Category: Geography

Posted on

HOUSING

So Sunak is making a play for votes by promising 1 million new homes over the next Parliament (to be built along side the 40 new hospitals?). This seems like a knee jerk reaction to rising rents and mortgages.

I guess most are needed in the South-East which already has a crisis of road traffic, and pressure on public services. There seems to be little demographic analysis of needs – a while back a Housing Minister stated that all new homes should have gardens. I would suggest that different age groups have different needs, but the house builders know which properties make the biggest profits. The government sets targets for Local Authorities. I would suggest that there is a classification scheme based on bedroom size/ terraces/flats/ semi’s, detached – luxury versions available? In a rural area it would mke more sense for the more expensive housing, whilst city centre developments could be more attuned to the needs of the young/single.

Rural areas often have poor bus services,and few facilities and are thus unsuitable for many. Consideration of facilities such as schools and health centres needs proper consideration along with water supply and sewage disposal/treatment.

OK I am privileged and live in a village. 200 new houses have been built recently and no new facities apart from a small swing park. I believe all use cars to get shopping from supermarkets 12km away, and to get to entertainment. The health cetre is in the next village. The well run and well stocked village shop is doing ok. Those who read this blog will know I am a bit of an anti-snob. However it would have made sense to me if the new housing estate had been replaced with maybe 10 4/5 bed quality houses surrounding a new village green (the village does not have one) and a pond (the site was sodden at times anyway). Rather than large gardens on some properties would it make sense for a small area and the option of an allotment? Allotment areas would do much to counter the pollution in cities and towns.

Ephasis needs to be put, not on the houses, but the communities they could create. has any estate been built in last 20 years with a youth centre? I accept that Cubs, brownies, scouts and guides can be a little too middle class (cubs was for me back in the 60’s with its militaristic use of badges/medals and flags). but society and the environment need the youth of today.

Posted on

WESTON-SUPER-MARE

A town in decline. It has a magnificent beach (really) with golden sand ideal for sandcastles until the tide goes out and the mud is revealed. However the positive – generations of people from the West Midlands have visited W-s-M as it is the first sandy beach when heading south-west. The arrival of the railway line and the development of the pier made it popular. Today the sea front is well maintained with sympathetic flood defences. however this is where the positives disappear. Firstly the parking is expensive – personally I wonder if a drop off service like at airports would bring more revenue and be less intrusive?

However it is the Town Centre that is truly ****ed! The 1980’s (I think) Sovereign Centre was built with M&S and C&A as flagship stores at either end. C&A went long ago to be replaced with Wilco’s – all have now gone. A walk down the pedestrianised High Street is one where beggars and the smell of dope pervades. Tattoo parlours, betting shops, charity shops, vape shops dominate. There is nothing welcoming, despite the cost of parking!

The council does its best with flowers and attractions, but the town has died! tje only people I know who visit Weston do so to visit the bank! the only shops of interest are up side streets where parking meters deter the casual shopper.

The restaurants are based. around fish and chips, burgers and kebabs.

Imagine how a Severn Barrage would have impacted the town – a thriving harbour, a tide that did not go out quite so far, safe swimming. Back to the begining – it has a magnificent beach – well cleaned by the council.

Posted on

CLIMATE

World temperatures 0.66C warmer than the 1991-2020 average. Time for some action across the world – won’t happen as corporations like BP, Total, Shell, Exxon, Saudi Aramco, Sinopec, Chevron, Petro China, Conoco, Cnina National Petroleum rule the roost.

If this was a war situation (which I believe it to be!) all governments would sort the problem in weeks! Demand could be reduced drastically with speed limits (how I would love to see the Express and Mail headlines!), and insulation, alternative production by wind turbines and solar could be implemented quickly. Water power from old mills could help localise the supply. Yes this would cause major upheavals in the stock market – but it would survive.

Priority needs to be given to wildlife in any building scheme. Personally I thought the building of 200 new homes in my village was OK, although the traffic created by the lack of workplaces is regrettable. With little recreation and social facilities the countryside is not an optimum place for new housing.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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?

Posted on

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