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Eastern Daily Press FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013
opinion and COMMENT
■ The Letters Editor, EDP, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE. Fax: 01603 623872. Email: EDPLetters@archant.co.uk
IainDale
Kate Blincoe
email: iain@iaindale.com
I’m proud to be British but the Chinese should do better
N
atural disasters show us a lot about the very best and very worst aspects of human nature. And so it has been with the typhoon that has devastated parts of the Philippines. Watching the TV pictures you can’t help but be impressed by the calmness of the local population as they seek to come to terms with a disaster that will probably affect the rest of their lives. We see the parents who go to any lengths to protect their children. We see the communities who, out of the chaos and destruction, seek to build shelter for the elderly members of the local population. I wonder if the same thing happened here whether we would display the same kind of indefatigability. Of course there are also the darker aspects of such tragedies, where the wicked seek to exploit the vulnerability of the destitute. Looting has started, and in normal circumstances all looting would be condemned. But if you are a father who can’t feed his children, wouldn’t you take any steps you could to provide food for them, even if that means taking it wherever you can find it? But the darker side of human nature has also displayed itself in countries far removed from the Philippines. Some people in this country seriously believe that Britain shouldn’t help countries who find themselves, through no fault of their own, beset by natural disasters. They highlight the fact that children and pensioners die in this country in circumstances of poverty, so surely we should
Getting hot under the collar about open shop doors
M
■ The aftermath of the typhoon in the Philippines as homeless people struggle to find food. Picture: AP/BULLIT MARQUEZ
spend the money on them first. The two priorities are not mutually exclusive. I am proud that Britain is the first to help other countries in need. In proportion to our relative populations Britain has given more aid to the Philippines than the United States. Britain stepped up to the plate and donated £10m to help alleviate the plight of the Philippines. What a pity others haven’t done so. China is the regional superpower but guess how much China has contributed? £100,000. Yes, you read that right. If China wishes to be welcomed into the family of nations and prove it is
not the despotic, human rights disrespecting country we know it to be, it will need to do better. Some people think Britons are getting tired of donating to disaster funds, but that seems far from the truth. Within 24 hours of the Disaster Emergency Committee launching its appeal, individual people in this country had donated more than £13m. That makes me proud to be British and gives lie to the accusation that we live in a selfish society where every individual is only out for themselves. Having said all that there is no doubt that as a society, our priorities are still warped. An
average Premier League football club thinks nothing of spending £10m on an average player – the same amount as the government is giving in aid to the Philippines. The BBC’s head of human resources, Lucy Adams, who earns £320,000 a year is using thousands of pounds of licence fee payers’ money to launch a libel action against a trade union which she thinks impugned her integrity. She should look at herself in the mirror and ask if that money might not be better spent helping to build new homes for families in the Philippines. So go to www.dec.org.uk. It’s very simple and takes 30 seconds.
Here’s hoping Cameron stands up to Sri Lankan president I do hope David Cameron uses the Commonwealth heads of government meeting to have a stand-up row, on camera, with the Sri Lankan president, who stands accused of war crimes. Someone at the Commonwealth needs a rocket up their backsides for choosing to hold this summit in a country whose government is unsavoury to say the least. OK, that could be said of perhaps a third of the Commonwealth’s
email: newsdesk@archant.co.uk
member states, but even so. Anyone who watches Newsnight or Channel 4 News will know that four years on from the end of the civil war government forces are mistreating Tamils in a way which ought to guarantee a war crimes charge for president Mahinda Rajapaksa, pictured right. The Canadian PM has boycotted the meeting in protest, and while it would
have been difficult for Britain to adopt that stance, some think it might have been wise. I covered the subject for an hour on my radio show on Monday and I was astonished at the number of calls coming in – 10 times the normal amount. The Sri Lankan community in this country is sizeable, and it needs to be listened to by Conservative politicians, or it will suffer the electoral consequences.
y friend loves her house to be welcoming and friendly, so we all enjoy visiting. The fridge is filled with drinks, there are chocolate biscuits on the table and the tea is brewing. She keeps it cosy and warm for us, with the heating turned right up. Her front door is permanently open so we know we can pop in. Now if I really did have a friend like this, she would definitely need to have more money than sense. Her energy bills would have most of us pleading with her to turn the thermostat down and close the door. So why we are not similarly shocked and disbelieving when we walk down the high street? Norwich city centre reveals a scene typical around our region. Despite plummeting temperatures, more shops have their doors pinned wide open. As you walk down the street, you are blasted by hot air from many doorways, which disappears off into the ether. The worst offenders are shops with air curtains or overhead heaters. Using pretty ancient technology, they are meant to keep the warm air in, but research by Cambridge University shows they actually burn a vast quantity of energy. There is a myth that open doors mean higher footfall into the shop. The Close the Door Campaign aims to show a shut door can be better for business. Staff are more comfortable, not freezing cold near the entrance or burning up next to the heater. Comfy employees results in a more friendly, productive atmosphere and better service. Also, the overall temperature in shops is better for browsing customers as it is more constant. Some large retailers have carried out research and proved a closed door definitely doesn’t reduce their income; meanwhile, it can slash energy bills in half ! As another bonus, shoplifting is discouraged. I’ll be honest, when I have the pushchair in tow, I will brace myself before entering a shop with tricky looking doors. The inevitable juggle with door, buggy and bags can be annoying. However, automatic doors or, radical suggestion here, attentive staff, would solve that issue for parents, those in wheelchairs or the elderly. Some well-known retailers have already closed their doors to this unnecessary waste. John Lewis, Marks and Spencer and Costa Coffee are some of the larger firms leading the way and many independent stores have caught on too. As we head towards colder weather and festive spending, competition on the high street will be hotter than an air curtain. ‘Tis the season to vote with your feet and refuse to go into shops that are needlessly wasting our precious carbon. Meanwhile, my imaginary friend has decided to put in revolving doors instead, so her place is still very welcoming. She’s saved so much money that she’s hired a butler.
■ Kate Blincoe is a freelance writer covering conservation, environment, countryside and agricultural issues. Follow Kate on Twitter @ kateblincoe