tomszekeres

pinkladybird Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thanks for that post. Some good ideas. I have been > really concerned about the air quality in Dulwich > myself. I bought a particulate monitor and I had > to stop using it because it would freak me out and > spoil my day. Oh gosh, sorry to hear this! Which one did you buy? It's not *much* help, but if you can get used to using it, it is possible to minimise your exposure (although bear in mind that this is for commuters): https://www.kcl.ac.uk/archive/news/sphes/king's-study-reveals-how-we-can-reduce-exposure-to-air-pollution-in-our-daily-commute > Even on seemingly fresh days, the > air can be awful - it is impossible to tell. The weather has a massive impact on air pollution, and in surprising ways. High pressure is generally pretty bad. This is one of the reasons why directly monitoring air pollution for short periods of time isn't *always* effective at picking up when there's an increase or decrease. > I guess that is why noone seems to care that much. Hopefully, this is changing! > Winter is especially bad due to the large number > of woodburning stoves. I think it is good to > highlight that as so many people don't realise. Yes indeed - I think this is the crux of it. We're all obsessing over road traffic right now (which is still very important, don't get me wrong), but this is genuinely something we could help to change in SE22 - discussing this in the lounge isn't going to get the message out to the people who need to see it. And now would be a really good time to do that - despite disagreements it seems we can all agree that we should clean up the air. > I'm afraid I am not very positive. I think unless > there is drastic action through regulation nothing > will really change. Maybe the most effective thing > an individual can do is to let > MPs/councillors/council officers know that you do > actually care about your air, vote in those who > promise to effect changes, and lend support where > steps are taken - no matter how small - and ask > for more. Anyone reading this - here's a direct link to write to our London Assembly members: https://www.writetothem.com/write?who=all&type=LAE&pc=SE22+8LY&fyr_extref=https%3A%2F%2Ffaxyourmp.com Write to Helen Hayes MP: https://www.writetothem.com/write?who=61812&pc=SE22+8LY&fyr_extref=https%3A%2F%2Ffaxyourmp.com Write to Goose Green Councillors: https://www.writetothem.com/who?pc=SE229EX&fyr_extref=https%3A%2F%2Ffaxyourmp.com Write to Dulwich Hill Councillors: https://www.writetothem.com/who?pc=SE22%208JJ&fyr_extref=https%3A%2F%2Ffaxyourmp.com Write to Dulwich Village Councillors: https://www.writetothem.com/write?who=all&type=LBW&pc=SE22+8LY&fyr_extref=https%3A%2F%2Ffaxyourmp.com Anywhere else: https://www.writetothem.com/ It genuinely does make a difference - I've had Helen Hayes raise two issues directly in parliament after writing to her, and in one case the law eventually ended up changing. > I don't suppose anything will change in time for > me - and knowing what I know, both the health > effects and how high the levels can be, I feel no > choice but to move out before it is too late. > Maybe that is what happens - people who care/know > enough leave. Sorry to hear this. The bigger trend is that things are getting better, even though change is happening too slowly, but appreciate that even ULEZ isn't drastic enough. Lots of exemptions, including for lots of Diesel Commercial vehicles.

🎬 Where do we begin? There have been A LOT of threads about LTNs. I'm going to sidestep that debate here - there's a lot of anger, bad faith, and time being wasted. The one positive to come out of this, is that air pollution now seems to be something we all care about. Great. Finally we can all agree that this is a big problem, and that we need to solve it. Good. 👇 Here are the facts While levels of NOx and PM2.5 have been improving over the past few years: 1. East Dulwich has illegal levels of air pollution. They were illegal 10 years ago. They were illegal one year ago. They are illegal now. 2. The primary cause is people burning stuff (whether fossil fuels or wood) where clear alternatives now exist 3. There are (long-standing) reasons we haven't made more progress:  a. The 'dash for diesel' - 2000s gov policy incentivised the purchase of diesel vehicles  b. More people locally using wood-burning stoves  c. Increased ownership of SUVs (Diesel & Petrol) - this isn't Chelsea!  d. Growth of ecommerce = more diesel delivery vehicles :(  e. Private hire cars/Uber (which spend most of their time circling around waiting for someone to press the button) 4. Air pollution causes asthma, heart disease, strokes, lung cancer, infertility, and premature birth. 5. The most vulnerable people, like one of my daughters, a) have lung conditions and b) live on main roads. 6. We all can't help but cause some harm. But we can do a lot to minimise that harm. 💭 And here are some opinions? 1. We need to solve the problem, not rearrange the deckchairs. The internal combustion engine needs to go. 2. Regulation and big business are important. But we have power as consumers, as voters, as small business owners, and as individuals. 3. Our children and grandchildren will be *horrified* that we continued to burn fossil fuels once we knew the full consequences. 4. Change is going to be difficult, it's going to be unpopular, and it's going to hurt *some* people and *some* businesses. We shouldn't pretend otherwise. ⚠️ A caveat Not all of the steps below are possible for everyone. Some of them are only applicable to able-bodied people. Some of them are only going to be possible for homeowners, or people with spare cash. But to be honest, people who have more cash to spare, tend to be a bigger part of the problem. 🙋🏾‍♀️ As an individual 1. Avoid private car ownership. It's hard, but doable for most able-bodied households. More than 50% of South Londoners manage, and most likely, so can you (although appreciate there are many exceptions). We've got twins. When they came home from six months in hospital, we had to lug an oxygen tank everywhere we went, but we did it. And we still don't own a car. 2. Do not use your wood-burning stove. They're absolutely terrible for air quality (both internal and external). If you have one already, stop using it. Completely. It's harming your health, as well as your neighbours'. You might have installed it when you didn't know how harmful it was, and that's OK. What's not OK is to continue using it, even with "clean" fuel (it's BS). 3. Consider buying an e-bike (or dare I say it, a scooter) Trying is believing - book a test ride at Fully Charged (next to London Bridge). Only catch? You need the space to store it indoors (we don't). 4. Use an electric car club. We use Zipcar Flex. It's great. And all of their vehicles are compatible with ISOFIX car seats, so you can still get about with the kids. You never need to worry about recharging, and insurance, tax, everything, is included. 5. If you need to own a car, switch to an electric model, and buy it second hand. The total cost of ownership will very likely be less than a fossil-fuel vehicle. Powering it is cheaper as well as cleaner, and charging points are everywhere now. We've started borrowing a 2015 Nissan Leaf for trips outside of London, and with rapid charging units you can get your electric car charged to 80% for about ?4, in about 20 minutes. 6. Cancel Amazon. Single items delivered by diesel vans = not a sustainable model. And for every branded electric van, there are 20 more white vans belching out diesel working for Amazon. Plus they're hollowing out our high street, paying their "self-employed" drivers a pittance, and treating their warehouse workers like expendable robots. All the while avoiding tax, hoarding cardboard (which forces other retailers to use plastic), and squeezing their suppliers. Here's how to cancel: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GDK92DNLSGWTV6MP 7. Shop Local It might be a touch more expensive (local shops pay their taxes and their staff), but if you walk or cycle to the shops, this is better than regular ecommerce. 8. Shop from ecommerce businesses that are fossil fuel-free Like, say, Subship (I'm afraid this is a shameful plug). Just make sure that they are paying their drivers and riders a living wage, and not greenwashing. :) Also of interest: https://dulwichdelivers.com 🙅 Mitigation Prevention is better than mitigation, but it's going to take time and political will to ban the internal combustion engine from our streets. 1. Walk, cycle, scoot Toxic air is higher inside cars than outside - so for the benefit of your children, walk, scoot, or cycle them to nursery or school. 2. Wherever possible, use side streets rather than main roads. Kids are exposed to five times more pollution while travelling than they are while at home or in school. Take advantage of the LTNs even if you don't support them. 3. Green your front garden If you're a homeowner on a main road, and your front garden is just gravel or slate, replant it with greenery. It will reduce your home's exposure to pollution by a decent amount - as much as 20-30% if you're starting from nothing. You'll also be helping with biodiversity, and helping your neighbours too. Ours was done by the excellent Gilder's Leaves. 🚚 Businesses 1. If you offer local delivery, consider using a cycle courier (like Pedal Me or Hugo's Eco-delivery), or an electric van courier (DM me if interested). 2. If your business requires a small van, consider leasing an electric one like the Nissan E-NV200, which I believe is the one used by Hop Burns & Black. 3. For businesses that require larger vans (that currently need to run on fossil fuels) - ensure drivers don't idle when parked at the side of the road (idling while parked is an order of magnitude worse than stationary traffic, because of how close it is to the pavement). It's very rare that there isn't a diesel engine idling somewhere on our walk to nursery. 4. Implement a Cycle to work scheme, and if you have space, make sure you have decent cycle storage and showers for your team. 5. If you sell fuel for wood burners (even "clean" fuel), or wood burners themselves please stop. They're lovely in the countryside where there's plenty of ventilation, but in built-up areas they cause significant harm. 🏘 Communities 1. Fundraise to build green walls for schools and nurseries beside main roads (these roads will be busy with or without LTNs) Cf: https://www.southwarknews.co.uk/news/green-defence-air-pollution-halves-a-year-after-goose-green-primary-gets-its-green-screen/ 2. Be kind to people who can't make the switch Lots of key workers (e.g. nurses) and carers need to drive. Many can't afford to live near hospitals, schools, nurseries, etc., and due to the nature of their shifts they travel at times of day that where public transport is too unsafe or unreliable. Many families of children with disabilities (and disabled adults) also need to use cars, and many won't have the means to switch to greener options.

Can heartily recommend Good & Proper Tea. Based over in Brockley, they're massively on it when it comes to sustainability and ethical sourcing. And a great local business.

notimpressed Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > This is no great loss- hideously overpriced shop > only the bourgeois can afford. You're forgetting that independent high street shops generally pay their taxes, treat their staff properly, and support rather than squeeze their suppliers, many of whom are also small businesses. If people choose to shop there - spend a bit more, buy a bit less - isn't that better for the community and for jobs than people spending the money on lower quality stuff on e.g. Amazon instead?

peckman Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > We have two bikes hanging off the wall in the > hall. Much better option . And my work bike is in > a bike hanger which I pay a small monthly > subscription for. But I think best mantra is . > If you are too attached to it for it to be > nicked..dont leave it outside whatever the lick . > Hang it high up in hallway and then you will have > room for the buggy Yeah that's what I did, and the critical thing is to D-lock it to the bracket too. This one is the one I use: https://cycloc.com/ps/ Both of my downstairs neighbours' (more expensive) bikes got stolen from our shared hallway, but mine got left - it was locked to wall.

Spartacus Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > So sad to see and a loss of a lovely shop. > > Interesting to see some people's reaction to the > news on twitter. Social Media is so toxic at > times. Thankfully just a single troll from what I can see.

Very sad news: One of the many reasons we moved to Lordship Lane in the first place. Please support local businesses (even the ones you might disagree with on Twitter!), and be sure to make a reservation for Franklins the Restaurant: https://www.franklinsrestaurant.com/visit

Here's what Rupa Huq said in context: > How do we reverse the UK?s long-standing, illegally high air pollution? First, we should stop Heathrow expansion. It is incompatible with the UK?s net zero targets. Why add to what is already Europe?s biggest CO2 emitter, which is doing enormous damage to my constituency and to that of my near neighbour the hon. Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson) through air and noise pollution? We know that in the new normal we will do things differently, and Zoom works for business meetings, so why not save those air flights for sparingly used leisure travel? The expansion of Charles de Gaulle airport in France has been stopped; we should do the same. > Secondly, we should stop new road building. It induces demand. Thirdly, we should stop lying to the public?remember the VW emissions scandal, and what the people who bought diesel cars were told, among other examples. Fourthly, the cycle to work scheme needs an overhaul to include larger firms and to be a genuine incentive, not just a faff. Children should be included, too. > Fifthly, we need more proper, dedicated, segregated, permanent cycle lanes, not the pop-up things that come and go and do not join up to anything else. Sixthly, we should re-examine low-traffic neighbourhoods, recognising that all streets matter. She used the phrase at the end of a sentence, not in title case, not as a standalone phrase on a poster designed to be put in people's windows. Context really does matter here.

I get why you might have concerns, but we need to get businesses like The Plough back on their feet.

I get why you might have concerns, but we need to get businesses like The Plough back on their feet.

Had my first vaccine on Saturday at Tessa Jowell - fantastic experience, lovely staff. I had Covid back in May, so was braced for side effects. In the end, felt no worse than a bad hangover. Lots of aches, pains, fatigue yesterday. Sweats overnight last night, but feel pretty much back to normal now. Incidentally, for those of you who are yet to have their jab (or set to have their second one) you can prebook a free ride via Pedal Me: https://pedalme.app/ Use code LDNRIDETORECOVERYMARCH - got me there in three minutes flat!

I looked into it, and yes it is safer. Contact-free delivery is much, much safer than lots of people coming within 2m of each other (which is what is happening in a lot of these shops). It's not zero risk, but transmission is far less likely. keano77 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I don?t have the answer to this but it?s quite > possible the (brave) delivery person has visited > several households to deliver the ordered > food/treats so has potentially been exposed to > numerous families from all walks of life (germs on > gates, doorbells etc). > > Is that any safer than queuing orderly outside > Odonos or William Rose?

http://dulwichdelivers.com suggests that: Oddono's are offering home delivery via Uber Eats https://www.ubereats.com/gb/london/food-delivery/oddonos-east-dulwich/qs6FtnQoR_u068RWFxxZqQ And Herne Hill's minus 12 also offering home delivery http://www.minus12.co.uk/ You can get pretty much anything delivered to your door, contact-free, so why risk queueing?

Hi Admin, My name's Tom, and along with a couple of other contributors, we've launched https://dulwichdelivers.com today, which is a mobile-friendly directory of local businesses offering delivery. We think it's really important both to stay at home and shop local, so we're only focusing on delivery, and only from local independent suppliers. FYI The spreadsheet you've linked to at the top was put together by the awesome Kelsie Baher, but she's currently a bit busy, so not got a lot of time to keep it up to date. We've got a small team of volunteers working through Kelsie's spreadsheet, as well as newer submissions from local businesses. If you'd like to submit a listing you can do so here: https://airtable.com/shrOtTKq06EJyNdNi Hope this helps, and do let us know if you have any feedback! Tom

I've made this into a Google Maps List ? let me know if anyone else has more suggestions. https://goo.gl/maps/zrfWd5b3G5tDekV4A

Can confirm the Borough Wines red was really good.

Yeah it has ? trying it tonight so will let you know! Terroir's is amazing, but super expensive.

Yep ? Organic Village have Borough Wines (White / Ros? / Red), Cave de Bruno has a selection of four wines, and Terroirs usually have six-ish natural wines on tap (got to drink these ones quickly).

Another addition to the various refilleries on Lordship Lane ? and looks like they've got quite an extensive collection of produce/wine/cleaning products they're going to be offering (spoke to the owner and it's going to be ready for business tomorrow). So in total that makes: Food - As Nature Intended - Organic Village Market Cleaning Products: - Karavan Eco - As Nature Intended Wine: - Terroirs - Cave de Bruno - Organic Village Market Any others I've missed off the list?

Currently trying to get some volunteers to run it?

Would love to know where anyone has hosted a 2nd birthday party in the area ? would need to be big enough to host at least 20 adults and ~12-ish toddlers (plus a few babies). Will be on a Sunday.

That's a great option. King's College Children's A&E are also accepting donations.

seenbeen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Over 6,000 US soldiers died in the D-Day landings > alone- 3x the number of British In terms of lives lost, this was just one battle (albeit a symbolically important one). Britain and America lost about the same number of soldiers during the whole of WW2, roughly half a million, give or take. The Soviets sacrificed over 8 million soldiers fighting the Nazis. I don't see us rolling out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin any time soon? I appreciate the need for Trump to be invited to Portsmouth as President of the USA, but he is a charmless, narcissistic draft dodger who will take the focus away from the remaining D-Day veterans and their families on what should be a very special commemoration. Which is a shame.

I saw a cat being hit by a car trying to cross the road just next to 306 Medical Centre. The driver briefly stopped until the cat got up and scampered off. Not much they could have done to avoid it, the cat ran out from underneath a car. The cat survived the immediate accident and ran down an alleyway east of Lordship Lane, but it was such a serious collision I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't make it through the night. Another passer by tried to run after it ? she reckoned it was black and white, but I was pretty sure it was a tabby (sorry if this is less than helpful, but just saying what we both saw).