By Gabriela Yorgova and Mariam Ighodaro
“People get very angry and say ‘It’s my right to drive a car!’, and I think, ‘Why it’s anyone’s right?!’”
Caroline Royds, known as Caz, is one of the “critical friends” (as she likes to say) of Islington Council who advocates for a cleaner and greener environment. As a volunteer at Islington Environment Alliance, she is raising awareness about environmental issues on a local level.
Royds, who has worked in children’s publishing for over 30 years, was a member of the London Metropolitan University Journalism Newsweek, Dirty London, on Wednesday, talking about what we can do to make the capital greener.
She certainly has the credentials to lead the discussion: she is currently a member of Transition Highbury, the Islington Environment Alliance and Extinction Rebellion, as well as a Trustee of the Islington Climate Centre.
Photo by Wendy Sloane
Greener and cleaner Islington
In 2019, Islington declared a climate emergency and is set to become net-zero carbon by 2030. “There’s not a chance that’s going to happen, but they have some measures and they’re working towards that,” she says.
All council vehicles being electric is another point she made when talking about Islington becoming greener now than it used to be. Cycling is also an alternative, and if you are in Islington, you can take advantage of the free bike ride training.
Royds shared her excitement with students about a project in Islington that takes heat from the tube and turns it into energy. Burnhill Heat and Power Network (BHPN) is the first scheme in the world to take waste heat from an underground train network and use it to provide lower-cost, greener heat to local homes, schools and leisure centres.
She asked: “Do you drink coffee from a takeaway cup?” She keeps her reusable bamboo cup in her bag so that she not only gets a discount on her favourite hot drink but also helps the environment. Another argument she used to support her point is that plastic starts to degrade once we pour hot liquid into it. Now, the matter is not only about Dirty London but also a matter of health!
Photo by Wendy Sloane
Low-traffic neighbourhoods
Think twice before choosing a way of transportation for our journeys, Royds said. Do we actually need to take the bus? Most journeys of two km can be walked, and those of 8 km can be cycled, she said. Read more here.
“Look for the cutting-edge work, look for interest in projects they [Islington council] have!”
In her opinion, a clever way to reduce unnecessary journeys is short-cut routes and street closures. Streets in front of schools are closed from 8:30 to 9:30 every morning and 3:15 to 4:15 every afternoon. The roads are not being closed permanently, but this action is encouraging parents not to drive their children to school, especially if the distance could be walked.
Public transport vs driving cars
London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s introduction of the ULEZ, or the Ultra-Low Emission Zone, is one of the ways to reduce carbon emissions, which Royds supports. By paying more to drive their cars, people would change their means of transportation and shift to public transport, bikes and walking.
Her example illustrates the impact that our journeys make on a small scale – the difference between 25 people riding in one bus and 25 people driving their own cars.
“It’s a very difficult issue to change people’s behaviour,” Royds said, expressing her disagreement with people who say that driving is their right.
How London should improve
Transport for London should improve the cycling network so that it’s safer and more accessible, Royds said. In her opinion, it will benefit not only the air quality but also people’s health in general. In addition, it will reduce the traffic in the capital.
Last but not least, she suggests that bikes can be used to deliver parcels to particular delivery points, instead of delivery vehicles, which will reduce the emissions in the air.
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