The Interdependent MONDAY 5 JANUARY 2027 THE VALUES SHIFT NEWSPAPER £2 BUILD YOUR OWN LEARN HOW TO CONSTRUCT A WIND TURBINE see inside Carbon Last big court opens in Paris super- ANDY WIMBUSH Legal correspondent THE new United Nations Climate Court opened in Paris and shocked observers by naming the interna- tional Formula One company as defendants in their first action. Prosecutor Jean-Paul Mercredi store claimed that Formula One bosses had “flouted international efforts to reduce climate-changing fossil fuels” and that they were “revelling in a juvenile fashion at the damage they are doing to humanity”. The Climate Court was set up by the UN a year ago and still has no powers to enforce their decisions, but they can charge people and shuts its organisations they believe are undermining human efforts to stave off global warming. It is still unclear whether these inditements will have any effect, but observers believe they will make it harder for companies charged in this way to raise money and to operate. Formula One chairman Karl doors Schpeed has announced that he will DAVID BOYLE council leader Geoffrey Sullivan said that the site of the last store will be not be attending the court. THERE were tears as well as cheers demolished and turned into homes “I will not be represented,” he as the last of the giant superstores with small-holdings. said. “This kangaroo court has no shut up shop for the last time, after Unconfirmed reports suggest that jurisdiction over me. Our sport cer- Tesco-Virgin managers announced this will be the site of the govern- tainly uses petrol, but we pay a con- their last outpost must close. ment’s 150th new eco-village, which siderable amount in taxes and we “It is the end of an era,”said shop- will be self-sufficient in food and give pleasure to millions of people.” At a briefing in Paris after the per Edith Thomas, 68, cramming fuel. hearing, the prosecutor’s office set her last shop into her cycle-trailer Only shutters were visible this out the case against Formula One, outside the store, near Berwick. “I evening, but souvenir hunters have claiming that every Grand Prix feel like I’ve been shopping here my removed most of the wire trolleys raises the sea levels by 0.001cm. whole life.” that used to be such a ubiquitous aspect of British urban life. A source close to the prosecutor’s A handful of demonstrators were office says that the court plans to on hand to protest against the clo- Local food registrar Jemima Potts said she was angry with the com- broaden their scope, and will be indict- sure, which was announced late last ing companies that have played a role night. They sang ‘We’ll Meet Again’ pany for such a sudden announce- ment. “We may have months now causing climate change at any time and other nostalgic songs until far since the beginning of the century. into the night. A Tesco-Virgin when this site is unused, when there spokesperson said that the style of could easily have been a better han- shopping was no longer economic. dover,” she said. “The danger is that OBITUARY “We have been as loyal as we can squatters will move in and grow any to customers, but the time has come. old stuff on the site.” Branflake’s space Fuel costs are too expensive to sup- There remains controversy about ply the store and too expensive for the fate of the old Tesco-Virgin burial tragedy depot on what used to be the M1, our customers too.” RICHARD Branflake, one of the Tesco-Virgin was once the biggest which has now been vacant for five years seeking a buyer. A bid by leading entrepreneurs of the fossil- name in UK retailing, building a fuel consumer age, has died aged stranglehold over high streets and British Cabbage plc to turn it into greenhouses was rejected in January. 78 in a tragic accident during a out of town stores after a series of publicity stunt to launch his latest controversial takeovers and mergers controversial venture, Vergin beginning in 2012, swallowing up Burials in SpaceTM. most of the best-known brand íPatriotic songs at Branflake was known to be eager names in Britain. to recover from the era-defining Recent years have seen a marked collapse of his space tourism decline in the company’s share price closure of last enterprise Vergin Galactic. as store after store was forced to BACK UNDER SAIL Witnesses saw Branflake trip at close. They continue to have a Tesco-Virgin, but Tall ship: the Chinese vintage ship Bejing in full sail as it arrived the launch, mistaking a hologram strong online presence at www.tat- of young models for the real thing, in Portsmouth Harbour yesterday, ready for the annual Atlantic uk.com managers say its and fall into a demonstration Protesters say they will continue race between sailing vessels old and new. To qualify, ships must burial pod which then automatic- to honour the company name as a just old-fashioned use wind alone to make the crossing. Other enhancements, like ally launched. piece of UK heritage, but Berwick solar or fuel cell technology are forbidden for the race. 2 Comment MONDAY 5 JANUARY 2027 The Interdependent SPECIAL READER’S OFFER The Jamie Oliver Compost Toilet Interdependent See tomorrow’s edition of The Interdependent We’ve never had it Anger as so good, have we? Grosvenor Square Munny.com THE NEWS yesterday that the top team of wind turbine builders, award-winning Gateshead United, was led by a former hedge fraudster fund manager demonstrates just how much the world has changed over the past genera- nightingales will tion. appears Decades ago, the money markets were run by the elite. Now we hardly notice them, and the business supplements that used to grace the pages of this and other newspapers are in the dock now energy supplements. In many ways the be singing again LOCAL currency fraudster role of money, which our parents watched Anatole Spratt has been sentenced with such fascination at the turn of the cen- CORRINA CORDON to six years agricultural service fol- tury - as the markets rose and fell so disas- Agricultural correspondent lowing the collapse of his internet trously - has been taken over by energy. currency Munny.com Are we better off as a result? The Prime THE last exclusive London Spratt looked shame-faced in Minister’s speech yesterday certainly sug- square has now gone under the dock, confronted by hundreds of gested that we are and, with some provisos, plough, after the failure of last those he had defrauded who we agree. It certainly makes the manufacture ditch legal action by residents crowded into the public gallery to of wealth more certain if all you have to do is of Grosvenor Square and the hear him sentenced by Mr Justice put up a turbine or a solar panel. We no Grosvenor Estate. Kotze. longer have to insure, in quite the same way The final legal obstacles to Munny.com was one of the that our parents had to, against market col- turning Grosvenor Square fastest growing complementary lapse. over to agricultural use were currencies, and was downloaded On the other hand, the work involved is overturned in the high court onto mobile phones by an esti- tougher, and the exhaustion of working until last week, and as expected the mated 1.5m people in Britain and we are 75 - when even the agricultural work tractors arrived at dawn this Europe. camps are beyond us - provides an edge to life morning. It was widely recommended by which our parents also never knew. We look A handful of local residents financial advisors because of forward, as the Prime Minister does, to the greeted their arrival with plac- Spratt’s boasts that it was based on success of our efforts to keep the climate ards, but within an hour the the value of potatoes. But human-friendly. square had been ploughed rumours that his own store of over. potatoes was actually non-exis- A last minute compromise Tractor power: the agricultural machines move into Grosvenor tence caused panic offloading of with the Grosvenor Estate pre- Square. the currency at the end of last year. Bring back luxury served the flowerbeds along Spratt asked for ten similar YES, we lead saner, healthier lives, but there the edge of the square, but the Wallis-Stewart, 79. “This the government’s Allotment offences to be taken into consider- are increasing numbers among us - especially rest of it will be parcelled up square has been a park for cen- Advisory Group, said he ation. The location of his agricul- among the young - who yearn for the lost lux- into allotments for local peo- turies and has remained sacro- remained “very concerned” at tural service is being kept secret uries of the past. ple. sanct in that time, just for the the lack of progress creating for fear that he will be targeted for There were reports last week that a group of The former Rolls Royce car occasional wedding reception. allotments in other parts of the revenge attacks by those who lost students dressed in suits and dresses in showroom, which has been It made me weep to see the country, especially in the money as a result of his fraud. provocative 1990s style, throwing old-fash- empty since 2015, will be used tractors coming in.” Scottish Highlands. ioned banknotes around in the street, had as a farm shop. It is expected All London’s squares are There had been expectations been pelted with bottles by passers-by.