Happy Easter. As the sun continues to scorch the drought-hardened earth, happy holidaymakers pollute the beaches and motorways in a lemming-like obsession with sea and sand. Is this all down to global warming? The weather I mean, rather than the annual pursuit of motorway jam time. I have always been something of a rebel at a very low key level, but demonstrations at a Suffragette or Extinction Rebellion altitude have always given me cause for pause. I confess though to a sneaking admiration for those who are risking life and limb, let alone imprisonment, to convince the Government and the wider public, that urgent action is required on a broad scale to resolve the many and varied environmental issues that face us. Whilst our politicians and a significant proportion of the public tie themselves in knots over whether we should be in/out/half in/threequarters out of Europe there is surely a much greater issue playing out in front of our eyes that these brave and determined souls are seeking to highlight. In my exceedingly humble and probably rather ill-informed opinion I get a strong feeling that targets to achieve things by 2050 or even 2035 are far, far too lax. It was only a few years ago that we were told that renewable energy was a long way down the road and there was no way it could fuel our immediate needs. Before we know it there are windmills wherever you look and vast acres of formerly productive farmland given over to ugly, but apparently effective, black panels that capture the sun’s rays and convert them into life-enhancing electricity….or something. My point is that where there’s a will there is almost always a way and with strong and determined leadership and some radical thinking we could move things very much more quickly. For instance, if Kenya can ban plastic bags why can’t we? Just do it! People will quickly get the message that you need to take shopping bags with you when going to the stores. If you’re one of the afflicted commuters who can’t get to work you’re probably mightily hacked off, I would be too, but on this occasion I’m on the side of Extinction Rebellion. Perhaps some of that nine hundred million fund to rebuild Notre Dame could be re-deployed?! (Did I say “strong and determined leadership”? Not too much of that around these days!)
On a completely different topic, I’ve just started reading a book by Dr Michael Mosley called The Clever Guts Diet. It was kindly given to me by my adopted sister who has been virtually housebound for six years following a disastrous treatment for melanoma that has wrecked her immune system along with damaging vital organs. As a long time sufferer of IBS I’ve been conscious for quite awhile about the importance of the gut and the “microbiome”, with its trillions of micro-organisms that serve a crucial role in keeping us fit and healthy. It seems the gut is almost a second brain and has a huge influence on the way our bodies function. For those who suffer with auto-immune diseases such as Diabetes 2 and rheumatoid arthritis this is essential reading. There is now good research to suggest that with accurate testing and good execution based on those results, it should be possible to leave nasty pharmaceuticals behind forever. Now that has to be worth trying!
Enjoy the sun, if not the jams.
2DtC
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