Do We Need A Charge For Plastic Bags?
I think this is a very difficult one, and although many claim, it has good green credentials, it is a measure that might annoy lots of people.
Take myself!
I generally go to a food store every day or so, as I don’t like food waste and buy just what I need. So I perhaps get one or two bags every day I go shopping. It should only be one per day, but because I can’t buy everything I need at one shop near me, I’ll often make a double trip.
I do have a reusable bag, but because of the useless self-service tills in the Waitrose at the Angel, I don’t use it as often as I should. My bag won’t stand on the tills, and one day something breakable will fall on the floor.
I also do a lot of shopping on my way home from say a football match, or a visit somewhere, so carrying a large bag just in case I need to buy something, is a silly strategy for me.
In fact, the charge will make little difference to me, as it’ll probably cost me about thirty pence a week.
All of the plastic bags I collect are used in my waste bin, which is just a big IKEA plant pot.
I have a feeling, that this could be one of the things, that will drive floating voters away from the Lib Dems.
I do hope that some of the excessive bags, I’ve received from up-market shops will be discouraged. I got one last month, that is a large tough and strong one, that will need to be shredded with a pair of scissors to put in my green recycling bags.
Yesterday, I bought a new rucksac in Selfridges. I was offered a bag to carry it home. I declined and put the bag on my back, with my briefcase and another small purchase inside. I suppose though, I walked out of the shop, without giving them any advertising.
A better way would be to have a packaging tax, so shops found better and cheaper ways for shoppers to get goods home.
Taking the Waitrose self-service tills, I’m certain an origami expert could design a better and bigger version of the ubiquitous British Rail paper carrier bags, used to carry drinks and snacks from the train buffet to your seat. It would stand up wonderfully on the weigher of the self service till. It would probably be quicker as Waitrose’s bags are a nightmare for my hands. I don’t think I’m the only one!
A British Rail Carrier Bag
I took this picture today and I noticed thast the lady in the buffet had them all neatly stacked and ready to use. It’s a classic design!
As in everything, the problem of too many plastic bags is something that we should design and innovate ourselves away from.
After all, if a shop came up with the perfect system, they would be the winners in the shopping wars.
Goodbye And Farewell
Sadly, David Frost has passed away. I was surprised he was only eight years older than me, as I thought he was older than that.
I posted here my memories of That Was The Week That Was. Frost must have been in his early twenties, when he starred in that program.
How many comedians and performers are successful at that age now? And they say, it’s a young person’s world.
Incidentally, when I talk to my peers today, I find very few others, who at fourteen used to watch TW3. I think it shows the sort of attitude that my parents, and especially my father, had to life.
Another Letter In The Times
I had a letter published in The Times on Tuesday about the cricket, under a title of Spin Bowling.
Sir, If the Daylight Saving Bill had been passed into law, the farce of the fifth Test at the Oval would have been avoided (Aug 26). The match would have been coming to a conclusion at effectively 6pm, when the light was certainly good enough, as events showed, for nearly an hour of play.
Those MPs who opposed the Bill should hang their head in shame.
On Monday, I did talk to someone, who’d been at the Test, that I’d met at Welling. He said that the light at six, wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to play cricket, as they in fact did.
The Two Faces Of Ed Milliband
Ed Milliband has just stated on BBC Television, that whatever we do in Syria must be totally legal.
So where was he, when Blair decided to go into Iraq as Bush’s poodle? Answers on a properly creosoted fence please!
Sibling Confusion
I don’t know much history or details about politicians’ families!
But I seem to think, that Ed Milliband is one of the few party leaders, who has had a brother or sister, actively involved in politics in recent years. I have always confused the two Millibands and I just wonder if this is a serious disadvantage to both of them, as I can’t be the only person to do this. The only other high profile pair of political siblings is Boris Johnson and his brother. Would this harm their chances of leading the Tory party?
Can We Delay Fracking?
Or any other new means of energy creation for that matter?
There has just been a very heated debate about fracking on BBC Radio 5 Live and the amount of hot air produced could power the whole of Sussex without doubt.
Most of the arguments on both sides were fact-free and full of emotion, with accusations of lying and wrong facts from both sides.
The most significant energy news of the day is this story from the Guardian. It says that domestic energy use has dropped by a quarter since 2005.
More work in this field could actually delay the crunch, when we need to build lots of new power stations, be they powered by whatever.
That delay is the time to use to research every method of obtaining energy fully.
The trouble is this would probably give engineers and scientists enough time, to find a solution that ended all the arguments, so a lot of protesters and believers in uneconomic technologies would be kicked soundly into the long grass.
If I’d had a pound for every scientifically incorrect argument about energy I’d heard, I’d be a very rich man.
Tumblr News Give Me A Plug
I don’t read Tumblr News but they must sometimes read my blog, as this article entitled, Former OFT boss: regulation can be a bridge to new customers, has a link to this post of mine. In that post from August 29th, 2009, I said I had over £30,000 invested in Zopa and now nearly four yeas later it is just a shade under £140,000, with total interest of nearly £140,000 and bad debts of just £650.
I think I’ll accept that!
My investment in Zopa has certainly performed better than pudence’s investment in the Royal Bank of UK Taxpayers and Lloyds TSBleed.
Lib Dems Get It Right On Cars
There has generally been negative reaction to the Lib Dems proposal to ban diesel and petrol cars by 2040. The story was reported here in the Telegraph. This is the first paragraph.
Nick Clegg’s party has unveiled proposals to only allow ultra-low carbon vehicles on UK roads by 2040.
The controversial measures would mean millions of petrol and diesel cars being forbidden.
Only electric vehicles and ultra-efficient hybrid cars would be allowed on UK roads under the Lib Dem plans.
However, petrol and diesel vehicles would still be allowed for freight purposes.
I don’t think they will or should be banned, but by 2040, most vehicles will not use fossil fuel.
I’m not speaking here as a wishful thinking non-driver, but as an engineer, who follows innovations and economics strongly.
Various developments will gradually eat away at the market for conventional vehicles and new ultra low emission vehicles will in the next couple of decades be cheaper to buy and run than anything else.
One thing that will help the transition is in cities like London, where there is a large market to replace the black cabs. This article in the Guardian describes Nissan’s first attempt. Seeing and using viable and well-liked electric taxis will convince people, that electric cars can work.
However any party that wants to bring in a ban on petrol and diesel cars would be committing political suicide.
All politicians need to do, is provide the infrastructure that ultra-low emission vehicles will need.
UKIP MEP Plays To The Voters
We may decry the language and thoughts, that were used, as described in this report, but sad-to-say, there is a substantial number of people in this country, who agree with statements like those of Godfrey Bloom. They’re also generally against rights for women and gays, and often they will bring forth racist statements in private.
I can imagine the welcoming comments to the television as this story is being reported in some households.
Let’s hope that there are more who disagree with these views, than agree with them at the next election.
Does Danny Alexander Read My Blog?
Last week I published this post. The key part is this paragraph.
I would like to see a law, where all loan companies from the banks, through peer-to-peer lenders to the legal loan sharks, have to publish the amount of money they lend in various parts of the country.
Today I read this article on the BBC web site. Here’s the first paragraph.
Major UK banks will reveal details from January of their lending in thousands of local areas, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander has announced.
So did he read what I said?
Remember many years ago I used to analyse the costs in the various branches of what was then a major clearing bank. It was amazing the differences you got between branches causes by the odd mistake, malpractice or unforeseen circumstance.
The Anonymous Widower 