What an absolute let down the Tories have been on the environment and climate not even a year on from hosting COP27.
How does a country go from parading delegates around in ‘Boris buses’ and making huge promises to ushering in a new dawn of fossil fuel hell with 100 new gas and oil licences after lifting their fracking ban.
Liz appears to be dead set on trussing us up in the dark web of fossil fuel forces despite the cost to life and our planet.
Read more: The Earth's Corr: Fracking plans stark raving mad and won't cut energy bills
Earth can’t cope as it is and the experts are saying the more they know, the more alarmed they are about the speed at which climate change is coming.
This week saw a major hurricane, named Ian, decimate Florida with crocs, sharks, pets, wild and captive creatures showing up in all kinds of places they’re not meant to be. And we have been warned to expect yet more extreme weather events like that as the world warms.
Even at two degrees above pre-industrial temperatures coral reefs will die taking hugely important ocean ecosystems with them. You see as Earth heats up, seas do too and they become more acidic, making it a hard place for fish and other species to cope.
What will we do when fish are no longer safe to eat?
Despite all the spin around this latest kick in the teeth, this new gas and oil exploration will not be good for the environment.
The Code Red for Humanity from the IPCC couldn’t have been more clear - keep fossil fuels in the ground. Scientists, experts, NGOs, charities and just about anyone with any sense or who actually cares for humanity says the same.
Earlier this year a Climate Endgame report involving Cambridge University experts warned we don’t really know what happens at three, four and five degrees of global warming. But if the oligarch puppets the Conservatives have given a platform to keep doing what they are doing, that’s the way we are heading and I’m honestly petrified at what’s in front of us.
I know we rely heavily on fossil fuels in our modern lives. They power the cars we drive, keep us warm in winter and light up dark days. They are used to make 99% of the plastics wrapped around our food and drink. In fact, if you look around your home - there’s plastic everywhere.
But the cold hard truth is that we need to find a better way. We need to ditch business as usual as it’s not making any of us happier or healthier despite the conveniences of modern day life.
We now live in a world where people are worried for the future of their children and grandchildren, our mental and physical health is getting worse, people turn to all kinds of harmful behaviours to cope with the daily grind and we feel powerless to effect change.
I am here to tell you there is hope and you can help with the small decisions you make each day.
The Tories are built on the view money makes the world go round. Money is what has them making the decisions they do - in favour of their rich donors, of course. Money is also how we change the system as without our money in their pockets, these oligarchs and such wouldn’t have so much to spend.
So why not do what you can to avoid giving them what they need to keep us trapped us in this vicious cycle.
If the UK government pumped as much into cheaper renewable energy, reduced energy use through insulating homes and reclaimed control of public transport and energy companies - we would be in a much better place. Privatising these things has done nothing but shift their profits into the hands of people here to glean every penny from us they can.
Investing in a cleaner more climate-friendly future would do as much for the UK economy as that dinosaur Rees-Mogg says new oil and gas licences will - and without the accompanying air pollution he clearly supports, we’d all be healthier too.
I hope with all my heart Greenpeace wins its legal challenge against the government’s latest outrageous move. But while they’re busy defending our future from greedy oligarchs and their mouthpieces there are some things you can do too.
Your buying habits matter massively. I’ve heard it said just 20% of people changing how they operate in shops can make a difference to the decisions retailers make.
You can help by:
- Avoiding fast fashion and going second hand or vintage
- Change food shopping habits to avoid food waste and plastic packaging
- Buy more local produce to reduce shipping emissions
- Only use fossil fuel powered vehicles if necessary
- Support climate change campaigns and educate yourself on what’s happening
- Turn off what you’re not using
- Plant more trees
- Do everything you can to support nature
- Stop using pesticides
- And last, but by no means least, vote for politicians that take climate change seriously
If we stick together and treat the climate crisis as an emergency, we can make a difference.
We need to stop barbaric hunting with dogs
You may not have seen it, but the recent BBC Spotlight on badger baiting and hunting foxes with dogs in Northern Ireland poked some serious holes in our animal protections laws.
It’s a tough watch and it’s always upsetting to see animals, including pet dogs, harmed for ‘sport’.
My family said a heart-breaking goodbye to our dog Fergus this week - and I can’t imagine how anyone could put an animal they love through the ordeal of fighting a badger down a hole.
Yet last year the DUP and Sinn Fein voted against a proposed Bill to stop hunting with dogs in NI - a decision that was blasted at the time since so many people supported the move.
When are our politicians going to start thinking about the animals at the heart of this? It’s just not right they allowed this absolute barbaric practice to continue.
Alliance, who drove the Bill to end hunting with dogs, support the USPCA’s call for the PSNI to form a special task force to tackle animal baiting.
The USPCA believes there could be up to 14,000 cases of badger baiting in NI each year, with 150 people actively taking part in it, as well as the wide sharing of images and videos online.
MLA Patrick Brown said: “Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without a ban on hunting with dogs. That is despite widespread public support for a ban.
“Hunting with dogs is a cruel and unnecessary past time which causes immeasurable suffering to the hunted animals and the hunting dogs, which can also sustain terrible injuries.”
Report suspected wildlife crime to police
If you see anyone acting suspiciously in the countryside with dogs call the police.
They could be badger baiting, which is illegal, and as the evenings darken it provides the perfect cover for those behind this cruel sport.
If every instance is reported to the PSNI, maybe that will help enforce the need for a special unit to deal with this cruel sport.
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