Biochar Madness?

You might run across the term “biochar”. Inventing a word which is prefaced by “bio” give the word an impression of green, sustainable and environmentally friend, like biofuel and biomass, but these words have been hijacked to create an impression that does not accord with reality.

Royal Wedding Bank Holiday

People like weddings. They are a good reason for a celebration. It is lucky to see a bride and we wish the happy couple (an excellent cliché) all the best. I hope the sun shines for them. However, I do not understand why I and the millions of taxpayers should pay for someone else’s wedding, [...]

Earth Mother

Our earth is our mother and like all mothers cares for us with an almost infinite patience. Some religions hold that humanity was created from clay or the soil or from the fabric of the earth itself and when our lives end we should return to the good mother from whence we sprung, that mother [...]

Biomass Power Plant Madness

There are fifteen biomass power plants approved in the United Kingdom. Three years ago the first application for a biomass power plant was being made in Port Talbot; I was against this project then and I am dismayed that so many additional power plants designed to generate electricity by burning wood have been approved. There [...]

Biofuel Madness

Biofuels are unfortunately an important part of European Union and United Kingdom policy. At the moment the United Kingdom sources about 3% of its vehicle fuel from plants, which have starchy or woody cellulose content, which is fermented to create ethanol. In the United States a great deal of ethanol is made from corn. Biofuels [...]

Cluster Bombs in Libya

Shock, horror; it has been reported that in Libya Mr Gaddafi’s forces have been launching cluster bombs as part of attempts to regain a city lost to the rebels. There has been great condemnation from the so called civilised world that a weapon, developed in Germany, Italy and the United States of America more than [...]

Christos Anesti

Χριστός ἀνέστη I wish you all a Happy Easter time, whatever your beliefs and where ever you are

Energy costs in Northern Ireland

InNorthern Irelandfolk that use Phoenix Gas received an unwelcome Easter gift from their gas supplier. From the beginning of May the price that consumers will pay for gas has increased by 39.1%. There are not a lot of homes with natural gas inNorthern Ireland, but nevertheless some 19,000 families will be affected.

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, a festival celebrated by the Christian Church. Today is also Greek Good Friday. I wish all of you a very good Friday indeed, whatever your religious belief.  

Why do we know better?

Andrew Warren of the Association of the Conservation of Energy has written an interesting article comparing theUnited KingdomwithGermanywithin the context of climate change measures. Both nations are similarly sized with similar economies, Mr Warren points out with virtually identical climate change targets. However as Mr Warren points out the United Kingdom is basing its energy [...]