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
Start-ups offer smart solutions for our climate-stressed times
The big advances in slowing climate change will come from international agreements backed up with strong national government programmes. But there will be technological fixes too, chipping away at that inexorably growing CO2 emissions figure, and providing cost and other efficiency savings at the same time. Taken together, the ones that turn into products and… Continue reading →
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 →
David Attenborough talks to President Obama
In May this year (2015) President Obama welcomed broadcaster Sir David Attenbrough to the White House for a televised discussion. In the interview, broadcast in the UK and US , Sir David asks the President why he cannot show a commitment to tackling climate change in the way previous presidents strived to put men on the moon. Obama… 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 →