Counting the crimes that may have been committed at the News of the World.

One of the shrouds that stifle democracy in the United Kingdom was lifted when the News of the World closed down. It was closed by a man of whom his supporters and employees said there was ink in his veins and that he loved newspapers, but it was closed because that man, who loved newspapers, [...]

A Weather event in the Atatacama

Two years ago I visited theAtacama Desertin the North of Chile. Some parts of it have never experienced rainfall in decades and other parts average just two inches of rainfall a year for many years. I went there fromSantiagoin the Chilean winter, in July. The weather inSantiagowas normal for that time – a bit like [...]

Retail energy prices are being investiagted

The Energy Regulator, OFGEM (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets) are investigating the pricing that the UK energy companies are using. The investigation will seek to understand two things; the relationship between whole and retail energy prices and the way in which energy firms seem to follow each other in announcing price changes.

The News of the World Scandal

I have sat down at my computer a number of times in the past few weeks to write about privacy and telephone tapping by or on behalf of journalists at the News of the World. Each time I turned away from the topic because new allegations were published. I cannot imagine any more serious allegations [...]

Weather is not climate, Mr Booker

The longest English temperature records are those known as the Central England Temperature and these records stretch back, in one form or another to 1659, just before Charles II was restored to the English throne. These records can contribute towards our understanding of climate change and show weather trends. Most people confuse climate with weather, [...]

Energy use grows faster than economic activity

Two odd and apparently inconsistent statistics emerge from BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy. One statistic shows that world demand for energy increased from 2009 to 2010 by 5.6%. That is a large increase in demand. The other statistic is that world economic activity grew by less than energy demand which was 4.9%. The explanation [...]

Can we keep the lights on?

Can we, as a nation, keep the lights on, with these intermittent wind turbines? Can we keep the lights on, without nuclear power stations or coal burning power stations? Can we keep the lights on, with all these climate change targets? You often hear journalists and politicians ask these questions when discussing energy. The question [...]

CERT and the no brainer of home insulation

The United Kingdom’s energy companies, that virtual monopoly of supply of gas and electricity, are, as part of the various climate change emission reduction targets, obliged to carry out certain measures to reduce the demand for energy from fossil fuel sources. These obligations are known as the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target. It is an ill [...]

Five Problems Affecting The Oceans

There are five problems that affect the oceans of the world and these are relatively new phenomena. They problems are of humanity’s making and any solution to the problems also lies with those that create them. It is usually over optimistic to expect the perpetrator to make good his wrongful act; penance is not enough [...]

It is partly our fault

The United Nations have reported that the Horn of Africa and nearby regions are suffering their worst drought for sixty years. The effects of today’s drought are much worse than that of previous droughts because many more people now live in this region, some of which is ravaged by war. Ethiopia and Somalia are in [...]