The picture, left, is taken from the front page of The Times supplement, 26th October. Briefly, the United States had been pressurising France to accept potentially dangerous US beef, and Bov had led a group of farmers who trashed a McDonald's restaurant. While we wouldn't entertain such action here, much of the intellectual fallout is relevant to our own local issue, and also to the problems affecting British farmers. Bov 's supporters are also raising questions about French identity and rural values, which are also echoed in our own current interest in English identity and values. In all instances there is public disquiet, vehement industry denials of dangers, and potentially disasterous consequences.
Politicians are subject to intense pressure from vested lobby interests to ignore public warnings.
Warwickshire has not been badly affected by climate change, but neighbouring counties of Worcestershire, Gloustershire, and Shropshire certainly have been. For many years scientists have warned of the consequences of global warming. Global warming is believed to be responsible for extreme climatic conditions experienced recently in many parts of the world, including the deaths of many thousands of people in floods on the Indian sub-continent. The multinational oil industry and the United States government are generally held to be the main culprits, and to be dragging their feet, and obstructing action. In the past decade no effective practical steps have been taken by Western governments.