A Worrying Report On CFCs And HCFCs
It is being reported that mysterious CFC and HCFC gases have been found in the atmosphere. Here’s the first part of the report.
Scientists have identified four new man-made gases that are contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer.
Two of the gases are accumulating at a rate that is causing concern among researchers.
Worries over the growing ozone hole have seen the production of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases restricted since the mid 1980s.
I have no theory about how these gases got there, as I’m no chemist or environmental scientist.
But I do feel that there are an awful lot of unnecessary drug inhalers powered by HCFCs used in the world.
I don’t mean unnecessary from the medical point of view, although in the 1990s, there were some amazing anomalies in the prescribing of these devices.
Some years ago, I backed a company that went on to produce an inhaler, that used no compressed gases, no batteries or any other noxious or environmentally-unfriendly substance.
It was so impressive that we were brought up at the Montreal Protocol talks, where some delegates tried to get the banning of HCFCs as well. They failed as some countries and Big Pharma didn’t want a ban.
So what happened to our device?
We sold it to Bohringer Ingelheim for a lot of money and it is described on this website.
The Unwelcoming Thing About Teesside
It can’t be said that Teesside is not a breezy place and the wind on my visit was strong, cold and straight off the North Sea. Joking with the locals about this, they at least felt that this winter, they hadn’t had much rain.
I think the architect of the Riverside Stadium took this into account, as it was pleasant inside for the match. Even if the result was disappointing.
Teesside is certainly a place, where you should wrap up well. But saying that, one of the things I remember about living in Felixstowe is the wind off the North Sea.
Walking To The Riverside Stadium
My purpose in going to Middlesbrough was to see Ipswich play Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium. On a pleasant day, it is one of the better walks from a station to the stadium, as there are things to look at.
I even popped into the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, where I went over their current exhibition called Art and Optimism in 1950s Britain. It was interesting, but it was an exhibition, that would have been excellent to visit with someone of my own age, as a lot of the things shown, would bring back memories for those like me, who can remember the 1950s. I can’t actually remember the Festival of Britain, but I have seen photographs of myself, there in my Cumfifolda pushchair, with my grandmother.
I was a bit disappointed to see that some of Middlesbrough’s liths had been vandalised, as had the statue outside the court. There’s a report here on the latter, but the other damage looked like thieves were after the metal.
Redcar And The Beacon
I deliberately went up early for the football at Middlesbrough, so that I could go and have a look at Redcar and its new attraction, the Redcar Beacon.
I first came across the Redcar Beacon, when it was nominated for the 2013 Carbuncle Cup.
I quite liked the idea of the Redcar Beacon, but some of the details had been rather poorly executed. The food seemed to be pretty good, with a good choice of cakes, including some gluten free ones, but many of the seats were set too low to see out.
Redcar scores highly for information with maps and liths everywhere.
To me though, the real problem it has for visitors like me is Redcar Central station and the Tees Valley line, that gets you to and from Darlington and Middlesbrough. Hopefully, it’ll get better trains in the future and someone will try to do something clever with some of the stations on the line.
Kiera Knightley’s Waist
There has been a lot of talk in the paper’s lately about Keira Knightley and her waist. There’s an article here in the Telegraph.
In the Times today, they say it is twenty-three inches and that between 1951 and today, womens’ waists have risen on average from 27½ to 34 inches.
My waist at 30 inches, is only an inch or so bigger than when I left University and C’s waist was never much more than twenty-four. Although, I suspect that when we got married it was naturally about twenty-two.
If the claims that Kiera’s waist was natural in the photos is true, I can believe it, as some of us are naturally very slim. I do wonder if some of those tiny Victorian corseted waists, were on women, who perhaps naturally were in their low twenties and were just enhancing, what their genes had given them!
My only problem with being this slim, is that I do sometimes find it difficult to buy clothes. On the other hand, I don’t think that there are any health problems about being built like the Aldgate Sphinx.
BBC3 To Go On-Line Only
According to this report, BBC3 is to go in-line only! So what?
I haven’t watched BBC3 much, but I do like BBC4. In fact much of my watching of television these days seems to be on the iPlayer. Especially, as my new television has the iPlayer built in.
Incidentally, I’ve just read this weeks schedules for BBC3 and there’s nothing there I suspect I’ll watch!
Is This Sense For Somerset?
It would appear that the report commissioned by the government is going to recommend a barrage of the River Parrett downstream from Bridgwater, according to reports like this one on the BBC.
Over forty years ago, my modelling software Speed was used by the now-superseded Water Resources Board to model water flows in river basins. I’m sure that these days, scientists and engineers could do much better, but then a scientifically correct solution often ignores powerful interests like farmers, the RSPB and politicians, who know a cause to get themselves re-elected.
The only thing I will predict with certainly, is that there will be a large argument over what is to be done.
They should do what Network Rail seem to doing at Dawlish. And that appears to be getting the job done as quick as possible using every possible method. The BBC is now stating that the line will open on April the 4th. So it would appear that the engineers are winning!
My one time neighbour in Suffolk, a past Colonel in an Engineering Regiment in the British Army, said that in case of war, you burn all Rule Books. He did say, that you keep the Instruction Manuals.
It’s certainly a war our there against the floods!
The De La Warr Pavilion In Bexhill
I like to have a walk by the sea every week, so I went to Bexhill to see the amazing De La Warr Pavilion.
Unfortunately, I arrived too late for lunch, but I did have a rather nice cup of hot chocolate in the cafe overlooking the sea.
Why though, does the building have to be ruined, by allowing car parking so close?
Did Manchester Force Susanna Reid To Quit?
The BBC’s Breakfast program isn’t what it was since the ill-judged move to the back end of beyond in Manchester.
Now Susanna Reid is leaving To Go To ITV.
I do wonder what the line-up of presenters would be, if the program had stayed in its rightful place in the capital.
If you take today, there has been a couple of interviews with talking heads on important subjects like Ukraine, because obviously getting interviewees to waste time to go to Manchester isn’t possible.
Just think of the fuss if after independence, Scotland decided to put their flagship morning news in Glasgow!
Government Waste Paper
I recently received a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions, to say that my pension was going up.
Government Waste Paper
As like many pensioners in the UK, I get my pension paid directly into my bank account, surely this mass destruction of trees to send something, I didn’t read, was a waste of taxpayers money.
After all, I would notice that my pension had gone up, when I check my bank statement.
What percentage of these letters and booklets were actually read? It must be less than one percent.
The Anonymous Widower 