(Old) Tickets Please!

I'm sure you can imagine my excitement - 6.30am on Sunday morning and I was jumping on a bus.

Well, okay, maybe I'm exaggerating the "excitement" bit - nothing exciting has ever happened at 6.30am on a Sunday morning in the pissing rain on Gorgie Road.

But there was a distinct frisson in the air on the bus - faces were pressed up against windows, deep breaths were being taken and an electrified silence hung above all the passengers.

Okay, again I'm exaggerating. But it's not every day that you get to "ride the bus" along Princes Street.

So you can imagine the disappointment felt by all when we got to the West End of Princes Street...and turned onto George Street. The rain meant that the Tarmac hadn't set yet, so the great Princes Street Opening was delayed a couple of hours. I was forced to hand back my souvenir t-shirt.

But actually, Princes Street is besides the point - there was a much greater revelation to my bus journey on Sunday morning, and it's this:

Lothian Buses have splashed out on some swanky new on-board ticket machines. In the photo above, the old style ticket is on the left and the new one is on the right.

My heart immediately sank when I saw it, and not because an annoying BEEP fills the bus every time a ticket is issued.

The new tickets use thermal paper, whereas the old tickets were just plain paper and ink.

Thermal paper contains, amongst other chemicals, extremely high concentrations of Bisphenol A.

On the trains, I see on a daily basis what people actually do with tickets. I've got to the point where I refuse to touch a ticket which has been in someone's mouth. Parents give them to kids to do with as they please, with babies commonly chewing on them. I imagine the same happens on the buses. In fact, I know it does - how often do you see someone stick their ticket between their lips?

So well done Lothian Buses - instead of using recycled paper and a wee smidgen of ink, you're introducing a new source of poison to contaminate the environment and population with!

Green In The Media 30th November - 6th December

There's an embarrassment of riches as BBC Radio continues to gear up for Copenhagen.

Monday 30th November

The Climate Connection

On: BBC World Service Radio

Time: 10:32 to 11:00 (Also 1530, 2030, 0130)

Are There Too Many People On The Planet?

The Climate Connection follows five young people as they explore an issue that they believe is at the centre of the climate change debate. In each programme one person from a different part of the world explores potential solutions to what they think is causing the problem - meeting a range of experts to find out if their ideas really do stand up to scrutiny.

Panorama

On: BBC 1

Time: 20:30 to 21:00 (Also Thu 0025)

Can Tesco Save The World?.

It has been blamed for concreting over the countryside, and running up endless air miles importing food and trucking it the length and breadth of Britain, but is Tesco now leading the business fightback against man-made global warming? Local communities and a new breed of business entrepreneurs increasingly see delivering a low-carbon economy as an opportunity to make money, while politicians are wary of forcing the pace of change because of its potential to lose votes.

Frontiers

On: BBC Radio Four

Time: 21:00 to 21:30

In the week before the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Geoff Watts explores the complex relationship between global warming and a changing global population. He debates the scientific arguments with a panel of guests.

Tuesday 1st December

The Climate Connection

On: BBC World Service Radio

Time: 10:32 to 11:00 (Also 1530, 2030, 0130)

Does The World Need Meat?

The Climate Connection follows five young people as they explore an issue that they believe is at the centre of the climate change debate. In each programme one person from a different part of the world explores potential solutions to what they think is causing the problem - meeting a range of experts to find out if their ideas really do stand up to scrutiny.

Open House

On: BBC 2

Time: 13:45 to 14:15

Property programme in which Kristian Digby shows sellers how to get ahead of the competition by launching their homes on the market through a one-off open day. Committed environmentalists Tim Robinson and Joanne Bowlt spent two years converting their 1970s north Oxford flat into an eco-friendly paradise. But with the arrival of baby Benjamin, the time has come to move on to the next big eco project. Can Kristian help them find the ideal green buyer for their flat?

Home Planet

On: BBC Radio Four

Time: 15:00 to 15:30

Richard Daniel and the team discuss listeners' questions about the natural world and our impact on it.

Wednesday 2nd December

The Wednesday Documentary

On: BBC World Service Radio

Time: 10:06 to 10:30 (Also 1500, 2000, 0100, Sat 1900, Sun 1000)

Can China Go Green?.

Jonathon Porritt is in China.

The Climate Connection

On: BBC World Service Radio

Time: 10:32 to 11:00 (Also 1530, 2030, 0130)

It's Big Energy, Stupid!

The Climate Connection follows five young people as they explore an issue that they believe is at the centre of the climate change debate. In each programme one person from a different part of the world explores potential solutions to what they think is causing the problem - meeting a range of experts to find out if their ideas really do stand up to scrutiny.

Thursday 3rd December

The Climate Connection

On: BBC World Service Radio

Time: 10:32 to 11:00 (Also 1530, 2030, 0130)

Travel - Good For Humanity; Bad For The Planet?

The Climate Connection follows five young people as they explore an issue that they believe is at the centre of the climate change debate. In each programme one person from a different part of the world explores potential solutions to what they think is causing the problem - meeting a range of experts to find out if their ideas really do stand up to scrutiny.

Friday 4th December

The Climate Connection

On: BBC World Service Radio

Time: 10:32 to 11:00 (Also 1530, 2030, 0130)

Can We Build A Better Future?

The Climate Connection follows five young people as they explore an issue that they believe is at the centre of the climate change debate. In each programme one person from a different part of the world explores potential solutions to what they think is causing the problem - meeting a range of experts to find out if their ideas really do stand up to scrutiny.

Saturday 5th December

The One Planet Debate

On: BBC World Service Radio

Time: 18:06 to 19:00 (Also Sun 1300)

One Planet brings together 5 leading thinkers to debate the merits and possible outcomes of Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.

Excerpts taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.com/?p=1&r=20818

Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.

The Week In Green Numbers

50 million

- projected number of passengers using Doha Airport in 2050 according to the CEO of Qatar Airlines. It currently has 9 million passengers #

50%

- chance that next year's global temperature will be an all-time high #

85%

- proportion of Italian homes which have a Smart Meter installed #

57 billion tonnes

- amount of ice the East Antarctic ice sheet is losing each year. It was previously thought to be growing #

80%

- amount by which the IPCC underestimated sea-level rise over the past 15 years #

Yes, Minister

Photo by Tony the Misfit

The BBC has a great wee story today on the craziness of government.

The Department of Health has a lightbulb moment - they can improve the health of the population AND cut greenhouse gas emissions at the same time.

All they have to do is kill 30% of the cattle in the country.

Read what happens next here.

A Rarely Heard Voice

Here's a voice you very rarely hear in the climate change debate: Sudan.

Their UN ambassador just happens to be the Chairman of the G77 group of nations in the Copenhagen negotiations, and was interviewed on the BBC's Hardtalk the other night. It's fascinating to hear a non-Western point of view for a change - and disturbing to find him endorsing walking out of meetings as a legitimate diplomatic tactic.

You can watch it again here.

Penny For The...WTF Is That???

Incidentally, while I'm on the subject of The Shetland Times, they printed this picture in the paper of a Guy for a local bonfire.

I'm not sure it comes across as well in the scan, but in the paper it is quite possibly the sleaziest Guy I've ever seen!

Vikings Fighting Back On Shetland

Last week, someone left the November 6th edition of the Shetland Times on board my train and I'm glad they did as it gave me a chance to catch up on the (quite vicious at times) windfarm debate.

If you recall, I spent a week on the Shetland Islands this summer and noted that a proposal by a company called Viking Energy to build 150 wind turbines on the Mainland was being strongly opposed, particularly in the letters page of The Shetland Times.

Viking, for their part, seemed quite stunned that anyone could possibly oppose a wind farm, while the anti-windfarm group were drawing on resources and arguments previously used in other windfarm protests in Britain to get their points across strongly and loudly.

Indeed, the week I was there I didn't see or hear any pro-windfarm views.

It seems that the islanders who are for the turbines have now got their act together and formed a group of their own which is starting to get pro-windfarm publicity into the local press via articles and the letters page.

The company themselves are fighting back with organised trips to other windfarms in Scotland to anyone who has doubts or concerns, and it seems a number of community groups have taken them up on this offer - including The Shetland Times themselves who devote a huge two page article to their trip.

It's nice to see the debate not be so lopsided, but I stand by what I said in my previous post on this: the plans as they stand have serious flaws and I can't see the whole 150 turbines being built, but there will be a windfarm on Shetland and I think it will be a positive thing for the community.

You can argue about the landscape being spoiled, but with climate change the landscape will be spoiled anyway and will not look how it does now. And Shetland can only gain from community ownership of the turbines, especially with the dwindling North Sea oil reserves seeing an entire industry disappearing from the islands in the not-too-distant future.

New Copenhagen Petition

Friends Of The Earth have a new video, and a new petition to be handed into the climate change talks in Copenhagen.

Not to discourage too much, but this must be the fourth or fifth petition I've signed for COP15. I'm assuming that the world's leaders will know by now how we all feel.

Anyway, I like the video:

(If you're reading this by email, you may need to visit the site to view the video)

Green In The Media 23rd November - 29th November

The BBC are starting to gear up for Copenhagen with a couple of special programmes, and there's more to come in the weeks ahead including, I hear, a showing of the film The Age Of Stupid.

Monday 23rd November

The Yes Men

On: Channel 4

Time: 01:25 to 02:50

Satirical documentary. Giving new meaning to direct action, Mike Bonanno and Andy Bichlbaum are anti-globalisation protestors with a talent for impersonation. Setting up a fake World Trade Organisation website the pair soon found businesses inviting them to present at their meetings and conferences. With speeches that stepped over the boundaries of good taste, the duo demonstated just how readily corporate America will listen to and accept the most ridiculous ideas.

Tuesday 24th November

Home Planet

On: BBC Radio Four

Time: 15:00 to 15:30

Richard Daniel and the team discuss listeners' questions about the natural world and our impact on it.

Wednesday 25th November

This World

On: BBC 2

Time: 19:00 to 20:00

Can Obama Save the Planet?.

Investigative documentary series. Justin Rowlatt reports on whether or not President Obama is on target to keep his climate-change promises. Travelling across the US, using public transport, he encounters coal miners and car manufacturers, activists and politicians, a pig farmer and a film star. The film reveals two very different sides of America - people who agree that the US should be leading the world on tackling global warming and those who see Obama's plans as an attack on their liberties.

Thursday 26th November

One Planet

On: BBC World Service Radio

Time: 10:32 to 11:00 (Also 1530, 2030, 0130)

One Planet looks at how we use our planet.

Saturday 28th November

Our World

On: BBC News

Time: 05:30 to 06:00 (Also 2330, Sun 1030, 1430, 2330)

Climate Countdown.

David Shukman reports on climate issues from around the world in the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

Sunday 29th November

Countryfile

On: BBC 1

Time: 19:00 to 20:00

Tom Heap travels to Cumbria to investigate the government's plans to build ten nuclear power stations.

Excerpts taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.com/?p=1&r=20818

Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.

The Week In Green Numbers

100 million tones

- predicted CO2 pollution from the proposed Hunterston Coal Plant if Scottish Government carbon-capture targets are adhered to #

67%

- proportion of British rail passengers that are satisfied with the stations #

105 million barrels per day

- predicted demand for oil in 2030

76 million barrels per day

- predicted production of oil AND biofuels in 2030

30%

- promised cut in emissions by 2020 by South Korea #

is The Hover Back In The Water?

It's been almost exactly a year since I last mentioned the proposed hovercraft service across the River Forth, from Fife to Edinburgh.

At that point, it seemed like the service might have been dead in the water after it became a party-political issue. The company that had run the trials, Stagecoach, was very keen but for various reasons they were being advised that it would take years to get the service going, and there was no guarantee that Stagecoach would be running it when it did.

Given the capacity problems with the Forth Road Bridge and the ludicrous "need" for a second bridge, it seems crazy to just abandon a scheme which would take 900,000 commuters a year off the road.

Now, though, it seems that the hovercraft is rising from the beach again. Stagecoach and the hovercraft makers have set up a joint venture and will shortly be applying for planning permission. Given that Fife Council previously set aside some money to build the permanent infrastructure needed for the hovercraft service, hopefully the planning permission will be a formality.

One Planet Interviews Scottish Environment Minister

This week's One Planet, the environmental magazine show from the BBC World Service, is from Edinburgh and Scotland.

The programme gets a listener to interview Roseanna Cunningham, the Scottish Environment Minister. He asks whether the government should, in essence, ignore public opinion for the greater good when it comes to climate change.

The Minister replies that it is not the Government's job to force people to do what they don't want to do.

Which I'm pleased to hear, because I don't want to pay Income Tax.

You can listen to the show here, or hear it on the BBC World Service at 1530, 2030 and 0130 GMT today.

Island Facing Up To Climate Change

Photo by gajtalbot

When we think of sea-level rise due to climate change affecting islanders, we tend to think of far-flung places like the Maldives or Tuvalu. It doesn't tend to occur to us that there may be problems closer to home.

South Uist is one such place. If predictions of sea level rise are correct, then the island may become two islands. It's just four years since a family of five were swept to their deaths from the island during a storm when their home was flooded, and this BBC report finds that the inhabitants are well aware of climate change and the effects it will have on their lives.

And the effects may be severe - a new study has found that we're on course for a 6° rise in global temperatures. If you've ever read Mark Lynas's Six Degrees then you'll know that's not a world we want to live in.

The Worst Stations In Britain

Preston Station by Benkid77 via Wikimedia Commons

It seems it's time to give the railway a good kicking again, with the news that the transport minister Lord Adonis is on a Grand Tour of Britain's worst train stations. Actually, there's not much point in me trying to big any of these stations up - it's quite clear that they're awful (The Times has a slideshow here) Here's the full Top 10 - or should that be Bottom 10? - list:

1. Manchester Victoria
2. Clapham Junction
3. Crewe
4. Warrington Bank Quay
5. Barking
6. Preston
7. Wigan North Western
8. Luton
9. Liverpool Central
10. Stockport

The two I know best from that list are Crewe and Preston. We used to do all of our training down in Crewe so I've spent weeks at a time in the station and it's surrounds. The problem with Crewe is that it used to be a major station with activity 24/7, and now it's barely even an interchange. The complex is vast but most of it goes unused which gives the entire place a post-apocalyptic feel. It could do with a lick of paint, and also perhaps offering local businesses cheap rent to use the offices and buildings that lie mothballed or dilapidated. Turn it once again into a community resource.

Preston station, on the other hand, could do with a tactical nuclear strike.

When I worked with Virgin Trains, Preston was as far south as we went. For 8 years, I visited a couple of times a week and grew to detest the place. The station itself was a dead-zone as far as information is concerned. The info screens either don't work or show the wrong details, and the station staff see it as their duty to spend as little time on the platforms as possible. The facilities would have a Guantanamo Bay Guard recoiling in horror. And the platforms seem to be angled to take full advantage of the wind blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean via Blackpool, providing a handy wind-tunnel effect for anyone who wants to practice their paragliding skills.

I mentioned Blackpool, so I may as well get my snobbery out of the way too - Preston is the interchange for all the Glasgow neds going to Blackpool for their holidays. On a Saturday afternoon the platforms are heaving with white shell-suits screaming at little Britney to stop pulling little Chantelle's hair, while arguing whether they got the spelling right on the home-made tattoo they gave 12-year-old Shuggy.

I hated the place. At least travelling down the East Coast Main Line we get a better class of ned!

Political Consensus Over High-Speed Rail?

Photo by cod_gabriel

You may or may not have seen this report on the proposed High Speed rail line in yesterday's Politics Show. I missed it yesterday so I don't know if it even ran on the Scottish edition of the programme.

Basically they "reveal" that it will in fact be two lines - one up the East to Edinburgh and one up the West to Glasgow. The government are trying to get a cross-party consensus on it so that the line will be built no matter who is in power next year.

It all sounds good, but I have my usual caveat when discussing this High Speed Line - start building it from the North, so that the government doesn't get cold feet when the costs start spiralling and give up on it half-way.

Green In The Media 16th November - 22nd November

Thursday 19th November

One Planet

On: BBC World Service Radio

Time: 10:32 to 11:00 (Also 1630, 2030, 0130, Sun 0630)

One Planet looks at how we use our planet.

The Material World

On: BBC Radio Four

Time: 16:30 to 16:56

It would have 'algae tubes', be made largely of glass and have an 'algae photovoltaic bioreactor' at its heart: the Algae House is the award-winning design of a house of the future. A team of postgraduate students at Cambridge University have set out one possible future for the concept 'algaetecture'. They plan to exploit the properties of algae to generate hydrogen to be used in hydrogen fuel cells and to harvest the algae to create biofuels, all in the domestic setting of the home. Quentin Cooper meets the students who think the future's bright - the future's algae green.

Countryfile

On: BBC 1

Time: 19:00 to 20:00

Tom Heap investigates why burning trees is better for the environment than many of us think.

Excerpts taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.com/?p=1&r=20818

Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.

The Week In Green Numbers

£18 billion

- cost of the big hole that Britain wants to store it's nuclear waste in #

53%

- amount of Spain's electricity provided by wind farms last weekend #

£12 billion

- cost of the food and drink that Britain throws away each year #

26%

- increase in cycling in New York City in 2009 #

£1 billion

- how much Britain raises each year from the Climate Change Levy, a tax on industrial energy consumption #

40cm

- increase in sea levels if the melting Greenland ice sheet keeps accelerating at current rates #

Bell Tolling For Perth Incinerator

Photo by Ole Paulson

I briefly mentioned the proposed Perth Incinerator back in July, when the governor of Perth Prison weighed into the debate about building a new incinerator right next door to the prison.

The incinerator was given initial planning permission by the local council, since when it has emerged that the chimney will be taller than initially thought - at 260 feet it will dwarf everything else in the town - and that the council actually own half of the land the incinerator would be built on.

So no conflict of interest there, then.

There's a final decision to be made at the end of this month, but nails are being hammered into the coffin. The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency have finally lodged their objections to the proposal, while the town's own planning department are urging that planning consent is refused.

Just in case the council don't listen to the experts, then perhaps they can peruse the 979 letters of objection that they have received.

Actually, they're politicians. They're more likely to seize on the 1 letter in favour of the incinerator and spin that into "overwhelming" support!

Trains Too Expensive For Network Rail Staff

This story about Network Rail hiring a bus to transport their staff because the train is too costly reminds me of a story my dad told me.

Before he retired he worked for Railtrack in Glasgow. He was asked to attend a meeting in London so told his boss he'd book the train tickets.

His boss turned to him and said "No, you'll be flying. We don't do trains!"

Leaving On A Jet Plane

Why don't you take a little plane ride with me?

(If you're reading this via email, you may not be able to see the video. Click here to visit the site and see it.)

Spanish Green Eyes Are Smiling

My thoughts on nuclear power stations are on record - expensive and unnecessary, with the money better being spent on renewables.

So perhaps it is fitting that on the same day the UK government announced their plans to build 10 new nuclear power stations, Spain announced that over the weekend their windfarms produced the energy equivalent of 11 nuclear power stations.

Hmm, now is there anywhere in Europe that is windier than Spain???

Brig O' Doom

Photo by !Laurin

The Scottish Greens caused a minor kerfuffle yesterday when they revealed new opinion poll findings about the public's feelings towards a new Forth Road Bridge.

If you recall, the Forth Road Bridge's suspension cables have been deemed not fit for purpose. In fact, they're snapping at the rate of one a month. The Japanese were called in to see if they could de-humidify the cables, and that process is ongoing.

In the meantime, some weird and wacky schemes have been proposed - including building a bridge over the current bridge! - while engineers have worked on some not-so-weird-and-wacky solutions.

In fact, it appears now that the bridge could be repaired for only £120 million. I say "only" £120 million, since you have to compare it to the figure for building a completely new bridge - £2.3 billion!

There is a political snag though. All the other major parties (plus the Lib Dems)* have until now thrown their weight behind building a new bridge. It was seen as one of those big-ticket items with glory being heaped upon whichever First Minister got to cut the ribbon.

Well, perhaps not any more. The new poll shows that only 34% of Scots support building a new bridge. That would certainly wipe the smile off the dignitaries faces as they attended the opening ceremony, knowing that they had built a huge white elephant that the public weren't going to thank them for.

There is another problem, of course. The Scottish Government don't have the money to build a new bridge anyway, so they may just have to plump for the cheaper option (and blame London for keeping the purse strings closed).

*that line is (c) James at Two Doctors!

East Coast Pulls Out Of Glasgow

Photo by tallpomlin

The rumours that we'd been hearing in the rail industry over the last fortnight broke in the national press yesterday, that East Coast, the new name for the National Express franchise, will withdraw their Glasgow to London route from next December.

There has been, however, a bit of disinformation about it in the Scottish blogosphere. I even read one blogger who claimed that Glasgow would not now have a direct service to London. I guess the obfuscation is natural given that Glasgow is currently embroiled in a mud-slinging by-election campaign.

So let me give you a bit of history: East Coast main line trains were never meant to go to Glasgow.

Way back in the mists of time - the late 90s, if you can remember them! - there were two franchises which ran trains from Scotland to London. Virgin West Coast ran their services from Glasgow down the west coast main line to London Euston, while GNER ran their services from Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness to London King's Cross down the east coast main line.

It was an arrangement which had them as competitors while at the same time not meeting at any point during the journey.

However, the west coast main line was a nightmare. Railtrack were making huge promises to upgrade and rebuild, but precious little in the way of planning was being done. GNER saw an opportunity and went for it - they lobbied the government to allow them to run services from Glasgow to London down the east coast and the government, never a fan of Thatcher's golden boy Richard Branson*, agreed.

Virgin went mental, of course, but in truth there was not a lot wrong with the decision. It gave more train services, a better choice to the public, and a bit of competition to keep the two companies on their toes.

Not long after, Virgin announced that they were going to start running trains from Edinburgh to London down the west coast. GNER went mad, and even threatened court action, but their own actions in doing practically the same thing had tied their hands.

GNER of course eventually lost the franchise for the east coast after promising too much money to the government. Then National Express promised too much money to the government and they will lose the franchise in early December. East Coast will fall into public ownership, the first time an intercity operator has done so.

But in doing that, the government is taking it back to the original franchise commitments - and that means pulling out of Glasgow. In truth, there is not much need for the service any more. The west coast main line has been upgraded and Virgin operates an improved and much faster service that knocks spots off the East Coast one.

Other operators, including my own employer, offer services to the North-East of England. Indeed, it looks like we're being lined up to take the slack if East Coast do pull out.

I'm for more services on our railway, everywhere. But actually, the passenger won't lose out much. The East Coast franchise is being taken back to it's roots and other operators will run services to replace them from Glasgow. But losing any direct service between two large cities looks bad at first glance, particularly if you wilfully use some lies about it for your own party political ends.

*Although God loves a trier...

Green In The Media 9th November - 15th November

I wouldn't normally highlight a political programme that wasn't dealing with environmental issues or had a Green Party member on it, but Friday's Any Questions on Radio Four features Zac Goldsmith, the Green Tory. Hopefully it's a chance for him to get some green issues on the agenda while we find out what he thinks of other things.

Wednesday 11th November

Book of the Week

On: BBC Radio Four

Time: 09:45 to 10:00

The Magnetic North - 3: Greenland.

Adjoa Andoh reads from Sara Wheeler's account of her journey to the lands that border the Arctic Ocean. Wheeler is struck by some of the paradoxes of climate change as she flies above the huge Greenland ice sheet.

Thursday 12th November

One Planet

On: BBC World Service Radio

Time: 10:32 to 11:00 (Also 1630, 2030, 0130, Sun 0630)

One Planet looks at how we use our planet.

Friday 13th November

Any Questions?

On: BBC Radio Four

Time: 20:00 to 20:50

Jonathan Dimbleby chairs the topical debate from Cardiff University. The panel includes Zac Goldsmith, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Richmond Park

Saturday 14th November

Eco Solutions

On: CNN

Time: 23:30 to 00:00

Eco Solutions gives the viewer a unique peek into the situations that plague our planet and proposes real solutions to help us understand why we should make a change.

Excerpts taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.com/?p=1&r=20818

Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.

The Week In Green Numbers

24.6%

- global emissions caused by electricity and heat generation #

97%

- amount of the world's soy harvest used in animal feed #

500 hectares a day

- rate at which forests are being lost to soy plantations in Paraguay #

26,000 gallons

- amount of oil from the Exxon Valdez which remains trapped along the Alaskan coastline #

1,000

- number of disagreements over wording in the Copenhagen Climate Change Treaty which remain, giving little hope of the treaty being signed in December #

Shame On Them And Shame On Us

From all accounts, it looks like there won't be an agreement reached on a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen next month. In fact, some are speculating that it may take up to a year to iron out all the differences between nations.

This is just shameful. Shame on everyone involved and shame on us for letting them off the hook so easily.

I've been thinking that they should just cancel the whole shindig. If no one goes to Copenhagen, then the potential emissions saved will be enormous.

No aeroplane emissions from flying thousands of delegates to Denmark. No car emissions from the taxis and buses used to ferry them around the city. No extra power demands from the thousands of people looking for 24 hour entertainment instead of working hard. No cardboard and wood wasted in thousands of placards which get bandied about once before being discarded at a roadside. And no waste of water being pumped out of the police water cannons!

Of course they do need to meet, and perhaps getting them all into the Copenhagen melting pot may clarify things and get some heads banged together. Or perhaps the protesters can barricade them into the conference hall and refuse them permission to leave until the come up with a legally binding agreement!

Either way, I'm despairing at the whole process. It seems set up for delegates to nitpick ways to wriggle out of the process rather than to stand united and find a way to meet all our obligations.

We've Caused Their Extinction Once, We Can Do It Again!

Photo by Allerina & Glen MacLarty

Last week at the Good Food Show I had my first taste of oysters. Quite how I've managed to go this long without eating one I've no idea, other than to say that I'm not a big seafood eater. I don't particularly like fish (especially if it looks like a fish!), although I'm quite happy with most shellfish.

The oyster was provided free by a stand from Loch Fyne and was prepared for you as you waited. So how did it taste? Er, salty and a bit like a giant mussel! I didn't think it was either good or bad, and it in fact just left me with a feeling of "Meh! What's all the fuss about?"

The girlfriend did mention the supposed aphrodisiac qualities, but since we were just on our way to see Gordon Ramsay I suspect it wasn't me that was on her mind!

While Loch Fyne isn't all that far away, relatively speaking, it looks like there may be a supply of oysters right on Edinburgh's doorstep soon. They were declared extinct in the Forth back in the 1950's but a Stirling University scientist stumbled across some by accident.

It seems a shame that the first human response to this find isn't "Wow, nature can overcome!" but "How can we exploit this commercially?"

Although given what has been pumped into the Forth recently, I think I'll be giving any oysters harvested there a miss.

Is The Ticket Price The Only Cost?

Photo by thejonoakley

I'm sure you'll have seen the news yesterday about the £1,000 train fare and how it means that the world has gone to the dogs and society as we know it has broken down.

I checked on my ticket machine this morning and it's right enough: A First Class Anytime Return from Newquay to Kyle of Lochalsh is £1,002.00.

Of course, it's not a story when you start thinking about it in a normal, non-knee-jerk-tabloid way.

Nobody in their right mind would wake up one morning and suddenly decide to travel the length of Britain, paying on board the train for First Class, and knowing that the journey will take 20 hours.

The journey can't even be done in a day, the only way it's possible to do without a significant break is to catch the overnight sleeper from Crewe to Inverness.

So no, that's the kind of journey that is planned months in advance. And when you are planning it, you realise that on balance a 10 hour car trip will probably be better your pocket than a 2-day 20-hour 5-train extravaganza.

But what about the environment? Lets do the maths. The distances travelled are not the same, since the train journey is not as direct as the car journey.

BY RAIL

In the book How to Live a Low-carbon Life, Chris Goodall uses the figure of 49g of CO2 per passenger km for the average rail travel in the UK. However, he goes on to say that First Class travel, which our £1,000 is for, actually increases that by 50%. So we'll use 73.5g per passenger km as our emissions for the train journey.

Using Google Earth and allowing for the curvature of the railway tracks etc, the train journey is approximately 1,400km.

That means one passenger will generate 102.9kg of CO2 for their First Class journey, one way.

BY CAR

The average car in the UK emits 180g of CO2 per kilometre, significantly more than the train. Again using Google Earth, the road journey is approximately 1,200km.

That means one passenger in a car will generate 216kg of CO2 for the one way journey, more than double the train emissions.

So the train wins out in terms of pollution, but only if there's just one person in the car. In terms of cost, then obviously the car wins, even if you hired one. In fact, you could probably buy an old banger that you scrapped at the destination and it would still cost less!

Still, I wouldn't say no to the commission on that ticket!

Going Mobile

Never one to miss a bandwagon, I've now got a dedicated mobile site!

It can be hard reading this site on the move, so instead of struggling to scroll through the whole page you can now get a mobile-friendly version of this site.

The address for the mobile site is : http://despairing.mofuse.mobi/

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