It seems that Storm Floris did not hit us with any kind of force in our neck of the woods. It rained quite a lot and the trees were blown about some but we’ve seen worse. This morning it was still a bit gusty and drizzly but more like “normal” NW of England August weather.
Scrolling through the papers online I came across this “Long Read” in today’s Guardian, an account of a horrendous storm in Switzerland with swathes of forest washed away, hillsides collapsing and villages buried under mud and rubble. I might never again complain about bad weather around here and footpaths eroded by unusually heavy downpours. Mind you, I say that but I expect I’ll have forgotten that resolution next time we have a downpour.
In complete contrast, here’s a link to an environmental good news story from Kashmir, where a silted-up lake has been largely cleared and lotus flowers have grown and bloomed once again. The lotus flower stems provide a food source, collecting and selling the stems provides employment and income. Environmental improvement regenerates communities. And besides, the lotus flowers are really beautiful!
Other news stories fail to fill me with joy. I had never heard of Lord Dannatt until I read this:
“A member of the House of Lords urged ministers to crack down on Palestine Action at the request of a US defence company that employs him as an adviser.
Richard Dannatt, a former head of the British army, wrote privately to two separate Home Office ministers asking them to address the “threat” posed by the group after its activists targeted a factory in 2022.”
Hmm! The interconnectedness of everything. And we have too many Lords, it seems to me. Here’s a link to the whole article.
Then there are the headlines like this one, “100 Gaza children hope to be evacuated to UK for urgent medical care”, which fill you with optimism and the hope that your government is doing some good in the world. But when you read the article you discover the obstacles that stand in the way of those children arriving here. And you compare the UK’s medical aid to that given by countries like Egypt, Qatar and the UAE, which had evacuated more than 7,000 patients as of April, according to the WHO.
“We have previously had children on the list but because approval takes so long, some of those children have ended up dying,” said Omar Din, a co-founder of Project Pure Hope (PPH) and a healthcare executive in NHS primary care. “The government needs to move at pace.”
And finally, here’s a link to an article about a British surgeon who has worked in hospital in Gaza. Most telling for me is the fact that Dr Groom has been to Gaza about 40 times, including four visits since Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7th 2023. Gaza needed assistance well before this latest crisis. There is also the difficulty of supplies and equipment: “In the past Groom alone brought five large cases. On the most recent visit, his team was banned “under pain of exclusion, confiscation and possible penalty” from bringing desperately needed equipment such as delicate plastic surgery tools for repairing vein and tissue or orthopaedic frames that allow broken bones to heal.” It’s relentless!
That’s enough pessimism for today.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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