After a positive start the roll out seems to be faltering. 6 EU states have now got a higher % vaccination than the UK. The map of who has been jabbed is a somewhat familiar one – large urban areas seem to have a lower take up (although locally Glastonbury is relatively low!). So is the correlation with poverty? I suspect it is, and reflects a lack of confidence in government. However there are anomalies with Knightsbridge, Belgarvia and Hyde Park only having 56% take up of first dose. Areas with large proportions of young (cities) are also lower in take up.
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.
MIGRANTS
WELL DONE DAILY MAIL
I never thought I would say this without extreme torture! But their expose of the climate minister Amok Sharma flying all over the world to over 30 countries is bad enough, but then visiting 6 red countries and not going into quarantine is inexcusable on both counts. Could someone please explain – fast – that this is not a joke fest for Bozo Buckethead and crew.
EDUCATION AND TAGS
GROUSE MOORS
Almost 350.000ha within our National Parks are devoted to driven grouse moors. These moors are heavily managers with mountain hares, stoats and foxes are legally slaughtered, and hen harriers and golden eagles illegally slaughtered (hen harriers have also been shot on the Queens Sandringham Estate).
Elaine Thompson-Herah: Instagram blocks gold medallist who shared race win
A study commissioned by the FA found 359 accounts on twitter with explicitly racist abuse. Action taken – zero – update 11 arrests made . Thompson-Herah’s account was taken down because she may have broken copyright rules for olympic sponsors by sending clips of herself wining the gold medal to friends.
Beyond the absurdity of the detail here is the fact that accounts can be taken down rapidly if financial interests are involved, but not racist abuse.
CLIMATE CHANGE
COVID VACCINATIONS
A concern. This area has an incredibly high take up rate, but there are problems. I have a friend whose daughter if off to university. Having only just turned 18 she has not been able to get vaccinated before. Her appointment yesterday was cancelled due to a lack of vaccine! Attempts to rebook have been unsuccessful as she and her mother do not drive, and suggested sites are not on bus routes. The university suggested a site 7 miles from the campus.
DOMESTIC STUFF
I am drying tomatoes in the dehydrator before packing them with olive oil. Herbs have been dried – with more next week if the weather is dry (it makes sense to pick them on sunny days – of which we have not had many recently). So 9 different mints dried so far, and oregano, rosemary, thyme and basil.