September, 2015. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” — “Elephant in the room’ is a metaphorical idiom for an obvious truth that is either being ignored or going unaddressed…also applies to an obvious problem or risk no… Continue reading
Browsing Category Environment Blog
Why are we still waiting for Turkey’s solar energy revolution?
Do holidaymakers in Turkey care where the country’s energy comes from? Why should they? They are on holiday. And yet they may notice the occasional power cut, especially in busy tourist areas. They may also wonder why that abundant sunshine isn’t helping. The sun is a great boost to the Turkish economy. It’s one of the main… Continue reading →
Why the cuckoo failed to show, and how the BTO might find it
What became of “our” cuckoo? That must sound odd. The cuckoo is the last bird anybody could claim ownership to. This is a free spirit, notorious for its irresponsible parenting, shamelessly exploiting many (in the current parlance) hard-working bird families. How can we possibly speak of “our” cuckoo? If you want an annual visitor to… Continue reading →
Swansea catches tide to lead the world in every day clean lagoon energy
I am immensely proud of my hometown, Swansea. If all goes well, by the end of 2018 a six-mile long wall will loop out from the seafront, like an oddly inflated balloon, to define the world’s first energy-generating tidal lagoon. Turbines at the outer edge of the lagoon will capture the energy from the tide… Continue reading →
King willow still leads the batting in 21st Century cricket
The summer’s test cricket programme is underway, and the purest form of the game, with the reassuring sponsorship of Waitrose, reasserts itself against those many upstart versions. But whether they play test cricket or T20, cricketers turn to essential and traditional tools, the most important of which is the bat. Older readers will recall the… Continue reading →
The LED street light revolution cuts cost as well as carbon
LED streetlights have appeared in my village, one of the first pieces in the jigsaw which will depict a truly low carbon future, as seen from my doorstep. They come not so long after the first electric car was spotted here. While electric cars are still a better-off person’s indulgence, that essential street light above your… Continue reading →