ALARMISM

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is accused of alarmism. I should hope that alarm is what it has generated. The latest heat re old is a report of 48.8C from Italy. Fires in California, Algeria, Greece maybe partially due to poor management over the last 100 years (possibly a result of population growth in these areas), but they. have been exacerbated by the record high temperatures.

Another, contradictory comment is one about the increase in eco-refugees. Millions of people have been displaced due to climate change, and this is likely to increase exponentially over the next decades regardless of COP26. Sea level rising is a process that takes years to initiate and years to reverse (if possible?). The warming of the oceans has taken place and water will this expand. This combined with the melting of ice on Antarcticas and Greenland will raise sea level over the next century. Pacific Islands and parts of the Maldives amongst others will be gradually swamped. Plans are already being made for a new Thames Barrier, managed retreat is a reality of coastline management in many parts of the UK (and the Netherlands). Signs of stress are appearing in coral reefs which at present protect coastlines from erosion by storms.

And the decline in insects in Europe is marked. I am not sure if this is related to climate change but something is affecting the ecosystem. My garden should be a butterfly paradise with lots of different insect friendly plants in flower. Apart from a few bees, small white butterflies and occasional visits from other species it is fairly lifeless. My trip down the motorway did not result in an insect graveyard on the front as it would have done 30 years ago.

CODE RED

IPCC scientists have warned of “unprecedented ” changes to the Earth’s climate. No room for manoeuvre, inevitable, unprecedented and irreversible were words also used.

ORCAS

I am torn between ‘Free Willy’ and images from David Attenborough showing them kill. But I have to love the fact that the Spanish Authorities have ordered small boats to avoid a large stretch off the Spanish Coast due to the boisterous behaviour of orcas. Let nature own the oceans and our environment, but let us cohabit sensibly.

WATER

Bottled water is at least 500 times more expensive than the water in which you brush your teeth and shower! Or is in the coffee or tea at the cafe. In the USA 17m. barrels of oil are needed to produce the bottles for demand.

WELL DONE DAILY MAIL

I never thought I would say this without extreme torture! But their expose of the climate minister Amok Sharma flying all over the world to over 30 countries is bad enough, but then visiting 6 red countries and not going into quarantine is inexcusable on both counts. Could someone please explain – fast – that this is not a joke fest for Bozo Buckethead and crew.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Whilst it was good to see Starmer criticising Johnson for ‘a cabaret of soundbites’, it is also ironic that that was basically what he did yesterday. Where are the policies from anyone which the public can consider and debate?

CLIMATE CHANGE

Johnson’s climate spokesperson prefers to drive a diesel car. She stated that she had to do trips of 200-250 miles and seems unaware that a 80% charger can take 20 minutes. However it does highlight the need to roll out the necessary infrastructure for electric cars to really takeover the market.

CYCLE AND WALK WAYS

Would the government please stop prefacing every initiative with a cost figure. It means nothing, especially when given to cronies. A £338 million package – what does that actually mean? For a motorway I would guess a maximum of 25 miles. What will the money be spent on – I suspect about half will go on surveys by think tanks!

CLIMATE EMERGENCY

I have been thinking about the governments incompetence too much! The climate emergency, just like the first lockdown, requires all of us to do our bit at all levels of society. Governments can have a big input, but we should not, must not, rely on them to solve the issue. It is down to us as individuals first and foremost to do our bit. Then all companies and organisations need to do their bit. Local government has a major chance to prove its worth. The problem is bigger than Covid. It needs community action.

CLIMATE CHANGE

I am hoping I do not regret writing this! Climate change is so important that governments must ignore atrocities; that may be happening in Myanmir, Western China; the financial wellbeing of MLC’s in a capitalist society; even personal freedoms; in the effort to halt the catastrophic tumble into climate chaos.