Category: Geography

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ELECTION MAP PREDICTIONS

This site raises lots of geographical questions

https://electionmaps.uk/nowcast

Firstly Scotland where the SNP look set to lose some seats back to Labour. No real surprises there as the SNP have been going through a bit of turmoil recently and have the problem of being in power for so long. Whilst large areas of Scotland were previously Labour, the growth in the demand for nationalism will not be sated with the feeling that Labour is Westminster.2! Labour will need strong energy policies to win back seats.

The north of England. Sunak seems to think that a right wing policy will sway the “red wall seats”. I am not convinced that racism and nationalism will triumph over the economy and environment! Then the heartland of the tories – Middle England. For sure the Lib-dems have made inroads in some safe tory seats. Whether this will be replicated in a general election will be interesting. Wales will presumably follow the normal pattern with PC in the north and Labour in the south. I cannot see many swinging to the tories here. And then the South West – maybe the most interesting? Large numbers of old duffers, but there has been demographic movement since the last election. More young people moving in. I am not sure how Brexit voters have reacted to terrace since? It has never been a unionised area so the independence could benefit the Lib Dems or even the greens who might do well in Bristol and Totnes? Will London continue to be pro-labour with Khan promoting the ELTZ’s? Personally I hope the motor heads are sent home to choke on their fumes.

Despite wishes for tactical voting it looks likely that this will have limited impact? TBH Starmer is promoting tactical voting as he is hardly promoting the socialism many believe Labour should be promoting.

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HURRICANES

NOAA’s update to the 2023 outlook — which covers the entire six-month hurricane season that ends on Nov. 30 — calls for 14-21 named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater), of which 6-11 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater). Of those, 2-5 could become major hurricanes (winds of 111 mph or greater). NOAA provides these ranges with a 70% confidence. These updated ranges include storms that have already formed this season.

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CLIMATE

Full article from Guardian here but the stats are astounding. Phoenix has 43.4C or more for 19th day running; Morocco anounces red temperature alert as temperatures exceed 44C; Spain hits 45.4C with fears fot the olive crop for second year running; Italy 47C; Greece wildfires; Canary Islands wildfires; China 52.2C; Gaza38C; India floods; South Korea floods; Japan 37.3C. Since the mid 1980’s the planet has warmed by another 0.5C, with present policies the world will warm by 2.7C. Avian flu has killed millions of not hundreds of millions of sea birds so far this year Whilst this mynot be related to climate change the warming temperatures will not have helped. And then we have sea temperatures at record levels and Antarctic ice at record low levels.

The responce of our Cabinet (according to the Mail) is to press Sunak to drop eco legislation and policies! Is this to incite “Just Stop Oil” into ever more outrgeous acts and then blame Labour for them? The summer heat killed over 60000 in Europe last summer.

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CLIMATE CRISIS

Kerry needsd to tell the Chinese to act now to cut emissions. The arguement put forward by China about historic emmissions is just not valid in the present crisis. They are correct that the west gained an early advantage by burning coal, oil and gas, but the crisis is here, and now, and every country needs to face it.

Right wing politicians across Europe with nationalist agendas also need to look closely at their use of the climate crisis in culture wars and anti-woke measures. History will not be kind to them.

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WHAT IS THE POINT

of politicians? The seas are at record high temperatures, Greece and Spaon have huge fires, temperatures in China exceed 50C and in southern Europe and the USA heat warnings are issued. And our government is passing laws to make it illegql to walk slowly with prison sentences. It is like Westminster and certainly Downing Street have become lunatic asylums! There is no hope of a vaccine or a quick fix to solve the problem, and the jabbering idiots do nothing, except allow water companies to fill rivers and the seas with shit in case we thought we could get a quick cooling dip. It is CRIMINAL INEPTITUDE.

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WEATHER

Southern Europe reaches temperatures of 48C, over 100 million Ameriacns are faced with temperature warnings next week with temperatures in the 40C’s. India and China are also. facing record temperatures.

Whilst the UK is experiencing a run of depressions bringing rain to most parts, I would love to know what the government plans are for a heat wave? With COVID everything was reactive rather than proactive! Will we have to wait for bodies to be piled up outside hospitals before action is taken. What plans are there for street sprays, opening up museums and libraries with air con. Or will the government give inflated grants to friends who purport to set up electric fan companies? What plans are there to limit petrol/deisel engines? What plans to support fire and ambulance services?

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CLIMATE WARNINGS

To be honest – how fucking serious does it need to get? Last year 61672 people died from the heat wave. At present temperatures in Scicily are reaching 45C and more. In Greece authorities are opening air conditioned spaces for people. Germany, France and Poland are also experiencing high temperatures. India is experiencing high temperatures and record floods.

OurGovernment is opening up coalmines and oil wells. Not a brain cell in sight! I think they have replaced them with £ signs.

If and I hope itr is an if rather than a when! we get a heat wave that breakes records – what planning has the government done? None other than allowing water companies to impose a hosepipe ban. Temperatures like those in Southern Europe and western Canada last year coulkd make Sop Oil Protests look both pathetic (in size )and prophetic.

https://grid.iamkate.com

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GLASTONBURY

Is it the right wing press or a British obsession to run down anything that is successful and free from the established way of doing things? Glastonbury – a festival which is basically enjoyed (at a cost of £335 per head) by 200000 people, is being criticised for its too middle class white audience and its too male biased lead artists. If this criticism came from the left I would understand, but the right are desperately trying to provoke culture wars. Several papers have reiterated complaints that chips cost £8. Firstly why did they not take somne containers with sandwichws and salad? Were there no rip off food vans during the Coronation? I do know that Eavis tries to moderate costs – so maybe the complainants should have shopped around a bit?

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WEATHER

The dry spell continues, my 350ltrs of water butts have nearly run dry. But some floods around with convectional storms. Do planning authorities and the water boards actually have any AI – no not artificial intelligence – but AI – actual intelligence. Covering green sites with concrete reduces infiltration, increases convection and temperatures, speeds up runoff. We need urban planting, replacing impermeable surfaces like parking spaces with permeable grids, more street trees and roof gardens. It is common sense

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CLIMATE CHANGE

Imola Gran Prix cancelled due to flooding that has killed at least 6 people. Cyclone Mocha hits Myanmar causing dozens of deaths, floods hit Auckland, wildfires across Alberta,Canada. Drought affecting food production in the Mediterranean region. The climate crisis is set to get worse as scientists expect record highs earlier than predicted, perhaps due to ocean heating.