Category: Politics

First Zac Goldsmith and now Andy Street have come out to warn against the retreat from Net Zero and environmental protection. With the tories still trailing badly in the polls it is surprising that more have spoken out against Sunak’s environmental back tracking.

First the Cabinet tried the attack on demonstrators via legislation, then they tried to demonise Labour as being the political wing of just stop oil. Unfortunately for them most people agree with philosophy of Greenpeace and Just Stop Oil if not the tactics used. I know there are plenty of hairy knob heads who don’t care as long as they can drive their cars and bikes along suburban streets at dangerous speeds.

But most people can see fires across Europe and elsewhere (and now floods and landslides in Norway), and make the link to climate change and burning fossil fuels. The governments response to Greenpeace’s harmless covering of Sunak’s house was frankly childish beyond measure. They will not talk to the group anymore and have ordered civil servants to cut links. Greenpeace provide valuable knowledge and data on many issues such as deep sea mining..

Latest reports show 90% British Rivers to be in a poor state. Sea quality at a number of resorts is too bad to swim. Labour has an opportunity here to crush the nasty party – is Starmer brave enough?

I don’t get it! Analysis of global data shows that the UK has lagged behind the rest of the world in investment in renewable energy. Growth is approx. half of the rates in the rest of the world. The investment in solar panels on houses is largely at the cost of the installer and with a small subsidy the cost to government is negligible! Whist the National Grid seems to be having problems with connections a subsidy for homeowners to provide batteries would make sense. I know this favours the middle class homeowners – so that is why there should be a minimum standard of insulation with subsidies where necessary, and requirements put on landlords. Renewable energy supply to the Grid is running at near 50%. The government is giving grants to fossil fuel companies whist prohibiting them from claiming claw backs for renewables from the windfall tax!

As schools are mainly open during the day – solar panels should be oblicultry – f the spelling of that! – with batteries provided they could have “free energy” – probably equivalent to one or teachers salaries, plus a huge data base for maths and science lessons!

Ozone hole appearing earlier over Antarctica could mean greater ice loss. Since 1992 sea level has risen by 2.1cm due to melt of Antarcican and Greenland ice. 2.1 cm may not seem much, but climate bigots should ask their wives if 2.1cm extra would make a difference!

Basically Corporations and Governments are playing Russian Roulette with our future. meanwhile on Earth – wildfires spread towards the Algave, temperatures in Santarem reached 46.4C, Norway and Scandinavia are suffering from landslides and heavy rain, 2 dead and 1.1m homes with no electric in US North-East, tornado warnings across 10 states from Tennessee to NY, South Korea evacuates scouts for international scout camp as a typhoon nears.

On a positive – 3 small skipper butterflies and some painted ladies on my buddlela bush surrounded by nettles and thistles. Lots of flying insects too which is great.

Always dangerous! It seems to me that the tories have trashed our communities. They are quick to say that they have put money into this and that, but by the time the corporations and their mates have had their slice there is little left. Corporations are moving into child care – this has to be wrong! Maybe a voucher scheme would work? The Tories took education away from the local communities (councils) and are now paying 6 figure sums to CEO’s of “trusts”. Was it not better to have heads supported by the local council? Now there seems to be little support – just directives and evaluation. Local parks are lacking maintenance, care homes are rip off factories. New homes are built without any concern for community support and areas. I think it was Totnes that introduced its own currency a while back. Perhaps there needs to be more of this. Perhaps a “Trust the trader.com” like public servive sites on social media?

HS2 is a case of the corporate mis management of the UK. If they had done a customer survey before allocating ridiculous amounts of money – how many would have voted for £100 billion to be able to get between London and Birmingham 30 minnutes quicker? The same is true for the Stonehenge tunnel. If people are slowing down for a look (and I admit I may have done in the past) – plant some fucking trees so it cannot be seen – and then arrange an environmentally friendly visitor centre with free parking (OH so much cheaper than the £2.4 million latest estimate). Perhaps we could even give it back to the Welsh from whom it was stolen!

Can we return local facilities to local communities please. I am sure there will be cop ups from both those on the left and right, but they will be our con ups and we will be able to vote to correct them.

So Oliver Dowden thinks mist people will say ‘can you stop the stupid stunts’. Not so stupid Oliver! Front page publicity headlines in 3 Daily papers and the BBC. Totally peaceful and non-disruptive – what better way to get the message across. I guess the police and MI5/6 may have egg on their chins whilst the gammons splutter in their breakfasts!

Well done Greenpeace – very professional and well executed.

In the last week 43.2% of our electricity has come from renewables. That is 43.2% that would have come from fossil fuels. We know that we cannot nip down to B&Q and pick up some solar panels and a couple of wind turbines. But maybe that is what we should be aiming for! We need to incentivise small scale production on a massive scale to meet the demand for electric transport and space heating in our homes. Governments are too much in awe of the mighty corporations. Economies of scale do not always work out cheaper for the consumer or the environment. Huge contracts handed out to the corporations are often then sub-contracted down the supply chasin with each firm taking a slice. Big can be beautiful but often its not!

With the possibility of a collapse in the Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Drift insulation of homes and workplaces will be essential as extremes of temperature become ever more prevalent. Yes life style changes will need to be made – but this takes time too. Supermarket deliveries could be prioritised by areas to increase efficiency andf allow a discount. Local shops offered a discount on council tax. Pubs could be converted into work places with flexible office space, and meeting rooms whilst still offering food and drink? Aviation fuel should be taxed at normal rate – how can it be cheaper to get to Newcastle by flying via Turkey, than by train (as a friend discvovered recently)PS. It might not have been Newcastle – but was mainline UK! I am sure there are lots of other ideas. New housing should become a public debate – not a closed deal between developers and the planning department.