SO the Government forced through fracking in Lancashire after all, against the local planners’ wishes. P

Protestors had been put in gaol (now released). So much for democracy and free speech!

In the same week as allowing fracking, the government celebrated Green GB week showcasing what it has done in the past 10 years. What a contradicting juxtaposition of events.

The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said this month that the world has only 12 years in which to try and keep the rise in global temperature to no more than 1.5C, beyond which even half a degree will significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty already happening here and around the world.

It said limiting warming to 1.5C is possible within the laws of chemistry and physics but doing so would require unprecedented changes.

We are already seeing the consequences of only 10C of warming through more extreme weather. Remember our hot summer? Remember last winter?

Shame on our government for yet again ignoring the IPCC’s warnings.

One of the early changes made by the government was remove many of the ‘green’ initiatives then in place, e.g. developers no longer needed to comply with the sustainability code for houses.

Wind turbines were banned on land, incentives were reduced for installing solar panels, etc. Not exactly complying with what was said back in 2010 that it would be '…the greenest government..'

However, there is something you can do, several somethings in fact.

Most importantly you can continuously contact your MP to leave them in no doubt that you want the government to act more strongly in favour of clean, green energy solutions instead of subsidising fossil fuels.

Then tell them that developers must be made to build us proper sustainable homes i.e. homes with good insulation, solar panels and energy storage systems, rainwater harvesting and grey water recycling, all as standard.

Last year, because of severe drought, Cape Town had only 55 litres of water per person.

By April 2018 that had dropped to 25 litres. We don’t want that level of drought here.

We can all do our bit, and don’t listen to the nay-sayers - it does make a difference. Not as big a one as if the government did what it should, but still a difference.

Thought for the week: I will not use the car this week unless I really have to.