When I moved down to West Cornwall in February 2014 I knew well the area I was going to. However: There were some aspects that I was not fully cognisant of, this because I had previously visited the area as a tourist staying no more than a fortnight at a time and always in September.
Therefore aspects of life living within ten miles of the famous Land’s End tourist attraction were new to me. Some were climate related. This area is quite windy. Fog also is common. Sometimes we experience both at the same time! However, the biggest “culture shock” (I’m exaggerating just a little) was dogs. Yes, dogs. You see I was quite unprepared for the very high level of dog ownership in terms of per capita figures. Don’t get me wrong: I had lived my whole life in the West Riding of Yorkshire and dog ownership is quite common “up North”. I mean some of my best friends are dog owners! In addition, my late uncle was a dog owner! Notwithstanding this, I was surprised just how many people had dogs in comparison to where I had lived.
Now, I would never have a dog. A while back a neighbour asked me to walk their dog. This however is an inaccurate statement as it was not actually their dog. It was the property of a close family member and the dog was staying with them temporarily. They were faced with an inconvenience which prevented them taking the animal for it’s daily walk. Faced with this, my initial reaction was to invent a “white lie” giving them a fictitious reason as to why I was unable to take the dog for a walk, rather than hurt their felling by just saying, “No I don’t want to.” However, I decided to be honest and openly declared, “Sorry, I won’t. It’s that I am not prepared to pick up the dog’s mess in those polythene bags and I’m not prepared to be anti-social and leave the mess on the ground so sorry.”
They were quite taken aback and upset.
My bluntness was me being ungenerous. However, the upset I had disguised another truth; that there is always a flip side! That there are pros. But also cons. Dogs provide companionship. But they also demand things. Picking up their mess is one and for me that is an absolute no! Understanding that I realise that if one is not prepared to shoulder the burdens and take responsibility for something, one should not take it on in the first place!
Wanting one’s cake and eating it too is of course a common human failing! It is one that plagues the UK and also Germany in the energy policy of these countries. You see, the establishments in both countries object to using “fossil fuels” as the source of grid based electricity. As for other choices, there is of course nuclear. Many Germans are horrified at the very idea of nuclear. Many (but a smaller number) of Britons are also horrified. Both peoples like the idea of wind turbines and solar panels. This results in large electric bills and economic problems!
British and German politicians are faced with a dilemma: The future for a successful economy lies with “AI”! “AI” requires vast data-centres that have electrical power requirements that make aluminium smelting appear modest in comparison!
Some suggest that geo-thermal energy could become widespread and affordable (https://www.quaise.com/). Others (https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/gEbfCs2oxmwN2mfLM/microwave-drilling-is-impractical) beg to differ.
My own thoughts?
Well you know them!
Fossil fuels!
Coal, gas and oil!
Now some in the USA’s “MAGA” community are critical of the European Union’s and most NATO members support for Ukraine in it’s war against Russia – yes Clayton Morris, I include you – but I regard it essential for a good future for all of Europe that Ukraine prevails and that we have “regime change” in Russia. This because a Russia that has western neighbours that include a democratic post Lukashenko Belarus, a democratic Ukraine and an independent and democratic Republic of Kaliningrad will still have the geography and geology it has now.
The FACT is that Russia has vast reserves of coal, gas and oil as well as other important minerals. It is the OBVIOUS choice for European nations requiring these things!
The FACT is that a democratic Russia devoid of an authoritarian despot requires a source of wealth and these natural resources provide this.
I am looking forward to a future where we have a Europe that is fully democratic from the Algarve to the Urals.