A Christmas Message from the Elves

Kiribati will be underwater soon.

This is just one reason why we have to cut carbon emissions and IMO this is why criminal prosecution should be taken against climate skeptics:

Taylor Wimpey on tonights CH4 Dispatches

Woh!

Well worth watching. New houses with no loft or wall insulation!
Ill fitted doors, gaps between floor and skirting boards.
Wrongly fitted air bricks.

Appalling workmanship across the building industry.

Ooh and guess what, this coincides with a cut in government red tape in the last 5 years.
Surprise, surprise, commercial companies can't be trusted to regulated themselves!

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/

Evidence against Conservative energy policies mount up

Bloomberg said onshore wind is as cheap as fossil fuels, now the governments Climate Change Committee agrees:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34598765

Swiss Cottage no more

Morgan electric 3 wheeler

150 mile range in a little 3 wheeler!

Pompous anti-cycling columnist

Ugh.

Just listening to Radio 4 and a pompous anti-road cycling journalist who is happy that her husband cycles off-road but hates cyclists getting in her way on the road. She also claims cycling is a religion.

Hmm.

So driving a car isn't a religion?
We get bombarded every day with 'religious' car related advertising and like all religions, driving a vehicle has strict rules! It's a bit like an established religion (car driving) being challenged by a new religion (cycling).
Frankly I get bombarded every day with information about roads and motor vehicles, rarely do I hear much about cycling unless I mention.

But really extremists like this journalist are the problem. They don't have the brains or skills to do anything useful, like making cars or bicycles.

Some ludicrous and insane videos

A bit different to Roberts reviews.

Tesla S P85D Insane mode:





Tesla S P90D Ludicrous mode:

Onshore wind energy now as cheap as chips

Bloomberg say Onshore Wind is now competitive with fossil fuels in the UK:

http://about.bnef.com/press-releases/wind-solar-boost-cost-competitiveness-versus-fossil-fuels/
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/wind-power-now-the-cheapest-source-of-electricity-but-the-government-continues-to-resist-onshore-a6685326.html

Meanwhile the Conservatives Amber Rudd has recently stated that the party isn't ideologically driven when it comes to their climate change skeptic driven energy policies and environment policies.

http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/opinion/2428988/amber-rudd-i-am-a-proud-green-conservative

They certainly don't stick to their ideology, but not in the way Rudd suggests. The trouble is Rudd doesn't know what their ideology is or alternatively loves to misinform. Onshore wind energy is cheap, long term, low carbon, British (the winds around the Isles are for us to harness) and well established, but instead the Conservatives want to increase energy bills with experimental fracking, high carbon emissions, high energy bills, subsidised fossil fuels and nuclear power and commiting to short term supplies of finite fuel sources.

If markets are king, then fracking and nuclear energy should need no help. The fact is all Conservative policy is based on corrupt ideology, to say anything else would be a lie.

Opposing wind farms does not fit in with the idea of market driven economics. The Conservatives are a corrupt brand of capitalism and market ideology.

Not that such things should drive policy (science should drive environmental policies), but given that continued carbon emissions will have a negative economic outcome then logically low cost wind energy will have a positive double whammy on our economic future, whilst fossil fuels have a double negative impact.

A day in the life of Milton Road bus stop

Swiss Cottage to be demolished soon

The Cost of Costa

Garbage by the Milton Road bus stop since the new Costa opened in Wellington Retail park.

It appears that the bus stop is a regular place for litter louts. Maybe it's about time for a bin and for the council to spend a bit of money.

Yep there are 5 Costa cups.

On a brighter note...

Improved pedestrian and cycle path

It's good to see that all the complaints about the pedestrian path/route through the Waterlooville Wellington Retail Park that I made on this blog over the years have been addressed.

See this speculative blog post that I made a few months ago (which includes links to other blog posts on the subject):

http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/a-real-path-at-wellington-retail-park.html

The path is now raised and has a curb, it also has had the number of exists/entrances that cut through the path reduced, making it far more acceptable as a way of getting into Waterlooville on foot.
As well as those practical features, there are also big 'planters' with trees and a few seats placed along the path (street furniture).

Addition (9/8/15): I should also add that the upgraded path was essential to improve access to Waterlooville for those using mobility scooters. The improved path ties in with the building of the new ramp. Previously mobility scooter users had a long tortuous route that took them around the town centre and pass the fire station.

So why did it take so long to fix it?

It has been wrong for as long as this blog has been going, why didn't they do this from the start?

Plus - it of course doesn't fix the problem that the retail park was a bad idea from the start and has helped to ruin our town centre.

Conservatives continue to ignore science

The Friends Of the Earth are 100% correct with their attack on the Conservatives. We have all known for a long time that there are many Conservatives that are ignorant or choose to be ignorant of climate science (and other sciences) in order to pursue a political and economic ideology.
Since the election they have put into action extremely damaging policies that will undo many years of excellent work that started to reduce carbon emissions, created new businesses and jobs.

The policies include:

• Onshore Wind farm support cuts.
• Commercial Solar farm support cuts.
• Commercial Biomass energy project support cuts.
• Scrapping of the Green Deal with no replacement.
• Delayed introduction of zero carbon homes.
• Reduced tax on pollution.
• Introduced the Climate Change Levy on the renewable energy industry.
• Removal of tax breaks on low carbon cars including hybrids but excluding electric vehicles.

The Conservatives continued their campaign of lies and misinformation to defend and justify a series of very foolish and potentially law breaking policy changes that will cost future generations not just a lot of money, but also lives.

The Conservatives use the claim that the left have hijacked the climate change cause, but the fact is that is a red herring. Cutting carbon emissions is not linked to ideology, you just have to get on with it and do it, the same policies to do it apply to all political parties. In effect the Conservatives have made it an ideological issue by scrapping all the policies that were essential to cut emissions, they haven't got the guts to continue with emissions cuts because the long term benefits of such cuts can never feature in Conservative ideology and religion which is fundamentally short term.

Conservative ideology is about 'now', it can't cope with looking more than a few years into the future.

But science and nature don't care about politicians, the rules of science are mathematical and ultimately they detemine the future (on this planet at least) based on the actions we take now. So the FACT is, actions taken now can either be good or bad for future outcomes depending on the type of actions taken.

The Conservative sudden cuts in support for renewable energy, low carbon housing, insulation for homes etc is unforgiveable especially when it is known that much of the support can be slowly removed without damaging a flourishing green business sector.

How can democracy be working if political lunatics can do this?
We don't want this pathetic old political battle, we want political decisions about energy and environment based on facts, not lies and politcal fantasies (ideologies).

The AA also join the attack:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33724781

Berlin Formula-E race highlights.

Something a little different.
Highlights of the Berlin Formula-E electric car race:

Conservatives take an axe to the future

I have written about wind turbines extensively in the past:

http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/pet-cats-vs-wind-turbines.html
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/is-wind-energy-subsidised.html
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/why-chris-heaton-harris-is-wrong-about.html
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/chris-heaton-harris-continues-to-tilt.html
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/name-wind-farm-and-win-prize.html
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/new-isle-of-wight-offshore-wind-farm.html
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/east-meon-anti-wind-turbine-mis.html

This week the Conservatives decided to ignore decades of facts and research in favour of listening to the anti-science league of Toffs.

At a time when we need as much renewable energy as possible the Conservatives have given a veto vote to locals for onshore wind farms, whilst leaving out similar votes for fracking and nuclear energy. They have also decided to remove Renewable Obligations (non-subsidised support) for onshore wind farms. (don't forget that both fossil fuels and nuclear energy world wide are subsidised!)

I have also written about Climate Change over the same period and all the science that has been researched by tens of thousands of scientists is largely becoming reality. For instance sea levels are set to rise by 5 metres as a result of a political failure to do enough to reduce Carbon emissions. Portsmouth is mostly below 5 metres so it is already 'doomed' and 5 metres is not the end of sea level rises.

Failures by the Conservatives and their extremist economic ideologists to address climate science in their policies will result in more emissions and hence much greater sea level rise will be the result.
The trouble is no political ideologist has the stamina or will to question their own ideas.

Wind farms are still the most important and cheapest renewable energy source in the UK. Many nations would pay a lot of money to have the rich wind resource that we have. Yet the Conservatives have decided to abuse their position of power, ignore the future and keep us dependent on old technology.

They are killing the nation for short term political gain. They are neglecting our future.

Keep an eye (over many years) on the Actic Ice graph on the right of this blog (it is updated by real scientists regularly), it reflects the truth.

Orkney - future island

UKIP and the Conservatives are trying to kill this future off:

Conservatives start their attack on wind farms

Today the Conservatives launched their promised attack on the nations current primary energy weapon against climate change.

Planning decisions regarding large onshore wind energy projects are now to be handed over to the nations anti-wind farm Conservative rural councils. Hampshire County Council have a backward thinking elite that oppose wind turbines. They have previously banned them on HCC owned land, which effectively means they will oppose any wind energy project in Hampshire.

At a time when the indicators of climate change are actually increasing dramatically with record drought in California, dramatic reductions in ice on the Antarctic peninusla and a continued downward spiral of Arctic ice.

It is not a time for the political game players and mis-representers to mess around with fact and science based policies. The Conservatives are showing just how cowardly and manipulative they are.

Lightsail

Looks like energy storage company Isentropic near Fareham has some competition in the shape of Californian company Lightsail Energy.

Lightsail are developing energy storage using compressed air and intend to overcome the problem of the waste heat energy it produces by turning the heat into a useable energy product. They claim a potential 90% roundtrip efficency.

www.isentropic.co.uk
www.lightsail.com
daniellefong.com

Tree causes train delays between Southampton and Portsmouth

Travelled to Southampton today and as we passed a stationary train on it's way to Portsmouth, I noticed it had stopped and had a number of tree branches lodged in the front.
Our train stopped by the Portsmouth train and the guard annnounced there would be a delay because of a tree on the line.
After a few minutes the driver was asked to move slowly forward to take a closer look.
The photo is what was found. Luckily the branches were thin and the tree had fallen on the opposite side of the line. The Portsmouth train had scythed through the branches, effectively clearing the line.

Oslo to London in an electric car

Robert test drives a Tesla:

Eye to eye with a Gull

With growing problems finding food at sea Gulls are getting cheeky and aggresive. On a recent visit to Brighton I took a walk along the pier which was packed with visitors. Numerous large Gulls were flying and swooping around waiting for the opportunity of picking up a fish and chip meal from an unsustpecting tourist.

This one was standing on a sign. I edged my way towards it and got within a metre or two to take this photo. It didn't budge an inch and was indifferent to my presence.

It was like a scene for Daphne Du Mauriers 'The Birds'. One foolish 'continental' tourist decided to offer his hand/finger to the gull in the photo. But I suggested that it might take his finger off and he backed away.

Some kids on the beach near the peer were surrounded by gulls because they were playing around with a takeway carton. In a fountain further in town, Gulls were having fun and having a bath.

A real path at Wellington Retail Park??

After years of battling with cars trying to find a parking space at Wellington Retail Park, it looks like
pedestrians and cyclists trying to cross the numerous car park entrances and exists are going to get a proper path, with curbs??

At least I think this is going to be a path??
Feel free to post a comment if you know better.

Related blog posts:
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/chaos-at-retail-park.html
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/waterloovile-pedestrian-access.html
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/salvador-caetano.html
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/paints-and-belligerent-car-drivers.html

Result of last nights election debate

I was thinking about who won in the ITV election debate last night with 7 political party leaders on show.

In my opinion the final score was:

Women = 1
Men = 0

Cadillac ELR test drive

Robert test drives the Cadillac ELR, which frankly is a boring car, but what is more interesting is the discussion Robert has with Chelsea Sexton who featured in 'Who killed the electric car?':

Poor workmanship in Hampshire - really appalling path and pavement work

Outside a new building (PMC Construction offices) in Cosham near the train station, the builders have done probably the worst job ever in laying paving blocks.

The builders started laying a border of dark grey blocks to edge the red blocks, then when they had got about 80% complete, they just stopped.

As well as that, they used whole blocks near the black block edging and also by the metal drain, and filled the gap with small pieces.

Would have been better to put the small pieces next to the drain, like every other builder!











The same builders aren't to hot on curves either.

But it gets worse!
Here they start with one style of edging, then switch to another. Plus they cut one of the metal drains to an angle but leave the other uncut, which means the angle is very noticeable.
Any normal person would have cut both so that the transition between the two would have been visually more pleasing.

The site manager for the project should frankly be sacked. A DIY home owner would have done a better job.

It's not just Cosham where we have bad workmanship. Here are examples in Waterlooville where a utilities company couldn't be bothered to replace the stones and just resurfaced with tarmac.

 Some examples of how it should be done...

Arctic sea ice heading for record minimum?

Please take some time to view the Arctic ice graph in the right column of this blog.
It is updated automatically and currently shows a massive drop in sea ice extent compared to the 2011-2012 record minimum.

The graph is produced by the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).

If it continues it will be big news, or should be if the BBC were not so politically biased against climate change news reporting these days!

Chaos at retail park

Years after the Waterlooville retail park was expanded and the primary pedestrian route into Waterlooville wrecked by poor Havant Borough Council planning.
The trek into Waterlooville is still a nightmare with cars driving down the pedestrian and cyclist path.
The silver Audi in the photo is seen having just driven along the path, seconds before I had seen another car drive down the same section of path in the opposite direction.

The local councils (Havant Borough and Hampshire County) between them killed the old road into Waterlooville. The very road which had probably seen a few Battle of Waterloo soldiers on it 200 years ago. Now it's a car park that pedestrians struggle to negotiate. Oh yes, 'Waterlooville 200' is just great!

Related blog posts:
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/waterloovile-pedestrian-access.html
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/salvador-caetano.html
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/paints-and-belligerent-car-drivers.html

Waterlooville 200

It is 200 years since Wellington along with Blücher and other allies, defeated Napolean at the Battle of Waterloo.

This year Waterlooville is having it's own celebrations to commemorate that event and the creation of the town, unsurprisingly it's called 'Waterlooville 200'. The project was officially launched at the town library yesterday (are we allowed to call it a library now?) and the planned events include a talk at The Spring in Havant (why is it in Havant??), additional talks and events at Waterlooville Library, a re-creation of the return of soldiers from Waterloo and an open air theatre production commissioned for the event.

The event has got £44,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

It's a shame that all those 19th century buildings that would have made this year a bit special have been ruined by Havant Borough Councils bungling over planning in past decades. As mentioned previously the only building that remains true to the past is Swiss Cottage which is currently occupied by Citizens Advice Bureau.

High tide at Old Portsmouth today

 

Some nutters and UKIP supporters still deny sea levels are rising. Sea levels will be about 1 metre higher by the end of this century.

Robert Swan talks about climate change and the Antarctic

Inspiring talk by Robert Swan (not an environmentalist) and his life long project to protect the Arctic and Antarctic:

Labour are 'Chicken'.

I don't like any of the political parties in the up and coming election, with the exception of the Pub Landlords - Free United Kingdom Party (FUKP), but the fact is Cameron is correct today in saying Ed Milliband is chickening out in supporting the Green Party taking part in the proposed TV election debates.

Why?

Because unfortunately the Green Party in the UK is basically a relatively hardcore socialist party now which just happens to have some green policies. Labour do not want to be up against another socialist party in the elections or in TV debates. I suspect Labour party members and other socialists have joined the Green Party and bolstered it's numbers.

To quote the Green Party:

"Politics should work for the benefit of all, not just those who shout the loudest or have the deepest pockets."

The problem is though, what if people today have to do some sacrificing in order for people in the future to live reasonably well or survive? The fact is, the Green (socialist) Party can not acknowledge that 'austerit'y today might be a requirement so that future generations can survive. They also have a bog standard 1970s style socialist defence policy, straight out of the far left and CND handbook.

The Labour party do not even mention any environmental policy in their election media campaign. The whole issue of abandoning facts and science was highlighted today by Paul Nurse who has said that politicians are 'cowardly' in repeated ignorance of scientific evidence that is unpopular with voters.

At least Al Murray is honest about the hypocracy and short termism that we have in politics and if you are a UKIP supporter, then frankly there is little difference between FUKP and UKIP policies, they are both based on fiction.

So what is the answer?

Enviromental and Climate Change policy must be outside party political processes, we need such laws and legislation built into our democratic system so that all political partys are Green and so that we don't have to have a political party with 'Green' in their name. Being green should not be negotiable.