Category: Geography

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WORLD GEOGRAPHY FROM A JAMJAM PERSPECTIVE

One trillion dollars, thousands of deaths and the Taliban are back in charge. Presumably backed by Islamists from the Arabian Peninsular, they may find it difficult to control the whole country with its history of tribal differences and war lords. they will also need to beware of supporting islamic groups in the Uyghur Region. Russia too will lament the withdrawal of American and British troops, with terrorism always just under the surface in the former soviet states in the south. American and Britain can hope that the Taliban will not support organisations like Al Quida in the future. Certainly the ‘west’ can be seen to have lost a lot of influence in the region.

Britain can stop hallucinating that it still has influence across the world. With Brexit we lost a lot of diplomatic influence (and during Bozo’s tenancy in the FCO), and now we have lost another chunk of military influence. If Britain was a private company the directors would surely be telling it to concentrate on core activities!

The USA – Trump basically started the withdrawal of the US as a world policeman. Biden had little choice bit to allow the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, although he will have been surprised at the speed of the collapse of their puppet government. Whether it will exert a greater influence in the Americas and Europe we wait to see. Will America also want to be more involved with the development of Africa – a potentially important area as a source of raw materials and a growing market place.

China will be watching carefully. It wants to develop its influence but is ready for any confrontations outside its immediate area of influence.

Russia still has problems with poverty at home. The huge geographic area of its lands make it difficult to develop – in tiny UK we have a huge disparity between different areas. Putin likes the macho image, but has little to back it up with.

The E.U. will take a while to adjust to the loss of the UK which was a major contributor to its budget and added expertise and economic power. It is however developing and seems to be keeping its head down diplomatically. With no great pretentious for power (although maybe France retains some illusions of grandeur) it can concentrate on its core area without distractions. North Africa may change this – another complete cockup was the removal of Gaddafi – now Islamic extremist groups are in the ascendance and the EU may have to respond militarily and economically. The traffic in refugees seems to be growing, so economic investment in Africa seems imperative, and suppression of terrorist activity may be difficult. Most of the Sahel seems to be in a state of ephemeral security – and in need of economic advancement and population control. This sounds ominous but a healthy population with sexual equality and opportunities for economic advancement results in steady population, a better social and ecological environment.

Japan – a country which was lauded in my youth for its growth – seems to have a mature response to the horrors of its part in WW2 and just be doing what it did in the C19th – look after itself. Restrictions on its military have meant more investment in other areas. Time for the UK to follow the same path?

It seems that armies are less important than the ability to distribute weapons?

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HAITI EARTHQUAKE

11 years on from a disastrous earthquake Haiti has been struck again. the promised rebuilding of last time has not happened and the reaction here appears apathetic. we are more consumed by Covid and our Afghanistan misadventure to care about a few hundred dead.

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TIME FOR ACTION

Dear PM, stop trying to sound like a super hero and actually come up with policies. I do not want to hear about the sums of money being spent (it is possible corrupt again anyway). No I want to hear about how many charging points are being put in, how much is being given to householders to replace gas boilers, how many onshore wind farms are being built, how many public buildings are being fitted with solar panels (and no exemptions for the H~ouse of `Windsor!). In other words targets that are verifiable and real, not sums of money that can disappear in someones trouser pocket. Great graphics

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CLIMATE CHANGE – ITS THE RICH WOT CAUSE IT!

It is obvious but needs stating again and again. The wealthiest 10% contribute 36-45% of emissions. The poorest 10% contribute 3-5%. The top 1% account for 50% emissions from aviation (this makes an easy target for aviation to hit targets – although the mega rich might not like the train, or a sweaty coach!).

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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.

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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.

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AFGHANISTAN

Who is funding the Taliban and why are western countries keeping quiet about it? They have fought the Americans and British for a decade or more. presumably the Russians are not providing the weapons and funding having been driven out of Afghanistan by the Taliban. The Chinese have their own issues with Muslim minorities, so it leaves Pakistan and the Middle East – of which the Middle East is likely to be providing the finance and weapons, Pakistan the home base. All but one of the bombers on 9/11 were from ~Saudi Arabia. politics sucks.

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CLIMATE CHANGE

Firstly some basic economics. This country is wealthy enough for everyone to have a good basic standard of living. So Rishi Sunak and the daily Telegraph can stop the whinge about the cost of climate measures now. Redistribute the wealth of this country more fairly and job done. The Daily Star is being even more ridiculous than normal in complaining that our summer is not the hottest so far, by showing a picture of rain – durhh they are different.

Excellent explanation of changes likely in our weather on the radio today. We will still have hot and cold spells, wet and dry spells, windy and snowy spells, but when they occur they are likely to be more extreme. Hence the horrendous fires in Greece, Turkey, and the ongoing Dixie fire which has consumed 676sq.m so far – an area bigger than Pembrokeshire in California. The floods in Germany and China, Drought in North Korea. And we have had our little floods too, not so little for those who have had to suffer them London and elsewhere.

And then there is sea level rise – like all future predictions there are unknowns – maybe there will be more snow thus countering ice melt? But general figures are for about a metre in the next 30 years. If only it was that simple – add one metre to the waves topping sea defences on stormy days at present and we have catastrophes in the making.

I guess there are 3 types of attitudes to climate change. 1. We need to act now, even if it costs. 2. We need to act but …, my car, … my holiday, …. mememe. and 3. I do not believe in climate changeling caused by humans, and certainly not me – I would like to be rich enough to provide a home on the outlying islands of Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Kiribati or the Maldives, but then deny them wifi! (I would rescue them in the end – maybe).

Trump has said that the fires are down to forest management – and is not wrong for once. However his 4 years in office did nothing to change this, and a century in the making, it seems that climate change may have played a good part.

Erdogan in Turkey is getting uppity about criticisms regarding the fires. Well bozo, maybe handing out tea bags was not such a bright idea! But what is it with you overinflated cocks that you cannot see a crisis, acknowledge any failings and then do something positive rather than arresting critics!

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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.