Across the planet we are going through a shared experience like no other. But, for some people it’s been very different and for those where the economy wasn’t working for them before have suffered even more. Women, ethnic minorities, precarious workers. Inequality causes deaths, Covid-19 has made this worse. Poor housing, cold, damp and overcrowded. […]
Author: Stuart Smith
How to get a fairer, greener planet
Politician’s are like balloons tied to a rock. Campaigns trying to influence only them can only blow them so far. You can’t fundamentally change the position of the balloon without moving the rock. The rock in this instance is the things that make people get up and take action. If we can move the rock […]
Scottish Government Programme for Government
The Scottish Government recently announced their Programme of Government for the coming year. Its decision to focus on green jobs was welcome, given the pressing need to tackle the twin economic and climate crises. The employment and economic impact from coronavirus is worsening every day so we must see concrete steps in the coming months […]
Deposit Return Scheme
Scotland is due to start a deposit return scheme in the next few years for all glass bottles and soft drinks cans. The idea is that you will pay an extra 20p for a soft drink at your local newsagent, corner shop, take away, supermarket etc. When you’ve finished you take it back to the […]
Weight Management – still a struggle
It has been a wee while since I posted an update on how I’m coping with my weight. It has been a continuing struggle to loose weight. My attempts have not been fruitful. My excercise is OK, am walking enough at my own pace and that has mainly helped. However there have been weeks where […]
Nature’s Calendar
Many people have been giving up their time during this pandemic to become a citizen scientist, collecting data to help further our understnading of the health of the planet. The Woodland Trust has had manu contributions to it’s Nature’s Calendar project. To take part you start recording the changes that happen in nature around you. […]
Farms To Feed Us
A project was launched back in April 2020 by a group of food activists and farmers to bring fresh produce directly from farms to people’s dinner table. It is an open database of small scale farms and growers throughout the United Kingdom selling vegetables, meat, dairy and other things direct to the public. This came […]
‘Normal’ has failed vulnerable people
For the world’s most vulnerable people the last thing they need is to get back to normal. The current pandemic has exposed the fragility of farming and food systems around the world. Farming wasn’t working before now, millions of smallholder farmers are struggling to survive. For some of the farmers they actually go hungry everyday […]
Change and Transition
It’s time to move beyond economic growth when assessing economic progress. It has outlived its usefulness. We need to re-balance social, ecological and economic values. We need to promote broad welfare and inclusion instead. We are in a deep recession right now, our health systems have been tested and our governments are having huge control […]
Build, Build Build but, more houses?
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s current mantra is to “build, build build and is attacking the planning laws in England for holding up more house building. His manifesto promised 300,000 in England but latest comments suggest only 180,000. It ignores the fact that most building proposals have been approved and the blame may lie in that […]