Monthly Archives: June 2016

What has the EU ever done the environment?

What has the EU ever done the environment? I have been asking myself this over the last agonising few days.  Will we miss the EU in environmental terms?   The answer is yes but it has at least left a … Continue reading

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One thing we have learnt this week – plastic waste a solution

Plastic is one of the wonders and at the same time biggest problems of our age. Its quite ubiquitous, I am writing this on a plastic keyboard on a laptop made of plastic (in large part). One of greatest problems … Continue reading

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Renewables had very good 2015

Renewables had very good 2015, that is the message from the REN21 global renewables status report.  The report has an extraordinary range of facts and I will attempt to pull out both the main ones and some surprising ones. Unsurprising … Continue reading

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One thing we have learnt this week-dams

Hydroelectric dams.  They are a good thing right in fighting peak oil and climate change?  Well it depends.  This week there is a fuss over the building of a series of massive hydroelectric dams in Brazil with up to 26GWp … Continue reading

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BP data

Its that time of year when the BP data in their statistical energy review comes out.  This blog covers some the main things that stood out for me in the 2016 BP data. 1) oil reserves show a fall, this … Continue reading

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Robots part II

Up until now robots and automation has been peripheral to most of our lives -insufficient technological progress in AI and globalisation have saved us from it.  However this does look about to change.  Just last Saturday the Guardian magazine did … Continue reading

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One thing we have learnt this week -charge for grid upkeep

A frisson of despair entered my heart this week when I heard OFGEM have suggested we might have to pay a charge for the grid upkeep.  According to the chief executive of OFGEM due to solar panels and energy storage, … Continue reading

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Are robots going to take over?

Are robots a real threat?  There has been a lot of talk about automation recently.  Last week Mcdonalds were threatening to replace their serving staff in the US who have been agitating for living wage of $15/hour with robots since … Continue reading

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