Breathe: Seven Ways to Win a Greener World

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For too many grieving families in London, the urgency of our air quality crisis is painfully clear. That is why it I am proud to support the First Breath for Our Future Ancestor project which will help preserve Ella’s legacy. The memorial will not only serve as a powerful tribute to the life of a much-missed young Londoner but will also help educate others about the dangers of toxic air.” At the book launch for Breathe, a man stood up and shouted that it was “a lie” that Ella died from air pollution. Her mother Rosamund was among the audience. Led by Global Action Plan, Clean Air Day brings together communities, businesses, schools and the health sector to improve understanding of air pollution. Each of the seven main chapters explores a barrier to action: apathy, cynicism, cost, and so on. But having set up this structure, Khan immediately abandons it, promising an opening chapter on fatalism in politics but instead giving a linear account of his career, leading up to his election as mayor of London in 2016. For me, Ella humanised why the environment matters. Her short life forced people to face up to the invisible killer we all breathe every day. Ella shows that the climate emergency is a health crisis, too, and that we cannot wait to take action to clean up our air.

The expanded zone covers an area 18 times larger than the existing ULEZ and will affect older, more polluting vehicles that don’t comply with strict emission standards. Although around 80 per cent of cars are already thought to be compliant, it is estimated that 100,000 cars, 35,000 vans and 3,000 lorries could be affected by the expanded zone and tighter standards every day. ULEZ expansion warning signs are being put up around the North and South Circulars to help inform motorists of the forthcoming changes following extensive awareness campaigns.World-leading measures, including the central London ULEZ, introduced by the Mayor in his first term had already cut the number of state schools located in areas with illegal levels of pollution by 97 per cent – from 455 schools in 2016 to just 14 in 2019. One of the things I’ve realised is that when people think of climate change, they think of it happening “over there” - in Sub-Saharan Africa, Bangladesh, or Islands in the West Indies. Or if it is happening to us, that it's in 30, 40 or 50 years' time. When the experts explained to me that this was quite common now, my mind boggled. I started to find out a bit more about what is actually going on, and I discovered that over a period of time air has been getting worse. Things that cause climate change cause air pollution - but it is reversible. Expanding ULEZ London-wide will save 27,000 tonnes of CO2 in outer London, nearly double that which the central London ULEZ achieved in its first year of operation. Amongst other improvements, the expansion is forecast to make further progress to reduce air pollution, by reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from cars and vans in outer London by 10 and 7 percent respectively, and reducing PM2.5 car exhaust emissions in outer London by nearly 16 per cent, benefitting five million outer London residents. Members get the first chance to book our entire programme of events, including go-down-in-history gigs, concerts with world-class orchestras, and talks from cultural icons and political giants.

The Mayor’s determination and the critical concessions he has tabled to help people comply in this cost of living crisis are to be commended. We’re still trapped in this dirty decade of diesel and I urge City Hall to give us greater clarity now on what’s needed next so that everyone has time to prepare." So began our campaign to have a new inquest. It took four years to get a verdict, but when it came, it was transformative. In December 2020, coroner Philip Barlow concluded that toxic air had indeed played a role in Ella’s death. She became the first person in the UK to have “air pollution” listed as a cause of death.But you can’t be precious. We've all read books from politicians, and I love politicians - some of my best friends are politicians, but a lot of it is self-serving and egotistical. So I didn’t want it to be that sort of book - it’s not a political memoir. Kevin Fenton, London Regional Director of Public Health, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), said: “Air pollution in London is the largest environmental health risk we are facing as a city, and one that affects the most vulnerable Londoners - including children - the most. Bold action is needed from all of us. Expanding the ULEZ will have significant health benefits for the city and prevent over 500,000 Londoners developing air pollution related diseases over 30 years.” The Ella Roberta Family Foundation was set up by Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, and is dedicated to her daughter, who died age nine from asthma linked to air pollution. Ella is the only person in the world to have air pollution listed on her death certificate. Rosamund set up the Foundation in 2014 to raise awareness across the community of the devastating effects of air pollution and to inspire action at local and national level. We believe that cities across the UK and beyond should follow London’s example and bring in their own ultra low-emissions zones. The more cities that do, the better the quality of the urban environment and the fewer people that are forced to breathe in toxic air.” The ULEZ expansion is not only vital to achieving compliance with legal limits for air pollution but is also a key step towards meeting the more stringent health-driven World Health Organization guidelines for toxic particulate pollution by 2030.

Khan ought to have been well placed to notice this. The 2021 London mayoral election marked a turning point of sorts for public discourse, with far-right figures and conspiracy theorists clogging up the ballot paper and lurking outside City Hall on election night. I can do something about it, and if you can, you've got to do something about it. You don't need to be the Mayor to do this stuff, you don't need to be Greta Thunberg. All of us can do something about this. Mayor of Tower Hamlets, John Biggs, said: “Improving the air quality in Tower Hamlets is one of our top priorities as we know how badly children are affected by pollution. Children in our borough have up to 10% less lung capacity than the national average because of air pollution and this needs to change.”While I broadly recognise the arc he is describing, I worry that opponents of climate action have regressed more than he gives credit.

The coroner’s findings had finally answered Ella’s family’s questions. But the effects of his report were felt far more widely, with the ruling paving the way for others who wanted to see further action on air quality. It gave concrete evidence that toxicity from transport doesn’t just stunt children’s lungs – it is a killer. I was annoyed with myself because I didn't know about air pollution until it affected me directly. And my point was, if I didn't know, who else doesn't? So one thing I'm hoping the book does in a non-patronising way, is wake people up to what's going on. I want them to enjoy the book of course, but actually do they realise they could be doing something perfectly healthy - cycling their bike, going for a walk, and without knowing it they're breathing in poison? This book is a personal story but it's also a handbook. I know it’s a big task, but I want to turn passive consumers into active citizens - that's the prize. The cost of living crisis has obviously made it more difficult for people to be greener because they just can’t afford it…

Sadiq marks Clean Air Day with hospital visit as focus is on protecting children’s health from air pollution Cllr Stephanie Archer, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainable Transport at Kingston Council, said: “Schools notoriously have parking and congestion issues, causing issues for residents as well as for emergency vehicles that may need access to the school and nearby properties. It also makes the streets dangerous for children to use and is then a barrier to people using sustainable modes to get to school. Engine idling is also an issue that is a major contributor to local air pollution that damages the health of everyone in the area.