Blueprint for a Green economy - the Conservatives’ paper on the economy, energy and the environment

I have been reading a document published by the Conservative Party called “Blueprint for a Green Economy, written by John Gummer and Zac Goldsmith as a submission to David Cameron’s shadow cabinet. I have been very critical of the Labour government’s energy policy and in the interests of balance I thought that I should turn [...]

Stamp Duty, zero carbon homes and other gimmicks

Stamp Duty Transfer Tax is a jolly way for the Government to raise money. Traditionally, Governments have used Stamp Duty as a means of raising tax for hundreds of years; it was one of those taxes to which the American colonists objected. If you wanted to become a solicitor eighty or so years ago you [...]

Blogging for the environment

Many important ideas have been with us for thouands of years. Great philosophers or great religious people have written down their ideas and that enabled their ideas to be spread and adopted. Environmental philosophy is still a tiny embryo. It needs the food of ideas, tested and examined ideas, in order to grow.
Some ideas are [...]

A wonderful quiet December day

 I am writing this on the shortest day of the year, and will upload it later, in case the festivities overcome my task of commenting on something almost every day. 
I have written so much about the weather, and always, I see, in the gloomiest terms. Well today has been a wonderful quiet December day. The [...]

The Environmental Law Foundation

If you have an environment problem and are struggling with it you may need some legal advice. Both communities and individuals can get some advice for free through the Environmental Law Foundation.

Wind Turbines - John Hutton’s blustery way

We have had one of the “we are going to one day perhaps” announcements from the government about building “up to” 7000 offshore wind turbines. The story starts big – all UK homes will be powered by wind by 2020 but the small print reveals this to be an aspiration, rather than a policy.

Gordon Brown’s nuclear bomb

These days it seems that if you want to comment on a statement by the Prime Minister you have be aware that, rather like a film, the statement will be trailed, and then made, but the trailer is usually so extensive that you do not want to bother with the full version.
Today’s trailer is about [...]

Cheap seats at the opera

I do not enjoy opera but I can understand that many people do enjoy it. At its best it is a fabulous mixture of music, dancing, costumes, set design, lighting and. of course, singing. I think that it is good to have opera and for people to be able to enjoy it, although as an [...]

Northern Rock or microgeneration?

The debate about the way that the government dealt with the Northern Rock crisis still rumbles on. Some have said that Mr Darling had no choice because he had to ensure that people retained confidence in the banking system. I cannot imagine that he took this decision without having cleared it with the Prime Minster, [...]

Environmentally friendly business

If a business designates itself as “environmentally friendly” it does so to encourage people who believe in the importance of being environmentally friendly to use its goods and services, so that the business can make more money. If a business is genuinely environmentally friendly most people would prefer to use it instead of an environmentally [...]