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Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and Mytholmroyd flooded again!

George Monbiot has been writing about upstream management as a way to reduce the chance of flooding. In his most recent piece he mentions the management (for profit) of grouse moors.

This flood was not only foretold – it was publicly subsidised | George Monbiot

I'm curious - are people In Hebden Bridge putting any blame on the flooding to how land is managed upstream?

[free hugs - ffs. I recall someone doing the same in my sixth form college twenty years ago and and the time it irritated me, but I was able to dismiss it as some kind of youthful 'fun']
 
George Monbiot has been writing about upstream management as a way to reduce the chance of flooding. In his most recent piece he mentions the management (for profit) of grouse moors.

This flood was not only foretold – it was publicly subsidised | George Monbiot

I'm curious - are people In Hebden Bridge putting any blame on the flooding to how land is managed upstream?
I can remember this land use and runoff issue being talked about 20 years ago, but it seems to have been so very conveniently ignored by government. Nothing George Monbiot says in that article is especially groundbreaking (although his facts are more recent), and yet in all this time we've done nothing, and will probably continue to do nothing. Because changing our fundamental behaviours doesn't look as sexy as pouring tens of thousands of tons of concrete and having big fancy flood control centres to open, I guess.

[free hugs - ffs. I recall someone doing the same in my sixth form college twenty years ago and and the time it irritated me, but I was able to dismiss it as some kind of youthful 'fun']
A hug's a funny thing - you exchange it more than give it. And, to be honest, the cost of exchange of a a hug with someone wearing a "free hugs" sign is always going to be higher than a genuine hug from someone who cares about more than being seen as the sort of person who gives out free ones :)
 
He used to be from here (Cambridge) and is certainly full of himself. You can keep him please.
There can be few places in the country that would tolerate the likes of him, Certainly, if he was to venture just a few miles down the valley here to Tod with his exciting public frottage offer, he would likely find himself buried under an incredible edible patch within hours.
 
George Monbiot has been writing about upstream management as a way to reduce the chance of flooding. In his most recent piece he mentions the management (for profit) of grouse moors.

This flood was not only foretold – it was publicly subsidised | George Monbiot

I'm curious - are people In Hebden Bridge putting any blame on the flooding to how land is managed upstream?

[free hugs - ffs. I recall someone doing the same in my sixth form college twenty years ago and and the time it irritated me, but I was able to dismiss it as some kind of youthful 'fun']

There was already a pretty active campaign in Hebden 'Ban the Burn' targeted at the Walshaw grouse estate - I'd say this event will mean it takes off like a rocket over the next year. Lots of people sharing the Monbiot article locally, lots of talk about the need for reforestation on the tops etc.
 
There was already a pretty active campaign in Hebden 'Ban the Burn' targeted at the Walshaw grouse estate - I'd say this event will mean it takes off like a rocket over the next year. Lots of people sharing the Monbiot article locally, lots of talk about the need for reforestation on the tops etc.
Yep, it's definitely seeping into public conciousness more - even Jason fucking Manford was posting about it recently on Facebook. He's the kind of person who will reach non-Guardian wankers, so that's good.

I was talking to my mam about the trees thing and how it would help to reduce floods and she did the eyes glazing over thing she usually does when I'm ranting about something 'political'. But then she woke up all excited saying I was 'right' because Jason Manford has been saying the same thing.
 
Yep, it's definitely seeping into public conciousness more - even Jason fucking Manford was posting about it recently on Facebook. He's the kind of person who will reach non-Guardian wankers, so that's good.

I was talking to my mam about the trees thing and how it would help to reduce floods and she did the eyes glazing over thing she usually does when I'm ranting about something 'political'. But then she woke up all excited saying I was 'right' because Jason Manford has been saying the same thing.
Slightly frustrating when that happens, isn't it? :)
 
My heart goes out to all affected by the floods.
We got it downstream here in Donny in 07, some are still suffering, some still have the caravans on their front lawns that they moved into while their homes and lives were squeegeed out in front of less devastated neighbours.
We live about 50cm above sea level here, alongside a river that is tidal at this point and when the rains come, we sleep very little, waiting for the havoc.
Then I get supposedly intelligent folk at work telling me that climate change is a load of old crap!
 
It's been awful watching this happen - every sympathy with everyone affected. To be honest, living in low-lying Hull, I've an uneasy feeling of having dodged a bullet on this occasion, but we might not be so lucky next time.
 
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Scary Roadkill, a friend of ours at Hedon had their bungalow nearly written off in 2007, they still seem devastated now, it was the personal, lifetime memories lost that flattend them.
 
Been travelling around West and East Yorkshire these last couple of days. Every river you see or cross is brimming. All the flood fields are full, Vale of York, Aire Valley and Wharfe Valley. There must be lost of concerned folk.

Keep safe.
 


Glitter I can't find the gong and circle dancing because I blocked the posters from my page and can't remember their names. There's the above bollocks as well.
 
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I am a terrible evil person I know, because I have not been affected at all by the floods at all... but now I am absolutely sick of not being able to go anywhere without hearing the same breathless stories about how deep it was, how heroic the person speaking was, arguments and theories (mostly crackpot) about why it happened and What Should Be Done. Plus the endless self congratulatory Isn't The Community Amazing and Why oh Why Aren't we on the BBC Every Single News Bulletin?

I am going to sit in my house now for the whole of January and wait for hopefully there to be a big snow event or a mass shooting at the Trades Club or for huge controversy when Wetherspoons buys one of the flooded pubs or something so there's something else to listen to people talk about.
 
I sort of agree but without the mass shooting at the Trades :D
I must say though that the Muslim and Sikh charities and some restaurants too have been amazing. Bringing practical help and good food to a town they have no connection with. :)
 
I sort of agree but without the mass shooting at the Trades :D

All right. The mass shooting can be at a Dance for Universal Peace instead :D Or perhaps at a busy Friday night at the Old Gate, might help reverse gentrification a bit.
I must say though that the Muslim and Sikh charities and some restaurants too have been amazing. Bringing practical help and good food to a town they have no connection with. :)

Yep fully agree and that has happened in Tod and down at Elland etc too and in Littleborough / Rochdale so a really concerted effort to help. Though part of the reason must be because they feel forced to publicly demonstrate that all Muslims aren't evil terrorists and can do good things for non-Muslims and that's disturbing in itself really.
 
Yep fully agree and that has happened in Tod and down at Elland etc too and in Littleborough / Rochdale so a really concerted effort to help. Though part of the reason must be because they feel forced to publicly demonstrate that all Muslims aren't evil terrorists and can do good things for non-Muslims and that's disturbing in itself really.
But they still did it, and from what I can tell, just from news reports, with a will.

If the number of spoof news site articles about Britain First (not) heading off to do flood relief work is anything to go by, the point is being well made :)
 
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