Politicians happy to sacrifice strategies on climate change

There are some grants available from GLC for certain groups on benefits but I couldn’t find details, it is an issue because a compliant car costs £2000 plus, so a cheap “banger” is not an option.

ULEZ is a public health measure (and has little to do with climate change policy) but it appears to be a regressive tax on poorer people doing jobs we all need to be done. One can understand why they and their friends voted against it.

You won’t find an EV to tow that, plenty of diesel 4x4s available new and S/H, personally I found Toyota Landcruisers utterly reliable, currently there is no cut off date for diesels if new before 2030.

Katie59 we do not tow a caravan, it’s a horse trailer with two large horses.

The Chelsea tractors are handed down after about 5 yrs to country folk who actually need them. Range Rovers we’re first introduced in 1972 40 yrs ago, instantly became fashionable because the Royals used them.

GrannyGravy13

I have just looked for EV’s capable of what our current all wheel drive is capable of, results were disappointing.

Over £40,000 with nowhere near the same towing capacity.

If you tow a caravan EVs have severe disadvantages, it may be OK with a trailer tent or boat, a high caravan would add a lot of drag and reduce range a lot.

Blondiesxot I do understand that public transport is just not possible for some journeys and can take ages and be cumbersome.
I still have my little car but use it infrequently.
I wanted to share a good story about PT.
I now know 4 owners of electric cars but I don't think I will get one or need one.
I also know several people, even my age! who ride electric bikes and are very happy with them

I have just looked for EV’s capable of what our current all wheel drive is capable of, results were disappointing.

Over £40,000 with nowhere near the same towing capacity.

MayBee70

What did people do before everyone started driving 4x4’s? I can remember, many years ago, reading that the car most people wanted to own was a Range Rover. I was really surprised at the time because the only people I knew back then that owned them were farmers or horse owners who actually needed them…it must have been at least twenty years ago. After that it all exploded and all car manufacturers were developing them and suddenly everybody was driving them, even those who lived in towns.

They became very trendy for some unknown reason - think 'Chelsea tractors', usually brand new and will never see a bit of mud in their life. More of a status symbol than anything else. Before that, around here anyway, it was usually people driving far less expensive old 4x4s which were actually used for the purpose for which they were intended.

What did people do before everyone started driving 4x4’s? I can remember, many years ago, reading that the car most people wanted to own was a Range Rover. I was really surprised at the time because the only people I knew back then that owned them were farmers or horse owners who actually needed them…it must have been at least twenty years ago. After that it all exploded and all car manufacturers were developing them and suddenly everybody was driving them, even those who lived in towns.

You wont be able to achieve 'lockdown' air without unpleasant consequences, its pie in the sky, it's a very complex issue as we are beginning to see.

GrannyGravy13

Blondiescot DH’s car is the only vehicle we have that is heavy enough to tow horse trailers (horsey family)

We also live on the top of a long hill, the only way out of our commuter village is to venture up one of the many very steep roads, so it is definitely a necessity not a want.

This is exactly what I am talking about, GrannyGravy13. We used to be the same when my daughter had her horse. Where I live, no matter which direction you take, you are faced with hills, some very steep. As I said, the slightest snow around here and public transport grinds to a halt.

Blondiescot DH’s car is the only vehicle we have that is heavy enough to tow horse trailers (horsey family)

We also live on the top of a long hill, the only way out of our commuter village is to venture up one of the many very steep roads, so it is definitely a necessity not a want.

Whitewavemark2

GrannyGravy13

We live approximately 15 minutes drive outside of the new proposed ULEZ.

DH received a letter from Sadiq Kahn informing him that his car (which he loves more than me 🤣) is not compliant and if he drives into the area will be fined.

How many letters and at what cost has he sent out?

A lot I hope.

Your DH does not have to drive his 4x4 - he wants to which is a whole different thing, as that is to suggest that individual desire should top community health.

And then of course we have the idiot Sunak issuing god knows how many licences to drill for oil and gas.

Depending on where some people live, a 4x4 may be very much a necessity and not a mere 'want', especially in the winter months. We're certainly not out in the middle of nowhere, but if we get more than a couple of inches of snow, the buses (and trains) stop running and it can be almost impossible to get around unless you have four-wheel drive.

Whitewavemark2

Honestly it was an absolute example of what will happen once we begin to mitigate against co2.

It doesn’t matter how it happened just that it did. You have no other such mitigation to point to that was such a model of what our air could be like if we took the necessary steps.

Whether lockdown was right/wrong successful or not has b…r all to do with it.

We probably wouldn’t have had to have lockdowns anyway if the government had taken covid seriously at the beginning and if it had instigated a proper testing system earlier ( this was mentioned in the podcast) instead of making sure their mates benefitted financially from it. This government is totally reactive in everything it does instead of being proactive and, even then they react too slowly. It’s a repeating pattern.

People will continue to pollute using older cars cos they have no other option if low earners.All it will do is push them even further into the red. It makes money but does nothing else.

Honestly it was an absolute example of what will happen once we begin to mitigate against co2.

It doesn’t matter how it happened just that it did. You have no other such mitigation to point to that was such a model of what our air could be like if we took the necessary steps.

Whether lockdown was right/wrong successful or not has b…r all to do with it.

Yes I know but I am not sure it's useful because the other impacts of lockdown were awful and it was an artificial situation. Car use is never going to revert to that, nor would we want it to.

Galaxy

The damage of lockdown was incalculable. I am not sure what use it is to make comparisons with what happened during that time.

I’m talking about the climate 😄😄 not sure what you are talking about?

MayBee70

So, how are we going to combat climate change if no one is prepared to do anything that impacts negatively on their lives?

This.
I know ULEZ is an initiative to lower pollution, for health reasons, but it will also have a climate change effect.

We HAVE to give up some of the things that make our lives easier if we are going to reduce man-made climate change; we don't have a choice.

We are NOT doing enough in the UK; the effect will be far worse in less developed countries, and if we don't want refugees now, just imagine how many there will be in the future as climate change continues to cause mass starvation and destroying the possibility of living for so many billions of people!

For ULEZ, what needs doing is to make financial allowances for people relying on cars for their work; carers etc. Either grants to help them buy less polluting cars, or rental schemes to provide cars for them, or a reduction or omission of charges to them. ULEZ itself is good, but the effect on people on low incomes but who NEED their car to work needs to be mitigated.

In London, generally public transport seems to be good; I don't live there but my daughters do, and they never drive there. I can't see that it is necessary for people who drive by choice not to pay.

rafichagran

You can lose the will to live all you like Maizie but tell it to the people who live in the here and now who will not be able to do their minimum wage jobs as they cannot afford another car. Businesses that may well fold and the vunerable who need the service of carers.
You are posting what councils/Goverment should have done, but it was not, and the people in the here and now are the people who will suffer.

Well, thank goodness we have a General Election coming up within the next 15 (?) months and people can vote for parties which have better solutions than just putting responsibility on the shoulders of those who can least afford it.

And none of it makes very well off people moaning about Indias emissions a good look.

You can lose the will to live all you like Maizie but tell it to the people who live in the here and now who will not be able to do their minimum wage jobs as they cannot afford another car. Businesses that may well fold and the vunerable who need the service of carers.
You are posting what councils/Goverment should have done, but it was not, and the people in the here and now are the people who will suffer.

I think you will find many in this country supported Putin not that very long ago.
None of those things make the lifting of people out of poverty any less remarkable.

Galaxy

Yes watching the left cheer on the banks and show a disregard for those struggling is an interesting turn around.
And India, millions of people raised out of poverty, a miracle happening in front of our eyes but let's talk about how terrible they are.

Great. Does that mean they’ve done away with the caste system and are no longer supporting Putin?