There’s nothing like a wind turbine to excite local passions, and fill village halls to bursting with angry villagers who have nothing against renewable energy except that they don’t want it here. Solar panels are harder to oppose. The best opponents of one particular scheme close to where I live could come up with was… Continue reading
More efficient solar panels catching carbon's shadow
It’s been hard to feel particularly positive about the state, and future, of the planet over the past few days. Record global CO2 emissions, after a fall during the recession. Germany easing back on nuclear power. Ongoing climate change denial among the crazy right in the US. And in the UK, a huge number of… Continue reading →
Buying electric cars for staff use, councils could slash costs
Could local councils persuade their staff to use electric cars in order to cut costs? Consultant Stephen Cirell floated the radical plan in MJ, the local authority magazine. This is his proposal. Currently the mileage rate many, and probably most, councils pay staff is well over the figure recommended by the Inland Revenue. But staff… Continue reading →
Take the train to the Spa of kings
The first direct rail services will soon be running between London and Germany, putting such cities as Aachen closer to the capital than Newcastle. The writer took a (not yet through) train to our nearest German city, once known as the Spa of kings, to check out some glorious treasure, very hot running water, fine dining and a famous… Continue reading →
Don't be a NIMBY – own your own windfarm
It may seem blindingly obvious, but people are more likely to accept windfarms in their backyards when they actually own them. (See my blog on a community-owned wind farm at Watchfield in Oxfordshire – http://bit.ly/kB5qKo) A recent study in Germany showed that acceptance of wind power is very high, and even higher when local people… Continue reading →
Sea and sun-powered music on Croatia’s crinkly coastline
The headings on my list of recommendations include traditional toy-making, a sea and sun-powered music and light show, ancient Greek fields, Roman marvels galore and stays in lighthouses on remote islands. Then there is the 1000 miles of crinkly coastline lined with rocky coves and pine-fringed beaches. Glory restored One US web site recently… Continue reading →