Ripped-off Britons: Key political fibs, and some tips on how to refute them

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

I have posted before, that the UK, especially the City of London Corporation is the biggest Tax Haven in the World.  Our political elite, Labour and Conservative constantly tell us they cannot tax the rich because the financial sector would leave this country.  They also tell us, it is unfair to tax the rich, because success should be rewarded.  But we know, they have only been successful by acting in a criminal way and evading tax.  That, money will trickle down, but for generations we have seen the reverse.  The article below gives some answer, you can use in reply to the nonsense being peddled by the political elite.

Ripped-off Britons: Key political fibs, and some tips on how to refute them.
You can send a message by signing the following petition, asking for a reform of the banking sector:

Big Change in Banking  

The papers are full of stories of how the Conservatives are going to cut benefits, claiming tax-payers are sick of paying for the work-shy.  Most of those who are on benefits have no choice, there is no paid work for them.  The way the Economy is modelled, does not take account of those who do unpaid work, such as housewives and those who care for relatives.  We are going back to the times of Dickens, were the poor were thought to have brought on themselves and deserved punishment.  Whilst the rich fleece each other in a very corrupt business world.

Jobless and big-families lose benefits  

I wonder, are those who are in employment and earn more than the average wage, will continue to receive child benefits, even though they do not need it?  The cuts are supposed to be in the region of £10 billion but the Government is taking about spending £70 billion of a Trident missile program replacement, not mentioned in the papers.

Welfare-cuts of £10 Billion 

And of course this ‘Green’ Governments commitment towards renewable energy, which has seen the Chancellor talk about tax-breaks for ‘fracking’.  Has disillusioned major energy companies, who are now talking not investing in the UK.

Green Energy under threat

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

I totally agree with Kevin Anderson and he repeats something I have said for some time. It is the affluent middle-class who contribute most to climate-change. And yet they try to demonize those on low-incomes and benefits.
This is particularly true of certain members of Manchester Green Party, who make token gesture, like showing up at meetings holding a bicycle. Though they are motorists, who cannot live without their cars. One person in particular, I do not think has never used public transport in her entire life. Others are quite happy to jump on a jet for short journeys, such as to Ireland. Then they dismiss those who live in social housing as being uneducated and do not care about climate change. They do care, but why, when the are struggling to warm their homes, should they listen to some clown, from an affluent background, who is living quite well?

In fact, these so-called educated middle-class bullies and hypocrites, are the ones who need to change the way they live. And I think JK Rowlings comments in the Guardian, more or less potray my own thoughts on middle-class hypocrisy:

middle-class-nastiness

and I think these middle-class hypocrites should also take note of what an American newscaster had to say about bullies:

jennifer-livingston-newscaster-fightback-bully.

I have said it before, ‘Hypocrisy, hypocrisy, every where I look, nothing but hypocrisy and not a drop of truth to quench my thirst for knowledge’.  Sorry Samuel Taylor Coleridge for adulterating part of your The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere.

manchesterclimatemonthly's avatarmanchester climate monthly

Below is Professor Kevin Anderson’s submission for the recent “Climate Clock is Ticking” series.  The Guardian don’t appear to have used it in either their print edition or online.  Below his submission we have posted our response to the same invitation.

The request for the piece from the New Economics Foundation was:

‘The Climate Clock is Ticking. Normal isn’t Working. What Will You Do Differently?’

We would like to use your answer in a feature of collected insights to mark the half-
way point of the 100 months climate countdown that began in August 2008, and to
highlight what can be done differently in the next 50 months.

_____

My day job is to translate the science of climate change into the everyday language
we use to understand our lives. To chaperon policy-makers in the transition towards
a low-carbon UK, and to help companies and civil society understand the…

View original post 1,136 more words

100 Million people will die by 2030 if the World does not act on Climate Change

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

A new report released on the 26th September 2012, called ‘A Guide to the Cold Calculus of a Hot Planet’, claims 100 Million people will die before 2030, due to the results of Climate Change.  This is because of the inactions of Governments and businesses to act on climate change.  This has led to a more polluted planet, causing the Global temperature to rise.  Unfortunately Governments and business are locked into a fossil-fuel and consumer economy.  They have not heeded the calls to invest in real renewable technologies and a move away from ‘business-as-usual’ model.

The report is optimistic, that there is still an opportunity to scale-back pollution and halt Global warming.  I feel, it will not happen, till there is a complete collapse in water and food supplies, when it is too late.  They put forward the argument that economically (not the first time, it has been argued), it would be the sensible thing to do.  It would reduce poverty, hunger and ill-health and opposed to the outcome of pursuing a carbon economy.  This is a report all politicians and business people should read and act on it.

At a meeting of Southern Voices a talk given by Washington Alcott ( a Jamaican), entitled ‘Climate Change – A conservation from the South’.  Made the point that climate change and the environment agenda;

“It was predominately the white-middle class who dominated the debate and decided the outcomes”.

I agree with him, in fact I would go further, it is the so-called ( predominately white) educated middle-class who are part of the problem.  The do not want to change their life-styles, so do not want real change.  Even, those espousing to be environmentally aware, still drive the most, shunning public transport and continue to fly abroad multiple times a year for  holidays.  They consume more than those on reduced incomes, but pay less because of the unequal charging mechanisms.  Because of their spending power, they could make a huge difference but they will not.  There are ‘OK Jack, sod you’.

Davey vows to fight Tory tea party tendency for a “fairer, greener Britain” – 24 Sep 2012 – News from BusinessGreen

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

Full of promises, but will they be able to integrate the country into a ‘green economy’.  They continually talk about growth, when that is the last thing the planet needs but a transfer to a Green economy.  There is no mention about taxing aviation, for the pollution it causes.  And it is not the South East were we do not want airport expansion, it is country wide.

Even the CBI is calling for a rejection of massive investment in large-scale gas plant to solve the countries energy crisis.  Unfortunately, they do still say they is a need for nuclear, which is prohibitively expensive and not carbon neutral.

Davey vows to fight Tory tea party.

CBI-rejects-calls-for-allout-dash-for-gas

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

We need to go back to basics, organic farming, growing crops native to that region. Industrial farming just damages the biodiversity of the soil, the fauna and flora and is extremely wasteful of water and fossil fuels. Idiots like Gates should have never been allowed to have a monopoly, as he had. He has no idea about nature and the environment.

House approves GOP bill to revoke environmental standards – 24 Sep 2012 – News from BusinessGreen

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

Some more bad news from the US, who have the largest carbon footprint per person than anywhere else.  They are living on 6 planets worth of resources and they just want to consume more.  And yet they criticise countries like China and India, who are trying to improve the living standards of their citizens.  And the individual carbon footprints 6 times less than the US citizen.

House approves GOP bill to revoke environmental standards – 24 Sep 2012 – News from BusinessGreen.

Senate votes to ban US airlines from EU carbon trading  

In the UK, despite a Government which also does not understand the need for more renewable energy supplies especially, small localised units.  Investment in onshore wind turbines appears to be strong, with new wind farms coming on-line.

http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2207382/uk-onshore-wind-capacity-breezes-past-5gw-mark

Arctic “death spiral” leaves climate scientists shocked and worried | The Vancouver Observer – Page 1

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

An in depth report on why we should be very worried about the melting ice-caps.  and why we in the Global North should be cutting back our excessive consumption, especially of fossil fuels.  Time to ditch the car and walk, cycle or use public transport.  And do you really need to fly any where?

Arctic “death spiral” leaves climate scientists shocked and worried | The Vancouver Observer – Page 1.

Monsanto weedkiller and GM maize in ‘shocking’ cancer study | News | The Grocer

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

More prove in any more was needed, that GM crops and foods produced from then are not needed.  When Genetically Modified crops came on the market, they were nicknamed ‘Frankenstein’ foods.  It looks like GM food is living up to this name.

I am not a supporter of animal testing.

Monsanto weedkiller and GM maize in ‘shocking’ cancer study | News | The Grocer.

The Climate Committee is right – the government created this appalling investment climate – 13 Sep 2012 – James’ Blog: a blog from BusinessGreen.

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

An article about the continuing sorry state of the lack of Government support for renewable energy and any hope of reducing our dependence on imported energy and our carbon footprint.

The Climate Committee is right – the government created this appalling investment climate – 13 Sep 2012 – James’ Blog: a blog from BusinessGreen..

Massachusetts’ Clean Economy Sees Massive Growth, Now Hosts 71,000 Jobs In Cleantech

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

This article shows what can be achieved with a strong political leadership.  While in the UK, we have a Government that keeps changing FITs (feed-in tariffs) for renewable technologies and is promoting large utilities companies with their Green Deal.  The UK will not be able to survive what is ultimately going to come, in not that a distance future.  Manchester City Council is the same, they keep claiming to be ‘Green’, whilst actually doing anything different than before.  They constantly says they cannot do anything without others doing something as well.  I think this article promotes the vision, that it can be done where there is the will.

pby Andrew, via CleanTechnica Government investment and support for clean, renewable energy development is paying off handsomely in Massachusetts, where the clean energy economy grew 11.2% between July 2011 and July 2012. The state’s fast-growing clean energy sector now employs 71,523 people at 4,995 clean energy businesses across the state, according to a Massachusetts Clean […]/p

via Massachusetts’ Clean Economy Sees Massive Growth, Now Hosts 71,000 Jobs In Cleantech.
We have seen the Scottish Government investing in wave and tidal technologies.  The UK has some of the best wave and tidal resources available in the world and has not been exploited by the UK Government.

Mull of Kintyre set to host CoRMaT tidal current turbine

As well as investing in wind, another asset, the UK has in abundance: