Europe's farmers are in the vanguard of protests against the EU's Green New Deal (and other policy issues affecting their livelihoods) across the continent. In Brussels, as EU leaders finally approved a €50bn aid package for Ukraine at their February 1 summit on the Rue de la Loi, Flemish farmers were pulling down statues and burning manure on the Place'Lux 500m down the … [Read more...] about Labour’s green gaffe plays into Far Right hands
climate crisis
Look this way: the glass is half full
A proper winter morning for a change. I’m birdwatching by the window with a cooling coffee. There’s a cluster of blue tits on the birch tree feeder, chaffinches catching crumbs on the ground. One robin, two blackbirds, three red squirrels frisky in the snow. Sights for sore eyes and sad hearts this grim December when there’s precious little seasonal comfort and joy. But look, … [Read more...] about Look this way: the glass is half full
Energy market reforms must embrace a social tariff
The British energy regulator Ofgem has announced the energy price cap for the last quarter of 2023, including early winter. Gas and electricity should be slightly cheaper than last year, but they are still too expensive. The problem is the cap itself which, as I have written before, was never designed to keep energy affordable. It limits profits for suppliers but not bills for … [Read more...] about Energy market reforms must embrace a social tariff
Climate change at the Edinburgh festivals
Greta Thumberg cancelled her Edinburgh appearance earlier this month - because Book Festival sponsor Baillie Gifford invests in fossil fuels. There was also a walkout by other writers and audience members who said it is not enough to meet and talk about climate change - we need to stop funding the types of activities that make it worse. Writing on Substack, columnist Alex … [Read more...] about Climate change at the Edinburgh festivals
A splash of sunshine
I’ve been walking round the garden through sunshine and showers. Mostly showers, it has to be said, some of them torrential. The sunshine blooms in borders at the top of tall stems. So tall you have to look up. Even when grey clouds are glowering, the sight of Inula helenium smiling down at you can make you smile right back. Better still on a bright day, that sunny splash of … [Read more...] about A splash of sunshine