Homework

I am a non-believer.  Have been since I think I worked it out in an RE Lesson when I was in the Sixth Form.

But this Coronavirus has had me questioning my lack of faith.

Only a bit though.

The World is in a mess.  We have morons in charge of the US and Brazil.  We have evil people in charge of China and Russia.  We have a habitual liar in charge of the UK.  We have pollution.  We have plastics in the food chain.  We have climate change - ice-caps melting.  We have chaos in The Middle East.  The Amazon Rainforest is being destroyed - that's the lungs of the Earth! 

Nobody in power has taken any notice of Greta.

Even the supposedly good guys like Justin Trudeau have disappointed us:

So what would God do?

 

Invent something to shut down industry and get people to stop using their cars.  Invent something that Trump and Bolsonaro will badly mishandle in a vain attempt to protect their economies.

Invent something to kill off the Gammons?

 

Coronavirus is having an effect - I alluded to it last month.

 

Here is what my exit from the motorway on my way home looks a bit like now: 

Except there are more traffic cones and less Hillman Avengers today than in that 1977 photo I found on Google Images.  Thanks to whoever added that credit to it - I feel slightly less guilty about using it when there are credits.  Is that a motorbike in the exit lane? - I guess it must be but it's very hard to work out.

Anyway, I've digressed.  This whole Blog-Post is inspired by this BBC story about how the AA say "Coronavirus will transform UK work and travel."

They predict "a permanent reduction in the demand for travel because people have learned during the crisis to use home-working technology."

Don't forget videoconferencing.  I would travel to the local hospital for a specific meeting once a month.  For me, it was a 10 to 15 minute drive which isn't a biggie - other attendees had to come in from all over the county - but the parking was a nightmare and as our employers would recompense us for fuel - that recompense would come from NHS budgets.  We used Zoom this time - the only disadvantage was no chocolate hobnobs - we'll probably continue doing it this way.

"The chancellor currently plans to spend £27bn to curb congestion on roads and £100bn on HS2 – but if demand falls, that may not be needed."

Indeed, especially as his magic money trees will have other priorities.  AA President Edmund King agrees, "anecdotal evidence from people lucky enough to be working during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown suggests that infrastructure funds might be better spent on broadband to support home working."

AND - IT ALL HELPS TO SLOW DOWN ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE!

"Other experts are calling for the roads programme and HS2 rail project to be put on hold for a decade so ministers can be sure they’re not wasting money.

They say if commuters spend just one day a week working from home after the crisis - or commuting later - the roads will be as empty as they are in the school holidays."

Now, I know Michael Gove believes we have had enough of experts, but our government does seem to have started quoting them so maybe that's another effect of the virus.

As for HS2, this Jonathan Pie video is an excellent argument for cancelling it - maybe a postponement for a decade would be a step in the right direction - don't watch it if you're easily offended by sweary language:

So, what is going to happen?  God knows.