Prospects, Wednesday, 23 January, 2008
- 23 Jan 08, 10:24 AM
Carol Rubra is today's programme producer. Here is her early email to the team.
Good morning,
It's a fairly quiet day when we could go our own way. Please have a think about a big issue we could take on.
Or
Today the European Union is announcing its energy strategy. It will include a 20% target for energy produced from renewables by 2020, and details of how the new Emissions Trading Scheme will work. Countries will be required to auction some of the permits which have previously been free and many are concerned that this will have an impact on how competitive European businesses will be able to be. As we enter a period of global economic instability, and concern about the increased economic power of China and India is this a dangerous moment to be inflicting such tough targets on business, but then again can we afford the damage to the planet if we fail to cut emissions? Which interesting speakers should we try and get in the studio for a discussion on growth v dealing with climate change?
We also have a film about how on the 75th anniversary of the Courtauld Institute, they are reappraising the complicated figure, of Anthony Blunt, who made the Institute what it is. He lectured there from the beginning but his role as inspirational art historian has been fudged until now, upstaged by his other, more controversial activities.
What other stories should we be doing? And how we can put our own stamp on it?
Faith schools - in an interview David Cameron implies that parents who "find faith" to get their children into the right schools are good members of society.
Knife crime and youth crime - ACPO are announcing their strategy to deal with huge increases in these crimes tomorrow.
Gaza
Peter Hain
Police march on pay
Supercasinos
Or something completely different?
Carol
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How about a follow up on the policy exchange thing- or is this already scheduled for some other time? I don't think the police pay thing is anything big- they obviously want more than they are getting but the govt is trying to control inflation so doesn't want to gove it them- nothing particularly interesting or special about this!
There's a very disturbing story in today's guardian about the war in Congo where 45,000 are killed every month, including many children:
Also, how about a bit about this campaign to encourage people to buy free range chicken. It seems to have taken the supermarkets by surprise, as most have sold out constantly. More than 100, 000 people have signed up to the campaign (www.chickenout.tv) and there is more by the day. However we haven't had any proper reports about how demand has been affected.
Nick
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Surely the big story which isn't really being covered at present is the delay to the National ID Card scheme ??
There seems to be a lot more to this 'leak' than meets the eye, and could warrant further investigation.
Other than that, following on from the great film by Peter Marshall, and Mr Paxman's excellent interview with the Norwegian PM, what about getting Madeleine Bunting to talk about 'work intensification' and the effect it is having on people's health?
This was covered in her book 'Willing Slaves'. You could also get Ruth Lea on, as she seems to think that an epidemic of stress related illness is just down to a load of malingering employees trying to 'swing the lead'.
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ID cards gets my vote.
When is a leak not a leak, what is Gordon's view on compulsion, what is the political and practical significance of the latest delay?
Nice idea about Chicken Out, perhaps tie in with the new healthy eating/cooking innitiatives?
A
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>more controversial activities.<<
seeing that every single one of the uk agents were betrayed all whom ended up dead he is not just some naughty old man.
for his cause he would betray you and your family.
any attempt at historical rehabilitation for someone with blood on their hands is obscene.
what next? Goering liked art so he wasn't all bad...
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We have just completed the AGM of the Faithworkers Branch of Unite the Union. Yes, about 2500 clergy are members of unions.
We had a session on the Health and Safety for clergy - it is actually recognised that clergy are a group that are most vulnerable to attack.
One of the concerns raised was the response of parents when a vicar refuses to perjure themselves by writing false references for parents who want to get their children into Faith Schools.
SOme of our members described the retalitory attacks they had suffered which they suspected had come from such parents!
Rev'd Dr Mike Bossingham
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ENERGETIC ENQUIRY
The history of electricity is short. It’s SUBTLE application has hardly begun. The first electricity was taken from thunder clouds – there is a lot more up there. There will soon be many more economic sources and smart usage of electricity. Newsnight should seek out the latest information and avoid the tunnel-vision experts.
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WRY SMILE
Is it me or is there something incongruous about a faithworkers' union? Further, I am no Christian, but surely Jesus was specific about what to do when attacked? Or has Rowan Williams debunked that as well?
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I'd like to see something on think tanks in general, on their funding sources, their status as charities & the extent of their influence on politics and the media.
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Since when does the EC determine the power generation solution to zero carbon emissions for its member states? Why does the media fall into the trap of arguing the EC's partial agendas.
Why cover the country with inneficient and unpredictable renewables when we can build carbon zero footprint 2nd generation nuclear power stations to meet our base load needs in a controllable way. We, and the French, have the technology, its MUCH safer and cleaner than it was and disposal can be safe for a long time if invested in. Much more effective in reducing carbon emissions.
And we will move eventually to Fusion in which Europe leads - and will use some technologies from 2nd generation fission designs. As a nuclear power we can lead in this field, if we have the will and the understanding.
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Interesting debate on the environment - The points from the man from the New Economics organisation were bang on.
Europe, and specifically the UK, have done rather well out of the Industrial Revolution and massive resource use has become so normal it's hard for people to imagine otherwise. Yet as pointed out many people with a lot less have the same 'life satisfaction', so it's completely relevant to step back and say "what's the point?"!
Stop saying we have to 'make sacrifices'! What we have now is historically very unusual! A small reduction in the resources we use is unlikely to make anyone in this country starve, freeze or go hungry.
Count your blessings.
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Cutting emissions. Don't buy from China, or India, you consumer junkies. Simple.
I'm sure we should be a cleaner Country than either of those two. Why nail our manufacturing industries, and heavy industries, and allow them to go abroad. Surely this is a new oppurtunity for those industries in terms of being cleaner, and part of the solution.
How many millions of people travel to work in their cars, to brightly lit warm offices. A lot. I imagine service industry traffic cause most of the jam's on the roads, but this will not be taken into account. Even out of town shopping centre's are an indirect cause of pollution, apart from their own power requirments.
I'm sure, yet again our industry will be hit more than anybody else's. We will just get steel, a little bit cheaper from a dirtier, less efficient country, like everything else. It's just fuzzy logic from labour again. They are dangerous.
When showing an item about the enviroment, stop showing Redcar Steel works, and show an estate agent instead.
But then, I don't know anything.
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Cutting emissions. Don't buy from China, or India, you consumer junkies. Simple.
I'm sure we should be a cleaner Country than either of those two. Why nail our manufacturing industries, and heavy industries, and allow them to go abroad. Surely this is a new oppurtunity for those industries in terms of being cleaner, and part of the solution.
How many millions of people travel to work in their cars, to brightly lit warm offices. A lot. I imagine service industry traffic cause most of the jam's on the roads, but this will not be taken into account. Even out of town shopping centre's as well as one's like meadow hall are an indirect cause of pollution, apart from their own power requirments.
I'm sure, yet again, our industry will be hit more than any other country. We will just get steel (because we still need it), a little bit cheaper from dirtier, less efficient countries, like everything else. It's just fuzzy logic from labour again. They are dangerous.
But then, I don't know anything.
Also, when showing an item on the enviroment, stop showing Redcar Steel works, and show an estate agent instead, for a change, please, all you news programmes.
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