The Prescott seal of approval?
Occasionally, John Prescot says something sensible.
Technorati tag: John Prescott, Al Gore
Daily archives: June 26, 2006
Tony Blair's plan to destroy democracy whilst doing nothing for the environment
The proposals are designed to cut costs and make it harder for objectors to cause delays.
The sooner Tony Blair goes, the better. The Ministers are also likely to discuss “sweeteners”, in other words ways to make the taxpayer pay for the profits of an industry that is no longer financially viable.
Technorati tag: Nuclear Power, Tony Blair, Tony Blair is a liar
Planning permission to be waived for micro-generation
The Government is planning to streamline planning guidelines so that householders no longer need planning permission to install renewable energy technologies on their homes. The announcement of the planned change should, according to the Observer, be announced within ten days.
Many local authorities insist householders apply for planning consent. ‘It is patently absurd that you should be able to put a satellite dish on your house but have to wrestle with the planning process for small-scale micro-generation, which is no more obtrusive and can have a real impact on tackling climate change,’ Yvette Cooper, the planning minister, told The Observer
‘We want much more micro-generation to be treated as permitted development. We are reviewing the impact of a wide range of technologies so we can take account of things such as the impact on neighbours or listed buildings before consulting on details later this year.’
It sounds like a good idea. Obviously the NIMBYs are all over it, unable to see the beauty in a windmill and fearing that unobtrusive flat solar panels will somehow blight their landscapes. Neighbours of David Cameron have deployed the old nonsense that his plans to erect a windmill will reduce the values of their homes. Maybe if they mocked his attempts to greenwash his way to credibility I’d have more sympathy for them.
Technorati tag: EcoHouse, Planning Permission, Microgeneration
Build your own solar thermal panel
Solar heating is a more efficient way to utilise the sun’s power than photovoltaics, but somewhat more limited in applications. It is also much cheaper. In fact the team at The Seitch built a solar thermal panel for $5. They used the heat dispersal tubing from the back of a fridge (which had been purged of CFCs at the local dump) mounted behind a sheet of glass.
If you watyched It’s Not Easy Being Green (we finally caught it on DVD-RWs from my parents) you might have seen the clever heat trap built into the Strawbridge’s greenhouse. Perhaps a solar thermal panel such as this could make a near tropical greenhouse for exotic gardening.
via Treehugger
Technorati tag: Solar, Solar Thermal Panel, Technorati tag: Solar Power
Build your own solar thermal panel
Solar heating is a more efficient way to utilise the sun’s power than photovoltaics, but somewhat more limited in applications. It is also much cheaper. In fact the team at The Seitch built a solar thermal panel for $5. They used the heat dispersal tubing from the back of a fridge (which had been purged of CFCs at the local dump) mounted behind a sheet of glass.
If you watyched It’s Not Easy Being Green (we finally caught it on DVD-RWs from my parents) you might have seen the clever heat trap built into the Strawbridge’s greenhouse. Perhaps a solar thermal panel such as this could make a near tropical greenhouse for exotic gardening.
via Treehugger
Technorati tag: Solar, Solar Thermal Panel
Heavensent 6.5
Mirl was climbing, but not fast enough. The Mima passed under the wing, circled and lined up for another attack. But the attack never came, with jammed guns or out of ammunition it turned away again.
Despite the head on attack, no shells had entered the cockpit. Various gauges, however, were reading damage to critical systems in the rest of the plane. “All positions report. Usual order.”
“Navigation. No damage.”
“Comms. No obvious damage. Wing two is not responding.”
“Weapons. The hydraulic system for the bomb bays has been damaged.”
There was a pause, an empty space where the next report should have been. “Top gunner? Report.” Mirl signalled. “Someone check on him. Tail gunner?”
“Sir?”
“Do you have anything to report?”
“Sir. Wing two has hit the water. Wing three….. Wing three is on fire. There is a biplane closing on it. My cannon cannot traverse far enough to…..”
The inside of the cockpit lit up. They felt the shockwave from the explosion rather than hearing anything.
Heavensent 6.6
Heavensent 6.4
Heavensent 1.1
Technorati tag: Fiction, Heavensent
4X4 drivers more likely to be idiots
A study by Imperial College has shown that drivers of Chelsea tractors are four times more likely to use mobile phones on the move and less likely to wear their seatbelts. So they’re not just bad for the environment, they’re a danger to everyone else on the road.
Technorati tag: SUV, Road Safety
Adrift
Another episode of the Adrift webcomic is up
Technorati tag: Webcomic
Feeble Architecture
The Feeble Ideas and Bad Architecture (FIBA) awards have been announced, and Manchester’s tallest building and the Berlin Wall memorial in Piccadilly Gardens were amongst the winners.
Technorati tag: Manchester, Architecture
Name that bridge
I spotted this bridge in passing on the way to Piccadilly Station on Friday but didn’t get a close look. It was erected over the weekend and now they’re looking for a name.
Spinneyhead Bridge, anyone?
Technorati tag: Manchester, Bridge