All talk and no action!

What have I done to upset Bill Schiffman? (Sheffield Star 17th Feb 2025). Shall I start calling myself Mr Write?

Here is my reply.

Dear Editor

I think Bill Schiffman takes me seriously, otherwise he wouldn’t be trying to discredit me by writing to the Star. He’s tackling the man, not the ball. 

He gets one thing right. “Investment in institutions like public transport, libraries and community centres need to be at the centre of tackling the climate crisis.” That is why the government should tax the rich and invest in our communities. 

He claims to have never read any letters from me that propose practical solutions to the climate crisis at a local level. Which of my articles has he read? Just this month you will find on my blog, TelltheTruthSheffield.org articles supporting campaigns to stop Drax burning trees, provide a pedestrian crossing at Sheldon Road, support local Community Energy projects to make South Yorkshire a powerhouse again, make Sheffield Council tell the truth about what is happening to our climate and to scrap the Tories outrageous law that means climate protesters now face 5-year jail terms. 

Had the electorate been kinder to me, I would now be a Green Party Councillor. But my articles are not written on behalf of the Green Party. I will let the hard-working Green Councillors defend themselves. 

Education about the climate is vital. There is so much unscientific nonsense being spread by the likes of Trump, Farage, Twitter, Conservatives and so-called “think tanks” that are funded by the oil and gas industry. It is in their interest to promote fossil fuels to keep their billionaire friends rich. They are horrified by the prospect of community energy, where ordinary people can generate their own electricity keeping their houses warm and bills low and not adding to the profits of the billionaires. 

If Bill Shiffman could explain which campaigns he is involved with regarding the climate crisis, I’d be pleased to see if we can cooperate.

Graham Wroe

Talking of think tanks, I leave you with Caroline Lucas’s speech outside Tufton Street a couple of years ago.