The wonders of BBC’s “Planet Earth II”
December 17th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
I know that I’m late to the party, but I’ve just started to watch the widely-praised BBC natural history series “Planet Earth II” narrated by the venerable David Attenborough. The photography is simply stunning.
Episode 1 is about “Islands” and this is a clip:
Posted in Environment | Comments (0)
What proportion of England’s waste is actually recycled?
December 16th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
One answer is: not enough, less than half, and the proportion is falling. A more statistical answer is: the recycling rate in England has dropped from 44.8% in 2014 to 43.9% in 2015. The rate has fallen for the first time ever, prompting calls for a tax on packaging and meaning EU targets are now almost certain to be missed.
The amount of rubbish sent to recycling plants by householders had been steadily increasing for more than a decade, but more recently flatlined for three years. The fall back to levels not seen since before 2012 will be an embarrassment for ministers, who pledged to lead the first government to leave the environment better than they found it.
It also means the UK as a whole is almost guaranteed to miss an EU target of recycling at least 50% of its household waste by 2020, as England’s size means it accounts for much of the rubbish the country produces. Wales is far ahead of England with households recycling 61% of waste, while Scotland is on 44.2%.
More information here.
Posted in Environment | Comments (0)
30 photographs of my Thanksgiving visit to the USA
December 13th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
First, I did 10 blog postings during my visit to the United States to enjoy Thanksgiving; then I knitted these postings into a continuous narrative for my web site; now I’ve illustrated the text of the web page with 30 photographs. Check them out here.
Posted in American current affairs, My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
So how is Jeremy Corbyn doing after his storming re-election as Labour leader?
December 12th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
Some of my friends, and even some members of my family, have been enthusiastic supporters of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party. They pointed out that Corbyn’s meetings attracted huge numbers and that many thousands were flocking to join the party. And, of course, in the recent leadership election, Corbyn was returned with an even biggest mandate.
The problem is that all these facts are irrelevant in the face of the evidence of the views of voters themselves. Labour did appallingly in the two recent by-elections. Of course, Labour started from a bad place in both these constituencies, but the national polling confirms that Labour is trailing the Conservatives big time and that Corbyn is doing much worse even the the party he leads.
The latest polling statistics from YouGov show that the Conservatives currently have the support of 42% of the electorate while Labour has a mere 25%. The Conservative lead is an incredible 17% and Labour’s standing is the worst since 2009.
The same poll reveals that, when asked who would make the best Prime Minister, 49% support Theresa May while a mere 16% back Corbyn. This is a difference of 33 percentage points – twice the difference between the support for the parties that these two lead.
Which part of this analysis do Corbyn supporters not understand and what would it take to rescue the Labour Party?
Posted in British current affairs | Comments (0)
Who has Donald Trump chosen to help him run the United States for the next four years?
December 11th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
We are still waiting for President-elect Donald Trump to make what is probably the most important appointment to his new administration: the choice of Secretary of State. The latest reports suggests that the pick will be Rex Tillerson who is the CEO of Exxon Mobil and someone with a business relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin,
Meanwhile consider the other appointments which Trump has already announced:
- Defence: retired Marine Corps general James Mattis, a noted military hawk
- Homeland Security: another retired Marine Corps general, John Kelly
- CIA Director: Kansas Congressman Mike Pompeo who has criticised the Iran deal
- Treasury: former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin who favours massive tax reductions
- Attorney General: Alabama senator Jeff Sessions, a hardliner on immigration
- Labour: Fast-food executive Andrew Puzder, a critic of regulation and the minimum wage
- Health & Human Services: Georgia Congressman Tom Price who opposes Obamacare and abortion
- Housing & Urban Development: retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, a critic of government welfare
- Environmental Protection Agency: Scott Pruit who opposes Obama’s Clean Power Plan and denies climate change
- Commerce: billionaire investor Wilbur Ross who is a critic of US trade deals
- Transportation: Elaine Chao, a former Secretary of Labour
- Education: the mega rich Betsy DeVos who has lobbied for school vouchers
- Ambassador to the UN: South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
- National Security Adviser: retired general Michael Flynn who has flirted with conspiracy theories
- Chief of Staff: former Chair of the Republican National Committee Reince Priebus
- Chief Strategist: Steve Bannon, the man behind Beitbart News which is seen as the platform for the ‘alt right’
It’s going to be a turbulent time with massive implications for us all.
Posted in American current affairs | Comments (4)
Our annual pre-Christmas family reunion in Leicester
December 10th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
For as long as I can remember, my wonderful sister Silvia has convened a gathering of the extended family at her home in Leicester a couple of weeks before Christmas. Today is the date of the 2016 event so I’ll be travelling up from London to see everyone.
There should be about two dozen there and the age range will be almost eight decades. I’m taking lots of presents and might come back with a few for myself.
Currently I am reading a book called “Happiness By Design, written by Paul Dolan who is Professor of Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics. He writes: “There is one almost surefire way to be happier: spend more time with people you like.” I’m on my way …
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
What should baby boomers do to stay healthy?
December 9th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
I am officially a ‘baby boomer’ because I was born between 1946 and 1964 (actually in 1948).
According to a BBC news item, England’s chief medical officer Professor Dame Sally Davies has called on people aged between 50 and 70 to keep working to stay healthy. In a report on the health of the so-called baby boomers, it is claimed that the physical and mental health benefits of being employed or volunteering “should not be underestimated”. Davies said working helps people feel fulfilled and less isolated.
I an 68 and still working – not full-time, but around two-thirds, I reckon. As you can see from my short biography, I continue to hold six appointments in the field of consumer advocacy in regulated sectors of the economy. I enjoy the mental stimulus of working on complex issues with clever, younger people – and, according to the new report, this will help me to stay healthy and live longer. That’s the plan anyway …
Posted in British current affairs, My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
A review of “Sully: Miracle On The Hudson”
December 8th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
Everyone knows what happened when an Airbus was landed on the Hudson River in 2009 and all 155 passengers and crew survived. So how can the story be turned into a successful film?
A director of the calibre of Clint Eastwood and an actor as fine as Tom Hanks make this an eminently watchable movie – although you might not want to watch it in flight.
You can read my review of the film here. If, like me, you enjoy aviation-themed films, you find details of lots more of them here.
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
How should the consumer voice be heard in company policymaking?
December 7th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
In her campaign to become leader of the Conservative Party and in her time as Prime Minister, Theresa May has talked of consumers and workers being on company boards and there is currently a Government consultation on corporate governance that looks tentatively at this subject.
The consumer organisation Citizens Advice invited me to do a guest blog posting explaining why consumers on boards might be a difficult proposition and exploring another possible option for embedding the consumer voice in company thinking.
You can read my piece here.
Posted in British current affairs, Consumer matters | Comments (0)
Nine days in Washington DC and area
December 6th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
If you’re a regular visitor to NightHawk, you may have read recently a series of 10 blog postings on my trip to the USA to celebrate Thanksgiving and to see friends and tourist attractions.
I have now knitted these postings into a single narrative and added various hyperlinks. Of course, you might not have read the original postings.
Either way, I hope that you’ll find my account of the trip of interest. You can access it here.
Posted in My life & thoughts | Comments (0)