… on a quiet day, I can hear her breathing

Author: dizzy

  • Sorry is not enough: Water companies must be brought into public ownership

    Spread the love
    April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)
    April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)

    https://greenworld.org.uk/article/sorry-not-enough-water-companies-must-be-brought-public-ownership

    The Green Party has reiterated its call for water companies to be brought into public ownership after Water UK apologised for a series of sewage discharges.

    The Green Party has reiterated its call for water companies to be brought into public ownership after Water UK apologised for presiding over a rising tide of sewage discharges.

    Water UK represents 25 water companies across the UK and said that the public was ‘right to be upset about the current quality of our rivers and beaches’. The companies have also promised to triple funding for sewer system upgrades, cut spilly by up to 25 per cent by 2030, and provide the public with ‘near real-time’ data on sewage spills. 

    Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said: “Rivers and coastlines up and down the country have faced years of assault at the hands of the water companies and a government that has refused to act.

    “Saying sorry is simply not enough – and suggesting that the public has to pay for any improvements, after £57bn has been paid out in payouts to shareholders over the last 30 years, just adds insult to injury.

    “Currently water companies can, almost with impunity, dump sewage into our rivers, waterways and coastal waters with an appalling cost to public health and our wildlife. This situation cannot go on.

    …

    https://greenworld.org.uk/article/sorry-not-enough-water-companies-must-be-brought-public-ownership

  • Green Party Autumn Conference in Brighton this week

    Spread the love

    https://greenworld.org.uk/article/reminder-green-party-autumn-conference-brighton-week

    The Green Party will be hosting its Autumn Conference at the Brighton Centre, as well as online, from Friday 6 October to Sunday 8 October.

    The conference will take place at the Brighton Centre, as well as online, from Friday 6 October to Sunday 8 October.

    The party’s co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay will be delivering a keynote speech to conference at 2pm on Friday 6 October.

    Deputy leader Zack Polanski will speak at 10.30am on Saturday 7 October, and Wales Green Party leader Anthony Slaughter will speak at 10.30am on Sunday 8 October.  

    Greens of Colour will address conference at 3pm on Saturday 7 October.

    Green Party members will gather at the conference following record-breaking electoral results across the country in May, where in Mid Suffolk Greens won their first majority control of a local authority.  

    Under the theme of a ‘fairer, greener country’, General Election candidates, councillors, activists and elected members will meet for three days to decide how to deliver locally and campaign nationally for more Green voices in Parliament.   

    …

    https://greenworld.org.uk/article/reminder-green-party-autumn-conference-brighton-week

  • Sunak’s climate back-pedalling “just so cynical” – Cambridge economist

    Spread the love

    https://www.energymonitor.ai/policy/net-zero-policy/sunaks-net-zero-backpedalling-just-so-cynical-cambridge-economist/?cf-view&cf-closed

    Energy Monitor talks to leading climate change economist Dimitri Zenghelis about an open letter from 100 economists lamenting UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s recent net-zero U-turns.

    One of the many occasions UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak uses a private jet.
    One of the many occasions UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak uses a private jet.

    …

    So, what’s behind Sunak’s net-zero moves then?

    It’s got nothing to do with cost; it’s pure politics. It’s dog-whistle stuff. He thinks he can turn this issue into an identity politics story. Hence, the “seven bins”. He’s talking about these cosmopolitan elite liberals with their fetishistic recycling (hence the seven bins) and how they’re wanting to take away our cars – from hard-working people who don’t have access to transport. It’s another “us against them” story.

    It is true that if you live next to public transport in central London, you can afford to legislate against dirty vehicles, but if you live in a suburb with a terrible bus line, and you can’t afford the latest electric vehicle, yes, it is potentially quite punitive. So, this has to be done in a very careful and fair way. But just removing legislation that doesn’t impose costs sends a signal to the electorate that you’re taking a position, but to businesses that you absolutely haven’t a clue what you’re doing. Because on the one hand, you’re saying you’re committed to net zero by 2050; and on the other hand, you’re providing absolutely zero policy certainty because even when you do apply policies, you then rescind them. It’s economic short-termism.

    Sunak’s playing politics with people’s livelihoods, and he’s selling it as if he’s actually trying to help people’s livelihoods instead of actually grappling with the issues of net-zero disruption and figure how we make it easier for people to adjust, how we support people in making their house as energy efficient as possible and transition to heat pumps, how we support people with bad public transport who at the moment can’t afford electric vehicles. But he’s thinking of what happened with ULEZ [Ultra Low Emission Zone] in the Uxbridge vote and what those culture wars can do to turn around his chances in the upcoming election. And if the economy suffers, well that won’t be his problem, because he probably won’t be in government by then. It’s just so cynical.

    It’s hard for him to argue this is what economists are saying when both the OBR [Office for Budget Responsibility] and the Treasury have provided numbers that show the cost of delaying this transition is more expensive than the cost of pursuing it, as has the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC).

    …

    [This is only a short excerpt of the article]

    https://www.energymonitor.ai/policy/net-zero-policy/sunaks-net-zero-backpedalling-just-so-cynical-cambridge-economist/?cf-view&cf-closed

  • Saudi has become partner of Zionists in the occupation of Palestine

    Spread the love

    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231004-saudi-has-become-partner-of-zionists-in-the-occupation-of-palestine/

    At the Saudi-Indian Investment Forum held following the G20 meeting in India, Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad Bin Salman, said that the creation of the Economic Corridor had been announced by New Delhi, which will connect India, Middle East and Europe together, would achieve the common interests of “our countries by enhancing economic connectivity”.

    Knowing that this Corridor includes Israel, Bin Salman reiterated that it would contribute to the development of infrastructure, including railways, port connections, improved flow of goods and services and enhanced trade exchange between the involved parties.

    Regardless of all controversy related to the Saudi conditions to sign a deal to normalise ties with Israel, this proves that the Kingdom is going ahead very fast with the matter. The remarks made by Bin Salman about the Economic Corridor removed all ambiguities about the real relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel. He clearly spoke about common interests and trade exchange among the countries involved in the project.

    Emirati political analyst, Salem AlKetbi, made it clearer as he said that this “ambitious project is a common ground for cooperation and integration”, pointing out that “economics serves as the gateway to politics” and said “it can effectively chart a new geopolitical map for alliances, as the interests of these parties are more intertwined than ever before which, in turn, reflects on their regional and international policies and orientations.”

    …

    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231004-saudi-has-become-partner-of-zionists-in-the-occupation-of-palestine/

  • UN council holds general debate on human rights situation in Palestine

    Spread the love

    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/un-council-holds-general-debate-on-human-rights-situation-in-palestine/3008070#

    GENEVA

    The UN Human Rights Council held a general debate on the human rights situation in Palestine on Wednesday.

    Palestine, speaking as an entity concerned, said it is “regretful that some politicized the work of the Council due to the wishes of the occupying power,” the Council said in a statement.

    Noting that there are more than six million refugees from Palestine and thousands of people had been killed by Zionist gangs, it said the Israeli occupation’s practices which started in 1967 are becoming “more ferocious and barbaric.”

    “This year commemorated 56 years of Israel as the occupying power. Civilians, journalists and health workers were being targeted, with 248 people killed this year and many administrative detention orders issued,” the country said, urging the international community to shoulder “its historic and legal responsibility” to put an end to the occupation.

    During the debate, some speakers expressed serious concern over violations of international human rights law in the occupied Palestinian territory, including deprivation of the right to self-determination, extrajudicial killings, restrictions on freedom of movement and assembly, and illegal settlements.

    …

    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/un-council-holds-general-debate-on-human-rights-situation-in-palestine/3008070#