Be frightened – Guardian
WEATHER
I guess the weather may put people off a staycation next year. I am quite happy with the weather this year, plenty of rain for the garden and enough sun to ripen the tomatoes. Not great for sitting around outside though!
AFGHANISTAN
The government correctly recalled parliament for a debate about this disaster. They had days to prepare and yet, their main argument was that the Labour Party did not propose better ideas. They really do not get the idea of an opposition! They also faced fierce opposition from their own side as MP’s were allowed back into the chamber. This trend may increase as backbenchers make their views heard about the governments preponderancy for making statements that include unsubstantiated statistics, fiscal and otherwise.
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?
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.
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
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!).
ONE MILLION
One million plastic bottles enter the oceans every minute! Fuck.
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.