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 →
Is this the car for whatever green mood you are in?
Volvo have come up with a car that could please three separate eco–concerned constituencies of drivers at once. On deep green Level I, the V60 Plug-in Hybrid (in showrooms in 2012) is a pure electric car. This week, working mainly from home, I could have plugged it into the mains and run it on electricity… Continue reading →
Strange companions catch change of wind
Edom Hills is a gale of a distance from Watchfield, but these two places are positive, and unlikely, case studies of how things might be in the wide open spaces of energy hungry nations. Edom sits at the head of the San Gorgonio Pass, close to Palm Springs in California. The blades of eight Clipper… Continue reading →