The Manx Wildlife Trust has announced a new project to restore a Manx rainforest at Glen Auldyn thanks to the Wildlife Trusts’ long-term partnership with Aviva. At 1,124 acres – with 750 acres suitable for rainforest habitat – it is the largest plantable area to enter the Wildlife Trusts’ rainforest recovery programme so far and will be the biggest nature reserve in the Island. Guests on Perspective sometimes struggle to see the wood from the trees ….. which in this case is probably a good thing!

About a month ago Perspective heard from Robert Morrey who explained his plan to build an anaerobic digestor and energy hub at Andreas. Just over a week ago a group of farmers and government officials visited Scotland to see how AD plants work. I joined them as an independent observer and this week’s Perspective gives a fascinating insight into how energy crops could work for the Isle of Man. It certainly seems to be a great opportunity for Manx farmers and for us to create a more sustainable source of energy. And no whiffy smells from this week’s Perspective.

On Thursday 8th May the Isle of Man will remember the sacrifices made during the second world war with a commemorative concert for the 80th Anniversary of VE Day. 80 years after the day the allied forces celebrated victory in Europe a concert reflective of the music of the time will be held at the Villa Marina in Douglas followed by a drumhead service and the lighting of a beacon to join similar beacons being lit in the UK. A scratch band has been pulled together for the event by Andrew Smith MHK and on Perspective we hear from some of the band members for a fascinating reflection on music and commemoration.

April’s Tynwald sitting spilled into a rare third day, largely due to a mammoth debate on Manx Care’s Mandate and Operating Plan.

In this episode, Christian Jones reflects on some of the key talking points, offering context and insight along the way.

We also take a closer look at concerns over a potential constitutional flaw: is the government too powerful in political sittings, with an automatic majority in certain cases?

The Rev Sean Turner has been a Methodist Minister in the south of the Island for the past five years but will be leaving the Island shortly to return to his home in North Carolina. He talks to Perspective about changes in society and community, love and faith. Does faith still have a place in society and if so why has there been such a big shift away from the church in the past few generations. That’s Perspective this Easter Sunday at 12 noon on Manx Radio with me Phil Gawne. Has the societal shift away from community towards individualism thrown the baby out with the bath water

The Treasury Minister has a lot on his plate at the moment as the impact of Trumpian economics sends shock waves around the world. An estimated 5% has been knocked off the value of Isle of Man Government reserves in recent days so how will that affect Treasury predictions in this year’s budget? Alex Allinson appears unflappable but is he and his Treasury team doing enough to bring the deficit between government income and expenditure back to more manageable levels. Should we be concerned about public finances? And if they must fiddle while Rome burns could they at least pick a better tune?

It appears that we’re somewhat reluctant to pay enough for our food to make it worthwhile for farmers to produce the food we consume readily. “Cheaper food is best” seems to have been a message we’ve been content to support for eighty years or more but is it time for a rethink? The Agriculture Department has acknowledged that growing energy crops is now an important new area for farmers to consider and this message was well received by an Andreas farmer who has ambitious plans to develop an anaerobic digester plant which could supply 25% of the Island’s energy needs if supported. With a fair wind this project could be a great boost for farmers - and wind is just what they’re looking for!

The Isle of Man often brags about being the first place in the world to grant women the right to vote. So why have we had to wait for nearly a century and a half since that historic decision was taken, for the House of Keys to reflect the fact that half the population are women. This House of Keys has more women MHKs than any house before it so why do we still need to encourage more women to stand? There’s no doubt that representing the people can be quite a gruelling experience but if you really want to make the world a better place it’s certainly worth throwing your hat in the ring.