Climate Change: The Massive CO2 Emitter You May Not Know About
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the first three paragraphs..
Concrete is the most widely used man-made material in existence. It is second only to water as the most-consumed resource on the planet.
But, while cement – the key ingredient in concrete – has shaped much of our built environment, it also has a massive carbon footprint.
Cement is the source of about 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, according to think tank Chatham House.
Read the whole article.
Keep Your Fingers Crossed And Don’t Anticipate Disaster
This is June Whitfield’s own words at the end of her obituary in The Times today, after she had been asked for tips on how to remain positive in old age.
I’ll drink to that!
Latvia, A Disappearing Nation
Thw title of this post is the same as that of this article on Politico.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Atis Sjanits has an unusual remit for an ambassador. The Latvian diplomat is not responsible for relations with another nation — but with his own country’s diaspora.
Sjanits’ job is to respond to the exodus triggered by Latvia’s accession to the EU. Since joining the bloc, nearly a fifth of the nation has left to work in more affluent EU nations: The U.K., Ireland, Germany.
The article gives population statistics for the three countries in Eastern Europe.
In 2000, Latvia’s population stood at 2.38 million. At the start of this year, it was 1.95 million. No other country has had a more precipitous fall in population — 18.2 percent according to U.N. statistics. Only Latvia’s similarly fast-shriveling neighbor, Lithuania, with a 17.5 percent decrease, and Georgia, with a 17.2 percent drop, come close.
Estonia is not mentioned. So could this be, that their advanced digital economy? I’m no expert, but surely if you have a good Internet, it must open up opportunities.
I could say, that the bright and the innovative have always left the Baltic States, as my great-great-great-grandfather, did around 1800! His reasons were also slightly different, as there was a lack of opportunities for Jews in East Prussia.
The article quotes Atis Sjanits as there will not be enough future soldiers or taxpayers to pay for them.
The EU has big plans for a railway called Rail Baltica to eventually link Helsinki and Warsaw, via the three Baltic States.
The railway is to be built to a high standard.
- 155 mph running.
- 25 KVAC electrification.
- ERTMS signalling.
- No level crossings.
- Ability to handle freight trains of 1050 metres.
Vladimir Putin does like the fact that the new railway will be standard gauge rather than Russian.
The main reason is to move freight from road to rail, but I can certainly see tourists using the railway to tour the Baltic.
The Irony Of Brexit
According to Wikipedia, the third of Newton’s Laws of Motion, states this.
When one body exerts a force on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction on the first body.
It doesn’t just apply to mechanics, but to life in general.
If a Government introduces a policy that the electorate don’t like, then the electorate reacts.
We have had marches against the Poll Tax, the War in Iraq and Universal Credit in recent decades.
At least in the UK, protests don’t get as violent as they do in some countries like France.
Over the last few weeks, we have seen a number of illegal immigrants arrive in this country in small boats sailing across the English Channel.
People aren’t stupid and these mainly Iranian nationals, are thinking that after the March 2019, it will be more or less impossible to get into the UK.
So their reaction is to cross the Channel now!
The smugglers react in the obvious way, by buying boats capable of making the journey.
In The Times today, there is an news story about an English smuggler buying a boat from a Frenchman called Pierre.
- All the legal details are carried out.
- Money changed hands (probably literally!)
- The Englishman removed the boat.
The Englishman also said he’d come back later for the trailer, but never did. Surprise Surprise! He wouldn’t need it would he!
We have the irony, that the electorate of the UK voted for Brexit partly to keep foreigners and especially those not like them out of the UK.
But because of the laws of action and reaction, they will actually increase the number of immigrants, as we’re seeing in the Channel.
Iceland Crash: Three British People Including Child Killed
The title of this post is the same as this article on the BBC.
I’ve been to Iceland and thoroughly enjoyed it.
But I did all the exploring in organised tour parties, as I was advised by the tour company, that this was safer. Although, they didn’t know I couldn’t drive!
We went everywhere in large 4×4 vehicles.
So was the party involved in the tragedy in a suitable vehicle?
I Don’t Wrap Christmas Presents Traditionally!
I don’t give many presents, as I only have three relatives, who I’m in contact with.
These are the presents all lined up on Christmas Day, before taking them to Christmas lunch!
The drawstring bags are bought on-line from The Clever Baggers.
The larger pink ones are just £0.72, which is probably cheaper than traditional wrapping paper.
Putting the presents into a bag and pulling the string is probably a lot easier, especially if you have a gammy hand, as I sometimes do!
They would also be ideal in a family with lots of children, as each could have their own colour.
As I nearly ran out of bags this Christmas, I have just placed an order to replenish my stock.
Plastic Bag Fee ‘To Double To 10p’ And Include Every Shop
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the guts of the story.
The 5p fee for plastic carrier bags in England will be doubled to 10p, and extended to all shops, under plans set out by the environment secretary.
The change is contained in a government consultation aimed at further reducing the plastic used by consumers and could come into effect in January 2020.
Smaller retailers, who are exempt from the current levy, supply an estimated 3.6 billion single-use bags annually.
I’m all for this, if it cuts down the amount of plastic, that blows around the country, before ending up in the seas.
This is the bag I use.
Note.
- It folds up, so that it first into my man-bag.
- It easily holds two days of my food shopping.
- The handles re very comfortable, even when carrying eight bottles of beer.
- I’ve had it over a year now and it is finally showing the odd sign of wear.
- It is big enough to hold a copy of the Sunday Times without folding.
It did cost be five pounds from M & S, but how much have I saved on five pence bags?
It is not a perfect bag, but it is a good start.
Other things, in the same vein, that I’d like to see.
- A charge on takeaway food, especially pizza boxes, which seem to end up in front of my house.
- A fine for piling household and commercial waste around litter bins, which is very prevalent in this area, despite council camnpaigns to stop it.
- Remove the foxes back to the countryside, so they don’t spread the rubbish all over the street.
As to the latter, foxes seem to have eaten most of the cats, hedgehogs and birds, so it is their only way to get food.
I Am A Twenty-Four Hour Person
I rose as usual at around five-thirty this morning and went through my normal routine.
- I measured my weight and blood pressure. Incidentally, I weighed 61.8 Kg.
- I checked my savings in Zopa and my bank account.
- I did two dozen press-ups
Now I am on my first cup of tea of the day. I have also replied to a couple of e-mails.
I’ve been like this in one way or other since the 1970s, when I started programming Artemis.
In those pre-e-mail days, I would be on my computer writing code before six and generally only stopped writing code around ten at night having been writing on and off all day.
C would sometimes drag me off for some shopping or a visit to a pub or restaurant, but I worked very hard and was well rewarded.
Some would say my hours are unusual, but my father was the same. Memorably, he once mowed the lawn at two o’clock in the morning!
Open Golf Championship’s £69m Boost To Scottish Economy
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the first two paragraphs.
The Open golf championship at Carnoustie in July boosted the Scottish economy by £69m this year, according to an independent study.
Researchers at Sheffield Hallam University found the Angus area alone received a £21m cash injection from hosting the event.
It just goes to show the value of big events to a country, region or a city.
I have to ask the opposite question! – Do some areas of the UK, suffer because they don’t host a big sporting event, arts festival or site or museum of national importance?
Funding Injection For Smart Central Heating Project
The title of this article is the same as that of this article in The Scotsman.
This is the first two paragraphs.
East Lothian-based thermal energy storage specialist Sunamp and energy supplier OVO have secured seven-figure funding to develop a commercially viable smart central heating system.
The project brings together OVO’s intelligent energy management platform, called VCharge, with Sunamp’s super compact “heat batteries” which are said to store four times more heat than hot water tanks of a similar size.
This sounds like an interesting concept from Sunamp and OVO.
This video from Fully Charged, shows Sunamp’s thermal batteries in action.
I believe we’ll be seeing more of thermal batteries!
The Anonymous Widower 