Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Cheery article in The Independent about the availability, or scarcity of water, and how climate change will exacerbate problems that already cause immense suffering across the planet. The item finishes with some interesting statistics:
"On our watery planet, 97.5 per cent of water is salt water, unfit for human use.
* Most of the fresh water is locked in the ice caps.
* The recommended basic water requirement per person per day is 50 litres. But people can get by with about 30 litres: 5 litres for food and drink and another 25 for hygiene.
* Some countries use less than 10 litres per person per day. Gambia uses 4.5, Mali 8, Somalia 8.9, and Mozambique 9.3.
* By contrast the average US citizen uses 500 litres per day, and the British average is 200.
* In the West, it takes about eight litres to brush our teeth, 10 to 35 litres to flush a lavatory, and 100 to 200 litres to take a shower.
* The litres of water needed to produce a kilo of:
Potatoes 1,000
Maize 1,400
Wheat 1,450
Chicken 4,600
Beef 42,500"
See how much water is needed to produce a kilo of beef! And the land-use and energy input figures are similarly unsustainable. So cook something different today!
"On our watery planet, 97.5 per cent of water is salt water, unfit for human use.
* Most of the fresh water is locked in the ice caps.
* The recommended basic water requirement per person per day is 50 litres. But people can get by with about 30 litres: 5 litres for food and drink and another 25 for hygiene.
* Some countries use less than 10 litres per person per day. Gambia uses 4.5, Mali 8, Somalia 8.9, and Mozambique 9.3.
* By contrast the average US citizen uses 500 litres per day, and the British average is 200.
* In the West, it takes about eight litres to brush our teeth, 10 to 35 litres to flush a lavatory, and 100 to 200 litres to take a shower.
* The litres of water needed to produce a kilo of:
Potatoes 1,000
Maize 1,400
Wheat 1,450
Chicken 4,600
Beef 42,500"
See how much water is needed to produce a kilo of beef! And the land-use and energy input figures are similarly unsustainable. So cook something different today!
You can't beat a bit of nostalgia occasionally. Have a look at the BBC collection of old public information films. I remember - with a shudder - the one about swimming in mucky old ponds, where the hooded figure threatens "I'll be back-ack-ack". And the silly litter film, where the litter-dropping bloke is converted by a pretty young woman, and joins the LDV - the Litter Defence Volunteers. Cheesey!! And of course, being an eccentric old cat woman, one of my favourites has got to be "Charley says". But which shall I vote for??
Monday, February 27, 2006
Crash by JG Ballard
Ballard says in the introduction to this that it is a pornographic novel, so I wasn't exactly taken by surprise. But by p35 I had had enough of violent sexual fantasies. The narrator, by this point, was in hospital recovering from a car accident. I thought maybe there was the possibility of a story, but there wasn't. So I gave up.
Ballard says in the introduction to this that it is a pornographic novel, so I wasn't exactly taken by surprise. But by p35 I had had enough of violent sexual fantasies. The narrator, by this point, was in hospital recovering from a car accident. I thought maybe there was the possibility of a story, but there wasn't. So I gave up.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Gridlock by Ben Elton
In Gridlock, Ben Elton focuses his attention on disability and cars. Through the example of the two main characters - Geoffrey, who has cerebral palsy, and Deborah, a paraplegic since being hit by a car while crossing the road - Elton holds forth on the discrimination encountered by disabled people, both from the attitudes of society and by the actual physical structures of the built environment. And he is spot on. Although some efforts have been made by government over the 15 years since Gridlock was written - the recent Disability Discrimination Act, for example - there is still a long way to go to remove the disabling attitudes and physical barriers that less able-bodied people have to deal with.
Now, on cars, Elton rants very eloquently (if a little irritatingly tangential at times). He points out the incestuous relationships between governments, the motor industry and the oil producers, and identifies the idiotic quest for never-ending economic growth that is really a head-on collision with global self-destruction just waiting to happen.
Of course, being a Ben Elton novel, it is also very funny (at times). Centred on two main scenarios - an invention of a hydrogen engine that would transform transportation, and a plan for road building - Elton shows how those controlling the national and global economies refuse to countenance anything that is likely to detract from the dominance of oil, (the hydrogen engine) and will go to great lengths to facilitate continued economic expansion (the building of yet more roads).
In the decade and a half since the book was published, nothing much has changed, even though in the UK we have a different governmet (haha). Roads continue to be built, petrol-driven cars are still produced in their millions, dominating our lives. So to my mind, this novel is as relevant today as it was 15 years ago and well worth a read.
Next off the shelf, to keep the car theme going, is Crash by JG Ballard.
And not wanting to leave the oil industry alone quite yet, I read in today's Guardian that Shell are told to pay Nigerians $1.5bn pollution damages. It seems that despite making billions in profit last year, they are unwilling to part with any of their riches to compensate for their destructive practices:
"Justice Okechukwu Okeke's ruling in Port Harcourt yesterday upheld a vote by Nigeria's senate in August 2004 to fine Shell $1.5bn. Shell had argued that the parliamentary committee that made the original order in 2000 did not have the power to require payment. But the judge ruled that since both sides agreed to go before parliament, the order was binding.
Shell in London said the company would not comment in detail until it had received the text of the judgment; "however, we believe that we will have strong grounds to appeal as independent expert advice demonstrates that there is no evidence to support the claims"."
In Gridlock, Ben Elton focuses his attention on disability and cars. Through the example of the two main characters - Geoffrey, who has cerebral palsy, and Deborah, a paraplegic since being hit by a car while crossing the road - Elton holds forth on the discrimination encountered by disabled people, both from the attitudes of society and by the actual physical structures of the built environment. And he is spot on. Although some efforts have been made by government over the 15 years since Gridlock was written - the recent Disability Discrimination Act, for example - there is still a long way to go to remove the disabling attitudes and physical barriers that less able-bodied people have to deal with.
Now, on cars, Elton rants very eloquently (if a little irritatingly tangential at times). He points out the incestuous relationships between governments, the motor industry and the oil producers, and identifies the idiotic quest for never-ending economic growth that is really a head-on collision with global self-destruction just waiting to happen.
Of course, being a Ben Elton novel, it is also very funny (at times). Centred on two main scenarios - an invention of a hydrogen engine that would transform transportation, and a plan for road building - Elton shows how those controlling the national and global economies refuse to countenance anything that is likely to detract from the dominance of oil, (the hydrogen engine) and will go to great lengths to facilitate continued economic expansion (the building of yet more roads).
In the decade and a half since the book was published, nothing much has changed, even though in the UK we have a different governmet (haha). Roads continue to be built, petrol-driven cars are still produced in their millions, dominating our lives. So to my mind, this novel is as relevant today as it was 15 years ago and well worth a read.
Next off the shelf, to keep the car theme going, is Crash by JG Ballard.
And not wanting to leave the oil industry alone quite yet, I read in today's Guardian that Shell are told to pay Nigerians $1.5bn pollution damages. It seems that despite making billions in profit last year, they are unwilling to part with any of their riches to compensate for their destructive practices:
"Justice Okechukwu Okeke's ruling in Port Harcourt yesterday upheld a vote by Nigeria's senate in August 2004 to fine Shell $1.5bn. Shell had argued that the parliamentary committee that made the original order in 2000 did not have the power to require payment. But the judge ruled that since both sides agreed to go before parliament, the order was binding.
Shell in London said the company would not comment in detail until it had received the text of the judgment; "however, we believe that we will have strong grounds to appeal as independent expert advice demonstrates that there is no evidence to support the claims"."
Friday, February 24, 2006
Went to see Julian Cope at Leeds Met last night. Guitar-tastic! Stonkin’ rockin’ music, generously peppered with Cope’s irreverence for all things religious and political made for an excellent evening. I wonder if the birthday fairy might bring me his new album, Dark Orgasm, next week?
Or maybe the birthday fairy will bring me a pedal powered washing machine.
Highly unlikely, really. Still, there's always this cat game I to play.
Or maybe the birthday fairy will bring me a pedal powered washing machine.
Highly unlikely, really. Still, there's always this cat game I to play.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Nice statistic:
Driving a 13mpg 4x4 rather than a 25mpg car for a year will waste more energy than:
Leaving the fridge door open for 7 years
Leaving the TV on for 32 years
Leaving the bathroom light on for 34 years
from Alliance Against Urban 4x4s. I do wonder though, if its accurate, given that the TV uses a lot more energy than the bathroom light...
But better than either of the above are electric cars that don't use petrol at all. Check out the eco-friendly way to get into top gear. NB its a 2 page article so take care to click for the next page when you get to the bottom. Its worth your while - you could save yourself a lot of money, as well as reducing your CO2 emissions (as long as you buy renewable electricity, anyway).
Driving a 13mpg 4x4 rather than a 25mpg car for a year will waste more energy than:
Leaving the fridge door open for 7 years
Leaving the TV on for 32 years
Leaving the bathroom light on for 34 years
from Alliance Against Urban 4x4s. I do wonder though, if its accurate, given that the TV uses a lot more energy than the bathroom light...
But better than either of the above are electric cars that don't use petrol at all. Check out the eco-friendly way to get into top gear. NB its a 2 page article so take care to click for the next page when you get to the bottom. Its worth your while - you could save yourself a lot of money, as well as reducing your CO2 emissions (as long as you buy renewable electricity, anyway).
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
This novel was very readable from the start, keeping me interested to the end. Narrated by two teenage girls in the 1860s, from opposite ends of the social spectrum, the book tells of the twists and turns of their involvement with each other and with a plan to claim the inheritance of the rich heiress-to-be. Although there was little difference between the voices of the two girls, despite their different backgrounds, this is still a well written novel. The story took me by surprise many times. The historical context was well defined and (seemingly) well researched. I think I will probably read more Sarah Waters if one of her books crosses my path.
This novel was very readable from the start, keeping me interested to the end. Narrated by two teenage girls in the 1860s, from opposite ends of the social spectrum, the book tells of the twists and turns of their involvement with each other and with a plan to claim the inheritance of the rich heiress-to-be. Although there was little difference between the voices of the two girls, despite their different backgrounds, this is still a well written novel. The story took me by surprise many times. The historical context was well defined and (seemingly) well researched. I think I will probably read more Sarah Waters if one of her books crosses my path.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Today I found a beautifully laid out, informative site, good for organic shopping, lots of interesting bits & pieces to read, and handy links. Have a look at Howies.
A link from there took me to Tescopoly where I read that: "Tesco now controls 30% of the grocery market in the UK. In 2005, the supermarket chain announced over £2 billion in profits. Growing evidence indicates that Tesco's success is partly based on trading practices that are having serious consequences for suppliers, farmers, overseas workers, local shops and the environment.
Tesco's business could be seen as one of the drivers behind the rise in UK CO2 emissions. Tesco transports millions of tonnes of produce around the world, contributing to climate change through transport emissions. Its stores are some of the most energy-inefficient buildings in the retail sector. It would take more than 60 corner shops and greengrocers to match the carbon dioxide emissions from one average sized superstore. Tesco also encourages shoppers to travel by car. One in 10 car journeys in the UK are now to buy food, and Tesco is now embarking on selling flights in its stores in Hungary."
And still on the shopping theme, if you want a change from Amazon, and are looking for something informative to read, check out Eco-logic books - a green book heaven!!!
Finally, some culture for ya. I heard about the latest Art Angel project on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row so had a look at Sukhdev Sandhu's Night Haunts . Excellent, lyrical writing on aspects of night-time London. Sandhu describes “New Labour’s vision of London – a blinging, pigeon-free, glass-fronted, private-finance-initiative-funded, cappuccino-sipping, Barcelona-mimicking, Euro-piazza festooned, Vanity Fair-endorsed, live-forever, things-can-only-get-better fantasia” then sets out to explore perspectives usually overlooked, or unavailable to most of us.
The project will unfold throughout this year, but there are already a couple of interesting pieces.
A link from there took me to Tescopoly where I read that: "Tesco now controls 30% of the grocery market in the UK. In 2005, the supermarket chain announced over £2 billion in profits. Growing evidence indicates that Tesco's success is partly based on trading practices that are having serious consequences for suppliers, farmers, overseas workers, local shops and the environment.
Tesco's business could be seen as one of the drivers behind the rise in UK CO2 emissions. Tesco transports millions of tonnes of produce around the world, contributing to climate change through transport emissions. Its stores are some of the most energy-inefficient buildings in the retail sector. It would take more than 60 corner shops and greengrocers to match the carbon dioxide emissions from one average sized superstore. Tesco also encourages shoppers to travel by car. One in 10 car journeys in the UK are now to buy food, and Tesco is now embarking on selling flights in its stores in Hungary."
And still on the shopping theme, if you want a change from Amazon, and are looking for something informative to read, check out Eco-logic books - a green book heaven!!!
Finally, some culture for ya. I heard about the latest Art Angel project on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row so had a look at Sukhdev Sandhu's Night Haunts . Excellent, lyrical writing on aspects of night-time London. Sandhu describes “New Labour’s vision of London – a blinging, pigeon-free, glass-fronted, private-finance-initiative-funded, cappuccino-sipping, Barcelona-mimicking, Euro-piazza festooned, Vanity Fair-endorsed, live-forever, things-can-only-get-better fantasia” then sets out to explore perspectives usually overlooked, or unavailable to most of us.
The project will unfold throughout this year, but there are already a couple of interesting pieces.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Populated by shadows and infused with tragedy, this atmospheric Spanish mystery crept up on me and held me captivated for days. Telling the story of Daniel Sempere’s enthralment with the writer Julian Carax, Zafon’s novel takes us on a journey through Barcelona’s dark streets during the first half of the 20th century.
Zafon writes darkness brilliantly, claustrophobically, and draws the reader down misty alleyways, encountering love & death, the betrayal of friends & family, and the treachery of the Civil Way along the way.
Highly recommended.
Populated by shadows and infused with tragedy, this atmospheric Spanish mystery crept up on me and held me captivated for days. Telling the story of Daniel Sempere’s enthralment with the writer Julian Carax, Zafon’s novel takes us on a journey through Barcelona’s dark streets during the first half of the 20th century.
Zafon writes darkness brilliantly, claustrophobically, and draws the reader down misty alleyways, encountering love & death, the betrayal of friends & family, and the treachery of the Civil Way along the way.
Highly recommended.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Have a read of this Guardian story about rose farms in Kenya on the shores of Lake Naivasha. Sold as Fair Trade, the article tells of an improvement in conditions for the workers, who earn good money by Kenyan standards. But how sustainable is it? The Lake is becoming polluted both by the flower farm and by the influx of migrant workers living along the shore. Then there are the carbon miles travelled sending the flowers to the supermarket shelves in the UK. Do we really need bunches of roses in February? Isn’t there a better way for the Kenyan workers to get by?
Also in the Guardian, Jon Vidal writes about the WTO decision that countries refusing to play the GM crop game with the US, are ‘breaking the rules’ –offending the free trade sensibilities of our Western cousins. Always happy to support freedom, “Within hours of the WTO decision, José Bové, the French farmer who has led European protests, arrived in New York to give an invited talk to Cornell students about GM food - and was immediately sent back to France by the US government.”
Just this once, I’m going to agree with Bob Geldof. As the Independent reports: ‘Bob Geldof said: "Bottled water is bollocks. It is the great irony of the 21st century that the most basic things in the supermarket, such as water and bread, are among the most expensive. Getting water from the other side of the world and transporting it to sell here is ridiculous. It is all to do with lifestyle” ‘ The article about a report from the Earth Policy Institute (EPI), a Washington-based environmental group, examines the costs and environmental damage done by the fashion for drinking water from far away in plastic bottles. Apparently, “In 2004, for example, Finnish company Nord Water sent 1.4 million bottles of Helsinki tap water to a client in Saudi Arabia. In the same year, producing the plastic bottles that delivered 26 billion litres of water to Americans required more than 1.5 million barrels of oil - enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year.” It’s a mad, mad, world.
Be back later with a review of The Shadow of the Wind.
Also in the Guardian, Jon Vidal writes about the WTO decision that countries refusing to play the GM crop game with the US, are ‘breaking the rules’ –offending the free trade sensibilities of our Western cousins. Always happy to support freedom, “Within hours of the WTO decision, José Bové, the French farmer who has led European protests, arrived in New York to give an invited talk to Cornell students about GM food - and was immediately sent back to France by the US government.”
Just this once, I’m going to agree with Bob Geldof. As the Independent reports: ‘Bob Geldof said: "Bottled water is bollocks. It is the great irony of the 21st century that the most basic things in the supermarket, such as water and bread, are among the most expensive. Getting water from the other side of the world and transporting it to sell here is ridiculous. It is all to do with lifestyle” ‘ The article about a report from the Earth Policy Institute (EPI), a Washington-based environmental group, examines the costs and environmental damage done by the fashion for drinking water from far away in plastic bottles. Apparently, “In 2004, for example, Finnish company Nord Water sent 1.4 million bottles of Helsinki tap water to a client in Saudi Arabia. In the same year, producing the plastic bottles that delivered 26 billion litres of water to Americans required more than 1.5 million barrels of oil - enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year.” It’s a mad, mad, world.
Be back later with a review of The Shadow of the Wind.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Been doing a bit of reading about biodiesel - . I have friends who have been using the stuff for years, making it themselves from old chip oil, but this site gives a particularly comprehensive explanation of its properties and advantages over fossil fuel.
Three cheers for Sweden. The Guardian reports that Sweden plans to be world's first oil-free economy .
Not all good news today though. A useful item in the Independent explains that "BP would have made an £18bn loss if the full environmental damage caused by its activities were included, a study shows.
Using a model designed by the Government, the true social cost from the 1.46 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere would come to £29bn, according to analysis by the New Economics Foundation.
If Shell were included it would add £17.5bn-worth of pollution cost, wiping out its annual profits of £13bn and converting it into a £4.5bn loss. The total cost of £46.5bn means these two companies make up almost 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use, NEF said.
BP said it had met a target it set in 1998 to cut its emissions by 10 per cent by 2010 since when they had stabilised at about 82 million tonnes. It said without its commitment to keep emissions at that level they would have hit 150 million tonnes by 2012.
David Nicholas, its spokesman, said: "We are trying to move forward to make it easier to supply energy with a lower impact on the environment."
Three cheers for Sweden. The Guardian reports that Sweden plans to be world's first oil-free economy .
Not all good news today though. A useful item in the Independent explains that "BP would have made an £18bn loss if the full environmental damage caused by its activities were included, a study shows.
Using a model designed by the Government, the true social cost from the 1.46 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere would come to £29bn, according to analysis by the New Economics Foundation.
If Shell were included it would add £17.5bn-worth of pollution cost, wiping out its annual profits of £13bn and converting it into a £4.5bn loss. The total cost of £46.5bn means these two companies make up almost 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use, NEF said.
BP said it had met a target it set in 1998 to cut its emissions by 10 per cent by 2010 since when they had stabilised at about 82 million tonnes. It said without its commitment to keep emissions at that level they would have hit 150 million tonnes by 2012.
David Nicholas, its spokesman, said: "We are trying to move forward to make it easier to supply energy with a lower impact on the environment."
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Came across this green blog, loads of links to other ‘green’ sites.
And can't decide whether to laugh or cry at the idea of Thatcher:The Musical. I suppose it was inevitable, but she isn't even dead yet. When she is, though, I hope to join Merrick for a bit of dancing.
While I'm on the subject, I've just finished reading What a Carve Up by Jonathan Coe, an excellent satire on (mostly) 80s Britain. Coe's novel made me laugh out loud, and on occasion nod vigorously in agreement with his astute critique of the blatant greed & social destruction excercised by the ruling classes epitomised by Thatcher's Conservative posse. All this embedded within the story of a struggling writer whose own personal circumstances (tragedies, even) are inextricably linked to the misdeeds of the aristoctratic Winshaw family. Coe doesn't restrict himslef to the 1980s: his insight encompasses the post-WWII period, running up to the 1991 war on Iraq, and includes a very salient perspective on the arms trade, alongside pertinent comparisons with the decline of the NHS.
For me, having been politically aware and active during the 80s, this was a very satisfying read. It was very funny, and I thought very intelligent & well written. Highly recommended!!
And can't decide whether to laugh or cry at the idea of Thatcher:The Musical. I suppose it was inevitable, but she isn't even dead yet. When she is, though, I hope to join Merrick for a bit of dancing.
While I'm on the subject, I've just finished reading What a Carve Up by Jonathan Coe, an excellent satire on (mostly) 80s Britain. Coe's novel made me laugh out loud, and on occasion nod vigorously in agreement with his astute critique of the blatant greed & social destruction excercised by the ruling classes epitomised by Thatcher's Conservative posse. All this embedded within the story of a struggling writer whose own personal circumstances (tragedies, even) are inextricably linked to the misdeeds of the aristoctratic Winshaw family. Coe doesn't restrict himslef to the 1980s: his insight encompasses the post-WWII period, running up to the 1991 war on Iraq, and includes a very salient perspective on the arms trade, alongside pertinent comparisons with the decline of the NHS.
For me, having been politically aware and active during the 80s, this was a very satisfying read. It was very funny, and I thought very intelligent & well written. Highly recommended!!
Thursday, February 02, 2006
In today's Guardian Robert Newman explains why It's capitalism or a habitable planet - you can't have both :
"There is no meaningful response to climate change without massive social change. A cap on this and a quota on the other won't do it. Tinker at the edges as we may, we cannot sustain earth's life-support systems within the present economic system.
Capitalism is not sustainable by its very nature. It is predicated on infinitely expanding markets, faster consumption and bigger production in a finite planet. And yet this ideological model remains the central organising principle of our lives, and as long as it continues to be so it will automatically undo (with its invisible hand) every single green initiative anybody cares to come up with.
Much discussion of energy, with never a word about power, leads to the fallacy of a low-impact, green capitalism somehow put at the service of environmentalism. In reality, power concentrates around wealth. Private ownership of trade and industry means that the decisive political force in the world is private power. The corporation will outflank every puny law and regulation that seeks to constrain its profitability. It therefore stands in the way of the functioning democracy needed to tackle climate change. Only by breaking up corporate power and bringing it under social control will we be able to overcome the global environmental crisis."
Read the whole article. And read this one in the Times which tells us "Shell announced record profits for a quoted UK company, with the oil giant reporting earnings of $22.94 billion (£12.93 billion)." While most of us choke/fry/starve etc etc, Shell rubs its hands with glee. Of course, running an oil company won't mean they are immune from the effects of climate change.
"There is no meaningful response to climate change without massive social change. A cap on this and a quota on the other won't do it. Tinker at the edges as we may, we cannot sustain earth's life-support systems within the present economic system.
Capitalism is not sustainable by its very nature. It is predicated on infinitely expanding markets, faster consumption and bigger production in a finite planet. And yet this ideological model remains the central organising principle of our lives, and as long as it continues to be so it will automatically undo (with its invisible hand) every single green initiative anybody cares to come up with.
Much discussion of energy, with never a word about power, leads to the fallacy of a low-impact, green capitalism somehow put at the service of environmentalism. In reality, power concentrates around wealth. Private ownership of trade and industry means that the decisive political force in the world is private power. The corporation will outflank every puny law and regulation that seeks to constrain its profitability. It therefore stands in the way of the functioning democracy needed to tackle climate change. Only by breaking up corporate power and bringing it under social control will we be able to overcome the global environmental crisis."
Read the whole article. And read this one in the Times which tells us "Shell announced record profits for a quoted UK company, with the oil giant reporting earnings of $22.94 billion (£12.93 billion)." While most of us choke/fry/starve etc etc, Shell rubs its hands with glee. Of course, running an oil company won't mean they are immune from the effects of climate change.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
At the weekend I read Hello America by J.G. Ballard. First published in 1981, Ballard envisions a 22nd century post-oil world, where North America has been abandoned and the global climate has been altered by re-routing ocean currents. Remarkably prescient, you might think...but no, not really. This book strikes me as being impatiently written, and based on some rather inconsistent science. OK, so it's sci-fi, and doesn't have to be realistic, but nontheless it doesn't hang together very well. 'Hello America' seems to me to be a poor relation to Margaret Atwood's Oryx And Crake, (which is excellent) and Angela Carter's The Passion of New Eve (which I didn't like much). The characters in Ballard's book are thinly written and unbelievable. Pity because this could have been a good novel!
I also recently started reading Iain Banks' A Song of Stone. I usually enjoy Iain Banks, but I got very bored of this very quickly - the style is very florid and despite the rave reviews on the back I didn't find it at all "exhilarating".
Now I'm halfway through Jonathan Coe's What a Carve Up, which I'm really enjoying - so watch this space for a review in a few days.
Meanwhile, back in the 'real' world, the Times reports a jolly little story in which "Eco-vigilantes across northern Europe are fighting the growing popularity of 4x4s — by letting air out of their tyres." Apparently the UK's more conservative greens are not impressed, believing that this will alienate potential supporters. "The British group seeks to change the minds of the vehicles’ owners by placing spoof parking tickets on windscreens. These contain information about the vehicle’s demerits, written in a gently teasing way." Do you think the car owners will pay any more attention to that than they do to real parking tickets?
I also recently started reading Iain Banks' A Song of Stone. I usually enjoy Iain Banks, but I got very bored of this very quickly - the style is very florid and despite the rave reviews on the back I didn't find it at all "exhilarating".
Now I'm halfway through Jonathan Coe's What a Carve Up, which I'm really enjoying - so watch this space for a review in a few days.
Meanwhile, back in the 'real' world, the Times reports a jolly little story in which "Eco-vigilantes across northern Europe are fighting the growing popularity of 4x4s — by letting air out of their tyres." Apparently the UK's more conservative greens are not impressed, believing that this will alienate potential supporters. "The British group seeks to change the minds of the vehicles’ owners by placing spoof parking tickets on windscreens. These contain information about the vehicle’s demerits, written in a gently teasing way." Do you think the car owners will pay any more attention to that than they do to real parking tickets?
