Mr Menendez wants to exercise jurisdiction over the United Kingdom

The Chilcot Inquiry rumbles on in London. Every week that passes provides evidence that the Iraq invasion was illegal and there is prima facie evidence that the illegality was such that the war constituted the war crime of waging a war of aggression, which is probably the most serious crime that can be committed. Hundreds [...]

Why the decline in plankton could affect us all

The smallest life forms can be the most important for example bacteria can profoundly affect your health, both beneficially and adversely. In the oceans plankton are one of the smallest forms of life yet play an important part in sustaining life on earth in two ways. They provide food for aquatic life and also provide [...]

Migration and climate change

Invasion, conquest and occupation are features of human history. The British Empire was either acquired or held together by the force of arms.  And as Britain acquired such territories as India, Pakistan, Cyprus, the islands of the West Indies it sent its people to those places to exploit the wealth, resources and industry of the [...]

Ireland’s climate change error

Ireland has got it seriously wrong when it comes to climate change. It has just published a report which was composed by the Department of Energy and Climate Change jointly with the department of Agriculture Forestry and Food. They want the European Union to recognise carbon dioxide absorbed by forests as part of the climate [...]

Russian Peat fires are creating more environmental havoc than Deepwater

Moscow has been experiencing its hottest weather since at least 1981 but the inhabitants cannot enjoy the hot weather. This is because Moscow has been experiencing an environmental disaster as peat fires, set off by 64 forest fires fill the lungs of the Muscovites with acrid smoke containing much higher than normal particulates, nitrogen dioxide, [...]

One thousand essays on this blog

When I started writing these posts nearly three years ago I resolved to spend some time every day to define my ideas and thoughts and put them in writing. It helps me think clearly and my blog is a good medium for exchanging ideas. I have leant many useful things and have had the benefit [...]

Emissions Trading is not working

If there was ever any real indication of the failure of the use of market mechanism in an attempt to reduce carbon dioxide emissions it is the news that carbon emission brokers have been laid off in large numbers by their broking firms. The recession has cut the amount of emissions being created, rather than [...]

Why we do not need a Green Investment Bank

When the Green Investment Bank idea was announced I was puzzled. The only thing that I could learn from the United Kingdom’s government’s publicity about it was that it would have an awful lot of money. I did not understand what it would do and how it would do it and subsequent announcements by Ministers [...]

The Sustainable Development Commission comes to an end; will anyone notice?

You might not have heard of the Sustainable Development Commission and if you have not heard of them you should know that they will not be around for much longer. The SDC is being abolished because the UK Government is cutting off the £3 million a year that the Commission uses out of taxpayers’ money. [...]

Manningham Buller, Chilcot and reasons for the war against Iraq

The Chilcot Inquiry rumbles on and almost lost in the news was the rather important evidence given by the former head of MI5, Ms Manningham-Buller on 20th July. She said that going to war in Iraq increased the terror threat in the United Kingdom, she had to ask for her budget to be doubled to [...]