‘Don’t buy cars like this’: Climate activists the Tyre Extinguishers taking on SUV drivers
If you own an SUV, those chunkier cars with off-road styling, you could be in the sights of the Tyre Extinguishers.
“We go out at night, usually in a group, and with very simple equipment like a mung bean, we push it into the valve and let the tyre down. And then we’ll leave a pamphlet on the windscreen of the SUV explaining why we’ve done it.”
Their key words of explanation are “your gas-guzzler kills”. They are an activist group who say their anti-social behaviour is justified by the harm caused by these vehicles.
“They’re unsafe, they’re climate-wrecking, they’re huge and they’re not acceptable to have in London.”
I wanted to challenge them on their tactics, and they agreed to an interview if we didn’t reveal their identity. I asked them what gives them the right to tamper with private property.
‘They’re unsafe, they’re climate-wrecking, they’re huge and they’re not acceptable to have in London’
“Is it perhaps a responsibility rather than a right? The auto industry is showing no responsibility for the massive cars that they’re marketing and advertising to people.
“So we are simply saying to these owners, you take responsibility. Don’t buy cars like this.”
‘We are simply saying to these owners: Don’t buy cars like this’
On the charge sheet facing SUVs is their greater size making them worsen climate change, they emit more air pollution, take up more road space and are more hazardous for pedestrians. But car buyers seem to be increasingly attracted – recent figures show they made up 60% of new car sales in the UK in 2023, up from 50% two years ago.
Car buyers often say they feel safer in these bigger vehicles and enjoy the higher driver position and comfort. And this big automotive appetite is undermining other positive changes according to Ralph Palmer from the pressure group Transport and Environment.
“The trend towards larger cars is offsetting the CO2 savings we’re getting from increased efficiency of engines. When you consider that this is our largest emitting sector of transport, that is a serious problem”.
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The industry says there’s no real definition of an SUV and the term encompasses vehicles more correctly classed as superminis.
“Today’s cars are also bigger because they’re safer,” said Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
“Many drivers opt for these vehicles for their practicality, and manufacturers design them to reflect local market preference, driving style and conditions – as exemplified by the difference in size between vehicles used in the US, and those in Europe.”
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Figures show SUVs made up 60% of new car sales in the UK in 2023, up from 50% two years ago
But many European countries put a higher sales tax on vehicles with higher emissions and in Paris they have recently hiked parking charges for big SUVs. Here in the UK, local authorities in Bath, St Albans and many parts of London are bringing in variable parking charges according to emissions from your exhaust pipe.
One is Greenwich in southeast London – cursed by some nasty air pollution blackspots. Councillor Averil Lekau is their cabinet member for climate change.
“The higher the pollution, the more you pay. If you are drinking dirty water, you say, no. Why should we have dirty air [harming] the health of our residents? We have a large number of children under one with respiratory issues so we need to tackle this”.
The front of an SUV
Growing electric car sales offer some advantage as they don’t emit any carbon dioxide while driving, but they still contribute to air pollution particulates from tyre and brake wear.
They tend to be heavy too, with some new electric SUVs tipping the scales at three tonnes, close to double the weight of an average car.
But according to Erin Baker, editorial director of the AutoTrader website, despite higher costs for both consumers and the environment, our love for big cars isn’t shrinking.
“I see absolutely no sign of our appetite for SUVs waning at all. I think we will end up, with almost everyone riding around, [sitting up high] and peering quite a long way down the road in their SUV.”
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The show investigates how global warming is impacting people and the natural world, and highlights the solutions driving the transition away from fossil fuels.
Davina McCall has said her short-term memory is “a bit remiss” as she recovers from brain tumour surgery.
Speaking from her bed, the visibly emotional TV presenter posted a short video updating her Instagram followers on her condition, saying it had been a “mad” time.
She expressed an “enormous heartfelt thank you” to people who had messaged her after she revealed this month she had a benign brain tumour, a colloid cyst, which she described as “very rare”.
Looking bright, but with a visibly bruised left eye, McCall said: “My short-term memory is a bit remiss.
“But that is something I can work on, so I’m really happy about that. I’m writing everything down, to keep myself feeling safe.”
She added: “It’s been mad, and it’s just really nice to be back home, I’m on the other side.”
In a message posted with the video, she reiterated her thanks for all the support she has received, adding: “Had a great night’s sleep in my own bed. Have a couple of sleeps during the day which keeps my brain clear… Slowly, slowly…”
When she first shared her diagnosis, she said chances of having it were “three in a million” and that she had discovered it several months previously after a company offered her a health scan in return for giving a menopause talk.
The 57-year-old star said support from her fans had “meant the world”.
She said she was being “brilliantly looked after” by her partner, hairdresser Michael Douglas, and her stepmother, Gabby, who she calls mum.
Becoming tearful, the presenter said: “I’d quickly like to say big up the stepmums. I don’t really say thank you to Gabby enough. She’s been an amazing rock my whole life.”
McCall was estranged from her birth mother, Florence McCall, who died in 2008.
McCall with 2002 Big Brother winner Kate Lawler. Pic: Rex Features
With a catch in her voice, McCall went on: “I’ve got a massive dose of vitamin G – I’m just really grateful. I’ve always been really lucky in my life, but I feel unbelievably grateful right now. So, thanks for everything, all of you.
“I’m on the mend, I’m resting and sleeping loads and I feel really good. I’m just very lucky.”
Stars including presenter Alison Hammond, singer Craig David and radio host Zoe Ball quickly shared their delight at the positive update.
McCall rose to fame presenting on MTV in the mid-1990s, and later on Channel 4’s Streetmate, before becoming a household name as the host of Big Brother from 2000 to 2010.
McCall with her MBE, alongside her partner Michael Douglas and her daughter Holly Robertson. Pic: PA
She’s gone on to present programmes across the networks, the most recent being ITV dating show My Mum, Your Dad.
Last year, McCall was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.
Married twice, McCall has three children, two daughters and a son, with her second husband, presenter Matthew Robertson.
She has lived with Douglas since 2022, and they present a weekly lifestyle podcast together, Making The Cut.
UK
UK weather: How long will rainy and windy conditions last – and is another storm already on the way?
Storm Bert continues to cause chaos in the UK, but just how long is heavy rain and wind expected to batter the country?
The Met Office says Storm Bert will start to “slowly pull away” from the UK on Monday, meaning an unsettled start to the day.
A yellow weather warning remains in place for northern parts of Scotland.
It warns of heavy downpours, especially over higher ground, where accumulations of 50-70mm are expected. The warning is in place until midnight.
Storm Bert latest: Follow live updates
In central Scotland, wind speeds of 50-60mph are likely, and gusts up to 70mph could be felt near the coast and on exposed bridges.
Met Office chief meteorologist Andy Page said that while the risk of snowfall had now diminished, rainfall would “affect much of the UK”.
Frequent showers are expected in Northern Ireland, northern England, Wales and the West Country, with the heaviest expected in southwestern parts of England and South Wales.
Mr Page said weather warnings “could still be amended” and possibly at short notice, and urged people to “keep up to date with the very latest forecast”.
Sky News meteorologist Christopher England warns there could be a risk of hail and thunder in northern Scotland, at the start of the week.
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Storm Bert causes flooding in Wales
As of Monday morning, there were hundreds of flood warnings and alerts in place. Three of those – two in Wales and one in England – were “severe warnings”.
A further 160 flood warnings and more than 200 flood alerts were issued by the Environment Agency in England, and eight flood warnings and 23 flood alerts in place in Wales at the time of writing.
Bert to clear UK by Tuesday
By Tuesday, Storm Bert will finally clear the UK, the Met Office said, bringing with it “quieter weather for many”.
However, parts of the country may not be without rain or wind for long, as the forecaster says strong gusts and rainfall could start again on Tuesday night and into Wednesday.
Check the forecast in your area
“How long the more settled conditions last is uncertain, with rain probably returning to westernmost areas at least by the end of the week,” the Met Office website says.
Chris England adds: “Wednesday will bring strong winds and a spell of heavy rain across the south, while the north looks mostly fine after a frosty and foggy start in places.
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Woman loses umbrella to Storm Bert
“Thursday looks cool again, but mostly fine. Friday will be milder, with outbreaks of rain likely over Ireland, Northern Ireland and north-west Scotland.”
He says going into the weekend, Saturday “looks cloudy and breezy in the north and west, with a little rain possible at times”.
When could the next named storm be?
Storm Bert was the second named storm of the season after Storm Ashley brought similar wet and windy conditions towards the end of October.
Although it cannot be known for sure when the next storm will be, the Met Office already knows it will be referred to as Storm Conall. The forecaster names storms in alphabetical order.
It says it only names a storm when it has the “potential to cause disruption or damage which could result in an amber or red warning” and according to its long range forecast, this could be as soon as next month.
It says that between 9 and 23 December, “there are signs” there will be wetter and windier interludes with a risk of snow, adding: “These conditions look more likely to dominate towards the middle of December.”
Whether this will be strong enough for a storm to be named remains unknown.
Microsoft has said it is “investigating an issue” after users reported problems with Outlook and Teams.
In a post on X, Microsoft 365 Status said: “We’re investigating an issue impacting users attempting to access Exchange Online or functionality within Microsoft Teams calendar.”
Microsoft Exchange Online is a platform for business communication that has a mail server and cloud apps for email, contacts, and calendars.
Down Detector, a website that tracks outages, said problems started at approximately 8am on Monday morning.
It said 87% of reported problems involved Outlook, when the email application is accessed through the web.
Microsoft error message appearing on Outlook
Other reported problems, according to Down Detector, included connection to the server and logging in.
Users from the UK and around, Europe took to social media to report they were having problems accessing the platform.
One user wrote: “When you need to check an important mail, but #outlook decides to not work…”
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While another added: “Here in Belgium mainly issues with tracking of e-mail in Dynamics 365. Inbound and outbound in Outlook still work.”
Microsoft directed affected users to its admin centre, a page that is intended for those who have access to business networks and other professionals who manage IT networks. The page requires a login.
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