Blog2020 ≫ Some updates from the news

Boris Johnson's US trade deal will make Britain a paradise for disaster capitalists1:

The Conservative manifesto made a clear promise. It pledged2 that in the government’s trade talks, “we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards”. Just six months after the election, the promise has been ditched. Our government is now proposing3 that chlorine-washed chicken, beef treated with growth hormones, pork from animals injected with a drug that makes their meat leaner, called ractopamine4, and scores of other foods produced in the United States by dangerous, cruel and disgusting means will be allowed into this country, as long as higher trade taxes (tariffs) are applied to them.

Source: Boris Johnson's US trade deal will make Britain a paradise for disaster capitalists | George Monbiot1 by George Monbiot

This is a bad thing, and it's not even the worst of it now I've read the whole lot. Boris Johnson is a bad man, the Conservatives are bad, this is your fault.

The rumour of pubs being open again in June turns out to be wrong, it's back to July again, and only for pubs that can meet the requirements. June was always optimistic. I suspect the government are going to apply pressure on the scientists to announce "actually 1m social distancing is ok" and then more businesses can open. Without this, micropubs are dead, in fact most of the pubs round here can't do it even with one metre distancing. Ironically the only pub likely to open safely is the one nearest our house, The Fountain, as it has a big beer garden you can access without even going through the pub. It will be a renaissance for that place but probably at the price of The Inn Doors etc.

This feels like absolutely massive news after years of alterntive energy sources being seen as faddy and unreliable. Event if it is temporary because of the reduced demand while we're in lockdown.

Portsmouth to be a "future transport zone" for electric scooters but they're being too slow about it for my tastes. I see people riding these scores on the pavements and roads around here now. Hurry up, I want one!

Also League One to end5 which means Portsmouth are into the promotional playoffs if they actually happen.

Weather report is in, a high of 15° which could be worse, but there is rain on the way. Seemingly a new downpour every two hours, which might stop us going far.

I'm going for a socially distanced walk with some pub friends on Friday. Wanting to cover some distance while still being back for a video-meeting one of them has, we're going at SEVEN THIRTY IN THE AM!

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Paul Clarke's blog - I live in Hythe near Folkestone. Wed to Clare + dad to 2, I am a full-stack web engineer, + I do js / Node, some ruby, other languages ect ect. I like pubbing, parkrun, eating, home automation + other diy jiggery-pokery, history, tree stuff, TV, squirrels, pirates, lego, and TIME TRAVEL.