... and so it begins

[lancashire lass]

I remember back in the 70s there was a campaign against coloured toilet rolls and my first thought was 'will that mean more bleach in the rivers instead?'

I have often wondered what had happened to the coloured toilet paper - I just presumed they had got out of fashion and it was cheaper to produce white.

Talking of another campaign - Christmas trees. I seem to remember that people were encouraged to have artificial trees rather than live ones (not sure the reason but I'm sure it had something to do with the impact of so many trees being cut down) Then artificial trees became a problem because they can't be recycled. But the latest is the farmed tree which is having an impact on the environment (there was a news clip about the farming method heavy on fertiliser and pesticide)

When profits are concerned people are apt to greenwash.

Yes, I've noticed that.

I would have thought that using planning controls to give 15 minute cities would be a good thing.

From the WEF website (who are behind this concept), "They are mainly a fit for affluent urban neighbourhoods and far less a fit in the disadvantaged parts of our cities."

I had to google search 15 minute cities as I was not familiar with the terminology. Found this BBC article:

The idea behind "15-minute cities" is everyone lives within a 15 minute walk or bike ride from all basic services we need - be it schools, clinics, or parks.

The ultimate goal is to reduce traffic, but also emissions that are driving global warming.

It was in Oxford where this idea truly sparked a misinformation storm.

Last November, Oxfordshire County Council approved the creation of traffic filters, enforced through cameras in six key locations.

Private cars would not be allowed through without a permit (which they could use up to 100 days per year), but all other vehicles would be exempt - to incentivise the use of public transport and cycling.

The BBC understands that Oxford was one of the places Mr Harper had in mind when he spoke of councils that "ration who uses the roads and when".

But, while some people may find this "controlling", it is definitely not the same as a "15-minute city".

The traffic filters scheme attracted significant opposition from people worried about the impact the measures might have on their mobility and livelihoods.

I can see the point about restricting car access to cities (to cut emissions & reduce pollution) and using public transport instead. But the infrastructure needs to be in place first, and affordable - some fares are expensive (and the timetables are unreliable)

I am lucky that the area I live has a range of shops so in theory not far to travel and possibly fits in with the 15 minute city idea (though it is a town not a city), but shopping is not necessarily cheap so going to the big supermarkets out of the area will always be popular. And the big employers are not always close by so you still have to travel further afield.

[lancashire lass]

Two years since it was first reported, seems the company making wood pellets from protected trees in Canada to use in UK power stations as the "green" alternate to fossil fuel is still going on. They were only supposed to use diseased wood or from planted trees.

Worth reading the BBC report as it shows the devastation.

A power company that has received £6bn in UK green subsidies has kept burning wood from some of the world's most precious forests