Some of My Favourite Pictures of LP Covers

Teach the Children Well

London's Metropolitan police have been rebuked by the Information Commissioner's Office for illegally filming children, as young as 10 (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/05/met-police-illegally-filmed-children-as-young-as-10-at-climate-protest). Ten thousand children and young adults, gathered at a climate strike protest in London. The police broke the child protection law by videotaping the event. The Metropolitan force must have realised they were, again, playing fast and loose with the law (they seem to have been doing this an awful lot). It is hardly remarkable that children and young adults are concerned about what's happening to their environment. They will be the one's who have to try to pick up the pieces. One just hopes that facial recognition techniques have not been applied to the video 'evidence'. Otherwise, kids could be routinely labelled as 'criminal' agitators under the new anti-protest legislation.

I Didn't Know I was Permanently in 'Goblin Mode'

'Goblin mode' has been selected, by a first public vote, as the New Oxford dictionary 'word' of the year for 2022. It easily beat 'Metaverse' into second place (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/dec/05/goblin-mode-new-oxford-word-of-the-year). 'Goblin mode' apparently means 'a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, greedy, typical in a way that rejects social norms or expectations'. I have never heard the phrase before (led a sheltered life) but it sounds about right, as a description of my normal modus operandi.

No Shit, Sherlock?

The Cop15 meeting on biodiversity loss is imminent. Six hundred and fifty scientists have written a joint letter to 'world leaders' reminding them that biofuels are not 'carbon neutral' (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/05/stop-burning-trees-scientists-world-leaders-cop15-age-of-extinction-aoe). It should be obvious that biofuels (burning wood and other plant products) is not simply a case of carbon dioxide in: carbon dioxide out. Cutting down trees (whether in the long or short term) is a factor that inevitably accelerates biodiversity loss. Good luck with this, when some 'world leaders' want to reclassify natural gas as 'green'. One should remember, however, that wood is the most used fuel for cooking in many parts of the developing world. Folk there will need help in coming up with healthier, genuinely 'carbon neutral' alternatives.

Own Coal Goal

The UK spent much of the Glasgow Cop meeting trying to get other countries to stop using coal. Coal is, by far, the most polluting of the non-renewable hydrocarbon fuels. It consequently seems weird that the UK government appears still agonising about whether to open a new coalmine, near Whitehaven in Cumbria (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/03/alok-sharma-cumbria-coal-mine-backward-step-government-climate-expert). People advocating the coalmine, suggest it can be seen as 'levelling up' (increasing economic activity in areas outside London). Others, however, view the mine as a profoundly backward step. You can't expect other countries to cease using coal, when you are increasing its use yourself!

UK Water Consumers Also Have Roles to Play

England's privatised Water and Sewage Companies are a disgrace. They neither look after water supplies nor do they show much concern for human/environmental health. These bodies appear totally focused on delivering cash rewards for their shareholders and CEOs. Having reiterated all that, Dieter Helm (Oxford University) is quite right to point out that, changes in consumer behaviour would help conserve water stocks and reduce pollution (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/02/england-wales-broken-water-system-regulators). Helm notes that consumers flush wipes (inappropriate even when they claim to be 'flushable') and used cooking oils down toilets. These often generate the monsterous 'fatbergs' that block sewage systems. Helm also notes that one doesn't have to use potable tap water to irrigate ones's plants or wash one's car. Rainwater can often be easily and cheaply collected for these purposes. This is all very true, but people could be helped to change their behaviour. There could be domestic collection systems for used cooking oils as well as provision and fitting of water butts (where appropriate) in people's gardens. Perhaps the privatised water companies could allocate some of their monopolistic profits to such activities? More effective use of water is clearly going to be needed, as climate change bites harder!

'Earthshot' Misses the Mark

I don't wish to 'diss' this year's £1m 'Earthshot' prize winners. The very worthy innovations do, however, have a somewhat suspicious geographical spread (a criterion?). They include a UK company aiming to replace plastic packaging with alternatives made from seaweed; a scheme training indigenous women to monitor Australia's Great Barrier Reef; an Omani consortium, developing technology to mineralise 1000 tonnes of 'locally-captured' carbon dioxide each year until 2024 (why stop then?); a startup providing cleaner burning stoves for women in Kenya and a body getting sustainable greenhouses to farmers in India. Aspects of Prince of Wales' Earthshot Fund are, however, somewhat contentious (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/02/earthshot-fund-gives-1m-to-uk-scientists-fighting-climate-crisis). I'm sure each of the winners welcomes both the accolade and the £1m. £1m is, however, 'peanuts', compared to the monies, lavished by banks and governments, on petrochemical companies for 'exploration'. It's also extremely likely that operation of The Prince of Wales' Earthshot Fund will have consumed more than half that body's annual income. Flying everyone to the ceremony in the US, would also have been a) expensive and b) a massive generator of 'greenhouse gases'. Projects entering the competition for an Earthshot prize, will have had to prepare a case. Petrochemical companies merely need to claim there is a likelihood of finding extractable oil and gas. Further, Price William stated "I believe that the Earthshot solutions you have seen this evening, prove we can overcome our planet's greatest challenges". Unfortunately, this makes him sound like a spokesperson for 'Technofix.com'.