Ian Walker
james-bg.bsky.social
This will get massively overshadowed today and as ever the devil is in the detail, but is should be one of the best things Labour has done. It has the potential to improve the lives and finances of millions of people.
www.businessgreen.com/news/4524489...
'A national project to turn the tide': Government unveils £15bn Warm Homes Plan
Long-awaited plan aims to help millions of families to cut energy bills by installing solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, and insulation
www.businessgreen.com
January 21, 2026 at 7:17 AM
Reposted by Prof. Ian Walker
sbrackenborough.bsky.social
anybody know if Trump is going to nuke us before the tax return deadline, or after it
January 20, 2026 at 6:28 PM
ianwalker.bsky.social
"Every critical ecosystem is on a pathway to collapse" - wow, the wording in this isn't pulling its punches
rupertread.bsky.social Rupert Read @rupertread.bsky.social · 3d
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
The UK Govt has quietly published - without announcement - the Joint Intelligence Committee/DEFRA report it suppressed last October. They tried to sneak it out in the midst of crisis. Read and share:

“Global Biodiversity Loss, Ecosystem Collapse & National Security.”
(link below)
January 20, 2026 at 6:08 PM
ianwalker.bsky.social
I have to point to our recent work where most of the people we spoke to favoured car-reduction policies, but thought they were unusual for doing so. This is one reason why consultations, as currently enacted, won't work to gauge support www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
peterwalker99.bsky.social Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 4d
*Sighs once again*.

Consultations are not referendums. We have a system of representative democracy. Those elected enact policy and consult on *how* it is enacted, not if. There are many, many good reasons why this is the case.
JAWAD IQBAL Councils should listen to voters on 20mph zones Majority of those who took part in the Wokingham consultation were not in favour but the council is pressing ahead Jawad Iqbal Monday January 19 2026, 7.31pm, The Times Wokingham borough council has a strange way of showing it is listening to the concerns of local voters. The council has decided to press ahead with new 20mph speed restrictions despite the objections of almost two thirds of those who took part in a public consultation. Why ask voters for their views only to ignore them anyway?
January 20, 2026 at 3:31 PM
ianwalker.bsky.social
What3words is an opaque techy non-solution that seeks to lock people into a proprietary system that replaces a better system that was working perfectly fine. They're almost the last company I'd want to see influencing how government thinks
gavinfreeguard.bsky.social Gavin Freeguard @gavinfreeguard.bsky.social · 4d
At what3words for Darren Jones speech on 'Move fast and fix things: modernising Whitehall to deliver for Britain'

@instituteforgovernment.org.uk's Hannah White asks what will make this attempt at reform different - says what matters is what comes next
January 20, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Reposted by Prof. Ian Walker
ketanjoshi.co
May I once again not-at-all-humbly reiterate what I said back in 2022: the centrist brain-worm that "energy security" comes from crawling from dependence on one fossil fuel supplier to another is absolute bullshit: Europe could and should have been reducing gas reliance faster for the past 3 years
I'm @Ketanjoshi.co on Bluesky @KetanJ0 Also, energy security is served by massive, rapid reductions in fossil fuel use, and worsened by sustained or increased reliance on fossil fuels. 11:19 PM · Jul 11, 2022 FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022 THE SYDNEY MOR Opinio Gas, our best weapon against Putin Australia could help reduce Russia's leverage over Europe - especially if this war drags on for years. David Crowe T The war in Ukraine has descended so quickly into crimes so great that the moral case for a powerful response grows stronger by the day. The latest atrocity, the bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol, only adds to the urgency about what else can be done to stop the Russian invasion. The primary hope is to break the Russian economy. Australia has joined global sanctions to impose a crushing financial penalty that might be enough to halt the attacks, impose extreme pressure on Vladimir Putin and convince other autocrats that similar ventures will trigger the same costs. But the economic assault is yet to stop the Russian President after almost two weeks of radical steps designed to crash his currency and paralyse his central bank. These steps are certain to bring severe financial hardship to millions of ordinary Russians, yet success depends on whether this pain can force Putin to relent, if not retreat. The reality is Australia has few ways to add to this pressure. It is doing less than in recent conflicts: there are no Australian boots on the ground. This reflects the essential calculation, which is cold but correct, that NATO and its allies must not go into direct combat with Russian forces and risk turning this into a nuclear confrontation. It is on the economy, then, that Australia can bring some pressure to bear. Any pressure is worth considering when Australia is a huge energy supplier with the capacity, in theory, to reduce some of Putin's leverage. It has been on federal cabinet's agenda for good reason. The war is now a test of whether banks stop tanks. The West has launched an experiment to see if economic war can defeat an army of more than 150,000 troops. History shows that stronger economies win wars. Experience shows the victory does not come quickly. The…
January 19, 2026 at 10:56 AM
ianwalker.bsky.social
I know we're suspicious about all the vape shops but I just saw one called "Vape of Good Hope" so perhaps it's not so bad after all
January 18, 2026 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by Prof. Ian Walker
christianwolmar.bsky.social
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01...
Potholes are not the problem – it’s our obsession with cars
We need a shift away from thinking that using these vehicles is the only way to get around
www.telegraph.co.uk
January 18, 2026 at 9:32 AM
Reposted by Prof. Ian Walker
lutzfernandez.bsky.social
#pairedtexts
‪Fast Company‬ ‪@fastcompany.com‬ · 2m Honda says its refreshed logo, which removes the frame and extends the H’s stems outward, represents a “second founding” for the company. Honda 2.0 is designed to look like it’s from the future. f-st.co/nSHkoSE Honda’s futuristic new logo is ready for a ‘Tron’ cameo Honda 2.0 is designed to look like ‪The Japan Times‬ ‪@japantimes.co.jp‬ · 1d Honda Motor plans to increase production of cheaper gasoline-fueled vehicles in the United States this year, a reflection of lower U.S. emissions standards and a new-car affordability crisis. Honda to boost output of cheaper, less fuel-efficient vehicles in U.S. The move comes as many American car-buyers are struggling to afford new-car prices that average nearly $50,000.
January 16, 2026 at 11:20 AM
ianwalker.bsky.social
Stephen Collins is brilliant
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
The stress management app that doesn’t even pretend things are OK! The Stephen Collins cartoon
Download our app if you really want to feel bad about yourself
www.theguardian.com
January 16, 2026 at 11:06 AM
ianwalker.bsky.social
I'm deep in DfT travel statistics right now. Here's another that's blown my mind: Wales saw 3.5 billion miles of driving on minor urban roads in 2024 assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/684964... Great Britain as a whole had 67.6 billion miles *driven* on *minor urban roads*!
January 16, 2026 at 9:24 AM
ianwalker.bsky.social
Another useful link to bookmark: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/689b58... Shows, for example, that in 2024 the average disabled adult in England drove 282 car trips and the average non-disabled person drove 474 car trips. Disabled people no more likely to be car passenger either
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
January 16, 2026 at 9:15 AM
Reposted by Prof. Ian Walker
domestiquecycling.com
The 🇫🇷 Tour de France is coming back to 🇬🇧 Britain in 2027, with 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Edinburgh to host the Grand Départ of the men's race on July 2.

📰 domestiquecycling.com/en/news/stag...

📸 ASO
January 16, 2026 at 8:32 AM