‘I’d ask all climate change deniers to read up on research before complaining’
Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments.
It's been a very cold winter... Because of climate change
As ever, the likes of Edward (MetroTalk, Mon) try to dismiss warnings of climate change, on the basis that we had a very cold winter.
I imagine he’ll be surprised to discover those ‘so-called’ climate experts he scoffs at have actually been doing the research, and have found that the colder winters are linked to the hotter summers.
As more of the icecaps melt, it causes a knock-on effect, which pushes colder air away from the poles and towards the equator, leading to more cold snaps and more cases of us hitting sub-zero temperatures over time.
I’d ask Edward and all the other deniers to read up on this before complaining about something they are ill-informed on. Matthew, Birmingham
Trump’s Greenland obsession, his threats to Hamas, LA’s wildfires and are we turning American?
‘Perhaps Greenland confused him’
Is Donald Trump’s bid for Greenland linked with his indifference to climate disruption? Perhaps he’s convinced that if global warming causes the island’s ice sheet to melt, then it will reveal numerous golf courses on which he can play.
Or perhaps the territory being known as ‘green land’ has confused him. John, Manchester
‘I hope that Trump appreciates this’
I’m saddened by the Los Angeles fires, yet delighted that the US are getting help from Mexico and Canada, I hope that president-elect Trump appreciates this. Andrew Edwards, Islington
‘Everyone tries to sound american these days’
Josephine from Acton (MetroTalk, Mon) says Canada and the UK should watch out in case Trump wants us to become part of the USA after he gets his hands on Greenland. The way everyone tries to sound American these days, starting sentences with ‘So’, and greeting people with ‘Hey’, I thought we already were. Chris, via email
‘We all have to thank Donald Trump for releasing Israeli the hostages’
We all have to thank Donald Trump for the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza – Hamas want to release them urgently before Trump carries out his threat to let ‘all hell break loose’ if they aren’t released by the time he re-enters the White House next week. So Trump’s threat has got the hostages freed. It’s a pity Biden didn’t have the same foresight two years ago. Richard Farrar, London
Elon Musk: the new media mogul?
‘I have two words…’
For all those people who are suddenly incensed at the thought of a media billionaire – in this case Elon Musk – setting the agenda for UK politics, I have only two words: Rupert Murdoch. Kris, via text
‘Fined for failing to remove child abuse images’
Des (MetroTalk, Mon) claims that Musk is ‘doing nothing more than speak for the majority of decent folk who believe this government are engaged in a massive cover up regarding grooming gangs’. Des may not be aware that Australian authorities fined X (formerly Twitter) more than £310,000 for failing to crack down on images of child sex abuse. Henry Page, Greenwich
Was sovereignty a convenient myth?
Remember right-wing attitudes to sovereignty during Brexit?
I can’t believe all these right-wing people who were so worried about sovereignty during the Brexit debate are now happy to allow our politics to be interfered with by rich foreigners! John Lewis, Coulsdon
‘£500billion owed, please.’
If Liz Truss can take legal action against Sir Keir Starmer for saying she crashed the economy, can we take legal action against the Leave campaign for lying about the economic consequences of Brexit?
Bloomberg estimates the cost of Brexit at around £100billion per year in lost productivity since we left the EU in 2020. That’s £500billion owed, please. Helen Shaw, Liverpool
Smacking: a poor lesson to kids
‘Violence is justified?’
In response to the smackers, it seems to me that the smack is the conclusion of a parent who is unable to find intelligent strategies to show a child what are the right, and wrong, ways to behave. In my opinion, it shows a child that there are circumstances where violence is justified, especially where one side is much larger and more powerful than the other. It’s humiliating, hypocritical and wrong. Scott, Bishop’s Stortford
Readers share their thoughts on Mick Lynch and it’s not good
‘See you on the course – he’ll have noone to play with though’
Further to the recent comments on Mick Lynch (MetroTalk, Mon). The man was responsible for making commuters’ travelling lives a misery in this country. All so he could feather his own nest and those he claimed to serve.
‘See you on the golf course’ writes Richard. Well, Mr Lynch probably bought one – but I suspect nobody can play on it because all the greenkeeper staff are on strike over working conditions. Dec, Essex
‘Hopefully he’ll be replaced by a human being’
I am amazed that more people haven’t written in about this but Mick Lynch will not be missed once he is retired. He is one of the most dishonest, vile people in the country and refused to listen to anything that didn’t fit his own personal (not his members’) agenda.
His motives were not to get a fair deal – he only cares about his own plots and politics and not facts.
Hopefully he will be replaced by a human being. Samantha, Brighton
Taxing the ordinary and sparing the privileged
‘It wasn’t our mistake’
So because Rachel Reeves has made huge mistakes in the budget we will all now have to pay a tourist tax when we stay at a hotel?! It’s taxing the ordinary people once again while privileged MPs claim expenses. James Bradshaw, London
The ‘enshittification’ of it all
‘Tubes look so filthy’
London buses and Tubes look so filthy nowadays – both inside and out. Is this a new thing? TC, London
‘I am steering clear of companies with a record of poor or no customer support.’
I just learned a new word, ‘enshittification’. According to CNN, it’s a term first coined by author, journalist and activist Cory Doctorow to describe the general deterioration of services.
What a fabulous word! You do not need to go far to see the blatant ‘enshittification’ of many companies’ online presence.
How long has it been since you have been able to actually contact them and speak to a human? Can you even find their so-called ‘Contact Us’ pages?
For me, I am increasingly researching companies to see how they deal with their customers – and I am steering clear of companies with a record of poor or no customer support.
It is especially prevalent within the services industry – especially restaurants, where the norm seems to be cutting staff and using cheaper ingredients.
Look at how many fast-food chains now force you to order at an electronic kiosk or mobile app. It is clear they just don’t want to speak or interact with their customers. But, if you don’t speak to your customers, how do you know what they really want?
Sadly, there is the constant deprecation of their product, and whilst it looks good on paper, long-term it eventually leads to the eventual failure of that business; customers simply get fed up and leave. Steven, London