With Bio-Waste Spreader: "The National Farmers' Union (NFU), whose 55,000 members farm two-thirds of the agricultural land of England and Wales, is to make two key climate change advisers redundant. Is this a sign the union has finally abandoned its much-trumpeted ambition to make UK agriculture 'net zero by 2040'? The NFU has blamed the dismissal of chief renewable energy and climate change adviser Jonathan Scurlock and net-zero policy delivery manager Kate Bannister on the government's lack of ambition…"
Medicine Balls with MD: "The Department for Transport (DfT) is seeking views on proposals to introduce mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers. If they become law, drivers over the age of 70 will have to have their vision checked every three years as part of a new road safety strategy. This would replace the self-reported 'I can see OK to drive' system but would rely on optometrists having enough capacity – and reimbursement – to do the tests…"
With Dr B Ching: "The government's announcement last week of a £45bn "Northern Powerhouse Rail" programme upholds the tradition of ministers trumpeting northern rail jam tomorrow – for future governments to fund. While the big transport money was, and still is, focused on southern England, Tory and Labour ministers have needed something to distract northerners. Northern Powerhouse Rail was a suitably grand-sounding name until 2023…"
With Remote Controller: "At the start of a year when the future of Britain's senior TV services will be shaped – with the BBC's next funding structure thrashed out between whoever is DG and whoever is PM, and ITV for sale, probably to Comcast – the big streamers circle the lurching hulks, baring their creative teeth. The latest viral hit, stoked by social media word of mouth, is Heated Rivalry, evidence of just how much digital content is out there. This romance between star ice hockey players…"
With Old Sparky: "The results of the long-overdue AR7 offshore windfarm subsidy auction (Eyes passim) were announced last week. To nobody's surprise the cost of subsidising these mighty structures continues to rise, despite energy secretary Ed Miliband extending the duration of the bungs from 15 to 20 years. Even the avowedly pro-net-zero Grauniad reckons it marks a 17 percent cost increase over last year – and that Miliband should ditch his 2030 clean energy targets..."
With Lunchtime O'Boulez: "The flagship BBC Symphony Orchestra used to offer the most secure employment a musician could ask for. No longer, players fear. Later this year the orchestra will lose its home at Maida Vale Studios for what management calls a 'gap year', before relocating to new Stratford East premises. But with no timetable for Stratford East's readiness, and their regular concert space, the Barbican, closing for a year from 2028 for refurbishment, players can expect a period of homelessness…"
Letter from Helsinki
From Our Own Correspondent: "If geography is destiny, Finland picked the short straw. A 1,300km long border with Russia and Arctic latitudes isn't something most might choose. We see ourselves as the Ukrainians of the north, which is why we've been so generous supporting them. It's just a matter of timing: our independence war from Russia was more than 100 years ago; theirs is now. The Soviets came back for another bite in the Winter War of 1939, but again we sent them packing…"
With Gold Digger: "The world's most valuable company, Nvidia, is currently repeating the trick that its tech predecessors at the top of the financial tree got away with until a decade or so ago: exploiting the vast British market for its products while paying no tax on the profits from them. The semi-conductor company that is engineering the AI boom and recorded $84bn in pre-tax profits in its last financial year..."