In my last column I wrote about the report Pathways to Zero Carbon Sheffield, commissioned by Sheffield Council from Arup. The final part of the report is due soon. I have been gauging opinions about it. Does it go far enough? Will it be possible to meet its targets? One of the most significant changesContinueContinue reading “Can we fit 200,000 heat pumps in Sheffield homes by 2030?”
Category Archives: Extinction Rebellion
Major changes have been the result of protest.
My reply to S Thomson in the Sheffield Star S Thomson thinks I didn’t understand his/her letter. Maybe the reverse is true. I am very aware that telling people the truth about the climate and ecological emergencies we are facing is a dangerous thing. Climate anxiety is now a recognised condition as many people areContinueContinue reading “Major changes have been the result of protest.”
Labour and Greens join together in Cooperative Cabinet
Today was a momentous day for Sheffield. It has been announced that the Labour Party and the Green Party have reached an agreement to work together in a cooperative Cabinet. Here Cllr Peter Garbutt shares his thoughts on the new agreement. There will be an Inquiry into the Tree Dispute. https://youtu.be/1mUFk2v5nrU New Councillor Tina GilliganContinueContinue reading “Labour and Greens join together in Cooperative Cabinet”
Banking Brandalism
Back in my student days I supported the campaign to end the racist Apartheid regime in South Africa. A big part of that campaign was to persuade the banks, notably Barclays, to stop investing in the country, to speed the fall of the regime. Roll on nearly half a century and today we find BarclaysContinueContinue reading “Banking Brandalism”
Do we really have a free press?
Extinction Rebellion has taken a great deal of flack recently, for preventing Rupert Murdoch’s papers from leaving the printers on 3rd September. Much of the argument has concentrated on the assertion that it is anti-democratic to disrupt the free press. But do we really have a free press in this country? Empty newspaper shelves inContinueContinue reading “Do we really have a free press?”
A challenge to the Blades and the Owls
In my youth, a popular mantra was “Sport and Politics don’t mix”.The truth is that sport and politics have always gone hand in hand, sometimes for the good, sometimes not. Marcus Rashford won a brilliant victory, forcing the Prime Minister to continue free school meals over the summer and has now launched a campaign againstContinueContinue reading “A challenge to the Blades and the Owls”
The demands for racial justice and climate justice are two sides of the same coin.
I am a white, heterosexual, professional man, so you may question my qualifications to write about racism. However, I hope you will give me the benefit of doubt and continue reading. When I was newly married and living on Hyde Park flats, my wife got a job childminding a beautiful Nigerian baby. We used toContinueContinue reading “The demands for racial justice and climate justice are two sides of the same coin.”
We must listen to Africa and Asia
As I write storm Ciara is causing chaos in Sheffield. Trees are down, Cineworld has had its doors blown through and local roads are flooded. Not very far away, Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd have suffered severe flooding. Yet another example of the ever-increasing extreme weather the world is facing as a result of our overheatingContinueContinue reading “We must listen to Africa and Asia”
One year of climate emergency, but Sheffield Council still haven’t sounded the alarm!
In February 2019, one year ago, I presented the Sheffield Council meeting with a petition, pleading with them to declare a climate emergency. This they did, and later agreed to become carbon neutral by 2030. But what has happened to the urgency of this initial declaration? Other cities are making progress. Sheffield, however, has failedContinueContinue reading “One year of climate emergency, but Sheffield Council still haven’t sounded the alarm!”
What next for the Climate Movement?
Extinction Rebellion made fantastic progress in 2019. They have been successful in raising awareness about the urgency of the climate crisis, which became a major issue in the General Election. But it’s been a very disappointing end to the year. We have seen the Conservatives elected with a massive majority, despite Boris Johnson not evenContinueContinue reading “What next for the Climate Movement?”
