Snow. Snow snow, snow. Snow? Snow, snow.

We've got 58 channels of snow. And if that's not enough there's some more outside. And people are still driving around in it!! It's times like this that community spirit really comes into it's own, as people check on each other, car pool to the shops to get the essentials and everyone is out shoveling snow off the public footpaths.

Any time now.

Any minute...

Well, there's a gang of kids throwing snowballs at slow moving cars, and their own dog, and people on the Jeremy Vine show complaining about the council not gritting paths and accusing those who have opted to not risk life and limb doing a non-essential job of being somehow lazy. The Economy, it seems, is far more important than your life.

I only live about two miles from my workplace, so I was happy to walk in, but I would certainly not blame others for not risking it, and the doctors and nurses and other important people deserve medals for what they go through.

I know there's a shortage of rock-salt/grit/whatever you want to call it, but what about the community payback scheme getting out there with a few shovels, what about the councils employing some temps through the agencies, and how about some good old fashioned community spirit?

More importantly, what about the energy crisis? Gas and electricity consumption has nearly reached record levels, just as we're trying to get emissions down, and with Cold Weather Payments barely covering what it will actually cost for some to stay alive, one has to wonder what we'll be doing in years to come, when Peak Oil hits, energy bills soar and winters get colder.

The problem is not the heating of your home, it's the heat loss, and the solution is to make it easier and cheaper to heat our homes. The Green Party proposes Free Insulation for every home and, indeed, this has been started where there are Greens on the council. This, combined with Microgeneration will mean heating our homes will be cheaper, easier and more environmentally friendly.

So, tomorrow I intend to go buy a spade and get the paths clear around my neighbourhood and see if I can't get some kind of community cohesion going on.

Do not turn off your heating!!!

Please, stay warm and stay active and don't feel guilty about having the heating on in this weather.

It's not a luxury, it's an essential.