Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[Amw79]

Time will tell. This current lockdown will be the longest lockdown in world history by the time it ends. I personally wouldn't be surprised if the June part of the road map never happens.

But why? That’s the question. Why would the government want to tank it’s own economy?

 

[Barnfred 55]

No. Did I say that is what I thought, or did I point out one bit in one post?

The highlighted bit of the post was - clearly - about you criticizing me for (according to you) reading something that wasn't there based on my "own narrative" when that is exactly what you've done here; what you do repeatedly in fact.

Well I'm totally confused now. I admit I did believe you were calling him out for racism. I can only apologise if that is not the case.

Can I ask what you were calling him out for, because I've re-read your two posts replies to him, and the one to me, and I still cannot come to any other conclusion than you were calling him out for racism..

 

[tsubaki]

The only thing - and I don't think it's a conspiracy as such - but the only thing is a push to a green economy.

I know it's been around for years but in the last year that term has become more and more prevalent.

There's a massive push now to get climate change under control or the planet's knackered.

Think back to the first lockdown, not just in the UK but around the world. When it was 2 months of genuinely nothing and how the world seemed to 'come back' so quickly, for lack of a better word.

I'm not suggesting the governments will keep populations under lockdown for that. But I think they'll definitely use covid as a facilitator for a push to new industries (Sunak last year basically said as much).

All these jobs that have been lost - they're going to start creating new ones and it seems that 'green' or 'digital' is the way forward.

FWIW, I think it's a good cause, obviously, so something needs to be done one way or the other.

TBF apart from all the PR there is very little evidence of a massive push to get climate change under control, both here and globally - we are still deforesting, still overfishing, still dumping and talking about jobs trumping environmental concerns. Even the things we are looking to replace what we have now (electric cars, biofuels, cleaner aviation etc) are more about keeping on down this wrong path than anything else.

 

[tsubaki]

Well I'm totally confused now. I admit I did believe you were calling him out for racism. I can only apologise if that is not the case.

Can I ask what you were calling him out for, because I've re-read your two posts replies to him, and the one to me, and I still cannot come to any other conclusion than you were calling him out for racism..

Saying that language was strange is not saying I "believe the OP to be racist", so your confusion is probably caused by you assuming that what I was saying.

 

[grandjoeblue]

But why? That’s the question. Why would the government want to tank it’s own economy?

The economy is still going though. Work is the only thing which is continuing throughout the lockdowns.

 

[BlueToff]

TBF apart from all the PR there is very little evidence of a massive push to get climate change under control, both here and globally - we are still deforesting, still overfishing, still dumping and talking about jobs trumping environmental concerns. Even the things we are looking to replace what we have now (electric cars, biofuels, cleaner aviation etc) are more about keeping on down this wrong path than anything else.

UK Prime Minister Announces 10-Point Plan to Boost Green Economy

The plan promises 250,000 jobs and emphasises a “green industrial revolution” to stimulate a post-pandemic economic recovery. By Paul A. Davies and

www.globalelr.com

A 'vital step': Green economy reacts to the UK's new climate commitment - edie

Green groups and business leaders have welcomed Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement that the UK has created an updated domestic emissions target for 2030 as its contribution to the Paris Agreement, but with progress lacking against upcoming carbon budgets, many want to see more detailed...

www.edie.net

Just a quick search 'UK green economy'. The construction company I work for also specialises in renewables and their main clients - SSE, E.On etc - are receiving even greater grants than before.

Not saying it's enough, but think there's definitely going to be a push for it. COVID has cost a lot of people their jobs, and if they're creating new ones, it seems to be in this or tech.

 

[BlueToff]

Oh, I’m sure this will have pointed out potential benefits and new digital and green ways to do things.

But even things like working from home, I think the government will not want to continue indefinitely, cos they want workers commuting into city centres and putting a fiver a day into Pret A Manger.

The lockdowns have crippled consumer spending and massively increased government spending which is exactly the opposite of government aims.

While I take the point, this isn't really the issue here as such - it's more the independent chains that have been dealt the hammer blow by this.

When I used to go into the office in Leeds - which has now shut for good - I would pop down to a few little coffee shops through the week on my breaks, depending on my shift or whatever. I know one of them has now closed and won't be reopening, because they've had no passing trade for a year.

That's absolutely devastating for the people who run that (believe they were a young couple).

 

[PaulPowersTash]

Must be galling for many countries who sit within the EU hearing the UK government and its sycophantic press, knowing that 10 mill doses of vaccines have left EU plants for the UK. 0 vaccines have been exported by the UK.

Why don't they just use the millions of AZ vaccines that they have stockpiled?

 

[Amw79]

While I take the point, this isn't really the issue here as such - it's more the independent chains that have been dealt the hammer blow by this.

When I used to go into the office in Leeds - which has now shut for good - I would pop down to a few little coffee shops through the week on my breaks, depending on my shift or whatever. I know one of them has now closed and won't be reopening, because they've had no passing trade for a year.

That's absolutely devastating for the people who run that (believe they were a young couple).

The actual shop isn’t really the point. Whether it’s Pret, a Tesco meal deal, a local butty shop. Point is the government will want that demand back. If the demand is replaced, in time, new businesses will open to provide the supply.

 

[Amw79]

The economy is still going though. Work is the only thing which is continuing throughout the lockdowns.

There’s 5 million people furloughed, so that work isn’t continuing. Growth has collapsed. Consumer spending 14% down on previous year. The economy is knackered and the government are desperate to get it moving again.

 

[tsubaki]

UK Prime Minister Announces 10-Point Plan to Boost Green Economy

The plan promises 250,000 jobs and emphasises a “green industrial revolution” to stimulate a post-pandemic economic recovery. By Paul A. Davies and

www.globalelr.com

A 'vital step': Green economy reacts to the UK's new climate commitment - edie

Green groups and business leaders have welcomed Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement that the UK has created an updated domestic emissions target for 2030 as its contribution to the Paris Agreement, but with progress lacking against upcoming carbon budgets, many want to see more detailed...

www.edie.net

Just a quick search 'UK green economy'. The construction company I work for also specialises in renewables and their main clients - SSE, E.On etc - are receiving even greater grants than before.

Not saying it's enough, but think there's definitely going to be a push for it. COVID has cost a lot of people their jobs, and if they're creating new ones, it seems to be in this or tech.

That is what I meant by PR though, especially the first article which announces targets that are nearly all outside the lifetime of this parliament.

Meanwhile the £12 billion promised to be spent on green issues at some point is rather dwarfed by the actual spending in this parliament of £27 billion on new roads, the continued freezing of fuel duty, expanding Heathrow, and cutting back on electrification schemes on the railway (never mind expanding them across the country so that more people can use them as an alternative to cars).

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

TBF apart from all the PR there is very little evidence of a massive push to get climate change under control, both here and globally - we are still deforesting, still overfishing, still dumping and talking about jobs trumping environmental concerns. Even the things we are looking to replace what we have now (electric cars, biofuels, cleaner aviation etc) are more about keeping on down this wrong path than anything else.

`They got the wind up them because they realised they could actually look more silly than they already do when we host Climate Change Conference in November. Of course having Biden instead of Trump makes coal mining a tad difficult.

Government intervenes in plan for Cumbria coal mine after climate backlash

Exclusive: U-turn by secretary of state Robert Jenrick comes following ‘increasing controversy’ over the project, says a letter seen by The Independent

www.independent.co.uk

 

[TaffyToffee85]

Dr Mary Ramsay really does talk some rubbish and this latest one to splurt out of her gums, is the worse yet.

 

[TaffyToffee85]

Hugely impressive numbers again. That's over 10 people vaccinated every second.

Absolutely fantastic, I hope Dr Mary Ramsay will be proved wrong. Giving people like this press coverage and at the top of the BBC rolling news headlines isn’t good for mental health.

 

[Moomin]

Dr Mary Ramsay really does talk some rubbish and this latest one to splurt out of her gums, is the worse yet.

What has she said?