供应链噩梦加剧，气候变化抗议者封锁欧洲最忙港口
英国卡车司机短缺，供应链告急。不仅如此，气候变化抗议者还封锁了欧洲最繁忙的轮渡港口——多佛港。
最近几周，“反抗灭绝”（Extinction Rebellion）运动的一个分支“隔热英国”（Insulate Britain），因为封锁M25（环绕伦敦的高速路）的部分路段而占据头条新闻。顾名思义，该组织要求对英国的房屋进行隔热改造，减少能源浪费，缓解燃料匮乏。
数千名司机因此受到影响，“隔热英国”运动成功地引起了社会关注，但得到的回应大部分都是负面的。上周早些时候，高等法院批准了政府的禁令申请，向该组织下达禁令。如果这些抗议者继续封锁M25，就将面临监禁。
因此，9月24日早上，三组“隔热英国”的抗议者封锁了多佛港（不在M25上）的进出口。抗议活动从上午8点20分开始。港口仍然开放，但出现了严重的混乱，港务局呼吁人们“留出充足的出行时间。”
多佛港的首席执行官道格·班尼斯特在一份声明中说：“我们正在与客户和警方共同处理这一局面。尽管这一混乱局面并非由我们造成，我们还是深感抱歉”。
据当地新闻报道，一些抗议者把手粘在道路上。肯特警方在一份电邮件声明中称，共逮捕了39人。
“隔热英国”在一份声明中表示：“我们对造成的混乱感到抱歉。但这似乎是保持隔热问题的热度，让人们注意到保温效果差的房屋正在损害数千人的健康、让民众无法安居和导致早死的唯一途径。今天早上我们封锁多佛，就是要告诉大家燃料匮乏正在杀死多佛和全英的民众。”
供应链
多佛是距离法国加莱最近的英国港口，对英国的供应链至关重要，是英国最繁忙的滚装货物运输港口。
近几个月来，英国的供应链陷入了困境，主要是因为普遍的劳动力短缺。英国国家统计局（Office of National Statistics）于9月24日发布的一项调查显示，有多达四分之一的英国人无法买齐他们想要的食品，其中六分之一的人无法购买基本食物。
劳动力老龄化、新冠疫情再加上英国脱欧的预期效应（鼓励欧洲工人返回欧盟），英国卡车司机的供给一直在减少。目前卡车司机的缺口约为10万。
9月23日，英国石油公司（BP）和埃索石油公司（Esso）的一些加油站，因为油罐车司机短缺而关闭。受影响的加油站数量很少。政府对此作出反应，强调英国炼油厂仍然有充足的燃料，并表示可能会尝试让军人驾驶油罐车。
英国道路运输协会（U.K.'s Road Haulage Association）希望政府放宽移民政策，吸引更多的卡车司机，但政府拒绝让步，坚持在英国国内解决司机问题。然而，在9月初，该协会表示，受新冠疫情影响，司机的培训和测试进度大幅放缓。（财富中文网）
译者：徐亮
英国卡车司机短缺，供应链告急。不仅如此，气候变化抗议者还封锁了欧洲最繁忙的轮渡港口——多佛港。
最近几周，“反抗灭绝”（Extinction Rebellion）运动的一个分支“隔热英国”（Insulate Britain），因为封锁M25（环绕伦敦的高速路）的部分路段而占据头条新闻。顾名思义，该组织要求对英国的房屋进行隔热改造，减少能源浪费，缓解燃料匮乏。
数千名司机因此受到影响，“隔热英国”运动成功地引起了社会关注，但得到的回应大部分都是负面的。上周早些时候，高等法院批准了政府的禁令申请，向该组织下达禁令。如果这些抗议者继续封锁M25，就将面临监禁。
因此，9月24日早上，三组“隔热英国”的抗议者封锁了多佛港（不在M25上）的进出口。抗议活动从上午8点20分开始。港口仍然开放，但出现了严重的混乱，港务局呼吁人们“留出充足的出行时间。”
多佛港的首席执行官道格·班尼斯特在一份声明中说：“我们正在与客户和警方共同处理这一局面。尽管这一混乱局面并非由我们造成，我们还是深感抱歉”。
据当地新闻报道，一些抗议者把手粘在道路上。肯特警方在一份电邮件声明中称，共逮捕了39人。
“隔热英国”在一份声明中表示：“我们对造成的混乱感到抱歉。但这似乎是保持隔热问题的热度，让人们注意到保温效果差的房屋正在损害数千人的健康、让民众无法安居和导致早死的唯一途径。今天早上我们封锁多佛，就是要告诉大家燃料匮乏正在杀死多佛和全英的民众。”
供应链
多佛是距离法国加莱最近的英国港口，对英国的供应链至关重要，是英国最繁忙的滚装货物运输港口。
近几个月来，英国的供应链陷入了困境，主要是因为普遍的劳动力短缺。英国国家统计局（Office of National Statistics）于9月24日发布的一项调查显示，有多达四分之一的英国人无法买齐他们想要的食品，其中六分之一的人无法购买基本食物。
劳动力老龄化、新冠疫情再加上英国脱欧的预期效应（鼓励欧洲工人返回欧盟），英国卡车司机的供给一直在减少。目前卡车司机的缺口约为10万。
9月23日，英国石油公司（BP）和埃索石油公司（Esso）的一些加油站，因为油罐车司机短缺而关闭。受影响的加油站数量很少。政府对此作出反应，强调英国炼油厂仍然有充足的燃料，并表示可能会尝试让军人驾驶油罐车。
英国道路运输协会（U.K.'s Road Haulage Association）希望政府放宽移民政策，吸引更多的卡车司机，但政府拒绝让步，坚持在英国国内解决司机问题。然而，在9月初，该协会表示，受新冠疫情影响，司机的培训和测试进度大幅放缓。（财富中文网）
译者：徐亮
As the U.K. battles serious supply-chain issues that are largely down to a shortage of truck drivers, here comes another problem: Climate protesters have blockaded Europe's busiest ferry port, in Dover.
Insulate Britain, an offshoot of the Extinction Rebellion (XR) movement, has grabbed headlines in recent weeks by blocking sections of the M25, the orbital road around London. As its name suggests, the group is specifically demanding widespread insulation of British homes, to cut down on energy wastage and fuel poverty.
Due to its effect on thousands of drivers, Insulate Britain's campaign has successfully grabbed public attention—with much of the reaction being negative. Earlier last week, the government won an High Court injunction against the group, meaning the activists face jail if they keep blocking the M25.
So, on September 24 morning, three groups of Insulate Britain activists blocked the entrance to and exit from the Port of Dover (which is not on the M25) instead. The protest began at 8.20 a.m. The port is still open, but there does appear to be significant disruption, and port authorities are urging people to "please allow extra time for your journey."
"We are working with our customers and the police authorities in managing the situation and apologize to our community for any disruption being caused by a situation not of our making," Port of Dover CEO Doug Bannister said in a statement.
Local news reports some of the activists glued their hands to the road. Kent Police said in an emailed statement that 39 arrests were made.
"We are sorry for the disruption that we are causing. It seems to be the only way to keep the issue of insulation on the agenda and to draw attention to how poorly insulated homes are causing ill health, misery and early death for many thousands of people," Insulate Britain said in a statement. "We are blocking Dover this morning to highlight that fuel poverty is killing people in Dover and across the U.K."
Supply chains
Dover is the closest English port to Calais in France, making it an important location for British supply chains. It's the U.K.'s busiest port for roll-on/roll-off freight services.
The U.K.'s supply chains have been in dire straits in recent months, with a general labor squeeze being largely to blame. On September 24, the Office of National Statistics released a survey that suggests as much as a quarter of people in the U.K. have been unable to buy all the foodstuffs they want, with one in six reporting an inability to buy essential food items.
The U.K. has an ever-dwindling supply of truck drivers, thanks to an ageing workforce, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the intended Brexit effect of encouraging European workers to go home to the EU. The country currently has around 100,000 fewer truck drivers than it needs.
On September 23, a shortfall in fuel-tanker drivers forced the closure of some BP and Esso-owned gas stations. The number of affected stations is quite small The government reacted by stressing that British refineries still have plenty of fuel, and suggesting that it might try to get soldiers to drive the tankers.
The U.K.'s Road Haulage Association wants the government to relax its immigration rules to attract more truck drivers, but the government isn't giving in; it insists that industry must find drivers within the U.K. However, as the association pointed out earlier September, the pandemic has massively slowed down driver training and testing.
