Cracks appear in New Labour's 'green' agenda.

The Guardian reports that the DTI has forced Renewables firms to halt production and lay off staff due to their decision to stop grants schemes until they have time 'to better assess how to run it'. Those in the Renewables industry are furious with the DTI and Lord Truscott, the Energy Minister, who has allegedly threatened to put a halt to key development grants if they contact the press with their grievances.

The Renewables Industry has an important part to play in developing low carbon building programmes, and in encouraging people to implement new energy conservation technologies in their homes eg solar panels. If Government doesn't put investment in to such industries then it will be impossible for people to play a role in embracing the renewables agenda. It will also stall the development of a sector that so desperately needs to be at the top of the political agenda.

It is obvious that New Labour do not prioritise renewables, and their 'green credentials' are only a show of tokenism - which is of little comfort to those who make a living in this line of work.

19% sales rise for Burberry.

Just a brief one- this article today in the Guardian shows that Burberry has reported a 19% rise in sales for six months up until March 2007. Supposedly the reason for this is the growth in demand for their 'luxury handbags' which no doubt only the rich and famous can afford, or women with very large credit card debts! ( the bag pictured is a hefty £1,150. Think what Plaid could do with that kind of money?!)

And the reasons for this growth, according to Burberry?

'The significant investment initiated during this financial year to enhance the luxury component of the brand, advance retail expansion and evolve our operating model is driving accelerated growth across all three channels: retail, wholesale and licensing."

The workers of the late Rhondda Burberry factory will no doubt read from the phrase evolving of the operating model to mean closing factories, making people redundant in Wales, and moving jobs elsewhere.

You know how to rub it in, don't you Burberry!

Happy 10th birthday to the blog!

According to a Guardian article today, it's been 10 years since the first ever blog. There are now supposedly 70 million bloggers worldwide, with 1.5 million blogs being written a day! I'm a relative newcomer to the blogosphere, and I have to admit that I am something of a blogaholic! If I go at least a day without checking the blogs that I read frequently, I feel that I am being left out of the loop, and that I will miss out on a story. This may sound really sad to some, but to others no doubt the symptoms are well and clear!

Of course, blogging in most places is now a popular pastime, and a 'norm'. Although some bloggers have been unfortunate enough to be taken to court due to their blog content, others have reaped the benefits, and have become famous through the blogosphere alone. In many countries where blogging is not a norm as in Iraq, or where freedom of speech is suppressed, however, blogging is still a controversial hobby.

Before I started blogging I really did not see the benefits of it at all. My negative viewpoint stems from taking part in some web forums where, in my opinion, the voices of women were effectively ignored, and discussion was male dominated and cynical. Blogging is somewhat different in that you can create the story on your own agenda, shape it to how you would like it to sound, and engage in discussion on a far more equal playing field. It also sharpens your mind, and allows you to practise arguments (political in my case) that can be used in other areas of life.

I started blogging to air my opinions, not as a narcissist who likes the sound of my own voice. I want to engage with different people of different political persuasions, and hopefully encourage people to empathise with my way of thinking. As Glyn Davies has said on many occasions, blogging allows for you to become your own media, and highlight issues which other mainstream media channels may choose to ignore.

For now I will continue blogging. Nevertheless, my appetite for all things technological has grown, and I'm currently working on getting you tube films/ pod casts up and running, but that will be one for the future...

Were you at No.10 to greet Tony Blair in 1997?

Today's Guardian asks readers to email the paper if they were present when the Blairs walked through the gates of Downing Street after New Labour's election success in 1997. The picture shows thousands of cheering supporters with Union Jack flags, and New Labour posters galore.

I can't quite imagine the same jubilant scene when Blair finally leaves, in all honesty. Protesters will probably take the place of the adoring 'fans', and placards in place of colourful flags.
I wonder how many readers will be honest enough to admit that they were there in 1997? It certainly wouldn't be something to shout about considering New Labour's track record.

It's already a well known fact that Tony Blair wants to do a farewell tour when he finally leaves 10 Downing Street. I'm sure it will merely include more fluffy television appearances on Blue Peter, where he will not be challenged or intimidated. Who takes over then will be the next hot topic of the day, but will Downing Street be rife with cheering supporters for the new PM, I wonder?

email blair@guardian.co.uk if you were there in 1997. Go on, don't be shy!

Gap years- just for the middle classes?

It seems that even academics are taking an interest in gap years. The Guardian reports http://education.guardian.co.uk that a Conference is taking place tomorrow at Surrey University to discuss the widening gap between the middle class and the working-class gap year. If the academics earn enough, perhaps they could take a sabbatical to write about the 'gap year experience'- travel to Tasmania for £10,000, build a school, come back, and return to the day job. That seems to be what thousands of students are choosing to do as an alternative to entering University at the tender age of 18.

The article in the Guardian reports that the gap year industry has indeed gone from strength to strength- but at a price. A company called Quest offers the opportunity for students to build community centres for orphans for £1,465 -not including flights or insurance, and Venture Company offers gap year students the trip of a lifetime along the Inca trail for a mere £4,365. Established international development charity VSO is not best pleased with this 'market' in the gap year providers. Critics question the effectiveness of short term schemes that seem to benefit the gap year students and their CV's much more than the communities that they go to help.

Students have always taken gap years, but the issue has been highlighted recently due to the introduction of top-up fees and the stark contrast between those that can afford a trip of a lifetime at 18, and those that must work for a year to raise money for the cost of their course at University. You could argue that students who work hard, and earn their keep before going to University will learn much more valuable life skills than those who opt for the 'holiday' abroad. Developing skills such as money management and time keeping being just a few of those skills!

The debate over the widening gulf between working class and middle class gap years is very important. I'm sure that many working class students would love to have the opportunity to take part in such schemes. Nevertheless, perhaps this is the golden opportunity for us to actively encourage young people to take part in charity work at home, where, lets face it, there are plenty of opportunities available...
They wouldn't get a tan... but it could save on the CO2 emissions......

Lets talk about Sex....

A Guardian article on a new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research ( IPPR) advises that school children in primary schools - 10 year olds, should be taught sex education, and that condoms should be free or sold at low cost to teenagers in schools and sports Centres. I agree with the IPPR in that children need to be educated about sex education, but so far I'm not convinced that this should take place at school. From my experience, I think that trying to educate children about sex in a classroom environment is far from effective and fails to address issues in an upfront and honest manner. Correct me if I'm wrong, but children don't feel that they can discuss personal details with a teacher- more often than not, in the child's eye, teachers are alien beings who have no lives, and mark papers all night with a leaking red pen!! It is quite hard to see how we can benefit, therefore, from being 'taught' sex education. From what I remember of sex education lessons, there was a large box in the middle of the room and we had to place questions in the box about anything from whether we could get pregnant from sniffing a condom to whether snogging amounted to having sex..... but invariably, most papers were left blank, and the teacher just talked about sexual diseases, statistics.....etc...etc.... as you can imagine, we lost interest....fast..... So while I do note that the % of people under 16 that have sex has risen to 25 % and that we have the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe, I don't think that 'lessons' in primary schools are the key. Personally, I think that we should be more innovative. We should set up groups that are run by young people to talk about issues from sex to drugs to alcohol. A perfect example of this type of thing was Youthlink Wales whose Welsh Assembly Government funding has been cut, therefore it has closed its doors finally this year. Youthlink Wales was a charity that got kids together to talk about these issues- they set up forums and groups all over Wales, made DVD's on the issues from their perspective and much more. Nobody told them what they should and shouldn't do, and the charity was run by individuals who allowed young people to think creatively- to initiate campaigns that would be effective in their eyes. Perhaps other areas should be explored to educate young people, look at how to develop teen magazines and how best to use their influences on young people, make more use of the Internet and so on. There are ideas that Senior Politicians who were young many years ago just do not consider as possible means of communicating with young people. Until we initiate campaigns that come from young people, for young people I don't think that we can tackle under age sex. If we had more community based activities for young people, I really don't think that they would perhaps experiment at such young ages. Part of the problem is that in many areas of Wales, Scotland, England, Ireland, there is nothing better to do than drink, take drugs and have sex. We need to create an environment where these activities are not the only options available for young people. I think that the IPPR's idea of selling condoms in schools and in community centres is a great idea. While in France on holiday this year, there were condom machines outside on many walls of shops- making them accessible to people- not shut away in Pubs, where lets face it, some 15 years old, or most 15 year olds (!) don't go. Ideally, sexual health clinics should provide enough free condoms and pregnancy tests for all young people, but they should be handed out for schools/ Student Union's/ Community Centres to disperse of so that the advice and help goes to the young person- not so that they have to go looking for assistance and advice as happens currently. The Government through Local Health Boards should make this a reality and make sure that sexual health funding is prioritised, and that Local Health Boards can afford to invest in services. Basically- lets talk about sex- from young people to young people, and the situation should get better.