Nuclear fusion is here today!

Paul, No one sensible is saying about finite fossil fuels, "We get rid of them at our peril!"  I am saying that they are finite and, as we burn them all up in a blink of the geological eye, we are then in peril.

It also seems very likely that as we continue with our rapid destruction of what took >300 m years to form, we may be changing the chemical composition of the atmosphere to make, possibly, earth to eventually become like venus, our sister or twin planet with its runaway greenhouse effect.  Read Wikipedia on venus and on Eunice Foote and John Tyndall!

We are also taking resources for our own thoughtless, wealthy, high-consumption lifestyles to deprive future generations of those resources.  Our behaviour amounts to one of live it up to day and to hell with tomorrow.  Of living in a fool's paradise that is selfish and dangerous.  What we take today, we don't have tomorrow.

Thanks to nuclear fusion solar electricity, my wife and I, since the 7 March when we converted from, mostly Russian/American gas heating to local room heating, we are using only 1 kWh/day of electricity imported from the grid (more in December, January) and < 2 units of gas per day.  All this from a 6.24 kWp solar PV east/west array we had fitted in 2013.  We are not far off being off-grid and I don't use gas at all for washing, preferring to boil up a kettle as my protest directed at despicable Putin!

How's that for more sustainable living, Paul?  It's called living within our means, limits, boundaries, and what we can generate from daylight.  Good Thatcherism!  Can you do better than me, my friend?

Succinct arguments for NOT adding another transport mode

You want, "to deliver the transformation of our transport network that is needed."  I can assure you that "a sustainable mass transit system" to bring that about, means more changes and, thus delays between bus, train and, now tram.  What good is that with your new, fancy-worded "sustainable, mass transit system"?  Buses and trains are mass transit.  Why add trams to the mix-up in the name of impressive sounding multi-modal?

Why put the "bus on rails" (UK Tram) tram on roads when you can miss out on the rails and put them straight on the roads - called electric buses?

The "bus on rails" trams simply replace buses and trains that would be more sensible to keep.  And, then use the hundreds of millions of pounds saved to make the buses and trains electric and entirely fare-free, not just for some of the people, like me since I was 60 years old.  But, for everyone.  Why only me?!

Extend the existing fare-free public transport to the rest of the population to help recover public transport use in the wake of Covid.  It would boost public transport numbers, reward drivers for leaving their cars at home and positively address the Covid, Climate, Ecological, Nature disaster that is slowly enveloping humanity.

Therefore, we are inviting you to register for the online meeting on Wednesday March 24th, 19.00 to 20.30 hours GMT, and take part in the discussion led by Wojciech Keblowski. Wojciech is a critical urban geographer working on transport and alternatives to capitalism and is based at the Free University of Brussels. He has written several articles on FFPT, which can be found here.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Wojciech_Keblowski

Register here for the Zoom meeting.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../fair-free-public...

Climate Action Network West Midlands.

https://www.climateactionwm.org.uk/

Christ before Paul

Thanks Dave for this thought. For Christians, and for everyone, the glorious life and teachings of Jesus must come before Paul's letters to believers 2,000 years ago. We, in the wealthy West need, urgently, to return to the simple, sustainable lifestyle of Christ. Moderation, treading more lightly on the planet, non-violence. Especially, renouncing the ugly flaunting of wealth and over-indulgence to excess we are seeing with HS2, Metro and Sprint extensions. Living in harmony with the powers of the earth to support life.

What troubles me is that the world's most violent and powerful nation - and the very richest - has the highest proportion of born again, Bible believing Christians. All of whom love the theology and teaching of the Apostle Paul more than the demanding ethics of poverty, chastity and non-violence of their Lord and Saviour - and, their Lord and Saviour should not be dear Paul whom they do love.

"The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself" FDR in 1933

Don't be afraid of afraid; don't be scared of scared; or, of warning and alarming. The only trouble is that then (in 1933) the danger was obvious; today we are cossetted in the complacent and comfortable materialism of the acquisitive society, with our fatal assumption that energy grows on trees and that things can only get better!

"I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our people impel. This is pre-eminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days."

Franklin D. Roosevelt - opening paragraph, First Inaugural Address, Jan 1933 at the height of the depression.

This is prompted by my careless comment at a Transition Worcester meeting, last week, that others, as I am, should be almost scared into saving energy. I am scared of the future, as two others at the meeting also confessed to be. However, it seems, this is something that must never speak its name!

For decades, as I see it, the green movement has been the prophetic voice warning of danger ahead unless we take on that manifesto of a sustainable society that the Green Party has promoted since 1971. I think, it is better not to hide uncomfortable home truths from people but to assume that they have the maturity and responsibility to be able to take them.

I admire, but cannot copy, the Prof James Lovelock approach of quiet speaking sweet reasonableness. He's the most delightful and pleasant doom-monger I have ever heard on Radio 4! Perhaps he comes over as being so happy in dishing out the bad news, 'cos he knows he's near the end of his life!

I think we need to give the reason why it is urgent to save energy, to spend less, to make things last and to, generally, lower our impact on life support systems creaking at the seams. Transition - and each of us - needs to give "a leadership of frankness and vigour", as President Roosevelt put it.