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Clean Air~Reduce Emissions Nature's Way And The ULEZ Expansion And How It Will Affect Your Lifestyle
- Linda Aitken-Smith
- Sep 12, 2023
- 18 min read
Updated: Mar 22, 2024
Live, Work and Play Near Green Spaces- Plant Trees to absorb pollution and carbon dioxide from the air. Air pollution is harmful to the health of humans, wildlife and our environment. It’s caused by a variety of sources. Traffic emissions power plants, industrial facilities, agricultural processes and domestic burning.
Air quality can be improved. *By planting more trees, as trees can help reduce air pollution
What is air pollution?
Air pollution is the presence of substances in the air that have harmful or poisonous effects on people, wildlife and the environment.
What is meant by particulate pollution? Particle pollution — also called particulate matter (PM) — is made up of particles (tiny pieces) of solids or liquids that are in the air. These particles may include Dust, Dirt, and Soot.
What is the meaning of carbon dioxide CO2?
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important heat-trapping gas, also known as a greenhouse gas, that comes from the extraction and burning of fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, and natural gas), wildfires, and natural processes like volcanic eruptions.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
1. Carbon dioxide consists of carbon and oxygen.
2. Plants absorb carbon in the form of carbon dioxide
Greenhouse gases warm the planet and prevent the surface from freezing, thus providing life-sustaining temperatures on the planet. Gases like carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour work like a blanket to retain heat. The gases do this by absorbing the heat and radiating back to the surface of the Earth.
Do humans release carbon dioxide? Human beings exhale almost three billion tons of carbon dioxide annually, but the carbon we exhale is the same carbon that was “inhaled” from the atmosphere by the plants we consume.
What human activities have led to an increase in carbon dioxide?
Burning fossil fuels, releasing chemicals into the atmosphere, reducing the amount of forest cover, and the rapid expansion of farming, development, and industrial activities are releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and changing the balance of the climate system.
The motor vehicle engine emits many types of pollutants including nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), particulates, sulphur dioxide (SO2) and lead. What human activities have led to an increase in carbon dioxide?
Trees are good for the Environment, your Health, and your mental well-being
The best air quality tends to be in more open areas and coastal areas, where the air changes more frequently.
Trees can remove air pollution by absorbing particulate pollution from the air through the surfaces of their leaves. They also take carbon dioxide from the air, which also helps to fight climate change.
What removes CO2 (carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere naturally?
Trees and Forests Plants remove carbon dioxide from the air naturally, and trees are especially good at storing CO2 removed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis.
Green spaces with trees in cities provide shade and reduce the ambient temperature through the cooling effect of evaporation of water from the soil and through leaves – crucial during frequent severe heat waves.
Provide food and shelter for butterflies, birds…
Planting Trees could help to improve our climate, air quality, mental health and general health.
Poor air quality is linked to many health conditions, including cancer, asthma, stroke, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
So if we plant more trees we can reduce and limit pollutants at source, plant trees near Schools, Hospitals, Parks, Farm Land Industrial areas.
The Cost Of Living…
Electric and gas Costs the prospect of spiralling bills & a cold winter and Heating our homes.
Feeding Our Families as food costs will probably increase due to the wet Summer we have just had which will lead to price increases due to the cost of grain etc
Petrol/Diesel Costs for our cars to get to work so we can go shopping go to work take our Children to school and the school holidays keep them entertained by taking them to amusement parks the coast/country etc. as getting to places of interest will now have the incurred cost for visiting e.g Amusement Parks etc as there will now be an additional ULEZ charge if your vehicle is non-compliant. If you drive into the ULEZ Charging Zone. As well as the usual costs of a day out.
It will also affect the wallets of Drivers who can't afford to buy an expensive ULEZ-compliant car.
If ULEZ Extends To The Rest Of The UK
It will affect everyone’s wallets as the cost of living will get worse, as the cost of products as firms who distribute products to shops across the UK will have to pass on the extra costs of the ULEZ Fine which they will have to pay daily if their vehicles are non-compliant with ULEZ Vehicle emissions as many businesses won’t be able to afford to replace their current non-compliant vehicles with new ULEZ compliant Vehicles.
If Emergency Vehicles, Lorries etc. have to scrap their vehicles the General Public will be the ones to foot the bill in the long run.
Everyone relies on the Emergency Services, but they will have to take the cost out of their already stretched budgets to replace their current vehicles that aren't compliant with the Ultra Low Emission standards from August 29, 2023. This cost will then be passed onto the taxpayer &/or added to the Council Tax in 2024.
Some work night shifts and start before midnight and then finish after midnight e.g Nurses, Doctors Ambulance Drivers/Paramedics other Hospital support staff, Police, Firemen and their support staff and many more in other businesses They will all have to pay the ULEZ Charge twice, as Charging days run from midnight to midnight. So if you start a shift at 7p.m on one day and finish at 7a.m the next day you will have to pay the Ulez charge twice.
The Impact Of Restricted Movement And The Effects on Mental Health
Not being able to see your family and friends as much as you would normally, having to plan your every move so that you can go about your daily life without incurring extra costs to use your car to go shopping, go to the Doctor...
Loneliness is a normal part of life but Social isolation- which can affect your health and negatively affect your mental health, when you can't see your Family and Friends as much as you would normally do.
If loneliness is very severe or lasts a long time, it might increase the risk of some physical conditions such as Dementia and Mental Health Conditions such as Stress, Anxiety, Low Mood or Depression. High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Elevated Heart Rate, Blood Sugar levels
Loneliness unleashes excess stress hormones and can reduce the antibodies we produce to fight infection and may make us more susceptible to cancer.
If you can't have face-to-face contact with family and friends especially when you going through a life-changing event. It can feel like you are on a desert island, you can feel like it's all on your shoulders so you are effectively alone, and this could lead to depression. If the ULEZ Charge extends to the rest of the UK it will not only affect everyone's mental health, lifestyles, their wallets, but also their general health due to high stress levels.
There must be other ways that we can make the emissions of the vehicles we drive cleaner. Also if your vehicle's exhaust emissions are too high you won't be able to receive an M.O.T. to drive on the roads in the U.K.
Paying a ULEZ charge every day won't make the vehicle's emissions any lower or the air cleaner. Charging a ULEZ Charge every day a vehicle is used.
Is there any justification for charging the general public, other businesses etc.. At this point, with everyone worrying about the cost of living crisis, ULEZ will just cause more stress and affect the general health of the nation, which will then affect the NHS in the long run.
The Voting Public Of Britain should not be dictated to, they should be given a choice it is their future after all. They are aware of what is happening in the UK and around the world.
Compliant Petrol & Diesel Vehicles
There are compliant vehicles and electric vehicles, so the British Public should not have another form of stress placed on their shoulders, (ULEZ Charges) which could affect their health and not in a good way. So there is no need to force everyone to buy electric vehicles. there
**Improve The emissions of the non-compliant vehicles. Which will reduce emissions, and be less stressful for vehicle owners who can't afford to change their vehicles.
*Help those who can't afford an electric car, instead of giving grants for scrappage.
Give grants to drivers and businesses so they can improve the emissions of their vehicles. Or so they can change their vehicle to electric by removing the parts needed for Petrol/Diesel usage.
Let those who want to drive New electric vehicles.
This will be cheaper and we will all achieve net zero together. Also, the vehicle m.o.t test will keep the emission levels in check.
The Ultra-Low Emission Zone Expansion And How It Will Affect Your Lifestyle
In 2019, London became the first city in the world to establish a dedicated Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) for vehicles. It was a scheme announced in 2015 by then-London Mayor Boris Johnson.
In October 2021, significant changes to the system were introduced including a large expansion of the zone and an end to residents’ exemptions.
On August 29, 2023, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, expanded the Ulez to cover the whole of Greater London.
As of 12th September 2023
At least 510 Ulez cameras were stolen or vandalised between 1 April and the end of August this year, figures from the Metropolitan Police show. The force is dedicating a "significant amount" of resources to tackling Ulez camera-related crime, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said.
Two arrests have been made so far, with one person charged and released on bail and the other case discontinued.
Sir Mark told LBC there were "other investigations ongoing".
Link to article: Open The Link In A New Tab
The actual number of cameras affected may be higher as one report can represent multiple offences.
ULEZ Camera Locations Open The Link In A VansNew Tab
But that hasn’t stopped the controversial Mayor from going ahead with his expansion and mobile units have now been spotted around Heathrow checking potentially unsuspecting drivers as they come off the M25.
The vans cannot catch number plates while moving but can park up at the roadside – in this case outside Britain’s busiest airport - to pick out vehicles and issue fines
Mayor Sadiq Khan has deployed a fleet of vans with ULEZ cameras to make sure cars and other vehicles are sticking to the rules. Twenty electric vans with cameras will be driving around London and are expected to move to different boroughs on a day-to-day basis.
Council Threatens To Fine Sadiq Khan's ULEZ Camera Vans For Parking
The London Borough of Bromley has responded to reports that mobile Transport for London (TfL) vehicles deployed to catch out Ulez rulebreakers have been parking wheelchair-accessible verges in the borough, by warning them they will be hit with £130 fines if they carry on.
For UK drivers, the standards are vital to the government’s strategy – called the Road to Zero – to support the transition to zero-emission road transport, which includes a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and a complete ban by 2050.
All new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans are set to be banned from sale in the UK in 2030.
You will still be able to buy both petrol and diesel long after the new car ban is brought in. You will also continue to be able to buy vehicles powered by petrol and diesel on the second-hand car market.
As of 29th August 2023
The Ultra-Low Emission Zone is in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round (except Christmas Day). Charging days run from midnight to midnight. If you drive within the ULEZ area across two days, for example before midnight and after midnight, you need to pay two daily charges. so if you drive through the zone from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., you’d need to pay for two days.
The ULEZ operates across all London boroughs, and the M25 is not in the zone. The charges must only be paid if you drive your vehicle within the zone. Parked cars are not subject to any charges.
The Congestion Charge operates 07:00-18:00 Mon-Fri, 12:00-18:00 Sat-Sun and bank holidays. No charge between Christmas Day and New Year's Day bank holidays (inclusive).
If you drive within the Congestion Charge zone during these times you need to pay the Congestion Charge, even if you meet the ULEZ and LEZ emissions standards or have paid those daily charges.
Lorries, vans and specialist heavy vehicles (all over 3.5 tonnes Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)) and buses, minibuses and coaches (all over 5 tonnes GVW) do not need to pay the ULEZ charge. They will need to pay the LEZ charge if they do not meet the LEZ emissions standard.
5 million people will be impacted by the ULEZ expansion.
Which started on August 29th 2023.
Drivers whose vehicles exceed the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone), the minimum emissions standard. Drivers of these vehicles will have to pay a daily charge
Car's £12.50 to £100.00 a charge that is enforced by a network of cameras across the city, these charges have to be paid by?
Drivers of smaller vehicles that fail to pay will face a penalty of £160, but this can be reduced by half if paid within 14 days. Likewise, the same discount applies to drivers of lorries, coaches, and buses, but instead, they face fines of up to £1000.
For vehicles under 3.5 tonnes such as cars, motorcycles, and vans £12.50 ULEZ fee+
Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes such as lorries, and for buses/coaches which are over 5 tonnes £100.00 ULEZ fee
(+£15 congestion charge). Do I still have to pay the Congestion Charge?
Yes, the charge is in addition to the Congestion Charge and applies irrespective of whether your vehicle is ULEZ compliant.
A ULEZ-compliant car meets the requirements to drive into London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone without being charged a fee.
Many vehicles driving in the ULEZ zones are compliant and meet the ...Euro Emissions Standards that qualify it as low-polluting.
All electric cars are ULEZ compliant, as they produce zero tailpipe emissions. Most petrol vehicles under 16 years old or diesel vehicles under 6 years old already meet the emissions standards.
The standards apply to every type of vehicle including cars, Van’s Lorries, Coaches and motorbikes.
The standards differ for Petrol and Diesel engines.
Minimum emission standard: Euro 4 Petrol cars and vans
Minimum emission standard: Euro 6 Diesel Car's & Van's
Minimum emission standard: Euro 3 Motorbikes
Minimum emission standard: Euro VI (NOx and PM): HGVs, lorries, vans, buses/minibuses, coaches and specialist heavy vehicles
Lorry, van or specialist heavy vehicle over 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW)
Bus/minibus or coach over 5 tonnes GVW
The regulations will become more stringent over time on exhaust emissions. Which will lead to some vehicles not being compliant...
Petrol and diesel engines produce different types of emissions so they are subject to different standards
Diesel produces more particulate matter (soot) which led to the introduction of diesel particulate filters. The next regulation to come into force will be Euro 7. How long will my vehicle remain ULEZ-compliant? Your Vehicle's M.O.T
If your vehicle's exhaust emissions are too high you won't be able to receive an M.O.T Certificate. Emissions can also be checked as part of a routine roadside inspection.
If you pass the M.O.T exhaust emissions test this means that your vehicle passes the ULEZ which means there is no need for the ULEZ Charge as your vehicle will have passed the emissions test. Most vehicles these days have better emissions as standards have evolved in recent years.
For non-Compliant Vehicles
The Mayor of London has introduced a £110 million scrappage scheme and expanded the eligibility to help even more London residents and small businesses. Any London resident living in one of the 32 London boroughs or the City of London with an eligible vehicle can apply to scrap a car or motorcycle, as you no longer need to receive certain benefits to apply.
The scrappage scheme is divided into two areas, based on vehicle type and applicant:
The ULEZ car and motorcycle scrappage scheme is for London residents with cars, motorcycles, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles that do not meet the ULEZ emissions standards
The ULEZ van and minibus scrappage scheme is for sole traders, micro-businesses, small businesses or charities with a registered address in London, to scrap or retrofit a van or minibus that does not meet the ULEZ emissions standards. From this scheme, you could benefit from a grant payment of between £6,000 – £11,500.
The Impact Of ULEZ won't just affect those who have non-compliant vehicles it will affect everyone in some way ULEZ will also affect Ambulances, Fire Engines and the Police as they are not exempt from the ULEZ charge
Query: Are emergency vehicles exempt from ULEZ?
Quote: “We know ambulances provide an essential service to London and while emergency vehicles are not exempt from ULEZ, we have made agreements with public emergency service organisations and NHS bodies while they work on upgrading their publicly owned vehicles to meet the standards. Dated 18 May 2023.
The ULEZ affects Petrol Vehicles that do not meet the EuroEmissions standards, which generally means vehicles registered before 2006
The ULEZ is already affecting those who are living in the ULEZ zone it will affect even more people if this extends to the rest of the UK. It will place a strain on the already tight finances of the general public at a time when we are all having to cope with the rising cost of living.
Query: Drivers whose vehicles exceed the minimum emissions standard of the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone). Drivers of these vehicles will have to pay a daily charge (see information on charges below).
Quote: To help clear London's air the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expanded on 29 August 2023 and to cover all London boroughs. This will bring the health benefits of cleaner air to all Londoners.
ULEZ Charges
£12.50 daily charge for cars, motorcycles, vans and specialist vehicles (up to and including 3.5 tonnes) and minibuses (up to and including 5 tonnes).
£100.00 daily charge for vans or specialist diesel vehicles (over 1.205 tonnes unladen weight up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight) or minibuses (up to 5 tonnes)
Keepers of vehicles registered with a ‘disabled’ or ‘disabled passenger vehicles’ tax class will be exempt until 24 October 2027 as long as their vehicle doesn’t change tax class.4
A charge that is enforced by a network of cameras across the city, 24 hours a day.
Charging Drivers of non-compliant vehicles. A Daily ULEZ Charge to drive through London will not make the air cleaner, it will just fill the London Council coffers.
Quote: The revenue raised will be used by Transport for London (TfL) to help reduce pollution across the network and lead to a greener transport fleet.
Drivers who can't afford to buy an expensive ULEZ-Compliant Car
Also, there are a lot of Drivers of vehicles who can't afford to change their vehicle as the cost of buying an Electric Car is out of the price range of most people at this time due to the cost of living and there is also the cost of home owner's installing chargers and the running costs.
Electricity Costs to charge their vehicle's battery and the increased Insurance Costs due to the Price of the vehicle to buy new. There is also the added cost of buying expensive replacement batteries and the old batteries will have to be disposed of. Where and at what cost To the owner of the vehicle and the climate as not all batteries will be given a second life the Government says it is trying to improve
For those who can't install a charger, there is the problem of tenants who rent a property not being, allowed to have a charger or some properties where you wouldn't be able to install a charger e.g.vehicles parked at the side of the road or those who live in a flat having to find a charger and leaving the car for hours to charge.
Anyone who is driving a non-compliant vehicle will feel pressured to scrap a perfectly good vehicle, and most people can't afford to replace their car with a more expensive compliant electric model, even with the scrappage scheme of £2000.00. (There are different amounts for other types of vehicles).
The scrappage scheme only applies to London.
Electric cars are also not in the budget of most people as it would mean that most people would have to take out loans they can't afford to pay out of their already stretched budgets,
There is also the factor of where are all these vehicles going after they are scrapped.
Quote: How much of a car can be recycled? 65% of a car is made up of steel, all of which is recyclable. Much of the remaining 35% is also recyclable. The current target is for 95% of a vehicle to be recycled.
Query: What happens to the 5% that isn't recyclable?
There is also the storage issue of Vehicles that have to be scrapped before they are scrapped,
But charging a ULEZ Charge is there any justification for charging the general public, businesses etc. With the cost of living crisis affecting so many families?
So those who can't afford to scrap their vehicle will have to pay a daily ULEZ Charge when they go into a clean air zone. Most people will have no other option as they need their cars to get to work car or use their cars to do their jobs, or generally go about their daily lives.
ULEZ INFO SECTION:
Can I get support or a grant to buy a vehicle that meets the London ULEZ emission standards?
The Mayor of London's scrappage scheme provides financial assistance to help London residents scrap cars, motorcycles and wheelchair-accessible vehicles that don't meet the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) emissions standards. The zone expanded across all London boroughs on 29 August 2023.
You can only apply for a grant payment to scrap or retrofit a vehicle that does not meet the ULEZ emissions standards.
Your benefits and tax status may be affected
Some low-income, means-tested benefits are affected by the amount of money you have in savings. The ULEZ car and motorcycle scrappage scheme grant payment may be treated as savings for any means-tested benefits you claim.
If this grant payment is treated as savings, and takes you over the permitted savings limit, your benefit claims may be affected.
Find out more about this and how benefits can be affected by lump sum payouts. TfL will have no liability to you if the ULEZ car and motorcycle scrappage scheme grant payment affects any means-tested benefits you receive.
Grant Payment
Your grant payment cheque will be processed once they have received it and verified the evidence that you have scrapped or retrofitted your vehicle. Your cheque will be made payable to the applicant (you) and sent by post to the address on your RUC account. If you applied for adult-rate Annual Bus and tram Passes, these will also be posted to your address.
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/scrappage-schemes/car-and-motorcycle#on-this-page-7
Which cars are free from ULEZ charges?
Different rules apply to different types of vehicles when it comes to ULEZ fees. For the most part, this means:
ULEZ-compliant petrol cars
Must meet Euro 4, Euro 5 or Euro 6 emissions standards
Were generally registered after January 2006
ULEZ-compliant diesel cars
Must be Euro 6 compliant
Were generally registered after September 2015
ULEZ-compliant hybrid & electric cars
Diesel engines: Must meet Euro 6 standards
With petrol engines: Must meet Euro 4 standards
ULEZ-compliant vans & motorbikes
Diesel vans must be Euro-compliant
Petrol vans must be Euro 4 compliant
Motorbikes must be Euro 3 compliant
Check your vehicle using the link below Find out if your vehicle meets the emissions and safety standards required to drive in London, or if you need to pay a daily charge.
Using data from the DVLA and emissions standards published by TfL, our ULEZ checker tool uses your vehicle’s reg to check if your car meets the Euro emissions standards that qualify it as low-polluting. We can then confirm if your vehicle is compliant or non-compliant.
This tool only checks the emissions standard of a vehicle.
Your vehicle and LEZ
New emissions standards for the LEZ are now in place. To check if your vehicle is affected by the LEZ emissions standards and other charges, use the vehicle checker tool.
*The Future...
We could use the power of the waves (Sea) to generate natural energy.
Plant more trees to replace those we have removed, don't build on green belt land use brownfield sites old warehouses etc. to build houses...
We could also limit how many children we have which would mean less food production needed, meaning a reduction in factory farming.
We could go back to Farming as it used to be, where animals were out in the fresh air. Less building development in the future for housing, any housing we have to build use the brownfield sites, a reduction in industrial activity etc as the population would be at a more manageable level and we wouldn't have to produce as much.
We wouldn't need as many cars, houses...
Cities and Towns wouldn't be as overcrowded. And there wouldn't be as much Carbon Dioxide being produced which would be a plus as regards Climate Change.
Using Nature and Reducing Emissions Nature's Way and Reducing the Population as most Countries are overpopulated.
This would lead to a reduction in the production of food etc. thus reducing emissions. It would also be less stressful and beneficial to everyone and would have a more beneficial impact in the future. Than ULEZ ever will on its own Charging Drivers of non-compliant vehicles.
A Daily ULEZ Charge to drive through London will not make the air cleaner, ULEZ and charging people will negatively affect their Mental Health and restrict their Lifestyles.
ULEZ will also increase the levels of stress which will affect their General Health.
ULEZ will also affect the services we rely on for our daily lives e.g. Ambulances, Businesses and shops will either stop trading or add the extra cost of the charge they have to pay onto the cost of the products they sell, it will hurt everyone.
ULEZ will put more people into debt they can't afford and will possibly struggle to pay.
Plant trees - get involved in planting activities, or organise your own.
Stand up for trees and woods - join us in defending the trees we already have, from street trees to ancient woods.
If we have to remove any trees because they are dangerous due to storm damage or too close to buildings - we can replant new trees in a safer place.
Visit Woods - if you can, reset your baseline expectations and visit one of our least polluted forests. Breathe in the pure air and remind yourself what we're fighting for.
Speak up - ask your local council how it's addressing air pollution and let them know the role trees can play. Tell those in positions of power what you would like to happen. This Country belongs to everyone in the U.K., not just ONE person.
I Will keep you updated with information on the ULEZ as it happens.
Let me know if you agree with my views on *Alternative ways to deal with the air pollution, Nature's Way. **Or by helping Car Owners to improve the emissions of their vehicles with a grant.
Do you agree with me that it would be nicer, to see more Tree and Wildflowers everywhere we go near School, Hospital's etc
And to help those who can't afford an electric car, to keep their vehicles by offering them a grant to make their vehicle more compliant so they can improve the emissions of their vehicles. Or so they can change their vehicle to electric by removing the parts needed for Petrol/Diesel usage, instead of giving grants for scrappage. (The vehicle has to be scrapped before you receive payment).
Instead of Drivers in London having to pay ULEZ Charges every time they Drive into a Clean Air Zone. This will affect even more people if this extends to the rest of the UK. And better for our Health And Well-being.
Let me know by contacting me by using the Contact Form by clicking on the link below.
Linda Aitken-Smith 12.09.2023
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