Useful book on Climate Change

This book was given to me at the ExCel last Tuesday when I attended the Reset Connect exhibition on sustainability & net Zero ..

 

Library awareness of Serkan Bayram's book

Turkish Inspiration

I have made our local librarian aware of Serkan Bayram's book A Piece of Grain ..the very brave, very compassionate MP in the Turkish parliament that is a voice for reform and rights to improve the lives & opportunities of the disabled .. Serkan was badly burned as a baby, his hands deformed but despite all his pain and because of his pain...he has turned that pain into campaign for all disabled. A Netflix film is soon to be available on his life story. Our librarian was inpressed that Serkan had been invited to our UK parliament and was wishing he could speak to us locally too. But through his book and film we can all read and hear of his story. His story gives hope and inspiration to all disabled and that we care and respect needs.

Charville Library London Borough of Hillingdon 

YOUR Parliament

 👩‍💻you know how I bang on about parliament being our parliament a people's parliament...not an exclusive club. It is a place where you CAN get your voices heard. Last week in John McDonnell's Parliamentary seminar, the Parliamentary staff gave me these leaflets.. to share .. The Speaker of the House, Black Rod and Sargent of Arms..all keen to make YOU, the citizens aware that you have a constitutional right to get involved..it's your UK Parliament..   

Today nipped to our local library and our librarian is keen to order these leaflets and put up a display. Teachers and community workers you too can get these information leaflets and posters.. 👩‍🚒👨‍🚒👩‍🍳👨‍🍳👩‍🌾👨‍🌾👩‍⚖👨‍⚖👩‍🏫👨‍🏫👩‍🎓👨‍🎓👩‍🔧👨‍🏭👩‍🏭👨‍💼👩‍💼👨‍🔬👩‍🔬👨‍💻👩‍💻👨‍👩‍👧‍👧👨‍👩‍👦‍👦👨‍👩‍👧‍👦👨‍👩‍👧

Then spotted this book on the teen library shelves 

😊 appropriate book spotted on the Teen Library shelves in the library... checked it out to read..as need to know what inspirational work is available to feed our teenagers... instead of some of the worrying craziness on youtube, tik tocky thingy and other platforms that can affect lives negatively rather than enhance .. 

Reset Connect ExCel

In my busy week I was able to attend the Reset Connect Sustainability & net Zero event on day one Tuesday held at the ExCel. Wow I am  continuing to find the power of our Elizabeth Line as was a direct link up from Hayes & Harlington to Customs House stop. The stop literally at the doorway to the exhibition centre!.  I was made aware of this exhibition through my social media contact with Kate Raworth - those of you that have been following this blog will know,  I was blown away with her lecture on the Doughnut Model of Economics at Oxford University before we went into lockdown. I actually missed her presentation at the Resest Connect on Tuesday but by wonderful utter chance went for a coffee and lo & behold she was sat resting before her return to Oxford. We had a good talk together and I hope we can meet up again. I made Kate aware I am always referencing her work in Zoom meetings on Climate and economics, retweeting to the UN and EU, plus, been asking my MP John McDonnell to invite Kate to his series of seminars in parliament. John will no doubt invite her and Kate would be happy to attend. She just makes so much sense in her model of circular economy and all benefitting -  no poverty and care for our one planet home Earth - our life support system!

Here are a selection of photos from the exhibition I expected more technological innovative ideas but the core emphasis was on funding structures to go green. There was an observable formation of Consultation companies to guide and advise organisations and established companies and businesses to go green. There was also ways to fund the transition to green.  The stands that did have some innovation tended to be looking at the issue that if we are to rely on nature to generate electricity through wind & solar (and my note but sadly not seen at the exhibition  - wave kinetic energy) then we need to be able to store electricity from the surges and to cover the times of no or little activity of production. Thus nature is unpredictable and may not link to our surge in demands. So if you scroll down you will see that I have some handouts from a company Storelectric I spent a really interesting time with Mark Howitt, the Chief Technical Officer discussing storage and we were joined by a Ukrainian Engineer scouting for solutions for the eventual rebuild of Ukraine. If you follow the link to the website you will see the solution to storage is in salt NaCl Caverns. 

But you may have to drill down through a rock strata when you view the diagram and read the technique.  So my thoughts: this needs energy to do this! Also my clinical biological background was wondering if there was any ionic exchange or affect from salt. Just gets me thinking.. However something has been always on my mind of concern with all our technological innovations is the end product may be Net Zero or well on the way to being Net Zero. However, the process and production line may still cause climate concern.  So for example, the raw products for an end product solution will need resources that may involve mining. That mining needs to be done in a very well thought out eco friendly way.  Seems no matter what we think or design there will inevitably be some impact on our Earth. 

For this I continue to stress we need to help savvy youth that have the intelligence and the wisdom to be able to combine engineering skills with ecosystem knowledge & understanding and the biological impact on all life forms.  We have only this one earth and we need to be very careful with systems that lead to the destruction of our planets ability to support all life. So when we spot youth talent then our youth need fast tracking into universities to pilot ideas and solutions to our climate crisis. They need to also spend time with scientist and engineers already working on solutions to cross fertilise ideas. The only way.... only .... only way is for us all to work together around the globe. My usual rant is also to stop immature war tantrums that are destroying infrastructures and lives causing more problems. Solutions to climate needs collective problem solving. 

The Climate X Spectra stand was fascinating and no not from James Bond with the company name and project.  But is a predictor risk analysis for properties and communities around the world. I spent some time with this and another interested attendee. The data is gained from historical incidences of flooding and wild fires and then looks as the Climate crisis deepens at further risk. This is of course useful for insurance cover. But insurance cover is becoming unsustainable in mega high risk areas.  We clicked on California and were shocked a the deep red area of cover on this package. The increasing intense wild fires make it impossible for insurance cover with companies pulling out.  So we need as adults with care & compassion find solutions to compensate losses & help those affected rebuild broken lives. We urgently need engineers to come up with resilence infrastructures to extremes - fires, flooding and earthquakes all of which will intensify. This very point, if you remember from a previous post on the Happy to Chat in Uxbridge, I discussed with Engineering students from Brunel University. This is like "Crash Call Urgent" and should have been thought about decades ago when scientists and some of our Royal family were predicting climate problems.  We also clicked on Venice on this Spectre package and that as you can imagine was red alert for flooding. This also becomes a major issue for museums and art galleries where to store their treasures.  But alas our biggest treasure is crying out for us to wake up and care for her ....Mother Earth.. Gaia Remember our planet is like a macro organism, all interconnected, you cannot do one thing in one area of the globe without it impacting on another area.  The deforestation of the Amazon Forest in large areas is directly linked to the flooding in Bangladesh for example.  This has been known for decades, yet the behaviour not corrected. Profit making must look long term at the overall effect on our planet.. otherwise what use £$$£$£$ if no Oxygen to support life!

I attended a workshop looking at short and long term goals. The need to look long term vital. Was shocked that in some financial companies if a employee does not meet the short term profit goals, they are sacked.  Where is the logic in this and the employment legality of this? Every pitch, every marketing idea MUST now in this "Crash Call Urgent"  need to respond to the Climate crisis. This has to have CEO backing and departmental management backing to insist on the future impact of any ideas. Plus, what about the staff wastage of sacking when you may be throwing away staff with good long term ideas. I am no longer in the work environment so now retired outside looking in and to me it makes sense to support staff in ideas that have yes, a profit margin now, but have long term viability to keep the company and planet safe! Creativity and analysis is key making sure teams and team leaders are in an harmonious togetherness to find and put into action solutions for all our survival. In our group we had a CEO of a pub network. She discussed in length about the problems they were facing in sustainability and net zero. I listened then asked, " How much water does your company use?"  She had not factored this in to her discussion but it is a real need to urgently consider as water shortage is a growing problem as weather patterns alter. I pointed out that being from Yorkshire and knowing we have those keen on potholing,  our pot holers are noticing underground water fall over rocks less and under ground lakes drying.. that is a very big ALERT worry. So it further exemplifies how we need to think all along the chain from beginning to end product what we are doing to the planet and how to adapt. As my eldest daughter is a catering manager and the pub chain being discussed relies on catering -  it was pointed out by me, the problem of sourcing food products now that customers are losing seasonal variation of foods and expecting for example strawberries all year round.  The production market now is in forced horticulture of fruits and vegetables to meet all our demands. This needs high input of energy for out of season growth.  Plus transport energy from sources around the world markets.

I was able to put in our concern as a clinician at the NHS and healthcare and the need to reduce wastage and the power needs of supporting care. see our activists doctors campaign Health for a Green New Deal  I also pointed out the Health Impact of Climate Crisis and how we urgently need to plan to support, protect and ensure survival of citizens. See Global Climate & Health Alliance you will also see scorecards on countries meeting or not meeting net zero.  These could be adapted to companies and organisations with each company and organisation recruiting a climate manager to audit performance! 

See the challenges! 

Storelectric

More on storage solutions and below a company looking at off grid storage.  I will upload more from the exhibition as I look through my bag of handouts and business cards that I gathered.  Will refer in this post but some will be need specific blog posts for me to discuss further and link in other work that may help.  Hope you find this post useful and feel in some way you were there with me.

Pramac Offgrid energy

Debt seminar Parliament

it has been another busy week for me attending meetings. On Monday evening 26th June was the last of the series of seminars that my MP John McDonnell has been putting on in Parliament.  These seminars are very well attended and some are travelling in to attend from outside London. It feels like many are wishing change in politics and certainly for voices to be heard in what is a peoples parliament. This session was a very worrying look at debt Global and close to us all = household debt given the stress of cost of living that we are all experiencing.  I personally heard from a woman passenger on the train saying she was in a situation where she was using her credit not debit card to buy food.  The cost of mortgage payments and energy over powering her funds despite working hard.  Oh this reminds me of my situation in the Thatcher recession was impossible to keep on top especially as my husband of the time was made redundant and in the NHS contracts were hard to come by for me yet agency was possible. But Agency work you are at the mercy of timesheets being processed to get funds in your bank to hit a direct debit. If it misses then throws finances into chaos!  So I can feel for the population now falling into this trend.   Reducing spending power fails my logic analysis how this can reduce inflation when all it does is inhibits customer spending to businesses and then they go under making staff redundant. Maybe I think too simplistic or is it that bankers and financers make things far to complicated. But then it gets complicated as there are too many fingers in the pie all wishing their share of profit. Even making money out of debt!  My thoughts on this!

Now some notes from the seminar though I have put the links into the two organisations that the speakers were from. Adrienne Roberts from The Money Charity and Heidi from Debt Justice. 

Household debt £65,513 average debt

10 million in debt in UK

greater than £2,000 debt on credit cards

every 4 mins a declaration of insolvency and bankrupt

Lower income pay highest % of interest on debt

Private renters in debt and this also has impact on landlord and property 

2019 collective debt in UK £1.6 million Click on The Money Charity link to learn more.

There was also a reference to Johanna Montgomerie "should we abolish household debt? book is available on this.

I was able in the Questions and comments stand up for women DV survivors and the fact perpetrators will financially ruin their victim - leaving her at the mercy of benefits. Benefits paid in arrears thus a starting point for debt in new life = this is dangerous given her vulnerable mental state. I pointed out that I had vocalised in the APPG poverty that this is not her debt but the system failing her and generating debt with poor management of support see Women's Voices to be Heard
 Debt Justice  The Money Charity 

We also looked at Global debt with the problem of Debt & Climate Crisis.

Shocking to hear 54 countries in debt crisis. Yet as I pointed out in COP26 pre read pdf download $70 trillion was available for countries and communities to go green.  Heidi confirmed this would be given in loans so the issue compounds in paying back the loans allocated. Yet we also have heard recently that USA in trillions of debt and had to raise the ceiling on debt to keep the country going!!?? This all man made we really need to rethink our economy models.  I keep seeing all the war tantrums causing tantrum like attacks on life and infrastructures. Utter madness! Please click on the link for Debt Justice to read and learn more as I will too. I may add more to this blog post over the next few weeks or create more posts on the subject of debt. 

A few of us arrived early for the meeting and were able to sit in the staff room in Porticullis to chat among ourselves.  Someone recommended this read which I need to find a copy of.

Turkish Inspiration

Wednesday I had a second meeting in Parliament in the Wilson Room Porticulus House. A very powerful, inspirational and moving meeting with Serkan Bayram an MP from the Turkish Parliament. Serkan had severe burns when a baby and his hands are deformed as a consequence but he has risen through all the adversity and all the pain to become a very loud compassionate voice in parliament. He has introduced policies to help all disabled to live yes live be respected and given chances to overcome obstacles.  Obstacles put in the way of able bodied people and their attitudes and lack of understanding of the needs of those with handicaps. Serkan showed us all that we are more than the body we are mind spirit and heart that is where the ultimate power leads as we link to the divine that created all. It was a very apt meeting after attending the Compassion in Politics meeting prior.  Something very personally special happened to me.. we were in the Wilson room dedicated to my mum's favourite PM. She loved Harold and his wife Mary as they gave the impression that if you knocked on the door of Downing street you would not be turned away but invited in.. That they would say "come on in lets get the kettle on tell me what you need help with and we will help you!"

in the old days you could actually go down Downing street and stand outside where now the media only is permitted. But this link with my mum does not stop here. Mum had a birth injury that led to her left arm being paralysed and atrophied in a condition known as Erbs Palsy.  I told Serkan this through an interpretator in a very private connected time despite us being in a packed room.   He replied that is why you became a Nurse and Midwife. Yes and found a way to prevent this injury in an Obstetric emergency of Shoulder Dystocia. 

But something even more happened to the meeting. Recently I had watched a UNICEF documentary where one of our celebrities, Alex Brooker who also has deformed hands had visited Zaartari camp in Jordan to meet a Syrian girl with a deformed hand. This is the most powerful part of me sharing this with Serkan is that Alex also met a Syrian refugee in the camp that was using 3D printer technology to produce prosthetics.  He had made a prosthetic hand for the little girl!

I feel blessed to have met Serkan and we held one another in an embrace that for me was twofold not only holding him now but that baby I had seen on the film trailer.  I love babies and it was so painful to see Serkan as a baby in pain. But is has done something I know as I do this too he Turned His Pain into Campaign and this is life raision d'etre he is a very loud compassionate voice for all that have had injuries and are disabled in someway to enable a better life and live their lives with dignity respect and ability to share their creativity with us all. This is a voice he wants to resonnate around the world. 

I am thankful for Turkeys work with Syrian refugees and hope that we can change the world to a peaceful caring world no wars to cause pain and injury. To care for our planet to lessen Climate crisis morbidity from earthquakes and disasters. Our planet is feeling handicapped by our disrespect for the care and life support mother Earth gives us. We need to heal ourselves, our societies and our planet. Compassion is key Understanding essential. Love removes obstacles with love there are no obstacles and no borders.

A piece of Grain Film link

Turkish Institute link in London

Alex Brooker UNICEF visit to Zaatari camp

Compassion in Politics meeting

Marianne Williamson

What an amazing meeting and experience. Marianne has impressed me and you know why? While we were waiting to go into the meeting room she arrived and immediately engaged with us all, wishing to learn about us. A Sign in my books of a good politician that reaches out to the people. cares and listens to them. You cannot put policies together without understanding the citizens needs and how those policies will affect them. Policies need to be made to enhance citizens lives, facilitate their voices heard and their creativity and ideas expressed for the benefit of whole society, No one should feel undervalued and disrespected, But heard and valued and helped when in need of help. Compassion can only flow if there is egolessness. selflessness and empathy for others and understanding of others. 

There is no doubt a need for self care and compassion to keep mind body and spirit balanced. This is needed in order to give to others your time and energy in wellness and harmony. A far cry from greedy selfishness that devours self and oppresses others. As the speakers and audience came together in this parliament meeting room it was a working example of how we need to come together to problem solve all the issues we are facing globally. My additional note and touched upon we sure need to mature out of war tantrums and its destruction for the sake of our planet home and our continued existence and prevent our extinction!

We also saw how we are a peoples parliament able to meet up like we did in Parliament offices. Parliament is not an exclusive club it is a place for peoples voices to be heard and share with those elected to augment our voices in the chamber... and from this design policies and acts of parliament for the betterment of peoples lives and society..... not cause pain.

Compassion in Politics
 

in between meetings the staff let me eat a sandwich in the staff room in Portculis House I spotted this notice and it needs to be taken heed of for all..especially after recent issues in government and cabinet!