Sad News that Pete Seeger has died.

Sad news that the folk singer and songwriter Pete Seeger has died aged 94. He had a long life and influenced many. He certainly influenced me. I used to sing his songs with my friends back in the 1960s. Even more than Bob Dylan, he epitomized the protest song and inspired us to an idealism which has long since been sidelined in the modern politics of dancing in a pin head.

Recalling his songs such as If I Had a Hammer brings a tear to my eye. If only we could bring this idealistic view of justice back. Now we live in the age of greed rather than social justice. Pete Seeger hammered out his warning all over the land. It is time we heeded it. Rest in Peace Pete Seeger and thank you for your songs and your inspiration.

Comments

Prioritising people in nursing care.

There has been in recent years concern that care in the NHS has not been sufficiently 'patient centred', or responsive to the needs of the patient on a case basis. It has been felt in care that it as been the patient who has had to adapt to the regime of care, rather than the other way around. Putting patients at the centre of care means being responsive to their needs and supporting them through the process of health care delivery. Patients should not become identikit sausages in a production line. The nurses body, the Nursing and Midwifery Council has responded to this challenge with a revised code of practice reflection get changes in health and social care since the previous code was published in 2008. The Code describes the professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives. Four themes describe what nurses and midwives are expected to do: prioritise people practise effectively preserve safety, and promote professionalism and trust. The

Half measures on heat pumps

Through the "Heat and Buildings Strategy", the UK government has set out its plan to incentivise people to install low-carbon heating systems in what it calls a simple, fair, and cheap way as they come to replace their old boilers over the coming decade. New grants of £5,000 will be available from April next year to encourage homeowners to install more efficient, low carbon heating systems – like heat pumps that do not emit carbon when used – through a new £450 million 3-year Boiler Upgrade Scheme. However, it has been widely criticised as inadequate and a strategy without a strategy. Essentially, it will benefit those who can afford more readily to replace their boiler. Undoubtedly, the grants will be welcome to those who plan to replace their boilers in the next three years, and it might encourage others to do so, but for too many households, it leaves them between a rock and a hard place. There are no plans to phase out gas boilers in existing homes. Yet, that is wha

No real commitment on climate

Actions, they say, speak louder than words. So, when we look at the UK government's actions, we can only conclude they don't mean what they say about the environment and climate change. Despite their claims to be leading the charge on reducing emissions, the UK government is still looking to approve new oil fields. The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has announced his support for developing the Cambo oil field and 16 other climate-destroying oil projects. Cambo is an oil field in the North Sea, west of Shetland. A company called Siccar Point has applied for a permit to drill at least 170 million barrels of oil there. If it's allowed to go ahead, it will result in the emissions equivalent of 18 coal plants running for a year. What? Yes, 18 coal plants a year! Today, as I write, Greenpeace is demonstrating in Downing Street against this project. I suppose it will get the usual government dismissal and complaints about inconveniencing others. Well, we know it won't

The Thin End

Search This Blog