Are going up and up. £170 ltr, and likely to rise more as 3 of the most used seaways are all limiting traffic. The Strait of Hormuz is virtually closed on a haphazard basis; the Bab al Mandab Straight looks like it may be closed by Houti fighters supporting Iran and the Panama Canal is limiting the number of vessels passing through it to 29.5 per day. So world trade is being hampered and oil prices do not look like coming down any time soon. This will have major impacts on farming with fertilisers risinng in cost, let alone the transport costs. And all this is before El Niño’s impact is fully felt this year and next. The quicker we get to a carbon free future the better, the government should remove the costs of going green from fuel and put it on general taxation, and also stop pricing energy by gas costs. there is no doubt that the UK can be energy independent in a short time span, if the political will is there.
Thames Water has fallen foul of NIMBY’s who have objected to its plans for a new reservoir in Oxfordshire. I know little about the project but with a grown population in the south-east we will need to expand water storage facilities. However I would ask if there are alternatives, maybe more use of grey water in new developments. Also are data centres being charged properly? (i.e. being made to pay for the increased demand). Put everyone on a water meter with scaled charges – free for x amount, then scaled up for above normal use (150 ltrs per day per resident, allowances for medical problems). A new lake in Oxfordshire would provide jobs and opportunities for sports and recreation.
Pensions – let the old eat banana sandwiches with demarara sugar and give the young an opportunity to thrive.