Current Affairs

[towny44]

I dont see them making the news in respect of the warming climate. It is a fact. And CO2 is an undeniable product of for example methane gas. CH4 + O2 = H2O + CO2. They aren't creating that those are facts. Methane is clean compared to heavy oil and coal, with their contaminants.

I do not deny any of those facts Frank, but with 200 million people living at or only 5 metres above sea level, if the dire predictions are true, then the world is in for a massive increase in economic migrants. Furthermore if we need to put the global economy into fast reverse to even stabilise our CO2 emissions I question how this impoverished economy is going cope. I wonder how the BBC will report this when, if the predictions are true and reality kicks in, we realise that the only way to cope is to massively reduce the population?

[Frank Manning]

Interesting times ahead John. I probably wont be around to see most of it, but at the moment the entire global economy runs on fossil fuels, changing that is a big enough challenge.

[Manoverboard]

Climate change is doubtless an issue but how adding surcharges to taxis entering the centres of Bristol / Glasgow will contribute I am not too sure as compared to continuing with the huge volumes of coal being burnt in Australia, China, Russia and North America. One volcano will be greater polluter than the combined efforts of the above in a single year … it was reported.

I haven't got enough years left to save the planet by changing any aspect of our lifestyle but I deffo do not want to be buried in ' we need to do this ' type eco-news stories for the remainder. In reality the climate changes on a cyclic basis and always has done so I doubt there is much that can be done apart from planning to minimise the effects.

[towny44]

I suspect that the Earth has a built in safety measure to compensate for major continuing climate changes, and those that live longest might even get to find out. Presumably the melting polar ice must have some effect on weather patterns, and possibly the change in weight distribution might even affect the earth's elliptical orbit, whether this will be a counterbalance to global warming or presage even more catastrophic weather no one knows, least of all the BBC news management team. But I suspect that political unrest caused by a deliberate slowdown of the global economy is likely to create far greater problems than a little coastal flooding, or more frequent bush fires.

[towny44]

It must be global warming week, the first 40% segment of this lunchtimes BBC news was totally devoted to the topic.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Yawn. Like 40% of your posts this week Towny!

[towny44]

It's not compulsory to read them Merv, and I dont charge a license fee.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Not what I'd heard

[towny44]

Is anyone desperately worried whether Huawei are involved with the roll out of the 5G mobile phone network?

As long as P&Os IT department aren't involved in any of it, I will be happy.

[Jan Rosser]

I’m more worried about smart motorways than 5G after watching Panorama last night John - it was horrendous!!!

There are several stretches of the M5 and M6 where the hard shoulder becomes an ordinary lane to relieve congestion - it worried me before the programme but having heard the experiences of people caught up in accidents and deaths I’m even more concerned. Although I usually travel up north by train to see the family I do occasionally drive - Christmas being the last occasion and I hate those areas where they’ve introduced the smart roads.

The reporter gave Grant Shapps the transport minister a real grilling over the situation - just hope something is done to prevent any more people being killed.

If you haven’t seen the programme it’s well worth seeing - absolutely heartbreaking

[david63]

Is anyone desperately worried whether Huawei are involved with the roll out of the 5G mobile phone network?

The Chinese have history going back decades of industrial "theft", by which I mean that they have appeared to be genuine but everything has ulterior motives - so in that respect I do have some minor concerns.

However as all the alternatives use Chinese components then there seems to be little alternative and the USA have no solution to this anyway.

There was a bit on the news last night that Huawei invested $15bn in the 5G technology last year compared to Ericsson's $5bn and total USA of $1bn.

This whole business is more about Trump's trade war with China than anything else.

[towny44]

I’m more worried about smart motorways than 5G after watching Panorama last night John - it was horrendous!!!

There are several stretches of the M5 and M6 where the hard shoulder becomes an ordinary lane to relieve congestion - it worried me before the programme but having heard the experiences of people caught up in accidents and deaths I’m even more concerned. Although I usually travel up north by train to see the family I do occasionally drive - Christmas being the last occasion and I hate those areas where they’ve introduced the smart roads.

The reporter gave Grant Shapps the transport minister a real grilling over the situation - just hope something is done to prevent any more people being killed.

If you haven’t seen the programme it’s well worth seeing - absolutely heartbreaking

It worries me as well Jan, most of the M1 from Wakefield down to Northampton, which we use when we go to Southampton, is now a smart motorway, with refuges few and far between.

[david63]

OK can someone explain the logic of this to me because I think I may have lost the plot (again!)

The Government are planning that those found guilty of terrorist offences will have to serve a longer period in prison - sounds good to me in light of the recent attacks.

The "do gooders" and a few others believe that this is unjust for those already sentenced as they were only expecting to spend half their sentence in prison and now it will be two thirds if the Parole Board agree.

Now if you are sentenced to, say, 10 years surely you should expect to spend 10 years in prison and any early release is a bonus and not be sentenced to 10 years knowing you will be out in five years.

Am I missing something here? Where's Screwy when you need him?

[Onelife]

OK can someone explain the logic of this to me because I think I may have lost the plot (again!)

The Government are planning that those found guilty of terrorist offences will have to serve a longer period in prison - sounds good to me in light of the recent attacks.

The "do gooders" and a few others believe that this is unjust for those already sentenced as they were only expecting to spend half their sentence in prison and now it will be two thirds if the Parole Board agree.

Now if you are sentenced to, say, 10 years surely you should expect to spend 10 years in prison and any early release is a bonus and not be sentenced to 10 years knowing you will be out in five years.

Am I missing something here? Where's Screwy when you need him?

Nope!!!.....perhaps this is why they have introduced a shoot to kill policy?

[Manoverboard]

Early release is, as I understand it, automatic barring ' misbehaviour ' while serving the sentence.

It's therefore a right.

ps … for me there shouldn't be any rights for such convictions.

[Ray B]

Would the do gooders change their mind if they or a family member was caught in an act of terrorism...?

[david63]

It's therefore a right.

It might be A right, but it is NOT right

[towny44]

Just been watching Daily Politics and most on the panel seem to blame lack of prison funding for the inability to de-radicalise terrorist prisoners. Possibly this is part of the reason for the overcrowding and lack of warders to keep order, but the left, like the London mayor, lay this all on govt austerity cuts, but they never say which areas should be cut so that prisons can have an increase. If the govt were to increase spending on prisons but pay for it by reducing NHS, education or welfare the same people would be crying foul.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Terrorists should be locked up and the keys thrown away. End of. And it would be cheaper than having to monitor them when they're let out and the costs of their future terrorism acts.

[david63]

Merv - how often do we to tell you to stop using common sense?

[Manoverboard]

He hasn't got a clue has he

[Mervyn and Trish]

I know. I must take my medication.

[Stephen]

Single or blended

[screwy]

If I remember correctly, it used to be that a sentence of 4 yrs and over was a Parole sentence which meant release after 3 quaqrters if the parole board authorised, less than 4 yrs it was release at the half way point, this was changed to the system now operating a while back. As for ‘ Good behaviour’ time could be added if you misbehaved, some of which could be claimed back. Unfortunately, the EU said it was illegal to add time to the length of sentence.!! The Govt argued that it was only taking back time that was already given at sentencing stage I.e. time off for good behaviour, however we lost because we all know you can’t beat the ECJ..! The only way days could be added was if a Judge adjudicated on Prison charges. Does that make sense.?

[Mervyn and Trish]

None of it makes sense to me Scewy. To my simple mind (single meds please but double measure BTW) none of it makes sense. If the sentence is 8 years that should mean 8 years. Not 4 or 6. The only variation should be added years for misbehaviour. That's not increasing the sentence for the original crime. .It's punishment for additional bad behaviour. And while I'm on it life should mean life. If we stopped being soft on criminals there would be fewer of them once the message got through.