Saturday 6 January 2024

fish island (the clue is in the name)

 fish island under water (indeed). 

with global warming the scientists predicted wetter and warmer winters. 

now the warmer bit is good (well not so bad) because a warm winter means less energy will be needed to heat houses resulting in less greenhouse gas emissions.

but the wetter bit is potentially a problem. many cities towns and villages are built near water - i.e. in marshy river bottoms prone to flooding. as streets are tarmacked over and garden areas concreted over, as trees are cut down, as green spaces are built upon, the ability of the ground to absorb water and delay it running off downhill is reduced. more water floods downhill producing a flood risk not just near bodies of water (canals etc.) but also on anywhere with a gradient.

the flooding of a neighbour's basement flat a few doors from horsemouth's got his attention. as horsemouth is in the basement room it doubly got his attention. the communal endeavour doesn't have any property on fish island but it does have some houses further downhill and lower down than horsemouth's and nearer to the canal (but it was one 3 doors down from horsemouth's that flooded rather than these because the problem is a drainage and run off of rainwater problem). 

but warmer in summer  is bad because it means keeping the houses cool will become a problem. and wetter in summer can be a problem because increased evapouration rates can lead to more intense storms dumping more rainwater on the streets (and thus a better chance of flooding). 

the city of london and docklands are protected from tidal and storm surges by the thames barrier but they cannot be protected from floodwaters from off the thames flood plain except by flood prevention measures in the city and flood mitigation  measures upstream (allowing it to flood upstream, planting trees etc.). 

and meanwhile chris skidmore MP has resigned - the former energy minister who signed the UK’s net zero commitment (by 2050) into law resigns disgusted at sunak's new oil and gas drilling licences. 

this means another bye-election (oh dear! lol) with  a contest in the “blue wall” south-west in february or march. one of three by-elections in the early months of 2024. 

more joan didion (horsemouth has posted this before). the blue nights - all that stuff round mourning and being unaware that things will change (and have in fact changed already). she does it so well. in another excerpt from it the curse of memorabilia, of 'stuff' when you don't want to remember.  

rob the nomad is a little shocked for some reason a year after he finished his appalachian way walk it has suddenly become popular on youtube. but he has finished the walk and went and get a job and is planning to start renting a house (as soon as he can afford to move out of the shelter). what is he to do with this 'success' now?  

horsemouth is a little slow getting back into the year. tuesday next week his brother is up and they are visiting the solicitor. his return to the wen is delayed until the 28th. (hopefully it will not all be under water by then). 

last night a dream. horsemouth in the squat parties sent out for wine. 

on facebook the ribbing has begun:

'river lea burst it's banks flooding hackney wick. we're probably facing a conceptual art shortage for the next few weeks...'

and quote 'who will that inconvenience? rewild it. god will know his own.' 



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