Ozone a trace gas which helps us and harms us

One of the arguments of those who do not accept the theory of anthropogenic climate change is that at 380 parts per million, carbon dioxide is simply a trace gas in the atmosphere, in too small quantities to be significant in the world’s climate. Recent news about the discovery of the ozone hole above the [...]

Taking risks

Are we too frightened to take risks? A volcano blowing ash closes Northern European’s airports and inconveniences millions of travellers because the ash may interfere with some flights. Climate change poses far more risk to humanity than volcanic ash, but we do not close down all fossil fuel burning for six months every year, which [...]

Are my posts too gloomy?

Adrian Vance, who regularly points out my failings on these pages, has asked whether everything that I comment upon should be doom and gloom; “give us a break” he writes, not unreasonably.

Genersys Panels at the World’s most southerly point

What is the furthest South that solar thermal panels have been installed? Who installed them? Does it surprise you that close to Tierra Del Fuego and Cape Horn on Lennox Island there are Genersys 1000-10 panels - the same panels that have been fitted in Germany, England, the United Kingdom, the USA and in the Sahara Desert?

Voting in the General election

In the United Kingdom today around 24 million people will walk, cycle or drive to a polling station – in a Church Hall, Community Centre or in a school and cast their votes in a General Election and in a local government election. There will probably be a change of Government and a change of [...]

Where have all the fish gone?

When I first started fishing, I never knew where the fish were. I would cast a float into a lake and hope that a fish would pass by like the look of the bait. When I went fishing in the United States, many years later, I was astonished to see that fishing boats going out [...]

What Which? has to say about solar panels

The consumer organisation “Which?” claims that it has no bias and no hidden agenda; I disagree. Its agenda is to worship at the altar of consumerism. For this organisation the consumer is all important – more important than the damage that reckless and overwhelming consumerism brings. There are endless comparisons about product value from a [...]

Bolivia nationalises electricity companies

In 2006 President Evo Morales nationalised the Bolivian oil and gas industry. Last year his government took over a subsidiary o BP which supplies jet fuel and on May Day Mr Morales announced the nationalisation of Bolivia’s four major electricity suppliers.

BP and their environmental record

After the hurricane came the plague of oil. Accidents will happen, but they seem to happen far too frequently in the oil industry and in the coal industry. BP, proudly “beyond petroleum” has shown us just how far beyond petroleum BP now lies. World oil production is about sixty three million barrels a day but [...]

Where has all the oxygen gone?

Where has all the oxygen gone? I am not talking about the oxygen in water supplies or the sea, where things like acidic rain and sewage deplete oxygen in specific places, but the oxygen in the air that we breathe.