Readers' letters - February 9

Suffragists '˜were more influential'
Protesters campaign for women votesProtesters campaign for women votes
Protesters campaign for women votes

The term ‘suffragette’, used in the media in recent days when celebrating the centenary of women gaining the vote, is greatly misplaced.

It refers only to Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst’s militants, whose role in

the process is subject to debate.

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The conflicts and divisions they created within the women’s movement are well documented.

The wider suffragist movement, epitomised by Millicent Garrett Fawcett, was more influential and constructive.

Actively campaigning for the vote as President of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, she and her associates established higher education and access to a range of professions for women.

Indeed, her sister, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, was England’s first qualified female doctor.

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Later this year, Millicent Garrett Fawcett will be honoured with a statue in Parliament Square – the first of a woman.

This exceptional lady stands, in my opinion, head and shoulders above the suffragettes and rightly deserves this honour.

Roger Stamp

via email

environment

Climate change is a natural act

I have stocked up on warm clothes for the coming Ice Age. Don’t laugh, I am serious.

In the last 50 years, carbon dioxide (CO2) has increased in the world by 0.1 per cent.

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This is a good thing as we need CO2 to survive and it has been a great boost to the greening of the planet and the increase of harvests.

At present trends it will take another 50 years for a further tiny increase, and its causal link to global warming is bogus.

I took data from 24 roughly equidistant points on the globe of median temperatures at the two equinoxes over the last 30 years with a mean variant of plus/minus 5 per cent.

By using an algorithm, I was able to plot trends in any change in temperatures during this period.

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I came to the conclusion that average temperatures had increased equivalent to one degree fahrenheit.

Allowing for gross error, this represents a range of zero change to two degrees change.

However, all this change or no change is well within the scope of natural changes that have been occurring since any form of records began.

In Shakespeare’s day, the Thames used to freeze over in winter, whilst in mid-Victorian England, winters had become so mild that builders started the habit of plumbing on the outside of buildings, something which we have continued despite the much colder Edwardian era.

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There have been, in the last few years, great shifts in air and sea currents which are a harbinger of climate shift.

For example, for the first time in nearly 100 years, a couple of weeks ago, every state of the United States reported snow cover, including Texas and Florida.

This may be linked to shifts in the great winter cold air mass over northern Canada which, on present trends, seems to be shifting axis – bringing a return to the United Kingdom of winters capable of once again freezing the Thames.

Personally I prefer it hot. Let the last words be from Bob Carter of New Zealand, one of the world’s leading paleo-climate scientists (long term climate study) before his recent death.

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Quote: “The expenditure of more than $50bn on research into global warming has failed to demonstrate any human-caused climate trend, let alone a dangerous one”.

Edward Johnson

Colne

nhs

Solutions to bed crisis

Solutions to NHS bed blocking problems:

Build a continuation hospital.

Open up closed down care homes, to be run by someone who is licensed by LCC and knows what they’re doing.

Simples.

Can I now receive my £800,000?

I never realised that ‘common sense’ was worth so much!

Mrs A D Parkinson

Bamber Bridge

WILDLIFE

Where are all the rabbits?

What has happened at Gill Lane roundabout, Longton?

For years there were wild rabbits on it and it put a smile on many faces but alas, they have all disappeared.

Has somebody decided they like rabbit pie ?

I would like to know what harm were they doing?

Sue Longland

via email

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