DutchEnery

Rather than talk about Brexit there are more pressing matters in this world of ours. The various reports about climate change to take first. There should be no more doubt that this is due to human behaviour. It means, car driving, aeroplane use, power generation and agricultural mismanagement. Car driving in the world is at an all time high, millions of tonnes of CO2, Nitro gases, sulphuric acid just to name a few, similar to aeroplane exhausts. Jet engines spew out quite a bit. If you want to know how many planes are in the sky at any moment and you have a computer, go to flightradar24.com, you will be dumbfounded. Power generation now uses wood chips in many cases and are just as harmful. Also just to counteract those who say that wind turbines and solar panels are the answer. Yes, in some ways but they have to be manufactured, wind turbines use a lot of concrete for their base which needs a lot of cement which has to be manufactured and the steel as well. In the agricultural se...

This must be the last time I have to write something about Brexit. Our elected half-wits have let us down pretty badly. From where I am sitting as a previous Dutch national wonderfully integrated in Wales, the referendum of 2016 in which I took part, was pretty clear. Two questions, are you in or out, there were no conditions, no supplementary questions, no advice. Answer, by a 52% majority – OUT. In anyone’s thinking that meant we will leave the EU. But no, ever since that historic day a sizeable proportion of a mixed number of politicians and others have tried to subvert the referendum decision. Calling for another referendum without actually realising that is not democratic despite proclaiming they are democratic! Putting all sorts of objections, lies and personal opinions in the way. Simply because it means that every decision to be made in the future can be overturned by a minority if shouting loud enough. They would say however, you have to try to overturn bad decisions! So, we...

All that was said about the quality etc etc of our MPs speaking generally, was proved to be absolutely correct. Vividly displayed in the Commons yesterday. Whether you are against or for leaving the EU, the problem needs solid thinking and some compromise on all sides. I am in favour of out is out. In other words Leave without a deal. Any deal always needs two sides. That will work if all are genuine lookers for the best outcome for both worlds. In this case that is not the situation. Both sides appear to be intransigent. The words that have been spent in it for over two years defy all logic. Scaremongering, out and out lies, deviation from normal practices of negotiation. Brilliant stuff for a movie! These people (MPs, EuroMPs, ministers, and more) whom we elected to look after our, the general population’s interest and well-being have failed miserably. Our MPs have been shown up in their real colours, self-serving halfwits. Time to get it sorted, even if it has to be a general e...

You can learn a lot by listening and watching TV. There is some debate at the moment about the actions of historical figures. For instance, Cromwell, Cecil Rhodes. But why not Hitler, or Washington as well? There are loads more, Catherine the Great of Russia etc. But what is talked about is their actions, either done by themselves or condoned and perpetrated by others. We are talking genocide, murder, and a host of other unpleasant things. The problem is though we are now judging these persons by our present standards. I am not advocating that our present standards of life are something to be applauded, thinking about the knife murders in London and recently a knife murder in a London bound train, but surely we cannot judge historical figures by our own standards, views and opinions. Peoples’ attitudes were much more basic, life had a different meaning. Yes, people always wanted a peaceful existence but with the political systems of the past, the aristocracy vying for power and statu...

On this nice New Year's day I went on a walk with the family. Across the Ogmore Valley. There is a bit of a Common there, an area actually belonging to the Crown but otherwise open to the public. Also a forested area belonging to the Forestry Commission and a few farms. But what was upsetting to see is the amount of rubbish all around. Apparently people do come, most likely from the Bridgend/Aberkenfig areas to drop plastic bags full of cr*p. Household rubbish, cartons from the fast-food industry. Just to name a few. I think MacDonalds and Burgerking must be charged 10p for every box/bag/wrapping paper they give out. That money to be shared out among those areas or boroughs where there are such establishments to aid in clearing up. I have probably said this before although again not everybody is at fault, but there are many, too many, young people who seem to have no love for their surroundings. Don't seem to mind living in squalor, rotting food rests all around, paper, plastic...