Tag Archives: environment

March 5, 2026 · 7:45 am

#HeadlineTherapy Norwegian influencer buys failed property development in Spain to build ‘self-sufficient’ eco-community

Thanks to Beatriz Olaizola of El Pais 50 Online for the Headline

So what happens to old property developments when they get old and die because they ran out of money, it happens quite a lot, the money flushes around and we wait while someone comes up with a bright idea to resurrect something from the rubble.

The Joya de Planes ( The Jewel of Planes) was one such project with plans for 450 houses beside a reservoir in the mountains of Alicante. Political skullduggery allowed this plot of land to be developed as it was previously owned by a Politician and despite many objections the approval for development was given and disruptive work continued until the property bubble burst in 2008 .The developer had no more funds to complete the work. Under new laws the land has now received protected status due to it’s high environmental value.

Enter in essence a new developer, a Norwegian and her Romanian Husband. They bought the land from a Bank and two private Citizens for an undisclosed sum. They do have plans which they are going to submit to develop an” eco-village”, including a school, shops and even a health centre which will need to be approval in this area of Environmental Interest.

The houses will mainly be attractive to foreigners and the development is likely to take the form of a sort of gated village, separate from the local residents who currently number 700 people. The development has received the support from the local mayor of Planes who also happens to be the deputy chief of the Infrastructure Department of the Regional Government of Valencia.

This project is mainly based on a Social Media Project run by the Norwegian lady who has gendered over 1 million hits and has started selling plots on the proposed development. Little has been agreed by the local villagers.

Surprisingly though the Mayor is already saying that any costs such as street lighting and road maintenance will have to be covered by the New Developers themselves as they local Government will not be able to afford it from their tax revenue.

The development of a Modern Eco -Village is a development by any other name and it remains to be seen what happens to the development and if it does indeed bring any benefits to the local area. Without sound financial backing , I’m not sure it’s going to work.

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March 4, 2026 · 5:19 am

#HeadlineTherapy Gas and oil prices soar and shares tumble on fears conflict could escalate

Thanks to Osmond Chia and Natalie Sherman from BBC Online News for the Headline.

The main talk around what is happening in the Middle East in our house centres around prices , that everything will go up and fuel and energy prices which have seemed to have steadied will now become unaffordable. Suddenly the prospect of not being able to do things that we now take for granted comes into play.

In truth , the advisors and analysts can produce as many graphs and detailed comments on the effect on inflation and interest rates as they like. The real effect is that we are being asked to not do things, not travel, not buy what we like from the shops, reduce our consumption, live like monks and not to rely on having any power ( energy wise or voting wise).

Waste is everywhere and certain governments just want to ensure that their War Machines and the Business’s behind them don’t collapse. Forget the little people.

It does feel incredibly unstable and for what reason? The Middle East is incredibly beautiful and it’s big enough land wise for it’s various populations, they need to learn to live together and Western Governments need to stop interfering with their infrastructure and their economies.

Also they need to stop encouraging us to buy Heat Pumps as they are not efficient and we really need to find ways of looking after our consumption of energy more rationally. I predict the traffic on the roads will reduce and having a car will become a luxury. The problem is that business’s and therefore choice will not survive.

The British Government have thought they can take the consumer for a ride , well there’s no more to give or take; with House Prices, Fuel Costs and Education loans, I think most working people are actually broke and looking at their standard of living dropping like a stone.

I saw on the news that President Trump has a rash on his neck, well if I’d got myself into the mess he’s made I think I’d develop a rash too.

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January 2, 2026 · 1:05 pm

#HeadlineTherapy France’s ban on ‘forever chemicals’ comes into force today. Here’s what will change.

Thanks to Liam Gilliver from Euro News Online for the Headline

PFA’s are known as forever chemicals as they take ‘forever’ to break down therefore when the products they are made of are disposed of then they stay in the earth , water and air of the planet we live in.

This legislation has taken a long time to come into force, considering the great French Environmentalist Jacques Cousteau was a pioneer in showing the World the beauty of the sea and how it could be decimated by waste and abuse caused by human activity.

Even now , the legislation has been watered down, with Tefal the French owned non-stick pan company preventing the products that they use to achieve their non-stick coating being banned as Tefal has said that they stopped using PFOA’s ( a forever chemical known for it’s heat resistance properties) in 2012 and what they use now( another forever chemical) , has no record of being linked to cancer causing properties.

In truth I would never buy a non-stick pan or indeed an aluminium pan coated with non-stick. I tend to go for stainless steel, cook at lower temperatures and try not to burn stuff. I suppose with eggy bottoms then a good scrubbing brush with a bit of bicarbonate soda works miracles. So I’m not so sure how successful Tefal is but like Renault, the French like to protect their industry so the Tefal lobbying obviously worked.

The good news though is for clothes and make-up , products that use PFA’s when there are perfectly good alternatives to make the product are now banned. Result

Let’s face it the majority of us want to avoid risk and will not buy products however cheap that cause illness and desolation. Well done the French Government and let’s hope everyone else will follow.

Namaste and Thank You for Reading. 🙏

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October 1, 2023 · 9:33 am

Landfill

LandfillThe Ultimate Corporate Short Sightedness To make holes in the ground and fill them with our rubbish and crud having no idea what effects this detritus will have on our environment seems short sighted and irresponsible.

We must be wary of this thinking at Government and Corporate level. How can it happen? Just dig a hole and hide it.No rational person would imagine that holes once they were filled could be of use to man nor beast,indeed could poison them.Yet it has been going on for years.We must question what “easy solutions” our Goverments and Corporate Leaders are currently actioning.What exactly are they throwing in a hole they have dug? In the hope that it will disappear and that by the time the environmental damage is realised they will be long dead and gone. Only their stone monument  honouring their achievements and the historic record of the honours they were awarded in their life  will remain as evidence of their contribution.

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Landfill

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