Solar variations and climate change

One swallow does not a summer make and three years daily measurements of the solar spectrum does not a climate change theory make or break, but every bit of knowledge is useful and will eventually be part of a perfect understanding of the causes and effects of climate change. The swallow, so as to speak, [...]

Art in Regent’s Park

A picture is said to be worth a thousand words, but I value words more highly than that. Pictures are very important and can communicate but usually in a non specific way. The same is true, I believe of all art such as sculpture. The picture below is of a sculpture. I took it while [...]

How many children do we need?

For many years the United Kingdom has taken tax payers’ money and given it to mothers of children, a fixed amount for every child. The money is not related to income in any way; it is dished out because governments think that this is the right thing to do. In France, when the population failed [...]

The march of the red sludge

The lands which the River Danube and its tributaries drain are rich in mineral ore deposits.  The factory that makes Genersys thermal solar panels is located in an area rich in bauxite deposits and the solar panel factory was built in Ziar nad Hron in Slovakia next to a plant which processes bauxite in aluminium. [...]

What are we fighting for?

Am I the only person concerned about the use of drones to kill people in Afghanistan? It has been going on for some time but only recently been publicised because some of the people killed were not Afghanis but German or British people. What has happened is that the American (or NATO) forces responsible for [...]

The economic ills that we need to cure

It can be difficult when you are in the middle of a problem to stand back and look at the whole thing. You can only see the whole by standing away from it. The view from the middle is restricted. When looking at the economic problems which currently affect us all the difficulty in seeing [...]

Win £100,000 to make wind turbines work better

I received an email yesterday from the Carbon Trust, a body that is charged with reducing emissions in industry and commerce. The Carbon Trust has probably sent this email (which I reproduce below) to lots of people. It explains that the Trust seeks solutions for transporting people and equipment to off shore wind turbines.

Farewell, Renewables Advisory Board

It seems that the Government of the United Kingdom will be abolishing the Renewables Advisory Board. Forgive me if I shed no tears but first I must declare my interest. When the Renewable Advisory Board was established I put my name forward as a member of the board. I did not seek a fee for [...]

How to get a free funeral

There have been many examples of extremely bad behaviour conducted for the best possible reasons by nations. Usually the bad behaviour is typified by regarding certain people as unworthy of life, so that they may be subjected to experimentation.

Nothing in excess

You know something is nice but you also know that too much of it is not terribly good for you; you can have too much of a good thing. Energy is terribly useful. In fact we cannot carry out our modern lives without energy. If we were to lose our electricity and gas and other [...]