Just a comment. George Monbiot opines that the the new UK government's obsession with Growth Domestic Product (GPD) at the expense of environmental issues cannot deliver a feel-good factor for the general population. Government wants to 'take a big stick' to environmental regulators who get in the way of 'economic progress'. GPD, however, merely makes the already rich, richer. Monbiot points out, that even if building new airport runways and motorways, has any impact on wealth creation, it will take circa 20 years. The environmental damage is being experienced now and is growing. He asks whether people actually voted for this (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/30/labour-environmental-vandalism-rivers-wildlife-air-government-gdp). A new Member of Parliament (MP) in the government's own party thinks the 'growth at any price' message 'reeks of panic'. He's likely to 'have the whip removed' (be expelled from his party), if he's not careful. This is yet another 'big stick'. MPs of the ruling party were ordered to 'talk out' (destroy) legislation aiming to making the UK's environmental pledges mandatory (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/31/labour-mp-government-growth-heathrow-party). Talking of 'big sticks'. I don't want to be a mega-Grinch but folk appear easily distracted by these wooden implements. An Instagram site posting videoclips extolling the virtues of sticks, reportedly has 3 million avid viewers (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jan/31/stick-nation-instagram-official-stick-reviews). Nice to know that folk can find simple pleasures in sticks, unrelated to GDP, the environment and politics.
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