Spare a thought for Europe this winter

In CS Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, one of the books (The Silver chair) has a character called Puddleglum. He is also such an optimistic chap… I love him, and in many ways your comment above reminded me of that. Thanks! :slight_smile:

“One word, Ma’am,” he said, coming back from the fire; limping, because of the pain. “One word. All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one more thing to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things-trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we’re leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that’s a small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.”

For sure it’s a challenge! However there’s not many options available. All countries are having to address the climate change agenda. Even here in SA we will be forced to move off fossil fuels if we want to be successful exporting products overseas. Those countries will apply penalties to products that have been produced with fossil fuels. So everyone’s hands are tied but this is the way to drive the agenda and it’s a good agenda!

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Of course everyone will be trying to get their slice of the pie. I have no doubt that’s going to happen a LOT. A lot of people will also try not to lose their share of things… notably our own coal mining industry.

And there will be countries like SA that will dabble by trading in the shadow economy with those dismal countries that don’t want to be dictated to.
But again, this cannot be hidden from the world and it will bite them sooner or later.
That saying of not being able to have your cake and eat it comes to mind…