Category: Environment

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STOCK UP ON SUPPLIES

The government has stated that homes should stock up on supplies enough o last 3 days. First off the trash paper the Mail states that Streeting has wasted thousands of pounds on this advice with haedlines of tthe ‘nanny state’. They completely ignore the fact that 10000 homes in Cornwall are without power due to Storm Austen, or the fact that the last government, given total support the shit paper, wasted £ billions during Covid. With cyber attacks and climate change led emergencies from drought to floods, this advice would seem sensible. But me and Aaron were discussing how long we could go without shopping – I reckon a couple of weeks at least, I have flour and yeast, so I can make bread and pasta, I have rice and lots of tins. I have water butts so I could flush the toilet occasionally. So food wise I would be OK, Protein might be more difficult but I have lentils and dried beans/chick peas and lots of herbs. I have also just received an order from ‘Who gives a crap’ of toilet rolls and kitchen rolls – I sound a bit like a survival freak! A medical emergency would however be a problem as I have no idea what to do! As Aaron pointed out – the advice regarding food is a bit pointless for most, who has not got a few cans at the back of cupboard – OK they are probably out of date, possibly by years – but needs must! Heating and light would be problematic – I rely on gas central heating and an electric fire, but have lots of jumpers and candles and a torch, if dark go to bed would be my mantra.

What is wrong about this country? Well mostly it is beyond good, but a dark trend is appearing – domestic abuse is rising and a latest report reveals that 4.7 million people in the UK have experienced domestic abuse to the year ending March 2026, I checked the wording as I thought it might be in their lifetime. Even if we discount the .7million as being oversensitive (do not shout a me, I am just sayin’, this is a horrendous figure, basically one in 10 adults, and I would guess that 90% are women and children. One woman is killed by a man every three days on average – a sick party is one that promotes this violence via threats to migrants, people of colour, different sexual persuasion, or just different. We have hopefully moved on from the nethandertal era, although the sad individuals in black marching through our streets are a sad reflection that pehaps the genes of knuckle dragging illiterates have persisted through millennia? Was I a paragon of virtue, no I was not – I earned the money and Shirley brought up the kids brilliantly, as a teacher I had the holidays to help, but although I did the cooking, shopping, ironing, most of the story reading, – I did not do the cleaning and I am sure much else. I also spent time away on field trips and environmental business – so basically I was crap.

I have just read on the paper for a few pages, Trump and Netanyahu have agreed to a new wave of attacks, Iran says it will retaliate by attacking data centres, cables and AI centres will targeted, along with power plants and water desalinisation resources. Whilst America and its proxy Israel have the overwhelming fire power, and Trump is moving 3 aircraft carriers and thousands of troops to the area, they are unlikely to stop Iran and its proxy, the Houthi from affecting tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea area.

And the Cavendish banana – every few years we hear that our most eaten fruit is under threat as every banana tree is cloned. This was new though – new research has shown that new breeds of banana may be possible – I think the destruction of bananas has bee running for at least 50 years.

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TRUMP- WHO ELSE

Makes an idiot of himself, again, by dismissing his Press Secretary after just 5 days pretty does not = competent! Then he endangers Europe by fiddling with the Starling satelitte system that the White House has control of. He calls Zelenski a disgrace whilst cosying up to Putin. Both leadeers in the war have faults and Zelenski seems resistant to any settlement of the conflict that would involve surrender of Ukrainian territory, but Putin needs to commitment to no further incursions across Ukraine, or indeed Europe. Arguements about Russian speakers in other countries are spurious (many Hungarians speak German as a first language and languages are mixed in many countries), the only factor that matters is the democratic vote of the people.

At home a survey has suggested that ‘insulating Britain’ could have a bigger impact than developing new oil/gas fields with 50000 jobs created with a boost of £1.5billion to the economy and £1 billion a year saving on household energy bills. What is there not to like? I have a grouse though – throughout my teaching career I was always earning just enough to avoid qualifying for grants, despite being broke due to high mortgage repayments. Now I am retired I receive a pension and have no mortgage – how much easier life would be if we could even things out a bit. The argument goes on about Brexit – it is a no brainer that it was a horrendous mistake by those in love with steam trains, antimacassar ‘s and days of the past. 1.25million was the majority for leaving, over 500000 people in the UK die each year, do the maths! 10 years since the vote and 5 million mostly old people have died in the UK; AND it was the old who swung the vote (along with the racists); therefore the polls are correct in forecasting that the majority of people alive today think the vote was a mistake and want a new vote. The young can be much more sensible than us old’uns – although I did vote Remain, and definitely old! And a final rant about taking back control – every bit of evidence shows that we and the government are controlled to some extent from abroad, mainly American billionaires who have money to burn. I am in favour of the small is beautiful movement and believe the billionaires should be heavily taxed, but a realist would state that in a dystopian world we need friends who care and support rather than Trumps America who just mainipulate for their own worth.

And football – both Manchester clubs are suffering from similar problems with their owners – Man City from too much, Man United from too little. Will this let Arsenal in again? Or maybe allow the likes of Brighton to challenge? The big clubs are not doing so well, Spurs and Newcastle are struggling to find form, Aston Villa have suffered from the transfer market, Everton seem to be content with top half, Could Leeds challenge? Sunderland are struggling again having made no significant signings this summer. Bournemouth with a key player out from an injury may struggle along with Fulham and Hull.

Bright and sunny today – I may take the herbs indoors from now on!

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BANKS

£200 billion pre-tax profit by the big 4 lenders and the press rush to condemn the Chancellor if he raises their taxes in the upcoming budget. Banks and oil companies must be forced to pay their share of mega profits whilst the home owners and renters get squeezed to keep up payments. The City of London will cope, as it has done for a thousand years, banks are not going to pull out if their profits are reduced a bit.

The RWPress have also been slow to report on the governments efforts to further reduce the small boats debacle. Eritrea, which has provided the largest number of small boats passengers, has been threatened with a visa ban if it refuses to take back failed asylum seekers and criminals. A government that is taking positive steps to ensure that those entitled to asylum are granted it quickly, and those rejected returned to their home countries, should be rejoiced – but the pages of Daily Hate are not for positive stories (like the IMF praising the UK government for its fiscal proficiency) they would rather stir up hatred and division. This is emphasised by the way they have reported JDVance saying that European countries face bigger threats from within, rather than Russia, he is refering to migration and specifically muslim migration of brown faces. Will the MAGA Party do anything to save its majority in Congress? Whilst Trumps deal to un-embargo some diesel – this was a minor amout – expect more, they will sell any of their friends and allies to save their power.

Trump has meanwhile caved to pressure by abandoning his plan to livestream an execution. There must be votes in its abandonment – after all the knuckleheads will vote for him come what may – its abandonment has nothingbto do with integrity, human dignity or decency.

In the UK – Thames Water has asked creditors to put up £2.4 billion to avoid bankruptcy. The company largely owned by American hedge funds is waiting on government policy to be announced – surely it must be bankruptcy and then nationalisation. Let the other water companies compete with a nationalised one, campetition is the mntra of capitalism.

Menheirs attacks me whenever – I got up, showered, dressed, and went and did the papers at the shop – did usual quiz, helped a little by taking the bread baskets out, and then felt totally dizzy. I went home after the first phase had lessened, It was a short drive, and then went back to bed – still not feeling great although dizzyness and nausia have reduced – hence having a belated blog!

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SURPRISE

What a joke the right wing press are. On a day when the head of MI5 reported on the growing threat from right wing extremists the Daily Mail gleefully adds to the hatred by leading with 4 out of 5 new jobs have gone to ‘foreigners’ in the last decade, no where has it pointed out that the greatest influx of migrants was under a Conservative Government they supported. They also fail to comment on the positive input these migrrants make by having employment and paying tax, to the extent that in the past year the UK has been the best performing economy in the G20 – that information was also hidden! The Telegraph leads with a half truth by saying that the Head of MI5 stated that Russia did not influence Brexit, what he actually said was that their interference was largely ineffective. He also stated that Russia was the biggest threat to to the UK.

Meanwhile Scotland could be hit by a cyclogenesis, or weather bomb with high winds and rainfall whilst the rest of Britain is still suffering from drought conditions, many reservoirs are at or below 20% capacity. (Wimblehall Lake in Somerset is at 17% whilst Coddiford on Bodmin Moor is at 37%). It has been damp here without proper rain, my water butt off the conservatory is still empty. Water companies are asking for more stringent regulations on car washes, public schools, golf courses and industry generally. The Met Office forecast for this area does not predict any real rainfall in the period to 11 November! Could we have a serious problem by then?

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BYELECTION RESULT

So Polanski came second, a respectable result but he will be gutted that his party let him down. I have come to appreciate party discipline – he was basically torpedoed by the very left wing who voted for the Zionism = racism motion at the party conference. Areturn to the environment is essential for a Green Party that has made inroads since the general election. If party members want to be in a very left wing party, they should fuck off and join one, I might even vote for them in a proportional representation situation! It was good however to see that the two R parties (repugnant and repulsive) were in 4th and 6th places, and the nasty party 3rd all with less than 10% of the vote.. Labour and Greens got about 80% of the vote.

I do not believe the figures for autism and ADHD which have risen from 1 in 7 to 1 in 4 in the last 30 years. Besides the fraudulent claiming of welfare, is it just an excuse for underachievement in the parents eyes of their children? I have a family member who is autistic and there is no doubt that he needs 100% care, but I also taught for 35years and only in the last 4 did I came across ‘at risk -suicide, do not let go to the toilet by themselves’ warnings. there have always been children with ‘special needs’, but why the explosion of claims. Middle class parents will always seek advantages for their children, and if they cannot pay the extra for private education, they will manipulate the system – about 20 years ago my very middle class ‘good’ school received over 100 requests from parents for their offspring to have extra time in public exams (GCSE’s), most were refused and it was unusual for the remainder to actually use the extra time because they needed it, Also potential employers should be told if students needed extra time. This is not to enable them to discriminate – many special needs students would make exemplary employees, but maybe not in superacademic fields (I admit to being uncertain about the last comment). Those who actually need it should be swiftly identified and given help, but a graph in the Guardian showed around 60% with a common mental health condition and ADHD and autism.

If this is true society must be totally fucked up. Are we getting better at diagnosing problems, becoming more precious about our children or is there a real problem associated with diet, air quality, media use, climate change? The world also seems to be ever unsafer, quicker and less benign than it ever was.

Weather – the UK recorded a record 40 days when temperatures were above 30C, and 1354 wildfires, but the tories and the 2R’s do not give a shit about our children ad grandchildren and future generations – its all about profit! And the MoD have objected to 4 wind farms on the grounds it affects radar, really! Perhaps we should have more wind farms on the coast to disrupt incoming drones and their radar?

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ENVIRONMENT

This government has made a positive start to ensuring that the UK has an environment fit for the future with a pledge to plant at least 500000 trees. Trees can reduce temperatures in cities by up to 4C in summer, they also have a warming input in winter, a mature tree can intercept 15000 litres of rainfall whilst the roots enhance infiltation and thus reduce flooding. At least 150 different species of insects can live on oak trees thus being brilliant for wildlife. My road would have been wooded at one time, but now has only a half dozen trees, plus my two mulberry trees! I am sure back gardens have a few more but if every front lawn, that are unused biological deserts, had a tree of any variety, the road would be a feast of wildlife. So put away your lawn mower – which contributes to climate change and plant a tree (blossom, fruit or other). And hey farmers, supplement your income by allowing people to sponsor a tree in the more unproductive parts of your fields, do not wait for a govrnment grant but be proactive and get locals involved.

Wetter and windy is the prediction of the cheif meteorologist at the Met Office, 6 million homes are at risk from flooding and it is estimated that 2 million are unaware of it. Recent developments of houses and infrastructure may mean that areas that have not flooded before are now at risk. Antarctic sea ice has shrunk – the 4 lowest extent on record are the last 4 years. Sea ice does not in itself affect sea level, but it does have an impact on glaciers entering the sea, so if you live near the coast – be aware that coastal flooding may have little to do with rainfall, October and Merch are the real danger months although spring tides in any month can be a hazard. Glaciers melting in Switzerland are also causing concern regarding water supply, and another mountainous state is also suffering from landslips and potentially disasterous floods due to climate change -Nepal.

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FARCE

The farce of Fairford continues. Apparently one of the arrested men dialled 999 well before the farmer did so. No explosives or weapons were found, just a quantity of fuel/. It seems likely that the guys in the 3 vans were up to no good, probably stealing diesel from farms. They must have been well shocked to find that they had attracted global notoriety and had armed officers arresting them at gun point. However the police are still looking for evidence of major espionage, probably at the behest ofthe Americans who were very fast out the blocks to blame Iran. The trash papers also joined in, no doubt there will be a cover up and a spread of false news, whilst a few fuel theives are castigated. They should be congratulated at the revalation of such lax security at a major air base.

Talking of a farce – the Football League has basically admited to gross negigence by admitting that Manchester City and its Abu Dhabi management over spent the rules by a staggering £830.69 million. Der Spiegel first reported on this 8 years ago, but it has taken until now for the figures to be release. Oh how the rich manipulate the probably/possibly innocent adminstrators of sports. Not noticing a sum of that size is, I would suggest, impossible. The fall out will be considerable with clubs already queueing to place compensation claims, yet football will recover, Whether that will be with Manchester City F.C. or not is for the Football League to decide (they are prevaricating as usual), And as it is Abu Dhabi that iss involved it will become a government matter – but at least we have a football fan of true belief in Andy Burnham, an Everton supporter – if ManCity were punished in a commensurate way to that handed out to the Toffees the deduction would be in excess of 200 points).

Burnham has been firing up the Labour Party conference in a way Starmer may have dreamed about. First up – the triple lock on pensions will be replaced – not before time. OK I am a pensioner and appreciate the extra wealth afforded by the triple lock, but I also have a Teachers Pension and an extra I paid into (and lost a chunk on divorce – willingly I might add). But with young people struggling with shite jobs and astronomical student loans – the rise in pensions (20+% above earnings) was needed, but is no longer affordable (the OAP’s who read the Telegraph, Express, Mail and Sun will be apolextic). The problem for pensioners I would surmise, is rents; many pensioners like myself will have paid off the mortgage and therefore the pension money is basically, fuel/energy costs and food/fun money, so it is the rise in rents that is a major problem, and then care home costs – drive out the hedgefund investment in them.

Secondly he suggested a reform of voting to a fairer PR system. Interesting, this would benefit Reform and the Greens and LibDems, but hit Labour and especially the Conservatives – so we can expect lots of bile and rancid comments from the RWPress. Thirdly he mentioned the need to draw closer to the EU – a no brainer for anyone with a few brain cells left, especially with Trump in the White House.

South West Water fined £8million for horrendous sewage discharges -nationalise the bastards, but maybe get the money in fines before! Whilst Aviva states that many new homes could be uninsurable. But now sunny today.

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RAF FAIRFORD

So, despite Trump’s assertion that he had had the possible assailants ‘under view’ for a long time, it still took a local resident with a seeming 6th sense, in the early hours of the morning to be suspicious. She tried calling the base – who did not reply – and then dialled 999, the police arrived in 15 minutes (which would seem to be rather tardy in the circumstances?). It appears that no prior intelligence was involved and the police must be commended for a brilliant job. So Trump is talking out of his arse again!

Back home Burnham seems determined to grasp the elusive problem of care homes. This will definitely require a tax of some sort, but is a problem that has been hanging around for way too long. Philip for the Tories bangs on about a ‘death and dementia tax’ – he is determined that he gets his inheritance! and offers no alternative, which is no surprise – years of tory rule and talking about the problem resulted in ‘diddly squat’.

the long range weather forecast for the next month is for high pressure and lower than normal rainfall. I hope it is not a lull before the storm situation. A high court judgement has been passed allowing a housing development in an area identified by the Environment agency as being in a category of highest risk. I hope Persimmon Homes will cover the insurance claims for the new residents of Yatton. Basically, what is the point of the Environment Agency if their objections can be so easily overridden.

And well done the Republic of Ireland mens football team for making a point about the genocidal regime of Israel before winning 3-1. Football has a lot of politics going on at present – a multi-billion enterprise cannot hide behind glib phrases like ‘keep politics out of sport’. Russian athletes are currently banned from the Olympics but that is likely to change with pressure from the next hosts President – yes it is Trump! i agree that sport should occur as an honourable activity between opposing players/sides, but life is becoming ever more complicated. From expensive, advantage giving footwear and body suits in athletics, to financial chicanery in football, the situation is barely better than in the last century where Soviet ruled/influenced countries athletes dominated some athletic results with records that still stand. Sport will do well to maaintain its integrity over the next few years.

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CRUELTY

So the tories want to stop benefit recipients spending the money on fags, alcohol and betting.  This may seem virtuous, but for those addicted it will be cruelty and cause more crime and domestic violence.   Oh the rich really do have a control freak syndrome.  Basically we need a certain level of unemployment and it is well known that the Thatcherite policies pursued by various tory governments meant that our manufacturing base was destroyed and hard working people put onto benefits.  Their children and grandchildren now have the choice of unskilled work at minimum wage levels in call centres or shopping warehouses, often on zero hours contracts.  At least Labour are trying to reverse this slide into hopelessness with new GCSE’s, already being criticised as providing a second class education for the poor – by tory rich parents, are they worried that a technical qualification may become more prized than a pseudo-academic one?

The outgoing Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres’s parting shot was to emphasise the need for action on climate change.  However world leaders seemed more concerned with petty squabbles and point scoring than address the extreme weather affecting our planet.  On which, Ed Milliband has released a full unreacted report by the Joint Intelligence Committee of the uk which had been suppressed under Keir Starmer (why?).  Milliband pointed out that climate change provided a challenge not just for climate and environmental ministers but foreign policy makers and  national security.  He was presenting to EU foreign ministers and other countries.  Maybe we will take a world lead in environmental matters.

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DONATIONS

Am I jealous that. Reform has received £72m in 2 donations, just offended. TBH I am not, but I do not have the answers to what is a real problem. Apparently Musk has said that Restore can have whatever it takes, he will find a way past the law that prohibits it. We have seen in the USA how elections are bought via copious TV ads. In the UK without union donations Labour would be finished, especially in a post industrial phase. Of course the rich will donated to a party that promises less tax for the rich, and if that means lower spending on welfare and the NHS – so be it – they do not need either, they have private health care, their children have a private education and they have over generous pensions. Not jealous, just offened by the ability of the rich to manipulate the system, especially when it benefits cryptocurrency billionaires. Maybe total donations should be capped at £1 for very vote received in the last election (with modifications for local council elections (being fair to Reform!), and the usual 5% of the vote minimum. That would allow parties to be on a more even keel come election time. I would introduce it retrospectively, and any past donations above this level confiscated for the Treasury. If someone is so selfish to encourage a party to follow their views – then they should pay more tax.

SAND BAGS – The Environment Agency does not provide sand bags for individual properties, whilst the council may have a stock of them to use in emergencies, usually for vulnerable people. So if you want to be prepared for an El Niño autumn/winter you need to get online and order some. Be aware that taking sand off a beach is usually illegal and if prolific can cause flood damage to nearby properties.