What the papers said in the week ending October 3rd
Celebrating Creation
- We are increasingly aware of environmental threats to the future of the world we have known: Governments appear to be taking this seriously now. Is it possible that the Covid-19 crisis is realigning appreciation of values and priorities? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/28/world-leaders-pledge-to-halt-earth-destruction-un-summit
- We find that some species of butterfly are struggling https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/28/record-low-number-british-butterflies-baffles-scientists-annua-big-butterfly-count
- Each year sees the creation of new plants – but the loss of some established species https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/30/world-plant-species-risk-extinction-fungi-earth#:~:text=Two%20in%20five%20of%20the,species%20before%20they%20were%20lost.
- There is optimism in the valuable effects of hedgerows – mini-forests which are useful in many ways and make economic sense: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/30/how-the-humble-hedgerow-can-help-us-breathe
- The importance of parks to mental and physical health has been appreciated during the crisis – there remain fears that they do not receive the protection and sponsorship they need and deserve https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/30/parks-need-friends-to-keep-them-safe
- And the application of policy to practice in London has seen levels of poisons in the atmosphere greatly reduce – Certainly something to be pleased about and to replicate elsewhere. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/03/dramatic-plunge-in-london-air-pollution-since-2016-report-finds
Away from the green and pleasant sphere of ‘nature’ there are mixed messages from politics and health policy
- We have our government telling schools not to use published works which question the virtues of capitalism- It is suggested this would ban the writing of Iris Murdoch, Tom Paine, William Morris and others of high standing https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/sep/27/uk-schools-told-not-to-use-anti-capitalist-material-in-teaching
- Quite properly, this authoritarian suppression of freedom is lampooned by letter writers https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/sep/30/anti-capitalist-guidance-for-schools-is-ludicrous
- This same government is found to have fantasised transporting asylum seekers to several distant lands https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/sep/30/revealed-no-10-explores-sending-asylum-seekers-to-moldova-morocco-and-papua-new-guinea
- The Windrush scandal and promise of compensation is not moving on: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/sep/30/windrush-victims-sceptical-about-home-office-improvement-plan
The same government’s determination to ignore international law has been met by the predictable and utterly reasonable response of legal action https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/oct/01/brexit-eu-launches-legal-action-against-uk-for-breaching-withdrawal-agreement
Sustained undermining and threats to the future of the BBC are seen to be attacks on basic principles which we would not want to deny: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/01/bbc-right-liberalism-corporation-equality-facts-law
There is suspicion that official figures under report the incidence of covid in care homes in the second surge https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/30/care-home-coronavirus-outbreaks-cast-doubt-on-official-phe-data
- But the ingenuity and resilience of the care home sector internationally is evidenced by the introduction of competitive virtual cycling https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/02/the-global-cycling-competition-helping-care-home-residents-see-the-world
- Extreme thinking would have all older people restricted in their movements to make them safe: ‘Age-based apartheid’ says the head of NHS England – and most people over 65 https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/sep/28/asking-over-65s-to-shield-is-age-based-apartheid-nhs-england-boss-says-covid
There are other serious matters:
- The world has registered one million deaths attributed to covid – and this is certainly a minimum estimate. We have to review how we have responded to this virus and we will think we could have done better – It is not clear what the future will be bringing https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2020/sep/29/one-million-coronavirus-deaths-how-did-we-get-here-covid
- It is fascinating to find that the genes which render people of South Asian populations more vulnerable to the worst effects of covid, can be traced to a Neanderthal pedigree https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/sep/30/neanderthal-genes-increase-risk-of-serious-covid-19-study-claims
- Fascinating but unlikely to lead to therapeutic options – perhaps greater shielding
Other matters:
The Church’s headline this week relates to compensation for victims of abuse.
- The world is needing leadership in ethics and morals from the faiths. This is an important move to make some recompense for wrongs done – But the original behaviour has weakened the credibility of the church when it is greatly needed https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/sep/28/church-of-england-approves-compensation-for-sexual-abuse-survivors
- Buildings which the Victorian Society considers to be ‘architectural gems’ are at risk of being lost. These include church buildings: Darlington Street Methodist Church in Wolverhampton is cited as one https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/sep/30/hospital-and-circus-theatre-among-most-at-risk-listed-buildings
- Some buildings no longer fit for their original purpose can become centres for education or entertainment for the curious – as with the prison of Bodmin https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/oct/01/inside-bodmin-jail-britain-most-haunted-building-prison-visitor-attraction-cornwall
Claims that toilets with a double flush save water have been found to be wrong, as they are more prone to leaks https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/29/dual-flush-toilets-wasting-more-water-than-they-save
Two important advances in understanding of health matters in women reveal
- a link between irregular periods and early death https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/oct/01/irregular-periods-linked-to-increased-risk-of-death-before-the-age-of-70-says-bmj
- And confirm the effectiveness of treatment to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer which used to be such a dreadful killer https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/oct/01/hpv-vaccine-helps-prevent-invasive-cervical-cancer-landmark-study-shows
Looking for comfort and the elevation of spirit which can come from simple pleasures,
- we are promised a new book of poetry https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/02/the-lost-words-followup-the-lost-spells-inspire-action-change-nature-books
- And attention is drawn to one road toward male mental health. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/oct/02/mortimer-and-whitehouse-gone-fishing-mens-health-male-friendship
Chris Birch (92) and his wife Betty (90) ask for demystification of modern jargon. This would help many of us www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/oct/01/wanted-a-glossary-for-us-old-fogies
Out of all the turmoil – It is refreshing to read a proposal for major review of the way we conduct our business – of a similar scale, and perhaps direction, to the changes of 1945 Report calls for universal care service to transform UK economy
David Jolley