Are the rich waking up to the fact that the billions they own are not doing much sitting in banks, or more likely idling their way on company account sheets? Well Jeff Bezos of Amazon has been listening to his employees and allowed (or pledged) 10 billion dollars to escape into the fevered air of Climate Change. Good for him and I hope the money will be used to a good effect.
On the home front the two little beavers released up at Cropton Forest, have not only produced two babes, kits they are called, but built a dam that may have saved flooding further down stream. I would point you to the Yorkshire Post, but the flashing adverts will probably start a migraine.
Elsewhere the flooding is bad, as the large rivers, especially in Wales, start to reach very high levels not seen before. The River Wye especially. One's heart goes out to all those people facing water in their houses. In the city of York where people were worried, the River Ouse is still controlled by flood barriers, but has reached a high of 4.5 metres.
There will be discussions as to how to prevent flooding, but the truth remains that settlement has always been by rivers, and it will be impossible to protect every house in the country.
And of course the flowers still grow. These two plant pots highlighted because all through summer my two bantams would sit upon them, glaring through the french windows as we ate our tea, and yet they have survived to tell the tale.
And of course the flowers still grow. These two plant pots highlighted because all through summer my two bantams would sit upon them, glaring through the french windows as we ate our tea, and yet they have survived to tell the tale.
I am really surprised that Malton has so far escaped unscathed this year. The water level at Pickering has seemed much better during last few years since steps were taken to keep the water in check with natural defences before it gets there. The beavers are the latest addition and I was really sceptical when they were introduced, but I think I will now have to eat my words! Perhaps Pickering is showing the rest of the country the way forward. Who would have thought it!
ReplyDeleteHello Tracy, do you live round here? It does go to show the Pickering scheme slowing down of the river works. Just checked on the Derwent, and it is high almost 16 foot, our small river has gone back down to fairly normal levels. Malton is fairly level as a town so where would it flood, see they are saying the A64 could flood as well.
DeleteHi Thelma. Yes, I am out on the A64, so I am keeping a close eye on what happens with the Derwent!
DeleteBezos might be influenced by his girlfriend too or just to avoid the bad publicity Amazon has had for how they treat their employees. I'd suggest his donations might help but paying his people better and not demanding they work longer hours would be something he could do with long lasting results for them at least. Where the donations go will depend on how he figures out to where.
ReplyDeleteHi Rain, well I would probably agree that bad publicity might influence him, his employees have been pulled up rather sharply for their comments on Climate change. And as you rightly say he should be putting some of his money back into his employees. With 109.9 billion dollars he has enough in the bank to start paying fairly. But nevertheless, first moves by those that can afford it means that the Climate Emergency gets good coverage.
ReplyDeleteWhilst Councils allow contractors to build housing developments on known flood-plains, there are still houses which - from necessity - were built in valley bottoms, and by rivers, down the years. As you said, no amount of money can save them all . . . Let's hope that common sense can prevail and good flood barriers put in where there is regular and repeated flooding.
ReplyDeleteI love your gold-laced Polyanthus by the way and glad they survived being brooded all last summer!
My little pair can be quite destructive to plants, but one is definitely spring in the air, not sure if she is turning into a male.
DeleteLovely news about the beaver kits.
ReplyDeleteArilx
The beavers in Devon are also doing well, I think there are some in Scotland as well.
DeleteThe rains are good for some and those wise engineers are just what you need right now! Hoping the weather clears sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteWell more rain all this week, saturated fields cannot take anymore water so there will be more flooding sadly.
ReplyDeleteThe town where I went to school has beavers on its coat of arms - Beaverlac - later Beverley. This harks back to medieval times when English beavers were still quite plentiful. I worry that the beavers that are being re-introduced are not in fact our old native beavers. Besides, the return of beavers will surely do very little indeed to reduce the impact of flooding. You would need many thousands of them to make a difference and river enviroments would also need to be very different.
ReplyDeleteTrue, but for our small rivers I think they can make a difference. The larger rivers are forces to be reckoned with. One of the many problems when you get deluges is the runoff from the surrounding hills and moors. It is said that the moors are not managed properly, only good for grouse shooting. Tree planting may help, as well as managed water meadows, the farmers would have to be paid for letting their land become theoretically useless. Also there is the problem of people upstream using flood defences only for the people lower down to get more water thrust their way.
ReplyDeleteInstead of the crazy HS2 scheme, the government could drill through to Australia so that any excess river water could be used in agriculture over there - and in putting out any future bush fires. We got men on the moon and invented "Marmite" so why couldn't my suggestion work?
DeleteI was reading about the Pickering Scheme the other day, I am glad to hear that it has worked during the recent stormy weather. I didn't know they had released beavers at Cropton Forest, how exciting I hope they continue to thrive and spread further afield.
ReplyDeleteThey are Eurasian beavers, but the same type that lived here till the 16th century. They are cute though, and I'm sure with other measures will work wonders...
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