Category Archives: Uncategorized

Solidarity with Palestine

May 15th is marked every year as Nakba (Catastrophe) Day. It commemorates the expulsion, during 1948-9, of 700,000 Palestinians from their land. Today Israel’s oppression has become so entrenched that Human Rights Watch report in April 2021 states “Abusive Israeli policies constitute crimes of Apartheid. Here’s my video from the vigil. https://youtu.be/NaulIZRFwMA Please sign thisContinueContinue reading “Solidarity with Palestine”

It’s our economic system that is in need of a psychiatrist

To the Editor of the Sheffield Star Your correspondent S Thompson was highly amused that Dr Bing Jones is so terrified of the dangers of climate change he chose to sit in Ecclesall Road to warn us all about it. Let’s think for a moment why he is so terrified.  When CO2 concentrations were lastContinueContinue reading “It’s our economic system that is in need of a psychiatrist”

Labour Councillors and the Green New Deal

A group of Sheffield Labour candidates have been promoting their support for the Green New Deal This Tweet really saddened me because it is so obviously untrue. Green Councillors and candidates have been campaigning for a Green New Deal for many years. All the Green Party candidates support a Green New Deal for Sheffield. NationallyContinueContinue reading “Labour Councillors and the Green New Deal”

The Groves Naturewatch project

Some fascinating citizen science has developed during the lockdown, in the roads between the Botanical Gardens and Hallam University where I used to study, called the Groves Naturewatch Project. Founded and championed by Lera Miles and botanist Gerry Firkins and helped by many local residents the group are building a database of all the livingContinueContinue reading “The Groves Naturewatch project”

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”

Ban “smart” motorways

Back in the ’90s when my three children were teenagers, we were driving on a motorway on our way to a festival. My wife and kids were singing along to a tape. The motorway was busy with August bank holiday traffic. Ahead of me on the hard shoulder was a lorry. Suddenly, without warning, theContinueContinue reading “Ban “smart” motorways”

Democracy only works when citizens are involved.

The Government have announced that the local elections, postponed from May 2020, will go ahead this May. But due to the pandemic volunteers from political parties will not be able to distribute leaflets. They can, however, pay a delivery company to do this for them. This will give parties with rich individual or corporate backersContinueContinue reading “Democracy only works when citizens are involved.”