A pamphlet was pushed through my door some years ago.

It was from some religious mob and was full of bible quotes and ways to achieve the “Path of Righteousness” and that kind of stuff. I binned it.

However I do remember the cover of that pamphlet. It was a scene of a meadow by a stream with a cute little cottage in the distance. Mammy and Daddy were enjoying a picnic and laughing while their two children [a boy and a girls of course] happily played ball in the background. A fawn grazed nearby and the air was full of birds and butterflies.

I thought of that image today as I read our Teashop’s words about the wonderful plans he has for us as a result of that COP thing –

He said the plan would allow an Ireland where it was “safe for children to walk and cycle to school, where food production is in harmony with nature…where rivers are once again pristine and the air we breath is pure.

Oh what a wonderful world we shall live in!

Of course there is a price. Isn’t there always? Or maybe there isn’t? –

“It is not about coercing people. It’s about convincing people. It’s about bringing them along and getting them on board.

“Nobody’s going to be forced to buy electric vehicles (EVs) but when the time does come to change you car, we want to make sure that the balances of incentives and disincentives is right so that you make the decision to go electric.

So it’s all going to be voluntary? Incentives and disincentives? Ah! Right.

So they’re not going to force me to buy a battery car. They’re just going to massively increase my car tax every year as an incentive to switch? Petrol prices will go through the roof because I persist in using the filthy stuff? I can’t complain because I am voluntarily driving a car I just bought and can’t afford to replace?

I can still use oil to heat my house if I wish. That’s good as it’s the only form of heating that works here. Mind you, I’ll have to pay my entire pension into the taxman’s pocket due to the massive taxes heaped on oil. I could always cover my roof with solar panels but the cost of that would definitely be a disincentive. I’d have to live for another forty years to make that economically viable,

Of course companies have to adapt too. That means their transport fleet will have to be replaced with battery driven yokes. That will cost the companies dearly but they wouldn’t dream of increasing their prices to cover the massive overheads? Why do I suspect that food prices will go through the roof? In fact the price of just about everything?

Apparently I have to walk everywhere from now. No sweat. But the village is a mile away and four hundred feet lower. So a return walk involves a mile walk combined with a climb of four hundred feet. Sweat.

The Teashop wants me to “get on board”?

He can fuck right off on his bike.