Category: Geography

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.

The United Nations has voted to use an equal area map projection in future, replacing the Mercator projection which distorts the size of countries making the African continent the size of Greenland, when it is actually 14 time bigger. There was only one vote against and 6 abstentions – which country voted against? USA of course without any sense of irony it called the move ‘superfuous’. Renaming the Gulf of Mexico ad Lake Ontario were not mentioned – fuckwits! Maybe Trump ws surprised to find that Greenland was smaller than he thought!

Staying international Badenoch attempts to score points against Burnham in a comment headlined by the Daily Shite “Argentina smells Burnhams weakness” – just what this is supposed to mean is beyond me! The Telegraph obscurely leads with ‘Stop the boats and the hecklers” – perhaps leading with a deal made by Farage with the leader of French fascists – the only deal that Farage can meaningfully make is with the Police!

Meanwhile Cambridge University has stated that it will conduct a review into the death of Jason Arday, who it subsequently appears to have done nothing wrong, having been hounded and misquoted by the evil right wing media. Some journalists should at least be fined or dismissed for their shameful behaviour.

And an environmental alert – please report any sightings of yellow-legged hornets as they may disrupt the UK’s food supply system in the future, as they displace pollinator bees.

Breaking news – masked men dressed in black have halted traffic to and from the port od Dover – the BBC has not reported on what they are demonstrating about – but the 30 or so men will presumably be arrested and prosecuted and jailed in a similar way to “Just stop Oil’ protestors. Presumably they are right wing extremists – will the police act forcefully and arrest? Doubtful.

Great to have a chat with Andy Logan after quite a while.  We do not agree on much but his different perspective is always interesting.  An example, he believes the Greens should concentrate on water and climate change rather than Gaza, where we have no influence.  On Gaza and Jews generally he pointed out that they have a siege mentality, whilst he condemned the actions of the Israeli military.  In many ways understanding the root mentality is the only chance of getting a peaceful settlement.  On Burnham we generally agreed, although his potential for actually delivering is minimal.  On Trump we agreed that he is insane.  We did not get onto the bigger issues! Of whether capitalism “as we know it” is doomed, and of course football- although we of course touched on it.  Other topics missed were migration/demography, and the EU.  Next time.

News today – the Environment Secretary has said that Britons should stock up with food and prepare for power cuts and a new word on the political scene – resilience.  Most, 83%, of the pop of UK live in urban areas – so with neighbourhood schemes should be ok, and I guess the majority of the rest live in villages with shops and therefore should be ok.  But there are still thousands who live in isolated settlements or hamlets – councils should have a duty too prepare lists of these people and their needs. (Medical, dietary and other).  Is El Niño over blown, and being used for political uses?  Reform and Restore would think so, and the Tories are as ever, following their lead.  I do not care if the scientists are wrong, I hope they are, but the warning signs are there; Pacific Ocean temperatures already close to records (2.6C at present, 3.1C is the record, but the peak is set to reach 4C), some areas have subsurface temperatures at a record 8C above normal.

At best it would seem that at least 50million will be forced into food poverty, food prices will escalate and the poorer will suffer most.  I know that Musk’s fortune is largely a paper one, but it surely does not help that the mega rich hoard so much of the earths wealth.

The worlds global temperature is likely to increase by 1.8C and there are no good outcomes. Although GB News and Talk TV presenters have a different view from the 99% of scientists who actually study the data. When the UK Health Security Agancy reported that deaths had been 2877 higher than last year during the May/June heat wave, the reporters said this was absolute poppycock and the people were diving anyway, and also that warmer winters would reduce the larger number of people dieing in the cold – this is absolute lies and should not be allowed. These people are just talking bullshit to make political gains amongst the very stupid and gullible!

Meanwhile the Trump administration has apparently done a deal with Venezuela puppet government for 65m barrels of oil, that will help stop sea level rising and the melting of glaciers! Whilst Israel wants to oust all Palestinians from Gaza with American support. A did you know …. that Trump has used the 5th Amendment 440 times – so much for transparency!.. And the richest nation on earth has given just $3.6m to the Nepal appeal which is taking the piss! – probably less than the President pays to go golfing every month/week. What happened to Christian virtuals of humility, empathy and help thy neighbour? I am not religious but surely every sane person should abide by these maxims.

In the UK DEFRA is considering an extension of animal welfare rules to pheasant shoots – oh please, the Telegraph will be apolexic at this and the Mail and Express will follow. The rules would also prevent anyone associated with the killing/murder of protected birds of prey from holding a shoot. Like all cruel animal sports this has been going on too long. I really do not care about the loss of, possibly a few thousand jobs in rural areas. Alternative occupations could be found. Rewilding grouse moors would help control flooding and allowing public access would enable more urban dwellers to enjoy the great British Countryside. Hey you upper class twat, ever heard of clay pigeon shooting? And I am sure manufactures of clay pigeon machines could get inventive! However to balance thing a little, maybe deer could be culled sustainably and safely to ease the pressure on beef and livestock farmers – the population of deer is probably higher than at anytime in the last 2000 years, or ever!

The trash papers tell us that we must prepare for an attack by Russia; I know it probably sells newspapers but really! It would appear that Russia is struggling against the Ukraine. Why do right wing newspapers and parties want to increase military spending, whilst all the time complaining about taxes and welfare. Anybody under the age of 80 in this country has not lived under war conditions – what are they afraid of?

Water compaanies have said they will fight any change to the insolvency laws – But Parliament makes and passes the laws, so the greedy hedge funds will just have to suck it! Just as Trump will have to do in negotiations with Canada. Canada can open trade links with other countries and benefit from the tariff war, Similarly China can do the same if Trump gets uppity about Irans exports of oil to China. The world is not a peaceful place at the moment with Trump, Netmanyahu and Putin strutting like old cocks in a farmyard.

Will we finally get a fair voting system in the UK? Whilst I shudder at the thought of more toss pots from Reform and the other ones, in Parliament, in a democracy they deserve to have their racist incoherrent lies heard. Argumentsabout the need for FPTP and strong government have been totally washed away by the ineptitude of the last government, and to some extent the large majority of the present one.

Fuel bills rise again – and no dumbass, opening up fields in the North Sea will not help, but a war like effort to reduce reliance on fossil fuels would, jobs would be created locally, especially if combined with insulation. Data centres are a difficult problem – we are increasingly becoming dependant in AI and the super computers (until a hacker takes one down!). They use vast amounts of water and electricity – climate change should determine that they are always sited on the coast – the finance these companies make is humungous – so they should have to pay extra to ensure that local people never lose their power supply before an AI company.

Floods predicted across the country. Hey guys, what were you doing in your Geography lessons! I fear that more will become aware of ‘infiltration rates’, ‘saturation point’, ‘overland flow’ and the need for beaver in preference to grouse moors. If it means job loses, so be it.

Burnham also seems ready to speak out about Israels annexation of the West Bank – will he stand up and be counted.