Interesting Links for 29-09-2024

[andrewducker]

1. The Lib Dems must welcome Flat Earthers

(tags:satire libdem transgender bigotry LGBT politics UK )

2. Study links anti-trans laws to an increase in trans teen suicide attempts (up 72% in 13-17 year olds)

(tags:suicide LGBT transgender OhForFucksSake law children bigotry )

3. Moo Deng Worried Chubbier, Feistier Pygmy Hippo Coming To Take This All Away

(tags:funny hippo cute )

4. New California law means digital stores can't imply you're buying a game when you're merely licensing it

(tags:intellectual_property licensing California games law )

5. Damaged bulk carrier off UK coast a ticking timebomb

(tags:UK Russia Malta shipping explosives )

6. All the homes we will ever need - a permanent fix for the housing crisis

(tags:housing UK )

Comments

[cmcmck]

2.

I'm not in the least surprised although 'they' have been trying to deny this!

[greenwoodside]

6. In preference to expanding building in the south-east, I'd rather see more jobs created outside the London zone. Starting by moving parliament. To Nottingham, maybe, for centrality or to the north-east for affordable housing.

[andrewducker]

I'd like to see things more spread out. That's going to need much better transport and investment.

[purplerabbits]

6. - Building on 10% of the green belt doesn't just lose you 10% though, those people will also need roads, shops, workplaces, leisure facilities, hospitals and care facilities.

Also there's a lot that can go wrong with the all the homes idea. Even with a stable population we would need to build new houses as old ones become unusable, populations migrate, standards for acceptable housing change and so on. If you have already used literally all the land in one area that you are prepared to use that could be a problem.

[armiphlage]

I've only visited the UK once, but the buildings seem rather low. Increasing allowable building heights to that of (say) historic Vienna would allow far greater numbers of people to live in existing urban areas.

[cmcmck]

The trouble you have is that many Brits really do not like apartment living and that creates problems when everyone wants a house, however small, with a garden.

[channelpenguin]

I dont know if that is a dislike of leaseholds (in England), an opinion that it is no good for kids/pets (most or Europe begs to differ), or the dreadful state/ambience of many UK apartment blocks. It is in any case a fact that Brits don't prefer apartments and do definitely prefer to buy not rent. Which makes the sensible suggestion of higher dnesity city housing not really work. Shame.

[calimac]

"Brits do definitely prefer to buy not rent" Home ownership rate is actually slightly below the US (63 v. 66%, according to Wikipedia), and my impression has always been that owner-occupier status is far less valued in the UK, due to the large number of council houses - at least before they were all sold off. Government-owned housing outside of apartment blocks is virtually unknown in the US.