A cross-posting from my World of Music blog.
Filled up my car as I took the air of this green and pleasant land
And then I recognised the smell of blood upon my hand
On International Women's Day.
A song which was written by Maggie Holland at the time of the Gulf War. It was released in 1992.
There is an analysis of the song and video of it being performed here.
The lyrics reference the impacts of the war on people, place and the environment - the three elements of geography.
This week we have seen oil very much in the news....
Here is the song being performed by Martin Carthy and David Swarbrick.
I was reminded of a link when I watched the local Look East evening news programmes in the week.
It featured someone from a company called Boiler Juice. I order my heating oil from this company.
Thousands of people living in rural East Anglia, and other locations such as Northumberland rely on heating oil. I live in one of those households. I had recently had a delivery of 500 litres, which should take us through into the summer months all being well. We use this for our heating and hot water. There is no gas in the village (although that is apparently at a premium as well), and limited options for solar and heat pumps too. Being a village with limited public transport - 20 miles from the nearest train station and having to commute to work I will also be paying more for petrol to get to school.
The price of heating oil has more than doubled in the last few days. I did a little quote on Boiler Juice and it showed the price spike. Heating oil, like jet fuel, is kerosene-based. Both are traded on European wholesale markets which depend on Gulf oil travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, which has now been closed by threats from Iran.
Unlike electricity and gas supplies, there is no price cap on oil.
According to latest Census figures, 865,000 homes in England and Wales – mostly in eastern England, Wales, the north-east and the west country – 127,000 in Scotland and 380,000 in Northern Ireland are affected.
This is as nothing of course compared to the impact of the current war, started for no good reason, which has already claimed hundreds of civilian lives, including the teachers and students at a school....
Comments