Current Affairs

[Kendhni]

Diversion Alert...Would anyone like me to post a picture of our new Chicken 'Betty'?

I thought you would have called it Theresa Lay

[Kendhni]

Climate change
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/covid-warning ... 04202.html

I remember as a teen campaigning to do more to protect the environment. At the time I remember being jeered and patronised by some of the very political leaders who give a pretence that they care and have jumped on the band wagon for votes. I even remember being jostled and spat on as we tried to protect a wooded area. Now, several decades later, little has changed with individuals, business and government still just about paying lip-service to the underlying issues.

I don't know why I care any more (I am not even sure that I do care) ... it isn't going to affect me but it is very likely that the next generation will be impacted. Our total indifference and turning of a blind eye may mean that the damage we have done may not be reversible. That, unfortunately, could be the legacy of our generation.

The silver lining to COVID is that we have been handed an opportunity to make a significant verifiable and immediate impact to the environment but yet governments around the world are so intent to return to the status quo that they are unwilling to grasp it.

[towny44]

Not sure I agree with your very cynical views on politicians Ken, most countries seem to have climate change high on their agenda, but rather like covid there is a balance needed to avoid their actions creating economic misery for their citizens.

[Manoverboard]

Anybody who genuinely believes in doing something positive about saving the planet should not be flying, cruising or taking any overseas holidays. That isn't going to happen of course because only a tiny minority will sign up to it.

[Kendhni]

Not sure I agree with your very cynical views on politicians Ken, most countries seem to have climate change high on their agenda, but rather like covid there is a balance needed to avoid their actions creating economic misery for their citizens.

That is the underlying problem - it is high on the agenda but mainly to pay lip service with each country being too scared to do anything for fear another country gets economic advantage. The latest 'gimmick' is that manufacturers must make parts available for 10 years for electrical goods ... but they did not go far enough to the point that they must be end user serviceable, widely available or at an affordable price.

I don't believe the 'economic misery' argument is necessarily valid. There will obviously be some impact but doing nothing is just pushing the ball down the court to the next generation for them to undergo even more 'economic misery'. At the minute we have a minimal economic-impact opportunity to make a very measurable change that will put us 5-10 years ahead of the curve giving a bit of breathing space for other actions to be implemented.

[Ray B]

And while we are trying to do our best the rich go on a jolly to the edge of space, that should go a long way to reducing emissions.

[Ranchi]

Made me smile a wee bit in view of recent postings.

[oldbluefox]

[Kendhni]

And while we are trying to do our best the rich go on a jolly to the edge of space, that should go a long way to reducing emissions.

While I agree with you, I can also see why such events take place. It is similar to our network of motorways, we didn't need them when they were built, but if we had have held of building them until we needed them then there would have been chaos.

[towny44]

And while we are trying to do our best the rich go on a jolly to the edge of space, that should go a long way to reducing emissions.

While I agree with you, I can also see why such events take place. It is similar to our network of motorways, we didn't need them when they were built, but if we had have held of building them until we needed them then there would have been chaos.

But I doubt there will be enough room on the spaceship lifeboats for anything more than a fraction of the worlds population, if we have to abandon planet.

[Kendhni]

As the Titanic found it was better to have a few lifeboats than none at all.
I suspect we will not need to worry about it though ... however I do hope to hear of a colony on Mars within my lifetime.

[Stephen]

As the Titanic found it was better to have a few lifeboats than none at all.
I suspect we will not need to worry about it though ... however I do hope to hear of a colony on Mars within my lifetime.

If it ever happened you can guarantee us minions won't get a look in.

[towny44]

As the Titanic found it was better to have a few lifeboats than none at all.
I suspect we will not need to worry about it though ... however I do hope to hear of a colony on Mars within my lifetime.

If it ever happened you can guarantee us minions won't get a look in.

I do believe Ken fancies his chances of being selected.

[Stephen]

They'll now doubt need a sweeper upper

[barney]

As the Titanic found it was better to have a few lifeboats than none at all.
I suspect we will not need to worry about it though ... however I do hope to hear of a colony on Mars within my lifetime.

If it ever happened you can guarantee us minions won't get a look in.

I do believe Ken fancies his chances of being selected.

Only so he can tell them where they are going wrong

[Manoverboard]

[Kendhni]

As the Titanic found it was better to have a few lifeboats than none at all.
I suspect we will not need to worry about it though ... however I do hope to hear of a colony on Mars within my lifetime.

If it ever happened you can guarantee us minions won't get a look in.

I would be saying 'now is a good time to be a minion' - first colonisation maybe a one way trip, yet If I remember right they had 200,000 volunteers.

[Onelife]

The odds of forming a colony on Mars are about the same odds I would get about picking seven winners at both Goodwood and Ascot on the same day.

I’m all for space exploration but this idea should be kept for Sic-fi comics.

[Kendhni]

The odds of forming a colony on Mars are about the same odds I would get about picking seven winners at both Goodwood and Ascot on the same day.

I’m all for space exploration but this idea should be kept for Sic-fi comics.

Keep placing those bets, the current plan is to have a manned landing on Mars within the next 10-20 years. It will be an amazing achievement if they do it.

[Manoverboard]

Free social care for the elderly with dementia instead of them having to sell their homes would be a far better way of spending my money ...

[Kendhni]

Not a new idea and one that was looked at several years ago (in conjunction with some other similar ideas). At the time it was reckoned that they would need to increase IHT to almost 100% to cover the costs involved. I have no issue with that.

[Stephen]

International cruises from England to restart https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58006163

[towny44]

Not a new idea and one that was looked at several years ago (in conjunction with some other similar ideas). At the time it was reckoned that they would need to increase IHT to almost 100% to cover the costs involved. I have no issue with that.

The current thinking is a 1% increase in national insurance, which should cover the cost. Personally I think the increase should be on income tax, there are a lot of wealthy pensioners who ought to be contributing, especially as they could be beneficiaries.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Another idea I heard was to make people of pension age pay NI. i understand that at the moment we stop paying it whether we stop work or not.

But I certainly think it's a greater priority than international aid.

[Kendhni]

International cruises from England to restart https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58006163

Great news. It will be interesting to hear what life on board is like.