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 Cleaner air
Topic Originator: moviescot  
Date:   Sun 19 Apr 17:46

I thought it was just me thinking this. But I was speaking to people today and the general gist of it is that the air is definitely cleaner. At least this lockdown is having some positive effects.

Does anyone else think that the air feels fresher?
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: jake89  
Date:   Sun 19 Apr 17:53

Yes. Also quieter without all the cars zooming about. It's times like this that you see the benefit of all the cycle paths around Dunfermline.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: Buspasspar  
Date:   Sun 19 Apr 18:00

Thinking the same as well and starting to see more green growth and more speckled thrush and finches .....coincidence ? I don't think so
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: Berkey  
Date:   Sun 19 Apr 18:03

You might want to see your doctor about that buspasspar.

Back to being drenched in my own negativity….

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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: Buspasspar  
Date:   Sun 19 Apr 18:06

LOL Berkey Its the bird no the fungus :)
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: da_no_1  
Date:   Sun 19 Apr 18:52

No vapour trails in the blue sky.

"Some days will stay a 1000 years, some pass like the flash of a spark"
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: LochgellyAlbert  
Date:   Sun 19 Apr 19:06

Quote:

da_no_1, Sun 19 Apr 18:52

No vapour trails in the blue sky.


Seen one this afternoon heading North!🤔
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: jake89  
Date:   Sun 19 Apr 20:41

Spreading Coronavirus...same with those 5g transmitters.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: parsmad68  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 05:39

Yesterday in the garden, without fail, every person looked up when a plane passed over our house. Turned out to be a military transporter heading south. How quickly we have changed, unaware to ourselves, to see that a plane in the sky is unusual.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: moviescot  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 08:10

Is this one of the best adverts for getting rid of petrol and diesel vehicles?
It certainly seems to me that it could be.

Also working from home which was not catching on, is now a thing. Even if this starts to restrict people going to offices every day then that must also be a good idea
This also should show us that it's not necessary to get people to an office meeting from all over UK/world. Just use video conferencing.

This virus may have some future benefits for us and the planet

Post Edited (Mon 20 Apr 08:11)
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: Buspasspar  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 08:18

I was thinking along these same lines moviescot
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: da_no_1  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 08:48

Working from home is ok but let's not do away with good old fashioned face to face human interaction just yet eh?

If only that I don't really fancy spending the majority of my working life in my bedroom.

"Some days will stay a 1000 years, some pass like the flash of a spark"
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: moviescot  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 12:17

Quote:

da_no_1, Mon 20 Apr 08:48

Working from home is ok but let's not do away with good old fashioned face to face human interaction just yet eh?

If only that I don't really fancy spending the majority of my working life in my bedroom.


True. But you really don't need to be in an office every day.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: allparone  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 12:23

There’ll be a lot of companies realising how much excess baggage they’re carrying. There’s a guy at my work who’s been working from home for about 4 weeks. No one knows what he does when he’s here and we’re not quite sure what it is he’s doing from home :-). I’m sure he’s not the only one.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: da_no_1  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 13:20

Quote:

moviescot, Mon 20 Apr 12:17

Quote:

da_no_1, Mon 20 Apr 08:48

Working from home is ok but let's not do away with good old fashioned face to face human interaction just yet eh?

If only that I don't really fancy spending the majority of my working life in my bedroom.


True. But you really don't need to be in an office every day.


How do you know? Having worked in offices/factories for over 30 years I can assure you not everyone can be trusted to work for 8 hours a day at home.

Working from home might be a necessity just now but there's absolutely no danger company bosses will want it to continue minute longer than needed.

"Some days will stay a 1000 years, some pass like the flash of a spark"

Post Edited (Mon 20 Apr 13:21)
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: londonparsfan  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 13:51

Like everything it will vary by company and probably by function as well.

A few years ago now BT (I think it was) got rid of all their office space in London and told everyone to work from home and they found some teams had their creativity drop off so they had to start getting office space again for some teams to get together again.

Some other teams were absolutely fine.

I work in compliance and I can do a lot of my work from home but when it comes to things like auditing paperwork if I rely on teams sending me the documents then I'm reliant on them disclosing everything and it's far easier to send me stuff they know is accurate vs me being at the office and poking around pulling documents myself and speaking to staff on the ground.

Some things can be done remotely but a lot of business is better when its face to face or you have a physical presence even if that means clocking up some air miles.

There's no one size fits all solution.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: moviescot  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 15:23

Quote:

da_no_1, Mon 20 Apr 13:20

Quote:

moviescot, Mon 20 Apr 12:17

Quote:

da_no_1, Mon 20 Apr 08:48

Working from home is ok but let's not do away with good old fashioned face to face human interaction just yet eh?

If only that I don't really fancy spending the majority of my working life in my bedroom.


True. But you really don't need to be in an office every day.


How do you know? Having worked in offices/factories for over 30 years I can assure you not everyone can be trusted to work for 8 hours a day at home.

Working from home might be a necessity just now but there's absolutely no danger company bosses will want it to continue minute longer than needed.


How do I know. Well after 40 years working in an office my productivity went through the roof when I then did about 2 years from home. No distractions from colleagues and no long coffee or lunch breaks. Much preferred it. I had allocated work and it was all done and dusted in welll under my normal time. When I retired I was about three weeks ahead of where I needed to be.
My son is currently working from his home. Been on WhatsApp to him and he says he's never been more up to date.
I agree you need to meet up from time to time but not every day. If your company has good home working practices and can evaluate your contribution then I would much prefer home working. No commuting which is bad for you and bad for the environment. And within reason you can set your own working hours.

Some companies will be running on very tight budgets after this covid19 incident. Would you rather they saved money by releasing staff or give up office space?

Post Edited (Mon 20 Apr 15:24)
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: Stoo  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 15:46

Certainly seems a lot clearer. Always have a decent view across the Ochils but can see right into the Trossachs daily and clearly with the good weather. Might just be coincidence.....sunsets are different too I think. Maybe.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: Wotsit  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 16:01

I live near the Union Canal in Edinburgh and I'm amazed by how clear the water is - I can actually see the bottom!


"Who you are and what you feel comes not just from inside you, but from where you are in the power structure"
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: da_no_1  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 18:12

Moviescot - I meant how do you know whether I need to be in an office or not.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a home office set up with fast broadband and no distractions etc. Not everyone has the work ethic you claim to have. Not everyone can be trusted to work a full shift unsupervised like you can.

"Some days will stay a 1000 years, some pass like the flash of a spark"
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: moviescot  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 18:57

Quote:

da_no_1, Mon 20 Apr 18:12

Moviescot - I meant how do you know whether I need to be in an office or not.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a home office set up with fast broadband and no distractions etc. Not everyone has the work ethic you claim to have. Not everyone can be trusted to work a full shift unsupervised like you can.


That's fair enough and true. However, I still see this as s great opportunity to work from home and save money for employers.
When I was working from home I didn't have a fast broadband and was actually working on 3g most of the time. It depends on whether you need fast broadband. I didn't. A lot of work via phone.

I know that one of my former colleagues thinks his company are going to go down the work from home route afterwards. That's an office of about 100 people.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: jake89  
Date:   Mon 20 Apr 19:41

I see both sides. I've a spare room to use as an office whereas a colleague is perched at the coffee table in his living room. You'll see the kids or his wife walk past sometimes when on video chat.

We were really lucky in that we work across bases so we're used to video conferencing each other and all have laptops to make it easy to work from home. Pretty much everyone already worked from home one day a week.

In my old job we were nowhere near as advanced in terms of flexible working. I used to cross my fingers and hope the VPN would work!
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: DBP  
Date:   Tue 21 Apr 07:25

i suppose it's like everything, if you have the kit, space then why not...

if you don't have all the kit and the type of work supports getting all admin etc done or phone call meetings from home then why not

for lots of people, this hasn't been a long term viable option, so they didn't get all the kit or make space, but if it was a genuine way of working going foreard, then a beuro desk and a screen on the corner of the bedroom, dining room, whereever is more than enough to support a few days a week at home

if you do want to go into office for blether, team meeting, support new start, have a face2face then why not

not everyone works with people in the same office (i don't for example)... so when i trail all the way into office, i sit on VCs all day (however i was already doing 2-3 days a week at home - but don't actually work with the people i sit next to)

and also, the fear about folk not working is generally unfounded... it's generally obvious if someone isn't delivering (at home or in the office), so if someone rips the p*** when working from home, chances are they rip the p*** when in the office and what you have is an HR performance issue and not a homeworking issue (and like all things in life, you can't take a privilege away from everyone because one bad apple sits on bbc news or dafc.net all day)

anyway, i'm a huge supporter, people save commuting time/costs, being home for a tradesman,pet,kids getting home from school along with opportunity to be work much more flexibility, companies save property costs, can attract and accommodate people's need for flexibility and attrition rate are proven to reduce as people value the flexibility offered and that's before all the environmental benefits listed

as someone once said, "work, it's what you do, not where you go"
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: moviescot  
Date:   Tue 21 Apr 19:37

Report showing what we all know.

Vehicles are the main source of harmful gases like nitrogen dioxide, which is monitored at various roadside points across the Granite City including on Union Street.

Comparing the first week in April 2019 to the same week this year, the experts showed the average nitrogen dioxide concentration in the city’s main thoroughfare fell from 39 micrograms per cubic meter of air to 17, a reduction of 56%.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: Buspasspar  
Date:   Tue 21 Apr 19:48

It really is sad that this post on a positive note from moviescot has deteriorated into the normal .net bickering and oneupmanship

Lets get back to the subject ...... Cleaner Air

Reports from all around the world are showing increased sea life ... and rare species coming closer to shore lines ... many not seen for years

Seas looking bluer ... skies looking bluer ... I have noticed a decrease in cloud levels or in some cases no clouds

Stars are more visible at night

Silver lining perhaps ? ... The planet is self healing ... I would like to think so
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: JTH123  
Date:   Tue 21 Apr 21:27

Quote:

da_no_1, Mon 20 Apr 18:12

Moviescot - I meant how do you know whether I need to be in an office or not.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a home office set up with fast broadband and no distractions etc. Not everyone has the work ethic you claim to have. Not everyone can be trusted to work a full shift unsupervised like you can.


You and I both know that it took a starting handle to get some folk going in the morning. And after piecebreak. And after lunch!
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: da_no_1  
Date:   Tue 21 Apr 21:47

Quote:

Buspasspar, Tue 21 Apr 19:48

It really is sad that this post on a positive note from moviescot has deteriorated into the normal .net bickering and oneupmanship


If that's aimed at me then I'm seriously not trying to argue, just offering an alternative opinion.

Like JTH says, not all offices are full of punctual conscientious robots.

"Some days will stay a 1000 years, some pass like the flash of a spark"
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: Buspasspar  
Date:   Tue 21 Apr 21:55

da_no_1

Not aimed at you or any individual
But we always seem to get into petty individual arguments when there is no need to
It is a post about cleaner air and should be indulged as the title

Sorry if I overstepped .....stay safe
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: P  
Date:   Wed 22 Apr 17:33

The air quality certainly puts a case forward for fully electric cars anyway

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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: jake89  
Date:   Wed 22 Apr 22:43

Due to years of poor planning where jobs have been centralised to the main cities and housing built elsewhere, isn't there a risk that pollution will get WORSE in future? How many people will turn to cars over public transport when asked to return to their place of work?

Surely now is the time for the Scottish Government to look at the likes of SESplan and question the value of putting thousands of homes in small towns whilst the office bases will be in Edinburgh (same applies for the other development plans in Scotland). Surely extra funding should be provided to attract business to smaller towns across Scotland? And I don't mean the likes of Amazon where the well paid jobs are in Edinburgh and the warehouses are stuck in Dunfermline and Greenock.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: moviescot  
Date:   Thu 23 Apr 16:03

Quote:

jake89, Wed 22 Apr 22:43

Due to years of poor planning where jobs have been centralised to the main cities and housing built elsewhere, isn't there a risk that pollution will get WORSE in future? How many people will turn to cars over public transport when asked to return to their place of work?

Surely now is the time for the Scottish Government to look at the likes of SESplan and question the value of putting thousands of homes in small towns whilst the office bases will be in Edinburgh (same applies for the other development plans in Scotland). Surely extra funding should be provided to attract business to smaller towns across Scotland? And I don't mean the likes of Amazon where the well paid jobs are in Edinburgh and the warehouses are stuck in Dunfermline and Greenock.


Electric cars of course
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: jake89  
Date:   Thu 23 Apr 22:36

This is what makes me laugh. The solution to commuting pollution isn't to change the fuel in the car.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: moviescot  
Date:   Fri 24 Apr 01:48

Quote:

jake89, Thu 23 Apr 22:36

This is what makes me laugh. The solution to commuting pollution isn't to change the fuel in the car.


Not the whole solution. It's part of the solution. As is home working. And people living nearer their work.

When I went to school I can't remember them closing more than a couple of times due to the weather. Now because teachers live further away they close often in bad winters. Not because it's dangerous for pupils but because teachers can't get in or home.

There are lots of little things that can be done to reduce pollution. Electric cars is just one.

I'm sure people here for come up with others.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: Playup_Pompey  
Date:   Fri 24 Apr 09:34

Milan acting on the current situation to try to reduce traffic.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/21/milan-seeks-to-prevent-post-crisis-return-of-traffic-pollution

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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: jake89  
Date:   Fri 24 Apr 09:52

Now is the time to push cycling and walking. Problem will continue to be that we've built this country around central employment hubs surrounded by satellite commuter towns. Could the average person cycle from Dunfermline to Edinburgh even with a fully developed network of cycle paths?

Edinburgh Council suggested "cycling buses" (buses that you can take your bike on). They used the example of someone in Dunfermline travelling to Edinburgh. A cycling bus, like electric cars, is just providing another answer rather than looking at the problem. Why is the person in Dunfermline travelling 20 miles to their workplace? Why are they going past potential office spaces to get to one far away?
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: Playup_Pompey  
Date:   Fri 24 Apr 10:06

I think it will Jake certainly in the short term more walking/running/cycling commute however as soon as wet and no fun getting soaked going in, sitting cold/wet all day then wet going home again the cars soon start and remember that an hour commute is maybe only 20mins etc etc and the car becomes "norm" again.

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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: Socks  
Date:   Fri 24 Apr 13:09

Travelling some distance to a workplace might be the only option if you happen to work in something quite specialised. There is very little close to where I live that fits what I do, and even somewhere opened nearby, people would travel from elsewhere to work there. There just isn't gong to be the necessary concentration of skills in a particular field outside of larger cities and it isn't really feasible to have every specialism in every part of the country.

In those circumstances, home working is the only real option to reduce travelling for work. I was already doing it about 50% of time and that's about right for what I do. Not being able to go in at all does make things difficult so permanently working at home every day isn't really an option.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: P  
Date:   Fri 24 Apr 15:30

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/24/coronavirus-detected-particles-air-pollution?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1587735621>

Not verified but could be natures way of saying cut out the polluting!

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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: moviescot  
Date:   Fri 24 Apr 17:00

Quote:

Socks, Fri 24 Apr 13:09

Travelling some distance to a workplace might be the only option if you happen to work in something quite specialised. There is very little close to where I live that fits what I do, and even somewhere opened nearby, people would travel from elsewhere to work there. There just isn't gong to be the necessary concentration of skills in a particular field outside of larger cities and it isn't really feasible to have every specialism in every part of the country.

In those circumstances, home working is the only real option to reduce travelling for work. I was already doing it about 50% of time and that's about right for what I do. Not being able to go in at all does make things difficult so permanently working at home every day isn't really an option.


Of course you could also move closer to where you work.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: Socks  
Date:   Fri 24 Apr 18:33

True, but that would make other things difficult. I also happen to like where I live, it's not too expensive and I'm not really keen on uprooting myself unless absolutely unavoidable. Were I to move within walking distance it would be to a very expensive place I don't particularly like. For most jobs in my field I'd have to work in a city - having lived in Edinburgh for a bit when I was younger, I really wouldn't want to do it again.

These things are always a matter of finding an acceptable balance taking everything into account. It's certainly not a simple thing of just deciding 'need to be nearer work - move'.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: jake89  
Date:   Fri 24 Apr 19:10

The argument of "move closer" is often problematic. Edinburgh is a very expensive city to live in. It's also limited in terms of available properties (something that then leads to even higher property values). The Government solution to overcrowding in cities harks back to the 1960s with satellite towns taking up the slack. The difference is that back in the 60s they made efforts to locate businesses in these towns. Nowadays we see masterplans with business space allocated that then turns into housing land. The developer will claim this is as no businesses were interested but they make little effort to market the land. Even when they do, the approach in Scotland is very city-centric. This is why it's actually important that Dunfermline becomes an official city - it opens additional investment opportunities. That said, it shouldn't be that we only push cities. Some of our "cities" are smaller than many towns in Scotland!

Totally take on what you say, Socks. There's always going to be specialist roles, but these tend to be more limited in terms of volume. To give an example - Does RBS really need to be at Gogar? Their boss doesn't even work there.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: da_no_1  
Date:   Fri 24 Apr 21:06

Its obviously simple. Either everyone in the country works from home. If you cant, move next door to your work. Failing that, bike to work. Last resort, get an electric car. So simple in some folks eyes.

"Some days will stay a 1000 years, some pass like the flash of a spark"
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: jake89  
Date:   Fri 24 Apr 23:03

Think you're missing the point da.

The simple solution is to look at how we as a country develop a sustainable approach to living and working. The hard part is developing an effective approach. Not everyone will be able to work locally, but there's no reason why the majority couldn't.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: AdamAntsParsStripe  
Date:   Fri 24 Apr 23:40

The irony is, this virus originated in a country with the highest population of cyclists in the world.

Zwei Pints Bier und ein Päckchen Chips bitte
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: OzPar  
Date:   Sat 25 Apr 01:05

I certainly think the coronavirus crisis has helped focus our minds on the issue of pollution when, without the jolt, it might have taken another ten years of prevarication before any action was applied.

Instead, we are likely to see some radical changes quite fast.

It will be interesting to see how quickly those companies that survive these times choose to adapt their operations. As stated above, a lot of companies will have learnt that they could reduce the size of their office space and adopt shared desks and/or multiple meeting rooms in order to allow a large percentage of their staff to do the bulk of their work from home.

What the crisis has also taught us is that there is a range of products that we simply cannot rely on sourcing from overseas.

This will see the revival of some manufacturing activity, though in all likelihood much of it will be automated. It will also prompt governments around the world to re-examine their strategic industries, their fuel stockpiles, communications, security, and so on.

Governments will also have to rethink their expenditure models. COVID-19 is going to prove costly and have an impact possibly for decades to come.

Surely, any plans to privatise the NHS are firmly on hold, but there will be a price to pay in terms of personal income tax. The Reagan/Thatcher era of so-called light-handed government is well and truly over. You can expect the base level of personal income tax to rise to 30%+ and much, much higher rates as the income bands rise. And watch for global action on tax havens.

Most significant of all, I think, will be a heavy shift towards the "green miles" approach. I first came across this at logistics conferences 20 years ago and while it is eminently sensible and logical, I haven't seen much evidence up to now that it has gained support. However, after this event, I think it will be the most profound change that we will see.

Fundamentally, green miles is a philosophy that prompts you to source your product from the closest point so as to reduce your impact on the environment.

So instead of getting your oranges from South Africa, you get them from Spain or instead of getting your lamb from New Zealand, you create larger sheep farms in the UK. And instead of sourcing your vegetables from Israel in the winter, you build a network of greenhouses (much like they do in Holland) to grow these plants domestically in the off-seasons.

It will be interesting to see how Britain's relationship with the EC develops post-Brexit, but it may well turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Certainly, the EC itself has been severely damaged by the behaviour of some countries during the spread of the virus. The Italians, for example, are unlikely to think too kindly of their partners now.

But in a green miles environment, Britain is unlikely to find an easy solution by trading with Australia and New Zealand.

Green miles also applies to travel and tourism. We must do something to reduce our carbon footprint which has grown immensely since the advent of cheap airlines, Air BnB, etc. There will be a major culling of the budget airlines and some of the big ones too, by the look of things right now. Sure, many will be replaced by new firms, but it will be much more costly to travel overseas.

And is this such a bad thing? Do we really want to go back to a situation where hotspots like Venice or Barcelona are being destroyed by the daily invasion of buses full of tourists who might spend a few pennies on a trinket and a cup of coffee but deliver little else of benefit to the local population whose lives have been utterly disrupted?

And do we really want to encourage a cruise ship industry that disgorges a football-size crowd on a small island for eight hours before upping anchor and moving on to the next victim? Not to mention the industry's obvious ability to spread pandemics, pollute the waters and pay their crew substandard wages.

Oh yes, there could and should be a multitude of changes ahead. Some for the good and some that we will find very hard to take.

Hardest of all may well be the imposition of controls on our activities and behaviour that make those we read all those years ago in George Orwell's 1984 look quite rational and reasonable.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: sammer  
Date:   Sat 25 Apr 02:40

'And watch for global action on tax havens.'

It might be a long wait. The lockdown has been a test of citizens' compliance. Faced with the fear of death, that response will have heartened the elite. The elites always knew the chances of dying were very slim, unless they were elderly, and now they have acquired- with citizens' consent-the mechanisms to control citizens' behaviour to a degree that was merely a dream three months ago. It has all worked out rather well.

I don't think anyone with a tax address in Jersey will be sweating anytime soon. Any lefties or hotheads on the streets complaining will be told to self isolate or risk arrest. Our horizons are being narrowed both geographically and metaphorically and this is a good thing? I bet the elites will not be confined to their national homeland. Work from home? Welcome to the new serfdom. You get to clap the government every Thursday evening and those failing to do so vigorously enough will be identified and dealt with appropriately.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: OzPar  
Date:   Sat 25 Apr 03:10

For once, I actually think your hard-left dystopian view of things could be quite close to the truth, sammer.

:)

I do agree that the freedoms our forefathers fought so hard to achieve are in grave danger of fast disappearing. We will see profound and permanent restrictions on what we do coming out of this with way more impact on our lives than those measures imposed after 9/11.

Sad to say, I am rather relieved that at our age it is unlikely that we will be around to see most of humanity relegated to the role of worker ants while a small increasingly rich controlling elite grows fat on the labour of others.

But what about our our children and grandchildren?

Saddest of all is the fact that the controls being put in place now, as I write this, will make a revolution by the Populus next to impossible unless there is a global disruption of electronic communication that cuts the means of control.

How would this be achieved? Nuclear war? Christ almighty.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: The One Who Knocks  
Date:   Sat 25 Apr 10:03

Sammer, you refer to national homelands not any one specific nation so you fairly apportion your concerns against all governments and elites. Genuine question as I can't find anything online about the mood in Russia towards this but is there any chance of this crisis prompting the Russian public voting against Putin's demand to change the constitution to effectively give him another decade plus of power?

And although my eyes were open
They just might as well be closed
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: The One Who Knocks  
Date:   Sat 25 Apr 11:25

When reading up on news from Russia I read that over 14s in Moscow can only travel around the City if they have QR code on their mobile, a type of digital travel permit, and they can only use two of them per week unless it is for traveling to and from work? Is that being stringently enforced Sammer? I understand there are exemptions for dog walking and such like but how does this digital permit system work in everyday situations?

And although my eyes were open
They just might as well be closed
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: sammer  
Date:   Sat 25 Apr 17:01

Ozpar,
Sorry if it came across that I was accusing you of condoning the restrictions; you were only reporting what is happening.

TOWK,
The lockdown in Moscow has more severe restrictions than in the UK from what I read. I am not supposed to venture more than 100 metres from my apartment other than to go to the supermarket. As a foreigner who merely resides here my ID papers, which everyone has been expected to carry since the times of the Czars, are not a good basis on which to sweet talk my way around the letter of the ‘law.’ I say ‘law’ because I am not convinced any country’s emergency decrees would stand up in their court of appeal.

The tracking system you have described is in operation and pensioners can be tracked through their cards, as can commuters who have applied to be emergency workers. Russians generally are far quicker to accept strict laws than their UK counterparts, but paradoxically far more likely to casually ignore them. The Moscow tradition of even humble citizens having a butt and ben –a dacha- on the edge of the city has allowed many to leave the city and walk freely around the forests, which is certainly permitted. On a brighter note I have a drinking buddy who uses one of his permits to travel to my apartment for a boozing session once a week: clearly a necessity.

I have thought from the outset that the lockdown policy is wrong for a number of reasons. It could be justified as a short term emergency measure to protect hospital facilities but is pretty useless on its own. It’s like a football team trying to defend by kicking the ball into touch every time they get it. At some point they will be over run. A lockdown for those infected would be supported 100% but until proper testing exists we are locking up the healthy along with the sick, which is counter productive as well as being immoral and probably illegal.
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: OzPar  
Date:   Sun 26 Apr 09:07

No problem, sammer.

Honestly, I didn't take any umbrage to what you said on the restrictions. In general, I wholeheartedly agree with what you said. And what is happening in Moscow today will surely be happening in Manchester and Melbourne tomorrow... guaranteed!
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: DBP  
Date:   Mon 27 Apr 12:13

One thing I would say though is for homeworking to be suitable, people must recognise that just because they're off/at home doesn't mean other folk aren't working.

For example, right now I'm really busy and even with the windows all shut, all i can hear is the rock concert going on a few doors down.

My other neighbour has a dog that barks non stop, and I mean non stop, whenever it's out (and it's chucked out a lot) so people on my conference calls assume its my dog it's that loud

That sort of stuff isn't fair when you're trying to work
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 Re: Cleaner air
Topic Originator: jake89  
Date:   Tue 28 Apr 08:09

Got the same with a dog. Ignorant owners let it bark all day. All the neighbours hate it. Owners too lazy to properly train it. No idea why they bothered getting a dog.
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