Monday, April 10

Brantanos goes into administration

Having ripped apart Waterlooville shopping centre a number of years ago, Brantanos has itself gone into failure mode.

Waterlooville once had about half a dozen or so shoe shops, in fact Subways is now in the location of one of them. When Brantanos appeared in the retail park all but two of the shops closed down. A combination of Havant Borough Councils mismanagment and the greed of retail park developers allowed Brantanos to plonk itself outside the shopping centre.

Consumer choice and hence competition was reduced locally.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/business/budget-shoe-store-chain-with-shop-in-waterlooville-goes-into-administration-1-7901000

Sunday, April 9

Tories continue to push anti-environment agenda

Latest news which is supported by local Hampshire Conservative thinking regarding the economy and the environment shows that the Tories are brushing aside environmental issues when negotiating trade deals following the UK leaving the EU.

Local Tories have regularly expressed that the economy comes before environmental concerns when discussing environmental issues. This is highlighted by MP Alan Maks campaign to only ever discuss business and the economy, even when there is a terrorist attack!

This attitude (ignorance or arrogance?) is also reflected in national policy according the
national press. The Times report that both Climate Change and Illegal Wildlife trade are to be ignored during trade negotiations.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/less-climate-concern-key-to-brexit-trade-g6lrs6cw3

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/brexit-ineos-climate-change-laws-lobbying-exploiting-uk-eu-withdrawal-foi-documents-a7665136.html

Why are we winding back time?


Monday, April 3

The Expanse scientific realism and politics

Yes us 'green' folk understand science. This blog post is again not the normal thing I write about, but The Expanse is an exception.

Some articles about The Expanse (Netflix in the UK) science:

Gravity:
https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-03-13/very-real-science-behind-expanse

A detailed description of the launch of the Nauvoo, a giant interstellar ship paid for by the Mormons:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinmurnane/2017/03/01/science-and-tech-in-syfys-the-expanse-the-spectacular-launch-of-the-nauvoo/#7804e71224ba

The Coriolis effect and other things:
http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2016/03/10/469626620/the-expanse-best-science-fiction-show-in-a-decade

The best SciFi TV show (ever?) that you are not watching:
http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/the-expanse-the-best-sci-fi-tv-show-youre-not-watching-w474075

It's a great pity that The Expanse isn't more widely available. Hopefully it will eventually.
Google Play appear to have place holders for the episodes broadcast by SyFy, but they aren't available on Google Play to purchase yet. One can only assume that they have rights to 'rent' and sell episodes at a later date.The Expanse is available on DVD and Blu-Ray discs in the US, but not anywhere else. I don't really understand why they limit access? These days it is normal to get a product out to as many outlets as soon possible.
Meanwhile if you have access to Netflix, it is a must see.

Season 2 sneak peek:



Solar energy cuts demand to the National Grid

As I have pointed out in past blogs, solar panels placed on home and business roofs remove the electricity demand that those properties have on the National Grid. It turns out that is also what the National Grid think and it is reflected in their supply and demand calculations.
Robert talks about solar energy and various other renewable energy topics. Apparently Trump used a spoof information poster about wind turbines to support fake science and personal views about wind energy.