//How's the lightbulb situation, NJ?//
Tickety-boo, thanks for asking, Zacs. As I think I mentioned within one of the Brexit filibusters (which seem to have taken place a lifetime and a half ago), I reluctantly decided to make a phased switchover to LED bulbs as far as possible. I simply couldn’t be doing with the hassle of trying to source proper lightbulbs and I found an online provider that does all the colours in all of the sizes (I have no less that 23 bulb types in my modest house). So as my stock of proper light bulbs runs out I simply order the LED equivalents. I don’t like them, but needs must. As I was reading your post an ad for this supplier popped up:
https://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/
Not my supplier, but whose watching me?
//It's part of a big European network.//
And what’s wrong with that? I should have thought the tree huggers would have been more than pleased if people travelling to Europe chose to go by train instead of by air. I know they’d prefer they didn’t travel at all or at least if they had to then either walk or cycle, but that’s not always practical. The trains would be powered by “sustainable” energy (like burning wood), natch. I’d be delighted to be able to travel by one train from London to, say, Lisbon, Rome or Athens. Getting more freight onto the rails (properly, not by loading lorries on to trains) would have enormous benefits for cross channel transport and it would mean militant French fishermen blockading Calais would be wasting their time.
//but there is nothing compelling, or that justifies this amount of destruction.//
Yes there is. It is the movement of people and goods.