Webinar of Air Quality

I sat in on this webinar yesterday but loads of facts and figures so when the recording is available with all slides I will upload to this post to share. 

Health Made at Home 2nd webinar

Yesterday I joined the second webinar on Health is Made at Home - Hospitals are for repairs by Lord Nigel Crisp. The speakers were very interesting addressing men's stress and being fathers... it was good to hear how Heather Henry a nurse had helped facilitate and respected how a group of fathers had come together to help support one another..  The whole series and book that Nigel has written is looking at empowering people in their communities to help one another. Guide and support with love, respect and compassion for one another

 It was impressive to hear from Lord John Bird the founder of the Big Issue and how he had his own journey with homelessness.  I find this rather wonderful that he is now in the House of Lords... amazing hoping to read more about John. it was rather good that yesterday he was liaising with the Dr Fiona Godlee the editor in chief of the BMJ, who was chairing this meeting.  On the subject of homelessness I made reference in the chat to the enormous work the now Late Rev Paul Nicholson had put in to producing a Housing Bill that would guarantee no one was left on the streets..... I point out we cannot consider ourselves a society while we have people living and dying on the streets with no home of their own. ref: 16th Dec 2019  Deans Yard Meeting with Rev Paul Nicholson this includes the livestream recording of that meeting and speakers. Also Compassion in Politics at Oxford  TaxPayers Against Poverty 

In yesterdays webinar we were made aware of House  of Lords new Covid-19 committee that want you to take part in a reach out to find out your hopes and fears of life & society post pandemic! #lifebeyondcovid
Here is the link to submit your evidence & ideas
House of Lords Beyond Covid 19

Face Masks from ZebraMingo

Well pleased with my face masks from ZebraMingo..Kristel is a talented craftswoman from my neck of the woods Yorkshire...love the range of materials she has....she designs bags, washbags, yoga mat carrriers ...and I love my tablet padded carrier..

Saturday at Rethinking Economies Festival

I enjoy the coffee socials with room groups so much shared and so inspiring to hear innovative creative and passionate people on the desire to change societies for the better for all and this planet.. This festival gives global hope. I then signed into the "Do we need system change?" webinar.... the simple answer is yes! but we had speakers defining systems and overview of economics from academic perspective... for me got over complicated I think we need to connect more with hearts and common sense not over indulge our intellectual analysis... Though we do need data, audits and measures of outcomes.  We need to recognise patterns and forms and create pathways to improve living for all and this planet.  Out of all the speakers I found Ingrid Harvold Kvangraven from York most clear in her thought & analysis and understanding. One of the points I made in our coffee social was we need a constant view of the front-line of economic policies and their enforcement or manipulation by politics in "power", is we have to see the effects on the front-line.. If the effects are hurting and oppressing the people then we need to change those policies.. Poverty social unrest from feeling social frustration from lack of financial dignity has to be seen heard and acted upon to ease the pain. We simply cannot have dicatorship, greed in the hands of a few to the expense of the life dignity of all global citizens. We have to simply learn to listen to one another, respect one another and be a Global family..We need to encourage innovation and creativity for the benefit of all our lives and this wonderful amazing planet home that supports life.  We can no longer indulge deluded ego power politics that create wars and division among our Global family.  We all need life dignity!

 

Below are some of my chat contributions in blue highlight.

There is one system to learn from that of the ecosystem it clearly showed how it can harmonise when we humans out of the way lockdown gave amazing evidence...But we as a species showed quick adaptation to lockdown .... how businessness, entertainment TV, health clinics, communities found ways to connect & share support one another chiefly through this zoom platform  we have banks reaching out to customers creating social interaction to combat loneliness. Suddenly compassion linking in our adaptation as should be for a health society.  A society without compassion ceases to be a society.

 

 

 

Zero Waste Circular Economy - todays Economics Festival

 

Mariel Viella is a good speaker and presenter on this topic of Zero waste... circular economy here is the link to Gaia you will be able to see the recording of this later in the day on facebook Rethinking Economics

 "GAIA is a worldwide alliance of more than 800 grassroots groups, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in over 90 countries.

With our work we aim to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. 

 We envision a just, zero waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped. 

At GAIA, we see waste and its resulting pollution as a symptom of a larger, profit-driven extractive economy, and we promote zero waste as a holistic solution and an economic shift toward justice and sustainability."

   It is inspirational and rays of hope that groups of activists are coming together to problem solve waste and its effect on Climate change.  I was struck by the fact that ground fills and dumps produce heat of course with degeneration of foodstuffs that affect global warming.   I like the idea of mentor cities to achieve zero waste - I am further thinking we need model cities that spread out to mentor cities to then spread to all cities to guide through waste management and recycling.  But on the map I did not see any cities in Germany and this baffles me as I lived in Munich in the early 1990s and they were way ahead of recycling and climate issues.. streets had recycling collection points for paper, plastics glass and clothes and all shops used cotton bags not plastic... 
My first trip to India was impressed with the use of banana leaves as wrapping for lunch instead of plastic... and of course they use the tiffin tins too.. but that was in early 1990s sadly I am seeing over the years more and more waste problems there.. Seem the more consumerism is promoted with all the packaged goods then the waste material rises!! 
  I was shocked today with the overwhelming issue of countries producing masses of waste that it is shipped to other countries to deal with.  I had seen reports of this but today really hit home on the craziness of this.. 
There was a suggestion that burnable waste could be used for Cement kilns rather than using fossil fuels this seems a better solution... also for steel industry and forges I am thinking. 
I got a bit confused in our chat on the PAYT Pay as you throw... In my mind was thinking it would be good initiative and incentive for citizens to get some voucher for using recycling centres... not as a fine for throwing but to reward recycling... Maybe in local supermarkets sponsoring food vouchers..... 
I have also put in the chat and Question comments about our local Brunel University graduate that has devised building materials from waste that is durable, insulating & fire retardant Biohm  plus discovered a mycellium that can digest plastics... So brilliant afternoon of sharing....

Rethinking Economics Festival

So much going on with the Zoom platform... I am zooming all over lol in my slippers from home... I loved going to meetings when out and about with my Freedom pass and now the pass is gathering dust in my handbag as meeting come to me... my arthritic knees grateful for this.. 

Today was lovely joined a lunch time coffee social and it was good to share with like minds and innovative minds on the need to rethink economics.  We all had concern over climate change and our need to change... I am getting used to the Zoom room allocations to break up into groups... and this is great connecting time. Was lovely to meet Cameron from Manchester.. we could have talked for hours on all he is doing and what I am doing. 

Just now I have been in a webinar presentation asking Why is the Economics profession not treating the Climate Crisis as a Crisis.... 
My thoughts are that we the general public should get more involved with economics as our whole lives are affected by models and policies. So instead of being passive participators we need to question when there is pain in society from badly thought out economic policies.  Economics i am seeing is an interweave of sociology, health & well being of individuals and communities, it needs to have respect for life on earth and this planet home.  So it is reassuring we have groups that are challenging established models of thoughts and policy. 
There are some links to share  Rethinking Economics
Econ4future with pdf report The pdf is downloadable entitled Beyond Economics as Usual - treating a crisis like a crisis. 

"The task of decarbonising the global economy is enormous. The task of doing so in a just way that

enables prosperity is more enormous still. And the task of doing both in the narrow window of time we

have left to avert the worst consequences of environmental breakdown leaves the enormity of this task

with few historical parallels. The stakes are huge. If we are going to have a fighting chance of tackling

this, it will need the hearts and minds of as many of this planet's eight billion people as possible. Everyone

must, in countless different ways, play their part."

 

 

 

 

Zoom to Launch Claim the Future

Claim The Future 
Good to Zoom in on the launch of Claim the Future a project organised by John McDonnell my MP Hayes & Harlington, with speakers from all corners of the globe NZ to NY Joseph Stiglitz, Jayati Ghosh, Tina Ngata & Asad Rehman.   and attendees from around the world.  Wednesday 22nd July 2020

I like and see the point that covid-19 is serving as a portal to a new future and the need for a collective imagination. Alongside the pandemic we have the additional crisis of Climate Change so we have to change! 

"There is no going back to business as usual.For our planet, our communities and our future, we need to unite behind a radical and optimistic vision of the world we can build together."

this quote is so true as individuals and communities have been hurt with the pandemic; and in this we saw a dramatic observation which served as major evidence of what we had done in our reckless behaviour. We saw in lockdown how the planet was healing and recovering from our damage.  It gave us a sharp contrast to what our lives & living styles had created pre pandemic and what could be if we work with our planet. We have to value ourselves, our communities and our one planet home.  This means radical change in the way we live our lives or we will not have life to live!  This is my thought on this but if you follow the active link above you will be able to learn more and see the recording of the zoom meeting on the Claim the Future facebook page and join in. 

Virtual Connections Cafe today

 This was an interesting Webinar for the first 30 mins I could attend.  I had to leave the meeting for the much needed and awaited for hair salon appointment. Lockdown one of biggest challenge of us all was the lack of hairdressing...lol I have reclaimed myself now.  But I did get some questions through to the speakers and they were valued & answered.   I was intrigued by the fibre networking project as I saw this implemented in Belgium last year on one of my visits to Family Link Up.... So my question was that with Brexit are we to walk from substantial funding for this?  It came to light that there is funding being invested by the UK for this project, one source the Railway pension fund.  I have been keen to google more on this being a WASPI women that lost out on 6 yrs of my State Pension.  So I have found this article to explain the Railway pension funding investment.  Real Assets  I am keen to learn more on this and observe developments. 

“As a long-term investor, we see our partnership with Community Fibre as a natural fit that will allow us to generate strong returns over time and help fulfil our mission to pay members’ pensions securely, affordably and sustainably.”

 
 
 
 
 
The questions to Tim was why were there 2 cabinets as it is important to link all departments and projects for better communication in the council? and the other was what plans were there in place given the vast amount of people losing jobs as a result of the pandemic to support them with rents. The job losses lead to need for Universal Credit paid in arrears and housing benefit paid in arrears. So the support is needed for the system failure created debts! 
There will be recordings of the meeting and I will upload as soon as I have the link.