Rearrange the words wash and green into a well known phrase or saying that describes Royal Bank of Scotland(RBS)’s PR.
Links In Darkness: Tuesday 27th September – Sunday 2nd October
These are the selection of posts I found interesting between Tuesday and Sunday:
- Unfair Cost Of Grid Connecting Scotland’s Marine Renewables | Scotland’s Renewable Energy Blog –
- Our planning system is authorised blackmail – and it’s about to get worse | George Monbiot | Comment is free | The Guardian –
- Second Class Citizen « Town Mouse –
- Italian scientists on trial for failing to predict earthquake | Science | The Guardian –
- Orkney Islands provide a glimpse of a renewable future | Niall Stuart | Environment | guardian.co.uk –
- Beyond Centralised Power | –
- BBC News – Wind farm proposal for Midlothian –
- World’s first zero-carbon data centre to be built in Iceland | Business | guardian.co.uk –
- Renewable energy hits record high in UK –
- Suitably Despairing: Edinburgh Rooftops To Be Carpeted In Solar Panels? –
- Al Gore addresses Edinburgh low carbon conference –
- Climbers have a key role to play in highlighting global warming | Ed Douglas | Comment is free | The Guardian –
- Free EV Charging At Argyll Hydro electric Scheme | Scotland’s Renewable Energy Blog –
West Lothian looking into Solar and renewables
I learnt from @cowrin that Edinburgh council are looking to put solar panels on council house roofs. Wondering if my local council had similar ideas, I did a quick search and yes, it appears that West Lothian Council are indeed getting in on the act.
Plans for a survey of council properties to assess their potential for solar energy as part of a new Renewables Strategy have been approved.
The long-term benefit of renewable energy for the council is reduced energy costs and the positive environmental impact.
The Council Executive (Tuesday 20 September) also agreed that the council will seek accreditation for the Microgeneration Certification Scheme by completing a suitable project early next year. This will enable the council to develop its own workforce and take advantage of the current financial incentives that are available.
As Council leader Peter Johnston pointed out it will bring local jobs and income, and should be encouraged. It will allow the local area to take charge of its energy sources and future. A far cry from relying on big business or a massivly subsided nuclear power station.
It is not just councils that are looking into this. The Scout Association are also looking into using the buildings they own to help cut down on running costs.
Links In Darkness: Wednesday 21st September – Tuesday 27th September
These are the selection of posts I found interesting between Wednesday and Tuesday:
- Suitably Despairing: Robert F Kennedy on Solar v Coal v Oil –
- Salmon farm threatens Scottish island of Eigg’s green credentials – news – The Ecologist –
- The quest for knowledge is good in itself and helps the country thrive | Comment is free | The Observer – "The financial system and world economy have been wrecked by religious obeisance to the doctrine that no check is needed to the operation of choice and markets. Private is best, public a disaster. Now the same principles are being visited on our universities."
- The end of motoring | Politics | The Guardian –
- The myths of Easter Island – Jared Diamond responds –
- The myths of Easter Island – Jared Diamond responds –
- Could our car-less experiment get out of first gear? | Environment | guardian.co.uk –
- The LlewBlog – Bloggage – GROWTH –
- The myth of Easter Island’s ecocide –
- Exceptional hardship | As Easy As Riding A Bike –
- Reports of the death of solar power are greatly exaggerated | Environment | guardian.co.uk –
- Greens and growth | Bright Green –
Scientists are wrong
There was some quite incredible news today about the speed of light. It turns out Einstein was wrong, as particle experiments at CERN indicate the have found faster than light particles.
Naturally, the hyperbole reached overdrive faster than the speed of light, but the weirdest response was from political hack Guido Fawkes who claimed that as science is never settled*, ”Scientists are not usually unanimous on any subject which is complex.” referring to the climate scare racket. Oddly enough though, the scientists are pretty much unanimous on the science of climate change, and it is usually only right wing authority figures (and oil companies) who are against it as it would undermine their authority and they would make less money.
* Guido claimed that it was “settled science” that the earth was the centre of the universe, which more than makes my point, as it was the Roman Catholic church that thought this, from a position of authority, and they denied the “truth” against overwhelming scientific evidence. That the earth revolved round the sun was known as long ago as the ancient Greeks. The church were naturally doing this as the evidence undermined their authority and they would make less money from the people. Sound familiar?
But, the point I want to make is that it is usually only other scientists that actually challenge the results of science. Time and time again, the media lap up some study or paper claiming something, and then a few days later lap up a counter study. Hey, it sells papers.
It is the scientists job to challenge, test and verify science. Even with the faster than light results, the scientists who did the study want it checked saying “We are very much astonished by this result, but a result is never a discovery until other people confirm it”
But climate change is constantly challenged and in the interests of “balance” we hear the other point of view. I’m just glad I don’t live in the US otherwise I’d have to put up with the creationists as well.
Suitably Inspiring
From my house, on the side of the Bathgate hills I can see far and wide. To the south Tinto pokes its head up, to the north Ben Lomond. Dotted around, are the scourge of views, wind farms. One of those wind farms is Fintry Community Wind Farm.
Whilst some wind farms are cash cows for a single land owner, or the developers, not Fintry. The village of Fintry secured a wind turbine on the farm, and take a 15th share of the income. Using that money, they are investing in both their village and their future. The plans are for a carbon neutral village.
If you see the countryside as something to look at, or as something to get away from humanity, then I can understand why you don’t like wind farms. However, some people have to live there. And the Fintry Wind Farm is part of their life, and is changing it for the better.
Wind of Change is a short documentary about the project and the wind farm, produced by Cornelia Reetz and I hope you will take 15 minutes to view it. Whilst it is easy to despair about the future, this video should be an inspiration for rural Scotland.
LibDems and their stance on Scotland
I’m getting quite annoyed by the Liberal Democrats stance in Scotland. Take for example Michael Moore on Newsnight Scotland two nights ago. He stated that the SNP’s stance on tax raising powers for Holyrood is “a lot of assertion and not a lot of detail” but when asked whether the LibDem’s idea of home rule include Corporation Tax being devolved, he couldn’t answer the question of whether it might be considered.
Instead the talk was of building consensus and “looking what is best for Scotland and seeing where Scotland wishes to go”
Talk about a lack of detail.
I think it is pretty obvious where Scotland wants to go, and if it doesn’t involve quite a lot more fiscal autonomy, then the other option that to be picked will be independence.
The other problem with the Scottish Lib Dems today (apart from having just 5 MSPs) is the language being used. I think it is totally counterproductive to use talk such as “SNP’s “bulldozer” approach” or “bullying” or “a national embarassment“(sic)
The “bulldozer approach to the single police force, like it or otherwise (and I don’t) was in the SNP manifesto and it is right that they implement it. When did doing what you said you were going to become bullying?
I don’t think it is a very good idea to call the party that most people in Scotland voted for a national embarrassment. Instead of snipping, look at what the people are saying. If you don’t like it, try explaining why your ideas are better. Don’t say “you voted for Alex Salmond, you are an idiot”
Increasely, you look like overlords from a foreign country telling people what to do, and why they are wrong. Michael Moore and Danny Alexander might be Scottish MPs but they are representing a Coalition government that was not voted for in Scotland, so appears not to be Scottish.
The people of Scotland want more powers, and Michael Moore should be talking about finding out what the people want (working with the SNP on those referendum questions rather than trying to force then to ask just one question) instead of “building political consensus” which is just nonsense talk to the general public.
Links In Darkness: Thursday 15th September – Tuesday 20th September
These are the selection of posts I found interesting between Thursday and Tuesday:
- More bums on saddles: why Britain’s cycling clubs are thriving | Andy Ward | Environment | guardian.co.uk –
- Solar panel factory protests tarnish China’s clean-tech efforts | Environment | The Guardian –
- Sailing, satellites and sadness | Greenpeace International –
- Why can’t we map Edinburgh’s green spaces? | Datablog | News | guardian.co.uk –
- Community land buyout on Skye is latest example of the Big Society | Caledonian Mercury – Business and Technology –
- The view from the hills: Which Star Trek villain is your political party? –
- The Sun Sets On Solar Hot Water » Sustainable Witney – Good article on why you shouldn't be putting up Solar Hot Water systems
- Competition for places at Scottish universities will be fierce in 2012 | Education | The Guardian –
- UK will miss carbon targets by wider margins each year, study shows | Environment | guardian.co.uk –
- 500 Internal Server Error – 500 Internal Server Error
Links In Darkness: Sunday 11th September – Wednesday 14th September
These are the selection of posts I found interesting between Sunday and Wednesday:
- The Government Economic Strategy – the Low Carbon Economy | Scotland’s Renewable Energy Blog –
- We need to develop policies for lifelong learning | Scots Gazette – Many mature students will be priced out of life long learning in England, especially "hobby" degrees due to the changes in tuition fees.
- Friends of the Earth – Does the Arctic melt matter? –
- Local councils don’t have to be hopeless » The Shoogly Peg » Blog Archive –
- Reclaiming Independence | – "For me independence, self determination and autonomy are fundamentally rooted in ecology. Not in some supposedly biologically notion of racial or ethnic distinction, nor in some fabricated ‘cultural’ sense of self. But rooted in the impulse of all creatures to survive, and in the awareness that for our locality to survive we need to enable the survival and well-being of all others in their localities."
- Bathgate Historic Conservation Society | Why Bathgate? –
- World’s first community tidal turbine for Shetland | Scotland’s Renewable Energy Blog –
- Why climb Snowdon in a Vauxhall Frontera? Because it’s there… | Caledonian Mercury – Outdoors –
- Behind the Brand: Google – Green Living – The Ecologist –
- The Understanding Walking and Cycling report – an assessment | As Easy As Riding A Bike –
Links In Darkness: Tuesday 6th September – Saturday 10th September
These are the selection of posts I found interesting between Tuesday and Saturday:
- Decentralising political parties: home thoughts for the Scottish Conservatives from abroad « Devolution Matters – Interesting information about how it is quite rare for there to be 3 state-wide parties
- Fukushima disaster: it’s not over yet | Jonathan Watts | World news | The Guardian –
- Bathgate Partnership Centre – Opening on September 15 2011 –
- Autumn community clean up launched | West Lothian Council –
- St Kilda: exploring Scotland’s most westerly point – Green Living – The Ecologist –
- Marine energy in Scotland: A rising tide? | The Economist –
- Beinn a’Chlaidheimh: the Munro Society surveyors respond | Caledonian Mercury – Outdoors –
- Why Are Finland’s Schools Successful? – There is a lot for a small country like Scotland can learn from Finland's approach.
- ongoing by Tim Bray · Two Maps –
- This wrecking ball is Osborne’s version of sustainable development | George Monbiot | Comment is free | The Guardian –