Category: Environment

Gove announces plans to reduce requirements for new housing not to pollute rivers. The Express claims this is a benefit of Brexit – a benefit for fuck sake! The government has allocated £140m of taxpayers money to offset this pollution. So firms like Barrett’s can maintain their profits (£50000 per new house average) and payouts to executives and shareholders. There have been no new houses in Lake District or Solent area for 4 years due to restrictions. I personally say great, houses should be built to be water efficient as well as energy efficient. Another Brexit benefit – apparently we are importing eggs from Mexico ! Whatever happened to the concept of food miles.

It is hard not to be pessimistic in the light of scientific consensus. Ocean temperatures are at a record level, CO2 in the atmosphere has exceeded levels considered to be safe. Crazy weather events around the world are becoming more common. Yet the political and industrial leaders continue to advocate the burning of fossil fuels – how bad does it have to get before action is taken. If the Gulf Stream falters the UK will be setting records for low temperatures in winter and highs in summer. El NINO is on its way in the Pacific and is likely to result in more extreme weather events.

Meanwhile in the UK the Conservative Party is undoing green policies daily, they have committed to a campaign against Labour whereby they claim that Labour is waging war on motorists. For too long the car reigned supreme in our cities. Housing areas became rat runs for motorists and polluted our children. During Covid traffic calming schemes were introduced in many areas. The gxvernmentwants to undo these improvements to the standard of living and support and encourage the vandals who destroy bollards. As already stated in previous posts – charging by the m/km is entirely sensible. The ULEZ scheme is just a sticking plaster – fundamental change in our use of cars and transport generally is needed.

The disruption to air travel caused by the IT fault showed us how ridiculous the travel industry has become. Fuel is not taxed and air travel has become a right rather than a privilege to be used with circumspection.

The Mail on Saturday accused the Labour Party of having a secret policy to tax car transport by the mile or even km! They really are treating the motoring public as morons! By taxing petrol/deisel the motoring public are already beingg taxed per m/km. A fact that motor companies use to advertise the more efficient cars.

The government is already losing income on E.V.s which avoid road tax (£7billion)and fuel tax (£26.7 billion). So a £33 billion shortfall income and the roads need repair and improvement – so a better way than charging per m/km? This would be fair and acceptable to all – except the Daily Mail which is trying its hardest to agitate its motorist readers against Labour and especially Khan.

Places such as rural areas like Cornwall may need some amendments to a pay by the m/km scheme. Could it be like income tax? The more you travel, the more you pay? With registered companies allowed to offset the cost against tax?

Every town should have airport style buses from Park and Ride sites at a cost of £1 plus the parking. City centres could be totally car free and be regenerated into great places to gather, have a coffee/meal do a bit of shopping and exist in a quiet’ish and pollution free environment. Smaller towns have parking near enough to walk. Even taxi’s should only be allowed around the perimeter. Whether this is a decent plan, I have no idea, but something needs to change in our use of city centres and the car.

Not too sure what to write today? Death of Wagner leader is interesting – much of the press did the normal and decided that it was Putin – sloppy journalism, at least the Mail put a question mark on the headline. What happens next is the interesting bit. Wagner was big in parts of Africa where it provided soldiers and arms and received gold, diamonds, etc. I had wondered for some time where the conflicts in the Congo and Sudan got their weaponry from? The pen has yet to be more powerful than the sword in many parts of Africa. Fledgeling democrcies that are trying to build after the demise of colonialism and then globalisation of their resources now seem to be swayed by power grabs by military groups as in Niger recently. It is all a bit James Bond without a hero! I doubt many will rue the demise of Prigozhin – his troops were renowned for their cruelty towards civilians.

Next topic – education. There is a growing divide between regions of England with the N-E having 10% less top grades than London. Reasons for this are complex but would seem to be related to wealth and job opportunities. When there is a lack of opportunity there is a lack of motivation . Poverty of food and warmth does not encourage ambition and learning. Public schools do even better as the exams are ones that they can coach students for. It is time for a proper evaluation of our education system and the worth of certain qualifications.

Next – Bonus payments and wages of directors. I think this was yesterdays news – was it an average of 17% on top of the huge salaries they are paid anyway. I often hear of footballers, some of whom earn vast amounts, giving copious amounts to charity – but rarely hear of businessmen (and it is still mainly men – so I will alter to business people) who earn inflated salaries giving anything to any one! And when one like Dale Vince supports a cause close to his heart he is castigated for it.

The government is complaining about the cost of asylum seekers due to its own inefficiencies. Solution – do a quick check for criminality then approve them all. they can then get jobs and pay rent – so a deal may need to be done with the hotels to reduce their rates?

Lastly climate matters – it sure does. Energy cap will fall to £1900+ this winter, but still much higher than before.Government North Sea reserves will not help, it takes a long time to get the stuff out and it is then sold on international markets. Wind and solar however benefit immediately and are not subject to international fluctuations – but at set rates which industry can cope with.

Huge wild fires continue in Canada whilst further south Nevada braces itself for Storm Hilary which has brought floods to California and Mexico already. When will the climate deniers recognise the symptoms, how bad does it have to get? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-66566483

Maybe when the insurance claims get so huge the corporations will take notice? Probably not – they will just move to less troubled climates. Will any government be brave enough to hold the executives of corporations causing climate disasters responsible? Huge fines and prison sentences are needed. The same for politicians who spread the lies and misinformation.

Yellowknife, North Western Territories, Canada (pop 20000), evacuated, is added to the list of dangerous wild fires which seem to be affecting much of the northern hemisphere this summer. The cost in human life is rising, wildlife suffers untold damage, the economic cost is huge. Coping with the fires is difficult. So could more be done in prevention? In Hawaii imported and invasive grasses have been blamed together with a wet spring followed by drought and high winds.

Firstly we need to take action on climate change NOW. Things will only get worse so putting the country on a war footing against climate change is imperative.

Secondly I wonder whether we need a rethink of our attitude to nature. Water extraction from wetland areas is plain stupid. Should we encourage more herbivores? I love my herbs and mints, but would not complain too much if deer came off the hill for a snack if it prevented a wildfire? Do we need to increase coppicing in woodland areas to reduce the potential fuel. I know that overgrazing is harmful to the environment but reckon a plan could be worked out.

Thirdly – education – most fires are caused by people; some maliciously (law enforcement with harsh penalties?); but many through ignorance, the BBQ not properly extinguished, a cigarette end not disposed of properly, a bottle discarded as litter. The consequences of these actions needs to be core curriculum in schools.

First Zac Goldsmith and now Andy Street have come out to warn against the retreat from Net Zero and environmental protection. With the tories still trailing badly in the polls it is surprising that more have spoken out against Sunak’s environmental back tracking.

First the Cabinet tried the attack on demonstrators via legislation, then they tried to demonise Labour as being the political wing of just stop oil. Unfortunately for them most people agree with philosophy of Greenpeace and Just Stop Oil if not the tactics used. I know there are plenty of hairy knob heads who don’t care as long as they can drive their cars and bikes along suburban streets at dangerous speeds.

But most people can see fires across Europe and elsewhere (and now floods and landslides in Norway), and make the link to climate change and burning fossil fuels. The governments response to Greenpeace’s harmless covering of Sunak’s house was frankly childish beyond measure. They will not talk to the group anymore and have ordered civil servants to cut links. Greenpeace provide valuable knowledge and data on many issues such as deep sea mining..

Latest reports show 90% British Rivers to be in a poor state. Sea quality at a number of resorts is too bad to swim. Labour has an opportunity here to crush the nasty party – is Starmer brave enough?

I don’t get it! Analysis of global data shows that the UK has lagged behind the rest of the world in investment in renewable energy. Growth is approx. half of the rates in the rest of the world. The investment in solar panels on houses is largely at the cost of the installer and with a small subsidy the cost to government is negligible! Whist the National Grid seems to be having problems with connections a subsidy for homeowners to provide batteries would make sense. I know this favours the middle class homeowners – so that is why there should be a minimum standard of insulation with subsidies where necessary, and requirements put on landlords. Renewable energy supply to the Grid is running at near 50%. The government is giving grants to fossil fuel companies whist prohibiting them from claiming claw backs for renewables from the windfall tax!

As schools are mainly open during the day – solar panels should be oblicultry – f the spelling of that! – with batteries provided they could have “free energy” – probably equivalent to one or teachers salaries, plus a huge data base for maths and science lessons!