According to today’s Guardian,
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/28/uk-support-for-fracking-hits-new-low
opposition to fracking is on the rise and support is running at around 19%. I can’t say I’m surprised: the dynamic which one would usually expect with this kind of measure is that there would be more support among the wealthy living in suburbs and rural areas; you know, the kind of person who gets all aereated* about wind farms and solar panels because they don’t ‘look nice’ but doesn’t mind a nuclear power station provided it’s miles away and surrounded with leylandii. But where the powers that be made their big mistake was in giving frackers permission to drill under people’s homes without consent. An English person’s home is still as much their castle as it ever was, and threatening that principle by quite literally undermining their home is not a good move for a Tory government to make. You’d think they’d have seen that – but no. All they ever seem to see are the £££ signs in their eyes. Oo, I’ve come over all biblical and wanting to say something about taking the pennies from the poor and not seeing the pound signs in your own eyes. Anyway, so what this means that instead of NIMBYs not wanting wind-farms in their back yard, we now have NUMBYs digging in their heels and saying ‘Not Under My Bloody House.’ (OK that should be NUMBHs but it doesn’t really hit the spot, does it?)
I simply cannot fathom the mind-set of a government which reduces funding for renewables and gives the money to yet another highly-questionable fuel source which will also run out in a few decades. It’s almost as if they’ll do anything sooner than give up their lifestyle – and now people are protesting. Latest to join this up-in-arms race (see what I did there?) are Emma Thompson and her sister Sophie. I never realised that Emma was the sister of the intense bride in ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ and Mafalda Hopkirk in the last Harry Potter, but so it is. They have launched their own campaign to which I have signed up, although like many of Emma Thompson’s projects it inspires me with a mixture of affection and ickiness:
Anyway, something should be done and they are doing it, so for that I salute them.
Suffragette City
Bong! in other news, I have signed up for a cycle ride around Leicester to celebrate the city’s suffragettes, thus combining a feminist action with a tribute to Bowie. Neat, eh? I’ll keep you posted. Better get my bike oiled…
Kirk out
* how DO you spell that? Spellchecker doesn’t like any of my suggestions
Sarada Gray 