Pet cats vs wind turbines

When it comes to bird kills, pet cats beat wind turbines hands down.
The latest research published in Nature shows that pet cats in the US kill about 84,000 times more birds (2.4billion kills) than wind turbines (28500 kills). That's up from 1060 times estimated in previous research.

I mentioned this previously when Greenpeace recorded a conversation with MP Chris Heaton-Harris.

The RSPCA made a rather pathetic statement in a BBC report about the issue, suggested that a bell on a cats collar will make all the difference. This smacks of denial of responsibility in the face of losing millions of pounds of support from cat lovers who send in their pennies to the RSPCA and the wrath of a massive established pet industry.

It's time for the RSPCA to start thinking about preserving species in the 'wild' instead of sticking their heads in the sand, like so many other deniers around these days.

Horsemeat and things

Cosham Iceland

'Food you can trust' says Iceland, who took a hit when Irish food inspectors found traces of horse DNA in their beefburgers. But at least it was only a tiny trace, Tescos were far more embarassed when it was announced that almost 30% of the DNA content of it's 'value' range of beefburgers consisted of horse meat.

Strangely in 'i' newspaper a Tesco spokesperson suggested it was illegal to have the meat in their products. I'm not sure that is true, what is illegal is to say a food product contains beef only, when in fact it contains other meats as well.

Cosham high street

Meanwhile the big corporates continue to fall on the high street. Following the news of HMV and Jessops in trouble, Blockbuster have joined the growing count of failing retailers.

I am just thankful that when I graduated as an engineer all those decades ago that I went more or less into a good engineering job and spent a year as a paid trainee. I designed things that were manufactured in this country, even often went on the 'shop floor' to see the products being assembled and chatting to production line colleagues.

Jessops, Portsmouth

Today young graduates often end up in service industries like supermarkets, despite having degrees in IT, mechanical engineering etc

Yet successive governments, including the Conservatives and Liberals just cut, poke, criticise, blame and find scape goats (such as jobseekers and others) for the situations they are responsible for creating. They kill the desire to make things and the desire to innovate. It is no wonder we are in a spiral and that many are disenfranchised.

Low carbon technology and engineering is a challenge and as such must be viewed as an OPPORTUNITY to exploit, hence fostering new industry and jobs. Wasting time and effort on old industries will result in other nations overtaking us, yet again. Commiting our graduates to stacking shelves whilst other nations take the prize projects and jobs.

New Waterlooville recycling facility

The new Waterlooville recycling centre is nearing completion, ready to be opened next week. It is situated next to the pylons and the cables are just above the road as you come away from the centre.

I hope they have checked the height of the high container vehicles that will be servicing the site, when they are stacked up with waste they can be quite high.

The site is bigger than the old one and is set well back behind the existing Taylor Wimpey housing development. This leads to the issue of just how many more homes will be built between the new facility and the rear of the existing Taylor Wimpey development.

Just before you get to the recycling centre there is a water saturated bit of land.

Looks like it is often a boggy area, but I think this years rains have probably added to the water levels.

Just under the pylons there are warning signs about deep water, two swans were paddling in a large pond in a protected area whilst I was there.

The new facility is accessed via the Wellington Park junction nearest to Denmead and the pylons. I'm afraid I don't know any of the names of the roads on the Wellington Park development, that includes the road that leads to the recycling facility.

Fire damaged Cooperative store - Milton Road

Fortunately no one was hurt when a fire gutted the Cooperative store at Milton Rd this weekend. Media reports say that it was caused by an electrical fault on a freezer.