Back to the future in a horse and cart
The Daily Telegraph   01/27/06
author: David Millward
Copyright (C) 2006 The Daily Telegraph; Source: World Reporter (TM)

Britons could face a future in which most people travel by bicycle or horse and air travel becomes a distant memory, a Government think tank said yesterday.

The apocalyptic scenario, following an energy crisis, was one of four outlined by Foresight. The team was asked to predict how Britain and its transport infrastructure could look in 50 years' time. Underpinning all its predictions is the belief that huge changes will be needed to cope with the problems of congestion and climate change.

The scientists' vision of the renaissance of the horse and cart was based on a future in which the British banking system collapses in 2026 and the last commercial flight takes place in 2052.

As an alternative, the Foresight team saw a future of sophisticated urban colonies, with the bulk of the population living in cities - but ones which will be pleasant with plentiful rooftop parks and abundant food supplied from the adjacent rural hinterland.

Under this scenario pay as you drive road pricing would become a reality in 2015, legislation would require that all goods are repairable and Britain would meet the Kyoto greenhouse gas emissions targets by 2022.

Cities of the future would resemble the packed Asian model, rather than the American urban sprawl. Farmers' markets would be commonplace and the use of the car would decline markedly.

 The "scientists" got part of it right.  That fourth paragraph might be just a wee wishful dreaming (can't call that nonsense "thinking", they were probably rooting around in the experimental rooftop garden just before that inspiration.  And they weren't picking carrots.).

Hey, ANdy, think you will be able to see your horse in front of the office?  Never mind, we won't have Google Earth, either.

what about the holligans and their naked bikes?

Eh, I prefer to read Harry Turtledove for my sci-fi needs.

what about the holligans and their naked bikes?

Horses are a very inefficient means of transportation.  Only Congress can generate more horseshit than the equal number of horses.