ACK 11:25 yes agreed! Especially first paragraph.

The Common Market started with good intentions, ensuring reliable food production, to prevent starvation and wars. I didn't see it 20 years ago, but once it got ideas above it's original raison d'etre, Monetary Union, Federal Superstate Dictatorship led by other countries failures and unsackables, the EU was destined for humiliating and expensive failure.

Climate Science has gone the same way. Any valid "Science" has been lost in the PR and Spin. The Guardian is the best at stating that 97% of Climate Scientists are in agreement about being right, when they are hopelessly wrong about everything,, and the BBC does seem to provide a lot of free publicity for The Guardian.

The Blair backlash effect is now complete, with the implosion of Labour, not the Conservatives. The BBC now knows that a reprieve is not going to happen after the next election. The BBC needs to rethink it's Green Blob leanings

Tomo. Easy : the fostering of a deep understanding and appreciation of the natural.world around us, and its preservation wherever this is feasible. Even the most verdant student I met at UEA initially held those views. Unfortunately they get twisted by the type of Green politics that both you and I abhor.

SandyS. Your first sentence garbled so don't know whether to agree or not.

"On the other hand any reasonable person should be able to see that their are flaws in their favoured news outlets, political parties and whatever". Indeed, I have criticized both the Guardian and the BBC on BH, but keep running into those that can see absolutely no value whatsoever in those media organizations, which seems to me to be an equally blinkered position to hold.

I remain as pessimistic as ever about climate change. I cannot see any reason for optimism that the May government will change a micro-radian in its path to ratify Paris. As to Brexit, we should all pray for a successful outcome, but again my natural pessimism takes hold.

We had a discussion about the effect of Brexit on UK universities and I was almost alone in my belief that it could be negative. So why are the Russell Group setting up branch campuses in the EU to counter these "imaginary" negative impacts? Or is not all it seems?

Sep 24, 2016 at 8:51 AM | ACK
I have to say I disagree with I find a lot of what is produced by your list, however there is some I agree with also. Unless you're in the minority at an extreme end of any spectrum that's how it should be. On the other hand any reasonable person should be able to see that their are flaws in their favoured news outlets, political parties and whatever. Problem is that being unreasonable in web discussions is very easy, as is being rude.

As someone who thinks things go in cycles I have high hopes that the cartwheel comes out of the manure and into the sun as far as Climate Change is concerned. I am also hoping Brexit makes the UK economy perform at a least half as well as promised by UKIP and the rest of the out campaign. A strong £ would suit me fine!

Stewgreen, yesterday I recieved a letter from my energy company asking me to make an appointment to have my meters changed to "smart ones". You mention that hackers could interrupt my energy supply. Are there other problems? Also do you know if it is possible to prevent installation of the new meters and keep the "old fashioned" ones?

golfCharlie. We disagree much, but not much. We are on a spectrum, apart but not so far. I recognize truths in your beliefs and opinions and I hope you do the same with mine. I do not believe we have written a bad word about each other. That is at it should be and long may it continue.

I think that my current political views have recently been most closely approached by a piece in Cicero's Songs last month (Aug 29) titled "Back to School".

I also consider much (but not all) in the Green agenda to be twaddle, highly destructive, and not thought through. Much like Rachel Carson's book and philosophy, there is some good stuff but the harm she engendered far outweighs it.