Monthly archives: July 2006


Where's Johnny?

I forgot to mention a couple of things when I wrote about Spinneyhead’s Tail. First up, the “Johnny Ain’t Here” Cafe Press shop. Dedicated to tracking down errant Johnnys wherever they may be. If you see Spinneyhead’s favourite Johnny anywhere please drop me a line. In fact, it might be time to start looking for him again.

Then there’s Frightened to Death by Fairies. Not much in there at the moment, just a remix of Michael Caine’s finest moment and fluttery winged short ladies, but I’m thinking of doing a few more images at some point.

This has been a public disservice announcement. Thank You.

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Backlash on carbon allowances

I thought the carbon allowances scheme was a positive idea from the Government. It probably originated from somewhere more in touch with the problem than the Prime Minister’s office. However others have commented that it could be as far off as so many other ideas. It could be several years before such a scheme was viable. In the meantime heavy users could be punished by taxation, but that doesn’t offer the balancing incentive that allowances would.

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Bees and wildflowers decline together

Specifically, the diversity in bees and the wildflowers they rely on are declining in step. Habitat alterations, climate change and modern industrial farming are all factors in this decline. This isn’t just a bad thing for bee lovers, as pollination by insects is estimated to be worth between £20m and £50m every year.

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MP's Green press releases

COUNCILS NEED MORE FREEDOM TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE – FOSTER

Commenting on the launch yesterday of a climate change ‘Action Pack’ for local authorities, Bath’s MP Don Foster said:

“Councils have proved they can be far more innovative than central government, and they would be able to achieve even more if they were given the freedom to do so.

“The Government must now give councils the powers and tools they need to go further and faster.

“Liberal Democrat led councils have been leading the way on initiatives tackling climate change. I am delighted that the Government has now come on board.”

John Baron MP helps lay foundations for new Aerox Waste Treatment Plant

MP says this experiment is very important

Today John Baron MP joined the Cleanaway Pitsea Marsh Trusts’ Annual Review Day, by visiting the proposed site of Cleanaway’s new Aerox Waste Treatment Plant in Pitsea Landfill site. John was joined by Doug Benjafield (Chairman of Cleanaway Pitsea Marshes Trust – CPMT) and Ben Purcell (who is designing the plant and is Project Manager) and local councillors.

John said:

“This project is very exciting. It is designed to take out the methane from biodegradable waste and therefore is very environmentally friendly – methane being 21 times more dangerous to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.”

“Initiatives like this are terribly important to our future. Other technologies may or may not succeed, but it is important that all options are explored in order to make our world a safer environment.”

“My congratulations go to Cleanaway and Ben Purcell for pushing this experiment forward. We will know by the spring of next year whether it has been a success or not. If it has, then this process could be rolled out across the country for the benefit of all.”

ENERGY REVIEW PROMISED MUCH AND DELIVERED LITTLE

Local MP David Heath has responded to the publication of the Government’s energy review.

“The Government has been in office for 9 years and we have just received a second energy review. What does it tell us? That decisions will be made in the future. We are continually told by this Government about its concerns for energy security and climate change and yet when it has an opportunity to show some leadership on the issue they have responded with little of substance.”

David Heath MP for Somerton and Frome, then went onto outline what should be done.

“What we need is a holistic approach which has all sections of society working together to reduce energy usage, increase energy efficiency and produce measures which will give us both energy security and carbon reductions. Climate change is a reality and we need concrete proposals and concrete action now. The current malaise where we continue with what has worked before while making small changes and placing our faith entirely in future technological revolutions must end. We can do more, for the benefit of our economy, our national security, our environment and our children and I will be pressing the Government to take its responsibility seriously.”

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The Tesla, making electric cars sexy

The Jalopnik crew got to see the Press introduction of Tesla motors’ new electric roadster, complete with a Schwarzenegger appearance. The car is based loosely on the Lotus Elise and has some parts produced by the company. The battery pack is integrated into the chassis as a strengthening member and it can be charged in a few hours using a dedicated unit or on the road using an adapter. How long until we see one driven all the way across the USA?

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Heavensent 7.8

All the wing bombers had been grounded. Command couldn’t risk losing any more of their flagship planes. They didn’t seem to understand that the planes were only a threat when they were in the air.

Stuck on Stran Island, with Cora and Munss locked down in preparation for a security crackdown, Harren and Karn had taken up fishing. Neither of them was very good at it yet, but they were mastering the whip needed to get the lures out beyond the breaking waves. The sea floor shelved away rapidly on this, seaward, side of the island giving them the dream of large fish and eels awaiting capture.

“That is a big empty space.” Karn commented, “Looking out over it, I think I can understand how the mountain folk feel when they come down to the plains.”

“Five days out of the air and you have turned into a philosopher.” Harren laughed. He wedged the end of the pole he held into a crack in the rocks. “How would you feel about flying across it?”

“Over the ocean? We would never make it all the way, or have mere counts over the target. Even if we had the range- to get there and back- it would be such a waste. Why bother with that when we can just as simply fly over the mountains?”

“Ah, but they would never expect it, precisely because it is so unexpected. Imagine the psychological impact, even if none of the planes came back.”

“A waste of good men and equipment. You could only justify it if you followed it up with landings or some sort of sea borne assault.”

“True. True.”

They watched their floats bob on the swell. One of the smaller patrol boats rounded the island and raised its bow as it neared maximum speed. A pair of Corkscrews passed overhead.

“It is a good thing we do not have to depend for food on what we catch.” Harren sighed. “We would have wasted away by now.” He studied the horizon. A large thin cloud was heading their way. It moved strangely, stretching up into the sky as a long straight line. There were another three, each running parallel to the first.

Karn realised at the same time as Harren what they were seeing. They dropped their rods and set off at a run for their trikes. “Rockets!” Karn announced, “I always knew they had rockets.”

Heavensent 8.1
Heavensent 7.7
Heavensent 1.1

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Lost Cat

I had to rescue a cat from a tree yesterday. Technically, I had to hold the ladder whilst Penny rescued the cat from the tree, but I was involved. We had to do it ourselves because firemen won’t do that sort of thing any more.

Tony Stoddart, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service’s area manager for Carlisle and Eden, said: “Firefighters from the UK have been paralysed trying to rescue cats.

“We don’t find many skeletons of cats up trees, so the risks far outweighed the benefits in this case.”

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Green news from China

Two pieces of positive news from China.

The state is planning to spend $175 billion on an environmental clean up.

The money — equivalent to about 1.5 percent of GDP — is to be spent on measures including control of water pollution, improving air quality in cities and halting soil erosion, the official Xinhua news agency quoted He Bingguang, of the State Development and Reform Commission, as saying.

Sewage treatment plants would be built in 10 river valleys to dispose of waste water discharged by urban areas and part of the funds would also be used to reduce sulphur dioxide and dust in major cities.

In Beijing, the roofs are all going green, as this is an easier and cheaper way to create new green space than to try and find room at ground level.

both via TreeHugger

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Personal carbon trading

Environment Minister David Miliband has proposed personal carbon taxation. It would act as a sort of consumer level carbon trading, with individuals getting cards that record their carbon usage. High consumers would use up their allowances quickly and low users could trade with them. The great leveller would be that, no matter where a person stood in society, the allowance would be the same.

Providing they see this through it could be a great driver for uptake of energy efficient products and renewables. The low carbon users could use the extra income from selling their carbon points to invest in cutting them further and the heavy users might learn to start balancing their carbon budgets and deciding which luxuries were really worth it.

This scheme, or a very similar model, has been proposed before, but I can’t track down just where at present.

via Treehugger

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Heavensent 7.7

Note Forgot to post this yesterday, so you get two updates today.

Lensman felt less naked as the terrain became more hilly. Their blow to the railroad had been so major that he had decided to bypass the second target- the airfield of a despised deserter squadron- and return to the mountains. The third target, as it was on his route, he would hit in passing.

It was a larger bridge than the one they had sneaked under on their way out of the mountains, and guarded more heavily. Even the rocky riverbed was patrolled, which was going to make planting charges on the four wooden legs much harder.

They used tree cover to get as close as possible then watched for a pattern to emerge from the patrols. There were two guards at the north end of the bridge, two at the south and two underneath. At regular intervals one of the guards atop the bridge would walk down the embankment to relieve one of those below. It was so predictable that the guard being relieved would set off up at the same time as the other started down. This provided Kess with his window to take down a number of the guards at his leisure.

It was approaching dusk when the next change over began. Kess wasn’t taking any chances. The shot was at the extreme range of his baby long, so he was using his full size gun. The single guard in the riverbed was looking bored. “Now.” Whispered Mov.

The guard was thrown several spans by the bullet. Kess reloaded and shifted his aim. The new guard didn’t even have time to register the body on the ground before the bullet hit him.

In groups of two, they sneaked down the riverbed. Lensman led the demolition team, packing explosives around the bridge legs and counting his men through.

As Kess and Mov brought up the rear there was the sound of motors up the road, and a shout from above. Weak headlights, from far down the road, illuminated the riverbed and the two figures running across it. An autogun opened up from above.

Mov fell, and didn’t get up. He only moved when more bullets hit him. Kess stumbled, but made it under the cover of the parapet. He looked back at Mov, rolled onto his back and pointed his long rifle straight up. In the confined space the flash and report were shocking. The bullet smashed through the wooden decking and a moment later the guard’s body tumbled to the riverbed.

Lensman helped the younger man to stand. There was blood on Kess’ right leg. The both looked back at Mov. “We have to leave him and get out of here.” From their positions upstream the rest of the squad was firing on the remaining guards. Kess nodded understanding and allowed his commander to help him move. The last man out pulled the pins from the fused bag charges.

The convoy had stopped far down the road, and troops were jumping from softskins. As yet they didn’t seem to have any heavy weapons to bring to bear. A squad ran onto the bridge to take up firing positions, just as the charges went off. Some of them made it back off before the structure toppled. It was a minor victory. Lensman’s squad was still outnumbered four to one. He began planning for a last stand.

Heavensent 7.8
Heavensent 7.6
Heavensent 1.1

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Heavensent 7.6

Boran had been marched out of his office by guards. He had expected to end up poisoned in the cellar or shot against the back wall. But Janssen had a different plan for him- a show trial.

A couple of the guards had beaten him during his first few hours in the cell. They hadn’t asked any questions or made any accusations- they were doing it to counter the boredom. One of them had ripped the Tower icon from around Boran’s neck, which had been worse than the anything else.

Janssen himself had come to explain the timetable for Boran’s shaming and eventual death. Documentary crews were coming from the south to film the trial of all the traitors serving in the cities of Cora and Munss. They would record testimony of how the traitors had undermined all Janssen’s good work, and why it was their fault so many of the city’s population had to die. Boran was to be the star of the charade. His father was an important figure in the party and Janssen’s sponsors would benefit from his suffering.

Boran had no warm feelings for his father. After they had left the twin cities his climb up the political hierarchy had begun. A child had been something he had no time for, and the boy had been bundled off to school. Political shame would be the only thing to bring Boran back to his father’s attention. Even then he would probably be sacrificed for career gain.

The cell had a window up near the roof. Boran couldn’t reach it to look out, but it did let in voice from the parade ground and cold damp wind straight off the fjord. Boran lay back on his cot, closed his eyes and sniffed the breeze. He could just about imagine himself standing on the edge of the cliffs staring down.

Heavensent 7.7
Heavensent 7.5
Heavensent 1.1

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Heavensent 7.5

Most of Mirl’s crew had survived. As they feared, the top gunner had taken a bullet in the first strafing run. The tail gunner had disappeared along with his gun bubble when they had hit the forest canopy.

The wing had come to rest several hundred spans above the forest floor. They had moved around inside with great care, until it became obvious it was wedged fast. None of them were great climbers, and there were too many broken bones to move far yet. They unstowed the survival gear and set up camp inside the plane.

It rained the first night. From the shattered top bubble, Mirl watched the broken branches and loose leaves wash away and began planning.

The next morning they hammered a pool in the metal of the wing. They dismounted the autoguns from the wing mountings, hand cranked the bomb bay doors open and pointed them downwards. Bombs were brought into the main cabin and the explosives gouged from them. The bombardier modified the fuses of tracer bullets to make bomblets- it took his mind off his shattered left leg.

Eventually someone would come looking for them. The Air Army, to rescue them, or the Hidden Army, to desecrate their bodies and strip the wing of the components. In the latter case, they were ready to fight and, in the last resort, immolate themselves and the plane through explosives planted in the last of the fuel supply.

Heavensent 7.6
Heavensent 7.4
Heavensent 1.1

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Steam powered internet.

Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane roped in model-maker Alan Gibbs to provide a steam engine to power their “portable” computer.

One of Deller’s most famous artworks was his reconstruction, with historical re-enactment groups, of the Battle of Orgreave, the most vicious clash in the miners’ strike. Last year he and Kane curated an exhibition of contemporary “folk art” at the Barbican, including sectarian murals from Northern Ireland, village fete cake-decorating, and records of local rituals such as a gurning contest. “We are interested in what other people can do,” said Deller. “Somebody’s hobby can be an art form.”