Treading more lightly on the planet

Some of the most wealthy, on the biggest salaries decide on grossly extravagant infrastructure projects that accelerate climate disaster because almost every pound spent means yet more greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel over dependency.

The more we spend, the more we burn up fossil fuels, the more we spew out deadly greenhouse gases, the more we screw things up - even for ourselves let alone our descendants.

Some of these same people minimise, avoid and evade paying taxes by using lawyers and accountants to help them use eight UK tax havens and through other legal and sort-of legal schemes.  As a result, writes the Tax Justice Network,

"The UK ... is by far the world's greatest enabler of corporate tax avoidance, and has single-handedly done the most to break down the global corporate tax system." (quoted by Porritt in 'Hope in Hell' p 220)

Steve, We all need to reduce our addiction to oil and gas by refusing what we can. We CAN put PV solar panels on the full area of E W S facing roofs and the electricity stored in batteries. We CAN lag ourselves by wearing more and, lagging our homes, so that we reduce our dependancy on gas and oil. We CAN walk and cycle, if we are able bodied. Much CAN be done

from Greta Thunberg

 

Humanity is failing to stop the climate crisis. It's now beyond urgent -- the planet is screaming for help. Right now world leaders are meeting for historic climate talks -- but pledges without real action won't cut it anymore. We need bold, visionary leaders to finally do what's needed to pull us back from the abyss. I'll be at the talks with inspiring youth leaders like Vanessa Nakate and Dominika Lasota. We'll personally meet dozens of governments -- it's the perfect opportunity to deliver a giant call for urgent action. Join us now: add your name with one click and pass this on.

ADD MY NAME

To world leaders, "Betrayal." That's how young people around the world describe our governments' failure to cut carbon emissions. And it's no surprise. We are catastrophically far from the crucial goal of 1.5°C, and yet governments everywhere are still accelerating the crisis, spending billions on fossil fuels. This is not a drill. It's code red for the Earth. Millions will suffer as our planet is devastated -- a terrifying future that will be created, or avoided, by the decisions you make. You have the power to decide. As citizens across the planet, we urge you to face up to the climate emergency. Not next year. Not next month. Now: Keep the precious goal of 1.5°C alive with immediate, drastic, annual emission reductions unlike anything the world has ever seen.   End all fossil fuel investments, subsidies, and new projects immediately, and stop new exploration and extraction. End 'creative' carbon accounting by publishing total emissions for all consumption indices, supply chains, international aviation and shipping, and the burning of biomass.  Deliver the $100bn promised to the most vulnerable countries, with additional funds for climate disasters. Enact climate policies to protect workers and the most vulnerable, and reduce all forms of inequality. We can still do this. There is still time to avoid the worst consequences if we are prepared to change. It will take determined, visionary leadership. And it will take immense courage -- but know that when you rise, billions will be right behind you. ADD MY NAME

It can feel incredibly hard to keep hope alive in the face of inaction. But my hope lies in people -- in the millions of us who are rising to save the future. It lies in our marches, in our dogged determination to keep fighting, and in our trembling voices as we speak truth to power. My hope is rooted in action and fuelled by a love for humanity and our most beautiful earth. It's what keeps me absolutely convinced that we can do this. And we must do this. Together.

Dudley's Seven Smashed railway lines!

1. Dudley to Wolverhampton
2. Dudley to Brum
3. Dudley to Halesowen
4. Brierley Hill to Gornalwood via Pensnett (Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway)
5. Brierley Hill to Himley via Brockmoor and Bromley.
6. Wall Heath to Gospel End via Baggeridge Country Park.
7. Derby, Dudley, Devon principal mainline via Walsall and Worcester.

Ten Top Forests emitting more CO2 than absorbing

"A new survey shows that human activity and climate change have turned 10 of the world's most highly protected forests from absorbers of greenhouse gases into net emitters of carbon.  The shift is blamed on illegal lobbying, agriculture and, increasingly frequent wildfires."

'Today' news on 28 October

"Chief Scientists from 40 countries have said urgent action is needed now to limit warming to 1.5 C.  Beyond that, more severe impacts of global warming will be felt."

NARROW MINDED TRADE UNIONS HAVE HELPED DESTROY RAILWAYS WITH THEIR TUNNEL VISION

I do support the Corbyn Project and do so like the man himself, although I am so disappointed by the trade unions in fully supporting the destruction of so many (about 100 Kms) of urban railway lines in the Black Country and Brum.  Especially the Burton on Trent to Bristol via Brierley Hill Mainline Railway, of course!  All the trade unions just love HS2 and tram projects for the work they give to their members and potential new ones.  Any deeper problems, as I have uncovered, just wash over them in blissful ignorance and complacency.    Tim

PS

By the way, I am now asking certain friends, if they feel able, to forward my reasons for saying HS2 and trams are highly over-stated, in fact, fraudulent claims, to their MP and their three councillors.  AIM: In the interests of reading the other side of the argument and in getting an alternative point of view.

SNAPPY NAME WANTED - to rival 'predatory delay'!

SNAPPY NAME WANTED - to rival 'predatory delay'!

Reading Alex Steffen's definition of predatory delay has made me come with my own definition for those who want multi-modal public transport at any cost.  I'm thinking of HS2 and Midlands Metro.  Metro is described as a "bus on rails" by the national tram promotion group at Transport and Combined Authority HQ.  Improper influence brought to bear to get want they want?  Corruption?  Incestuous?  Surely not!

It is public transport so it must be good.

Never mind that HS2 is the most expensive transport mode to construct and Metro is even more expensive than most Maglev train projects in China, Japan and S Korea. 

Never mind that Metro One in 1999 took out Wolverhampton's second principal mainline railway station and the tracks either side.  Never mind that it also took out of use 25% or, one platform out of four, at Snow Hill Station in Brum.

Never mind that buses and bikes can no longer use Five Ways underpass or Broad Street and both have a longer and slower journey on their permanent diversions.

Never mind that the Dudley and Sandwell Metro is now destroying the 120 Kms Worcester to Derby mainline railway.  It is the 7th and very last of Dudley's railways that has Metro trams going on only 6.7 Kms of it!

MY NOT SO SNAPPY NAME?  MISGUIDED BUT, OH-OOH!  SO VERY WELL-INTENTIONED!

Any others?  FRAUDULENT CLAIMS, LIES, SCAM!

Shambolic Net Zero Strategy according to Porritt

Porritt on HMG's Net Zero Strategy - my highlights

1. Do not doubt this is for real. For sure, it’s muddled, manipulative, repetitive and hopelessly inadequate when set against what the science of climate change tells us is now needed. But it’s still for real, with big money, vaulting ambition, and enough substance to keep us ticking over until the reality of what’s REALLY needed kicks in.

So does all this provide ‘an exemplar for other countries’ in the run up to CoP26? NO, IT DOES NOT.

Does this make the UK ‘fighting fit for the green Industrial Revolution’? NO, IT DOES NOT.

Does it map out a strategy for ‘working with the grain of consumer choice’? NO, IT DOES NOT.

Does it ensure a genuinely ‘just transition’, unambiguously exiting from the world of fossil fuels while supporting those whose jobs will inevitably be lost in the process? NO, IT DOES NOT.

That’s the high-level summary. Time to dig down into the detail – on two crunch issues: HEAT and NUCLEAR.

HEAT AND BUILDING STRATEGY

THE SCANDAL:

"With at least 2.5 million people still living in fuel poverty in the UK, with at least 10,000 excess winter deaths every year, and with more than 19 million properties with Energy Performance Certificates below the minimum C grade, this Strategy represents failure on a massive scale.

"New Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is LESS generous than old RHI

"The BUS offers a one-off grant of £5,000 a pop, and will run for just three years. With a total of £450 million in the BUS pot, that amounts to precisely 90,000 new heat pumps. Exactly how this matches up with the overall target of 600,000 heat pumps to be installed every year by 2028, as announced with characteristic braggadocio by Boris Johnson in his 10 Point Plan in November last year, is yet to be revealed.

"The emphasis in this Strategy is all about swapping out boilers for electric heat pumps in people’s homes – regardless of how efficient or inefficient that home might be. The emphasis on FABRIC FIRST (through better insulated, better ventilated buildings) has all but disappeared, meaning that much of the benefit of a more efficient source of heat will still be lost through leaky, often damp and unhealthy, exploitatively costly buildings. Not much’ levelling up’ going on here.

"The emphasis on FABRIC FIRST (through better insulated, better ventilated buildings) has all but disappeared, meaning that much of the benefit of a more efficient source of heat will still be lost through leaky, often damp and unhealthy, exploitatively costly buildings. Not much’ levelling up’ going on here.

"With at least 2.5 million people still living in fuel poverty in the UK, with at least 10,000 excess winter deaths every year, and with more than 19 million properties with Energy Performance Certificates below the minimum C grade, this Strategy represents failure on a massive scale.

YET MORE NUCLEAR NONSENSE

"... the idea that a fleet of new SMRs is going to come online in time to make any kind of material contribution to our Net Zero target by 2050 is total pie in the sky.

"But the charade goes on. The pro-nuclear troops keep getting marched up and down that hill. Meanwhile, the things that really need doing now (a serious, fit-for-purpose retrofit scheme for the UK’s wretchedly unfit housing stock, mass investment in new battery manufacturing, serious, consistent support to bring down the cost of heat pumps, etc etc) are all there in the Net Zero Strategy, but starved of the kind of long-term strategic support they so urgently need.

"God knows what historians will make of this – and of the massive opportunity costs entailed in persevering with this whole fleet of nuclear fantasies."

Nuclear power is irrelevant, unnecessary and pointless

Dear Jonathon - I'm now watching your videos from your website.  Plus blog.  Great stuff!

Has there been any calculation over the weight of greenhouse gases emitted during the construction of a nuclear power station?

Or, its carbon footprint?

When would the amount of electricity generated outweigh the weight (or amount) of greenhouse gases emitted during construction?  Or, is that impossible to calculate?

The thing is very high in greenhouse gas emissions during construction - like High Scam 2 and Metro trams - but very low when generating over the lifetime of the station (25 years?).  When does the one cancel out the other?  But then there must be some greenhouse gases emitted in decommissioning over the years!

The whole thing is counterproductive.  And threatened by sea-level rise.  And, totally unnecessary, as well if we only could go for PV on every suitable roof, every other renewables, energy efficiency and were much less greedy in our unsustainable lifestyles.

Live simply so that others may simply live means NO NUCLEAR, EVER!

Please advise - only if you have time, Jonathon.  Many thanks and best wishes

Climate/social justice

Keep our spending and greenhouse gases under control.  No more Christmas/birthday presents for me, please.  Instead, consider my favourite charities: DEC - Disasters Emergency Committee; UNICEF Afghanistan - UN Children's Fund; and MSF - Medicines Sans Frontieres.

It reflects so badly on God

I've just listened to Australia's Energy Minister on their climate policy.  They are having hotter temperatures, longer droughts and more wildfires.  Yet, how complacent, ineffective and useless their wishes and hopes are, let alone their intentions and actions!

THUS:

Intelligent, sophisticated humans are behaving that is defying nature and life support systems.  It makes me wonder what on earth was the Lord of all creation doing in creating humanity when he must have known how stupidly and ecocidal we would turn out to be.  It reflects very badly on God.

It is not the problem of suffering but my problem of humanity lasting for the blink of an eye compared with the 165 million years that dinosaurs lasted for.  The planet created for dinosaurs and not for us so superior and top of the pyramid beings?

"Non-bird dinosaurs lived between about 245 and 66 million years ago, in a time known as the Mesozoic Era. This was many millions of years before the first modern humans, Homo sapiens, appeared."

FROM:

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/when-did-dinosaurs-live.html

Stand up for nature!

Stand up for nature against the concrete, brick, tarmac, plastic grass, philistine brigade - like our 'new' neighbour!

My neighbour who hates trees (she makes no bones about it, too!), has completely plastered her front garden and drive with tarmac that must be well over 5 sq metres in area - and no drainage or grass/soil for the water runoff.  And, cut down another tree, a lovely young cherry tree, that the previous owner planted!  I remain aghast/horrified!  Look at Google maps for mine at 28 Hunnington Cres, Halesowen and hers at 30.  In angry, outrageous, offset revenge, I've planted a second rowan on our pocket-handkerchief lawn!

THE WELLER PLAN FOR CLIMATE ACTION

LET'S GET OUR REGION BACK ON (WAY OFF now) TRACK to postpone climate calamity

UNLEASH OUR POTENTIAL TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST CLIMATE DISASTER

ANDY'S PLAN in black

100,000 good-quality jobs for business as usual to head us in the wrong direction on climate.

Massive progress on our transport plan.  Dudley's 7th railway line destroyed.

Thousands of new homes on brownfield sites.  Passivhaus standard.

Championing the West Midlands every day.  Action on preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.

WELLER'S PLAN

100,000 JOBS for insulating every building, PV panels on every E, W, S, roof.

Massive immoral spending ENDED on trams to replace buses and trains.

Every home must be a mini power station like mine.

Championing radical business action on the climate emergency every day.

WE'VE WON £1.05 BN OF GOVT CASH TO IMPROVE TRANSPORT IN THE WM says Amore railway stations

more bus improvements

more Metro stops

more cycling infrastructure

Weller says  get the stations and trains back on our mothballed and freight only railways - 106 Kms!

Extend Fare-Free Public Transport to EVERYONE.

No more obscene, immoral spending on Metro that makes public transport slower with more changes.

END the disgraceful 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway shambles.      

Rich men's brutality in a wildlife sanctuary

October 2021 Scottish Expedition

VISITED - Easter Ross, Ross-shire and Sutherland.  Nine Grahams, Alladale Wilderness Reserve and one site of man's inhumanity, indeed brutality to man.

First two weeks of October.  Not much sun, showers and one deluge when I was off the hill; this, a 5 hour non-stop heavy rain, but I got back just in time to be warm and dry in the car,

idyllic car campsite in Glencalvie, 2.5 Kms from Croick Church (see below),

one failed/duff inner tube, brand new but leaked on the seam, I discovered, when I got home;

one puncture with a thorn that stopped the air getting out until the following morning when I could fix it and to find the thorn easily.  But, I had forgotten the tyre levers!  To my amazement, I didn't need them with the 29" wheels when the tyre almost dropped off the wheel!

Two bad slips on my second day traversing between two Grahams in the cloud and murk and on slippery rocks.  It could have been worse so I'm very thankful.  A warning, I thought at the time, that perhaps at 73, I should give up.

Another meeting with an estate stalking manager but, once more, a very nice guy who would not let me back out as I offered, to allow him free rein.  But no more summit-seeking walks for me in the stalking season.

To my surprise, two days and two summits gave me astonishing views of the stunning NW Highland peaks in Wester Ross, 30 miles away to the northwest.  Amazing camera phone allowed me to zoom in on them.

Once again, I visited for the second time, the idyllic grass parking for just two or three cars above the River Carron between Glencalvie Lodge and Amat, where there were three suspension footbridges.

Fabulous setting in the ancient Caledonian pine forest with red squirrels, red deer and, lichen literally dripping off some tree branches, such was the purity of the air.  Five nights there.

Two nights out of 14 at Lairg Highland Hotel where I met a retired Headmistress of an 1800 pupil, comprehensive school in Salford, Greater Manchester.  She was touring in her Astra.  It sounded as though she brooked no-nonsense.  But that was from the teachers, not the pupils!  Echoes of the music teacher smoking behind the cycle shed in the 'Clockwise' film!  And she taught music before promotion.

Three treehouses on three large trees linked by two high wire rope walkways at Glencalvie Lodge.

Small arboretum at Amat Lodge, where two of the suspension footbridges were.  Red squirrels fed, too by someone, with feeder at Croick Mission Hall.

Enormous Diebidale Lodge, beautifully kitted out for visitors to stay.  Later, discovered in was available for hire for £3,000 for one week's stay and sleeping ten.  It must be twenty Kms and more from the nearest shop on slow roads with gates for the last one-quarter of the route to the lodge.  Situated, at the 260 m contour at the foot of the Corbett, Carn Chuinneag 838 m.

HIGHLIGHTS - The enormous help that the bike gave me to ease the distances by cycling instead of walking.  Especially, the fast descents at the end of the day on the two-year-old, 29" wheel mountain bike with front suspension and disc brakes, over stony tracks and roads I had to myself.  So fast, I never needed to get into top gear on the front ring.  The middle ring was quite fast enough on those rough surface descents!

The 1845 disgrace, shame, and inhumanity of the wealthy laird and his staff in allowing the misery and appalling suffering of the noble peasants.  Treated worse than cattle, they had to shelter outside the eastern window of Croick Church after their eviction to allow sheep to take their hovels and land, after generations of human occupation.  However, they wrote their names on the outside glass of the window as a witness to the brutality.  They thought it was sacrilegious to take refuge in the church itself.

Tim Weller                                      23 October 2021 

FoE Green Jobs Summit

 FOE GREEN JOBS SUMMIT

This was a well-attended Zoom meeting, yesterday evening, with nearly 40, at maximum.  However, we were all of one mind.  It is urgent that we engage with the decision-makers and those who hold the purse strings.  We have to tell them what they have to do, I think, by discussing and voting on resolutions to send to the VIP bigwigs at the seven district councils and at WMCA HQ, 16 Summer Lane.  Hence:

Both Stuart Richardson and I made two important interventions that the Chair should have picked up on as an opportunity to help the authorities to make the right decisions.  Stuart wanted more and urgent help for the least well-off and everyone to move out of gas heating and cooking.  I wanted regional Fare-Free Public Transport (FFPT) extended from my age group to the middle-aged and young to end that discrimination and as the carrot and antidote to the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charges.

In a question, I pointed out the idiocy of spending £120 billion of yet more greenhouse gases to simply allow a small minority to have the choice of either flying through the air in a plane or, flying through the air on land on High Scam 2 between four Big English Cities (and two of their airports), ONLY!

Further, in Dudley borough alone, six railway lines have been destroyed and a seventh is on the way because of Metro trams and VLR trams.  This railway destruction and High Scam 2 railway construction must STOP!

FROM KEVIN ANDERSON (Professor of energy and climate change - interested in translating the science of climate change into carbon budgets, policy goals and mitigation options.):

Is there any agreement - from even one person - that the urgency of the situation and the bleak prospects before the end of the century demands more sensible and appropriate action, like the above - immediately?

Tim Weller

HS2 AND METRO ARE SCAMS because ...

Roger Harrabin quote:

@RHarrabin

Oct 2021

"It is remarkable they are willing to spend £120 bn on HS2 while ignoring people's homes."

1. HS2 gives an increased choice of plane or train to travel between only Four Big Cities - London, Brum, Manchester and Leeds. Some trains may stop at Crewe, Toton and Sheffield.

2. Yet, for £120 billion on a dedicated line, you still have to maintain the present intercity service for all the towns and cities that HS2 is far too fast to stop at!

3. High Scam 2 gives such increased capacity for passengers between only four cities and two of their airports, that they get their own First Class train to zip through the air to arrive sooner than the plane! It eliminates overcrowding for them.

4. All other intercity passengers will get less overcrowding if the present service continues with the same number of carriages and frequency. But it is likely to be cut and/or more stops at new stations, to make for a poorer service overall.

5. That HS2 gives "improved connectivity for 25 towns and cities" is a lie. The correct figure is 4, with two of their airports and some trains may stop at Crewe, Toton and Sheffield.

6. That High Scam 2 addresses climate change by lessening the climate emergency is a fraudulent claim.  Spending £120 billion means £120 billion of finite resources stolen from future generations.  And, £120 billion of fossil fuels burnt to exacerbate the climate, ecological and nature emergency.

7. The capacity argument is also a fraudulent claim when everyone in the railway business - train enthusiasts, trade unions, employers and workers are still destroying some railway lines leaving others without passenger trains and stations and turning others into tramways.

8. Their whole emphasis is on light rail (LR) with trams taking over more roads and railways in Brum.  With Leeds and Bristol wanting to follow suit.

9. Trams are called "bus on rails" by UK Tram, the national tram promotion and lobby organisation that is in the same building as TfWM and WMCA, 16 Summer Lane.

Fraudulent Claims for Metro

• The Wednesbury, Brierley Hill Extension (WBHE) of Metro must be provided to make it possible for freight and passenger trains to be reinstated, on the same line, at a later date.  This is a LIE.

• This is done by "passive provision" that is the magical phrase to allow for the mainline railway through the Black Country to be completed - at an unknown date, well into the future.  But trams must go on it first!  MORE NONSENSE.

• Only by converting some buses and trains into Metro can motorists be enticed out of their cars and onto public transport, ie: swish, smart, super expensive Metro "bus on rails" trams!  MORE SELF-DELUSION.

• Grossly extravagant trams are necessary to make for multi-modal public transport.  This is the silver bullet to make for a First Class service to deal with climate, congestion, air pollution and every other problem.  ANOTHER LIE.

• Multi-modal means an almighty mix up with more changes and delays between now three modes of public transport - bus, train and tram.

• Trams are further mixed up into light rail, very light rail and ultra light rail!

• Andy Burnham in Manchester complains about the high cost of bus fares.  Is this anything to do with his multi-modal mix-up mish mash of train, bus and astonishingly expensive tram construction that has taken over some buses and trains?

• In Brum, only Metro being allowed in Five Ways underpass and Broad Street means that every passenger for the city centre (apart from those living within walking distance of Edgbaston village tram stop) now has a longer, slower and more delayed journey - either by staying on the longer diversion for the bus or, by waiting and changing for the tram at Edgbaston.

HS2 and Metro are greedy, wealth flaunting and ecocidal.  Both divert finite resources from going into electric buses (phased in) and Fare-Free Public Transport (FFPT) extended from elders to the younger age groups, to end that discrimination against them and, as a carrot, inducement and reward for motorists avoiding the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charge and leaving the car at home.

HS2 and Metro are grossly extravagant and unnecessary.

They are the epitomy of a greedy, all-consuming, squandering society.

Vital, finite resources for future generations are taken without a thought.

In the process, they deepen the runaway greenhouse effect to escalate ecocide.

TimWeller1@gmail.com 22 October 2021

I think that is just the ticket Tim, if you don't mind the pun. The other arguments about woodland destruction, cement use, the high energy use of high speed trains, and it being a toy for the rich can come in at some other time.

I was majoring on stuff no-one else has mentioned, as far as I know.   High Scam 2 for a small minority of train travellers, only who can ALL work, read and snooze on intercity trains and, so don't need anything faster.  Therefore, completely pointless £120 billion of greenhouse gas emissions to hasten the Sixth Mass Extinction episode in the short history of this planet!

"It is remarkable they are willing to spend £120 bn on HS2 while ignoring peoples homes."

 

roger harrabin

@RHarrabin

·

Oct 20

It is remarkable they are willing to spend £120 bn on HS2 while ignoring peoples homes.

BLOCKING THE M25 BY A RETD GP, Dr Bing Jones on Jeremy Vine, 14.10.21

WHY A GP IS BLOCKING THE ROAD TO STOP A NURSE FROM ATTENDING TO HER PATIENT

"The climate is the greatest calamity humankind has ever faced.  We are in real trouble here and the government is failing and the world is failing.  We are not bringing carbon emissions down.  Our government is failing to meet 80% of its own targets and the UN is telling us that instead of a 50% drop in emissions we are looking by 2030 to a rise in emissions, maybe 16%.  This is really dire, Jeremy and your audience needs to realise that we have a massive problem and we have a government that is failing.  The dire reality of our situation has to be faced.

"We need to try and get something done here, where we live.  Insulating is something that people can understand.  The climate emergency is enormous and frightening.  By insulating buildings, we reduce emissions by 15%.  We can create hundreds of thousands of really useful, proper jobs.  It is levelling up that is exactly what the government wants.  And the biggest thing is we can get millions of people out of fuel poverty.  It is a crime that 4 million children live in houses where their parents have to decide between food and fuel.  That is criminal.

VINE: You have been arrested several times, I understand.  Why, as a doctor, are you OK with sitting on a road blocking a nurse getting to her patient?

GP: We are really sorry for the disruption we cause.  But the world needs disrupting.  I am seeing this.  It is really difficult.  It is to do with relative risk.  We are asking people to miss a meal to help save the whole world from starving to death.

VINE: Letting the one nurse through makes no difference to climate change.  Why did you not let her through?

GP: It does make a difference to climate change.  I am here.  I am talking to your audience, Jeremy.  That is a really big achievement.  People need to know that the problem is enormous and we need to have a solution.  Boris needs to get on with this job and sort things out.

GP: The real risk to humanity is from normal business as usual.  We are not getting the carbon emissions down.  The recent Chatham House report in September has stated that we have only a 1 in 20 chance of meeting even the 2 C rise in temperature, let alone the 1.5 C rise.  We are in trouble and we need to have a long term view.

VINE: Why is this bit of the law not important to you?

GP: The law is important to me.  Believe you me, I have tried absolutely everything.  I have written to MPs, I have lectured and published in the medical press.  I have stood outside Parliament.  I have done everything you could possibly imagine.  Where have we got?  We have got absolutely nowhere.  Even Prince Charles who does not agree with what we are doing says, "We have got nowhere."  He's been doing it for 40 years.  I've been doing it for 30 years.  And we have to do something different.  Insulate Britain is bringing the problem down to something that people can understand.  If we had warm homes; if you had heating bills of only 10% of what you've got now that would be real.  As would saving 8 to 10,000 people dying every year from the cold.  This is a crime.  People should not be dying in the sixth richest country in the world from the cold.

Follow my good example out of enlightened self interest!

CUT YOUR EARTHLY CAR MILEAGE TO JOIN THE BILLIONAIRES EXPLORING SPACE - they only travel the distance from Perth to Glasgow, after all (60 miles)!

I am very concerned about the Covid, climate, ecological, nature emergency and am doing this:-

At 73 yrs, I've had a fantastic lifetime of hillwalking all the big hills in the UK and Ireland.  It is well time for me to make a concession, a small prize lost to help win the much grander prize of leaving the state of the planet in a slightly better state, perhaps.

Since 2020 I have resolved to lead by example and to cut my total car mileage by 50% on my 2019 figure of 14,000 miles when I drove to Scotland six times to climb their hills.  In 2020, I travelled only once and drove 6,000 miles.  This year, I have done two trips, car camped on nearly all the nights and, so far have driven only 5,000 miles in my attempt to climb, in my lifetime, every single summit listed in the SMC's 'Munro's Tables'.

Last week, I came back from a fantastic 14 nights, with only two of them in a hotel and visited nine summits.  With my diesel car, driving at 60 to 65 mph on the motorways and dual carriageways, I achieved 85 mpg according to the car computer.  Therefore, my deadly greenhouse gas emissions were really low!

I went on fewer occasions but stayed longer and cut my carbon footprint.  I was cycling from my car base camp to the start of the hill on each of the nine days to take in a 'Graham' hill.  I had a great time in mixed weather and showed to the new generations of walkers what can be done.

In losing car mileage and cutting greenhouse gases, I have explored local/regional countryside and found some most wonderful walks in exploring areas I had never before dreamt of going to.  Again, parking up, cycling, then walking before returning to the bike to get to the car.  All this gained, instead of bombing off into Wales from Halesowen or to some far-flung corner of England to use up our precious finite fossil fuels with their deadly greenhouse gas emissions.

Will others follow my example?  Especially, those of my age in order to leave a planet in a better shape for the youngsters?  BE A GOOD ANCESTOR!