British not as enthusiastic about cycling as compared to the Dutch

It has been predicted by a leading UK cycling charity that Britain will not reach the current Dutch levels of cycling facilities and investment until the 23rd century. The government has drawn up a blueprint to get more people cycling and walking in Britain and there are plans to spend £316m over the next five years, but the CTC says the current rate of spending is simply not enough.
The Dutch spend £24 per person per year on cycling, whereas in the UK, the figure invested outside London is just £1.39 per person. The benefits from cycling are there for all to see because it results in less congestion, better quality of air as well as all the health benefits that come from exercise.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 3 April 2016.

The Cyclists' Touring Club (CTC) have said that the government has got a great ambition for cycling and they want to change the whole way of how one looks at cycling as a way of getting about but the numbers do not add up because much more investment id necessary.
The CTC estimates that to reach the levels of the Dutch, it is going to take until the 23rd century at the existing rate of spending. In the Netherlands a total of 27% of journeys are made by bike, and, in contrast, in the UK that figures drops to just 2%.
The Dutch implemented its very first cycling plan for Amsterdam in 1978 and the popularity of the bike is such that nowadays cyclists often joke it is easier to park a car in the center than find a space to leave your bike. The council has an answer for that - it has an ambitious plan to create an extra 40,000 spaces by the end of the year.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Scotland cannot produce enough barley but Netherlands can, so Scotch whisky could soon become Dutch whisky

Scotch whisky is prepared from malting barley but, Scotland is unable to produce the barley in adequate quantities. Therefore, Netherlands has stepped in to meet the shortfall because there is a huge demand for Scotch whisky in countries like China and Russia.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 27 April 2015.

A group of 30-strong co-operative of farmers in the Netherlands believe that their crops will help make up the shortfall of Scotch whisky in the global market.
In order to bridge the gap between demand and availability, it is inevitable that Scottish producers will have to look abroad for barley. It seems already some alternatives have been identified – some of the finest malts are being produced using American bourbon casks, as also Spanish sherry casks. Now, Netherlands will add its name as another source.
The ultimate objective is to ensure that the Scotch whisky produced meets the high standards that the consumers expect.

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