Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Interesting report in today's Times, full of facts & figures about the current state of transport in the UK. Highlights for me are:
While the overall cost of motoring has fallen slightly in real terms since 1980, bus, coach and rail fares have risen by 37 per cent.
and:
Stephen Joseph, the director of the sustainable transport group Transport 2000, said: “The answer to rising traffic growth is to reduce the need to travel. When the last bank closed in Liss in Hampshire, a million extra car miles were generated as people travelled to other branches."
Not quite a shining example of sustainability, is it?
And to cheer us all up, there's the news that Exxon makes history with $36bn profit.
While the overall cost of motoring has fallen slightly in real terms since 1980, bus, coach and rail fares have risen by 37 per cent.
and:
Stephen Joseph, the director of the sustainable transport group Transport 2000, said: “The answer to rising traffic growth is to reduce the need to travel. When the last bank closed in Liss in Hampshire, a million extra car miles were generated as people travelled to other branches."
Not quite a shining example of sustainability, is it?
And to cheer us all up, there's the news that Exxon makes history with $36bn profit.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Noticed a couple of interesting stories in yesterday's Observer. This one discusses "What is the real price of cheap air travel?", pointing out the environmental costs of those cheap weekend breaks people are so keen on. Where I used to work you coulds pick almost any weekend of the year and someone would be off somewhere in European, sipping wine - and there were only a couple of dozen folk working there. I confess to having flown once in the last 3 years (to Venice) and I'm taking my son to Italy as a reward for completing his GCSEs later this year, then that'll be it for me. I recently came across this excellent website that gives great info on European train travel.
The Observer also ran a story on all the wasteful packaging that manufacturers and supermarkets attempt to foist on us every day. I try really hard to minimise the waste my household produces, but it is difficult. As for carrier bags - I use cotton ones 99% of the time, and very rarely have to resort to plastic ones (only if I've bought more than I intended and my cotton ones aren't enough), and some shops get rather stroppy when you refuse to use their branded bags (in which case I refuse to buy their goods).
The Observer also ran a story on all the wasteful packaging that manufacturers and supermarkets attempt to foist on us every day. I try really hard to minimise the waste my household produces, but it is difficult. As for carrier bags - I use cotton ones 99% of the time, and very rarely have to resort to plastic ones (only if I've bought more than I intended and my cotton ones aren't enough), and some shops get rather stroppy when you refuse to use their branded bags (in which case I refuse to buy their goods).
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Newspapers, whether paper or electronic, exist to make money, and so we shouldn't be surprised that they sell themselves to advertisers of all hues. In today's Guardian, slap bang in the middle if an article on how Germany's oak trees are suffering from the effects of climate change, there is an advert for Quantas' new route to Melbourne via Hong Kong. The advert appears just ahead of the call from environmental campaingers for the German government to take action to cut CO2 emissions. A report from the Tyndall Centre last autumn points out that CO2 emissions from air travel are likely to overwhelm all efforts to cut emissions from other sources. All that flying really isn't sustainable. And it is bad for trees.
Meanwhile, the BBC reports that "Wave and tidal power can provide a fifth of the UK's electricity needs, according to a new report.
The Carbon Trust, which helps firms develop low-emission technologies, urges the government to increase support for wave and tidal concepts." Sounds good to me - certainly a better idea than nuclear.
Meanwhile, the BBC reports that "Wave and tidal power can provide a fifth of the UK's electricity needs, according to a new report.
The Carbon Trust, which helps firms develop low-emission technologies, urges the government to increase support for wave and tidal concepts." Sounds good to me - certainly a better idea than nuclear.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Demonstrating their committment to sustainability and reducing carbon emmissions, the Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs are generously walloping producers of veg oil based fuel with a tax hike. Bastards. As the Independent reports:
HMRC has thrown a proverbial spanner into the works, stalling efforts to keep veg-oilies on the right side of the law, by dramatically raising duty on veg-oil used as a fuel to 47.1p a litre. The decision threatens to bankrupt the burgeoning word-of-mouth backyard industry and drive its devotees to illegal cowboy garages.
"This will send a lot of us back underground," said one driver. "We want to help the environment - and before this we could save money at the same time. Now the Government has made it more expensive than using filthy diesel. A lot of us will just chance it and do it on the quiet. I know I will."
Crazy doesn't quite cover it, does it?
HMRC has thrown a proverbial spanner into the works, stalling efforts to keep veg-oilies on the right side of the law, by dramatically raising duty on veg-oil used as a fuel to 47.1p a litre. The decision threatens to bankrupt the burgeoning word-of-mouth backyard industry and drive its devotees to illegal cowboy garages.
"This will send a lot of us back underground," said one driver. "We want to help the environment - and before this we could save money at the same time. Now the Government has made it more expensive than using filthy diesel. A lot of us will just chance it and do it on the quiet. I know I will."
Crazy doesn't quite cover it, does it?
From The Independent:
Britain has 2.3 million cubic metres of nuclear waste stored around the country - more than enough to fill the Albert Hall five times. Exposure to even a tiny amount of the most potent type could kill an adult within two minutes - and it remains lethal for one million years. It will cost £85 billion to bury all this radioactive rubbish - but our governments have dodged the decision of where to put it for 30 years. As Tony Blair takes the first steps towards building ten new nuclear reactors to plug the looming energy gap, shouldn't we clear up this mess first?
Yes, indeed we should!! And then don't make any more. How absolutely irresponsible to create such a poisonous legacy for future generations (assuming there are future generations!). How dare we even consider it! It's like going out to the pub tonight and spending all next week's food money on booze so that your kids won't be able to eat then going home and vomiting everywhere and leaving it to congeal. So short-sighted, so selfish. No Tony!!!
Britain has 2.3 million cubic metres of nuclear waste stored around the country - more than enough to fill the Albert Hall five times. Exposure to even a tiny amount of the most potent type could kill an adult within two minutes - and it remains lethal for one million years. It will cost £85 billion to bury all this radioactive rubbish - but our governments have dodged the decision of where to put it for 30 years. As Tony Blair takes the first steps towards building ten new nuclear reactors to plug the looming energy gap, shouldn't we clear up this mess first?
Yes, indeed we should!! And then don't make any more. How absolutely irresponsible to create such a poisonous legacy for future generations (assuming there are future generations!). How dare we even consider it! It's like going out to the pub tonight and spending all next week's food money on booze so that your kids won't be able to eat then going home and vomiting everywhere and leaving it to congeal. So short-sighted, so selfish. No Tony!!!
Monday, January 23, 2006
Interesting pair of articles here & here from the BBC about biofuels. How far can they reduce carbon emissions? They are used extensively in Brazil & Sweden, for various reasons, but many other countries - and the big oil companies - are not convinced (to put it mildly). One anonymous spokesperson claims that using grains as fuel is not practical in a world where people are starving - conveniently ignoring the fact that there is actually plenty of food to go around, and plenty of land to grow it on, if only certain parts of the world weren't so greedy. I'm not saying that biofuels are the answer to all the world's climate problems - we need to drastically change our lifestyles if we stand any chance of averting climate disaster, but they are certainly better than burning fossil fuels.
Meanwhile, good news for the latest UK road building projects, as costs rise putting some of them in jeopardy. As The Times reports:
"Costs for the Government’s road-building programme have risen so much that many industry experts believe that some of the most delayed schemes may have to be scrapped, despite long-term commitments to carry out the work. The total budget for more than 40 of the country’s most ambitious road projects has risen by two thirds, pushing the programme’s cost up by £1.5 billion".
So lets have less road building!! Why not invest in the waterways, as the Guardian reported on Saturday.
Meanwhile, good news for the latest UK road building projects, as costs rise putting some of them in jeopardy. As The Times reports:
"Costs for the Government’s road-building programme have risen so much that many industry experts believe that some of the most delayed schemes may have to be scrapped, despite long-term commitments to carry out the work. The total budget for more than 40 of the country’s most ambitious road projects has risen by two thirds, pushing the programme’s cost up by £1.5 billion".
So lets have less road building!! Why not invest in the waterways, as the Guardian reported on Saturday.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Does the traffic outside your door drive you crazy? Do you feel safe walking along your street? Can you breathe clean air when you open your windows? Don't you think you are entitled to a safe, healthy environment? Have a look at the Living Streets manifesto - sign it - good, common sense stuff!!!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco didn't last long - too much like hard work. Got to page 55 then gave up. Next was Neuromancer by William Gibson. Well, I tried - a bit - got to page 22, but really couldn't get into it - too much of a different world. So they both got taken to Bookcrossing on Tuesday, and hopefully someone else will enjoy them more than I did.
Anyway, on a completely different subject, I found this great website for cats. Show it to your kitty.
Anyway, on a completely different subject, I found this great website for cats. Show it to your kitty.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
2006 day three. Not smoking (again) day three. Plumbing crisis in bathroom basin day six. I'm actually hiding here at the computer while my dad attempts to fit a new tap. Fourth attempt. Things don't fit, has to go get another bit of something, tries again. Like I say, I'm hiding - not much else I can do apart from watch, listen to him curse bits of copper, grind my teeth and try not to think about wanting to smoke. I don't smoke!!!
So much reading has been happening. Memoirs of a Geisha didn't take long. I enjoyed this tale of a geisha in Kyoto through the early to middle 20th century, though wouldn't call it at all intellectually challenging. The author claims it to be a fairly realistic portrayal of geisha life of the period and I found it an interesting perspective on a certain strand of women's history (although written by a man, so still cannot be called 'herstory'). The novel is very readable, containing all the requisite elements of good, mainstream fiction - hardship & heartache, love & loss, rivalry, success etc etc. The setting of Japan in the first half of the last century, and the cultural novelty of geisha life gives it a certain edge over much 'airport' fiction (but what would I know? I don't read that stuff), and I'm sure the film, out in the UK next week, will be very successful too.
Anyway, I was engrossed enough yesterday afternoon to completely forget that I had put a pan of butter beans on to boil - until the acrid tang of scorching beans reached the back of my throat! I could still smell them at bedtime.
Cheers are coming from the bathroom - the cold tap is now successfully in place, with water only flowing as and when and from whence it should. But a matching hot tap has yet to be considered. Personally, I think that co-ordination is rather overrated.
So much reading has been happening. Memoirs of a Geisha didn't take long. I enjoyed this tale of a geisha in Kyoto through the early to middle 20th century, though wouldn't call it at all intellectually challenging. The author claims it to be a fairly realistic portrayal of geisha life of the period and I found it an interesting perspective on a certain strand of women's history (although written by a man, so still cannot be called 'herstory'). The novel is very readable, containing all the requisite elements of good, mainstream fiction - hardship & heartache, love & loss, rivalry, success etc etc. The setting of Japan in the first half of the last century, and the cultural novelty of geisha life gives it a certain edge over much 'airport' fiction (but what would I know? I don't read that stuff), and I'm sure the film, out in the UK next week, will be very successful too.
Anyway, I was engrossed enough yesterday afternoon to completely forget that I had put a pan of butter beans on to boil - until the acrid tang of scorching beans reached the back of my throat! I could still smell them at bedtime.
Cheers are coming from the bathroom - the cold tap is now successfully in place, with water only flowing as and when and from whence it should. But a matching hot tap has yet to be considered. Personally, I think that co-ordination is rather overrated.
