How the UK Cocked Up the Brexit Negotiations

 When a short article encapsulates all the salient points so neatly there's no need to comment. Just read all of this.

Still Favouring Fossil Fuels

 If a recent report by Wärtsilä Energy is to be believed despite all the rhetoric the UK Government has failed to grasp the opportunity to promote renewals over fossil fuels in its COVID-19 stimulus package. Many commentators will not be surprised as Boris' administration has a history of not thinking about the consequences of its actions. Shame.

Minimum Wage Shame

 The recent BEIS list of minimum wage offenders contains some major names. Tesco, Pizza Hut and Home Grown Hotels (part owned by Jim Ratcliffe who has a fortune of some £12bn) are among those cited. This is yet another stinking example of the scourge of inequality in this country (or partly in it as Ratcliffe has scarpered to Monaco). All three companies claimed their breaches of the law were inadvertent but isn't it really rather sickening that their pay regimes are so pathetic that they should even accidentally cross the threshold. Furthermore the "excuse" that Ratcliffe doesn't have involvement in the day-to-day running of the hotel chain just does not wash. He, presumably, profits by his ownership - he should take steps to ensure that those profits have at least a fig-leaf's worth of ethical practice associated with them.

Shout Out For Bosch Customers Services

 Bosch have a scheme whereby they add a year to the warranty period if you register a new tool with them within one month of purchase. A couple of days ago I pointed out to them that this really doesn't work over the Christmas period when gifts may have been purchased in October or November. Within an hour or so I received a response asking for details of my new power tool and by the end of the day the extra year had been added to the warranty. Nice to know that some organisations can manage decent customer service.

IKEA Buyback Scheme

 IKEA is to start a scheme to buy back used furniture as a plank in its circular economy drive. I guess this aligns with the old "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" mantra. The buy back price at between 30% and 50% of the original cost seems fairly generous to me. It will be interesting to see if IKEA can maintain this offer. 

Heating Upgrades Just Too Slow

 A briefing paper from the UKERC has reiterated what we are all familiar with - the UK's domestic heat policy framework just will not deliver net-zero on time. Indeed, the paper points out that approximately 1m homes need to have their heating systems switched each year but the Clean Heat Grant will only support 12,500. Bit if a mismatch, there! It was ever thus. 

Hydrogen Double-Deckers in Aberdeen

 It seems hydrogen power is the in thing at the moment. What are claimed to be the world's first hydrogen powered double-decker buses are to be trialed in Aberdeen. These buses operate with fuel cell technology and are quite a change from the single-deckers that have been operating on the RV1 route in London for some years. Most notably the hydrogen store cannot be on the roof of these new vehicle so some radical thinking has had to go into their design. 

As with all H2 technology the key is going to be in the production of the gas from zero-carbon sources. Watch this space!

Human-made Stuff > Natural

 Yet another wake-up statistic - this time courtesy New Scientist. A short article on page 16 of number 3313/14 has the rather depressing news that somewhere between 2014 and 2026 is, or will be, the point at which the mass of human-made stuff on the Earth surpasses the mass of living things. To quote Jeremy Woods of Imperial College "This [study] serves to strongly underline the need for wise and informed human stewardship of the environment". Quite so.

Trump's Final Acts Are Utterly Sickening

 While we here in the UK suffer under the ineptitude and shameless cronyism of our current Government we can perhaps be slightly thankful that we don't have to acknowledge that we have Trump at the head of our legislature. His egregious actions as outlined by this Guardian article are nothing but shameful. 

“Nothing about Trump’s actions surprise me. He has no concern for the law, for humanity, for decency or for tradition.

“If he thinks it’s to his advantage financially, politically, in terms of his family, he will issue whatever pardons he wants to, including perhaps for himself and likely for family members and other cronies.”

Quite!

Waverley is the only Surrey Borough to remain in Tier 2 - Be afraid, be very afraid.

 So most of Surrey will be entering tier 3 in a couple of days. Quite rightly the Guildford Dragon warns that "Movement between Waverley and the rest of the County should now be restricted". Quite right - but will it happen? I doubt it. I foresee a horrible surge of tier-3ers descending upon the pubs and restaurants of Waverley with a consequential rapid rise in cases in a couple of weeks' time followed by more hospitalisations, more deaths and extension of tier 3 or even full lock down. Deep joy!

Well! That didn't last long, did it?

This Terrible Government

 I have become more and more sickened by the combination of mendacity, lack of empathy and understanding, and sheer ineptitude demonstrated by this Government. Just look at three headlines from today's news:

"Toughest COVID rules extended in south of England" - all a result of a lack of planning, snail-paced decision-making, and adherence for far too long to ideology when just a little scientific understanding was required.

"Brexit: Trade talks in 'a serious situation' says Boris Johnson" - quite apart from the stupidity of (a) calling the referendum in the first place and (b) lying all the way to obtaining a leave vote; the "oven-ready" deal was and is not a reality because Johnson cannot have his cake and eat it; he has failed to understand the EU position; and he is driving the UK to become, once again, the poor man of Europe.

"Dangerous cladding: Fire patrols at our flats cost us £500,000" - a climate of "get rich quick and bend the rules as much as possible" which is part of the ethos of the miserable bunch in power is now being exacerbated by quibbling over who will put things right, and when; while leaving people's lives at risk.

That's just three headlines in one day. Look back at the news over the past five years and try not to blink. Oh, and hold your nose because the stench that arises is overwhelming.

At last - the end for plastic straws

 A few months ago I bemoaned the fact that plastic straws appeared to be a beneficiary of COVID-19. Now, somewhat belatedly, a ban in England has finally come in. In and of itself this is but a minor step in the right direction and does little for the development of a coherent, long-term and comprehensive strategy. But then Defra never has been on my list of effective organisations!

IEA's View of CCUS

 I've banged on about CCUS before, partially because I was peripherally involved with a bid into HMG's abortive competition as few years ago. That was a major opportunity missed for the UK. Now the IEA has reiterated the need for CCUS in industries such as cement making as well as its potential in cleaning up fossil-fuel-based hydrogen production (which, of course, takes us back to my previous posts on hydrogen-fueled aeroplanes).

Now is the time for Boris Johnson to convert his "complete evangelist" stance into something more concrete (sorry!).

And Now A Hydrogen Plane Flies

 Having poo-pooed, yesterday, Airbus' claim that they will have a commercial hydrogen powered plane in service by 2035 today I  have to point out that that a 6-seater proof-of-concept model has successfully completed a take-off, circuit and landing. I do, however, take a large pinch of salt with Hadhim Zahawi's suggestion that clean air travel is "at our fingertips". There's plenty of work left to do from creating a proper green hydrogen production base to refining fuel-cell technology and beyond.

Zero Emissions Hydrogen Powered Planes By 2025?

 I am doubtful. Fifteen years to develop such a vehicle would make manufacturing a COVID-19 vaccine in under a year seem snail-paced.

Whatever - there are details here.

Scottish Widows Divestment Policy - A Drop in the Ocean but at Least it's a Start

 Scottish Widows says that it is going to divest £440M from companies that are not achieving certain environmental or ethical standards. Compared with the billions of invested pounds that the company manages that seems like a minor drop in the ocean but I suppose they have to start somewhere. There's also a rather worrying get-out-of-jail clause whereby SW may retain investments if it thinks it can influence positive change in the relevant companies' business models. Hmm! The proof of the pudding as they say ...........

Do People Really Fall For This Junk?

 Received today from "Madam Colleen Karl":

Greetings to you & your Family,

I am glad that I can still write you today. I hope you are still at this e-mail address because I have selected you for a Charity Project. I need you to help me extend Charities to Widows, orphans and other less privileged ones in the society. I will be flying to Costa Rica anytime for urgent medical treatment which even if successful, I may not be strong in a long while. My doctor referred me to this Hospital three weeks ago after i relapsed into coma a number of times.

Due to the exigencies of this trip, I have asked the Bank to credit into ATM Card the Funds ( $1,800,000.00 ) that I intends to bequeath to you. This is why I am writing you today. The Bank has released the ATM card to my Doctor so that he will send it to you. Please this email is like my own 'WILL', since all that I wanted is to see this last wish actualized. Please respect it. And kindly respond so that I will introduce you to him before it is too late.

Thanks and God bless you,
Mrs. Colleen

Do people really fall for this junk? It is just so obviously something to be immediately parked in the trash bin.

Has the Tie had its Day?

 Someone suggested to me the other day that SARS-CoV-2 may have seen off that weird piece of male attire, the necktie. Certainly working from home, which may well become the norm for many, obviates any requirement for voluntarily strangling oneself. Also it would seem that the protocol for business meetings via Zoom does not require such adornment. 

Looking further afield from the home, although Prince Charles retains his starchy look the younger royals are not averse to appearing in public open-necked. However, is it premature to call time on that funny strip of cloth just yet? Male politicians, almost to a man, continue to sport such a frontispiece (but is this just a demonstration, yet again, of how out of touch they are?); newscasters, too, have not yet "bared the neck"; shows such as "the Apprentice" seem to retain an abundant supply of such garb. Countering this the trend, elsewhere on TV does seem to place the tie very much out of favour. And TV is a big influencer.

Maybe the writing is on the wall but there are still many out there who haven't read it. Conclusion - I shall not be investing my pension pot in neckwear manufacturers.

Batteries - A Slightly Different Viewpoint

 This, by Sam Mitchell at Powell Gilbert, is reproduced from the Mondaq newsletter. One wonders, what price Boris's 10 point plan?

UK: Charging Up: The Rapid Rise Of Battery Technology

17 November 2020

by Sam Mitchell

Powell Gilbert

First developed in 1799 by the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta, battery technology can hardly be said to be new. Fast-forward two centuries, however, and batteries are front-and-centre of the renewable energy revolution: in November 2019 UBS estimated that the global market for energy storage will reach US$462 billion by 2030.

This is hardly surprising when we consider the arsenal of modern battery-powered appliances at our fingertips and the ever-increasing demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. Indeed, our increasing reliance on battery technology has seen this old invention continue to develop at rapid pace.

Innovation

Patent filings provide a key insight into future technologies and a recent review by the EPO presents three highlights concerning battery innovation.

1.  Rapid rise in patenting activity

More than 7,000 international patent families relating to electricity storage were published in 2018, up from 1,029 in 2000. Since 2005 this represents an annual growth rate of 14%, compared to just 3.5% on average across all technology areas. The vast majority of these have been in electrochemical inventions (i.e. batteries), accounting for 88% of all patenting activity in this area.

Leading the charge are lithium-ion ("Li-ion") batteries. Li-ion batteries possess a higher power capacity and charge density than batteries made of other materials. It is Li-ion batteries that have made the mass-manufacturing of electric vehicles possible, and led to their developers being awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019.

2.  Japan and the Republic of Korea lead the charge

Japan and the Republic of Korea are, by far, the lead runners in the global battery technology race.  Of the top ten global applicants, seven are Japanese (spearheaded by Panasonic and Toyota) and two are Korean (Samsung and LG Electronics). The only non-Asian company to feature is the German company Bosch. From 2014 to 2018, Japan alone was home to 41% of all Li-ion patenting activity. Interestingly, Samsung's growth has targeted portable electronics, whereas the majority of other patent filings in this area have focused on automotive applications.

3.  Cathode Chemistry is key

Every battery, whether one developed today or the 1799 original, is composed of two electrodes - an anode and a cathode - dipped in electrolyte (a conductive solution) with a separator that controls the flow of electric charge. The first rechargeable Li-ion battery patent arose when Stanley Whittingham (Nobel prize winner, working at oil giant Exxon at the time) realised lithium metal could be used as an anode. It was later discovered that a graphite anode was more effective, but the name Li-ion remains due the movement of lithium ions.

Today, the most innovative breakthroughs are focused on Li-ion battery cathodes. The recent focus has been on NMC cathodes – one third nickel, one third manganese and one third cobalt. However, recent filings suggest that NCA (lithium nickel cobalt aluminium oxide) may displace NMC in the spotlight. The reason is the shift in desired criteria towards improving specific energy (energy per unit mass), durability, power output, charge / discharge speed and recyclability.

A note on disputes

The EPO statistics suggest that the patent landscape for batteries is set to become increasingly crowded. Moreover, the dividing line between car manufacturers and technology providers is becoming increasingly blurred. Examples include Elon Musk's famous battery bet to build South Australia the world's largest lithium-ion mega-battery capable of powering 30,000 homes for eight hours in 100 days (it required just 60) or Porsche and Audi forming Ionity, aiming to develop a pan-European vehicle charging network.

Similarities can therefore be made between the automotive sector and the smartphone sector, and it would not be surprising to see a substantial rise in licensing activity and disputes.  

One company that has already been particularly active asserting its patent portfolio is Varta AG, renowned for its manufacture of automotive batteries.

However, it is not this IP that the Germany company is so fiercely protecting. At the end of last year, Varta sued Samsung and a number of its retailers in Germany, asserting patent infringement relating to its patented 'button batteries' – EP 2 394 324 – a rechargeable lithium-ion battery used in Galaxy Buds earphones.  Further proceedings were issued in the US earlier this year.

The actions resulted in a global settlement in August. Varta now apparently wish to refine and further develop their relationship with Samsung and other manufacturers, particularly those that manufacture smart watches and fitness trackers.

These matters exemplified the rather unusual case of a vendor commencing proceedings against one of its own customers, so it will be interesting to see how this impacts future business relations, and whether we see other innovative companies take the same approach.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Anglo American Sued On Behalf Of Children And Women Poisoned By The World's Most Toxic Lead Mine

This article from Leigh Day has been reposted from the Mondaq Newsletter:  

https://www.mondaq.com/uk/class-actions/997152/anglo-american-sued-on-behalf-of-children-and-women-poisoned-by-the-world39s-most-toxic-lead-mine?email_access=on

LONDON AND JOHANNESBURG – 21 October 2020 – Lawyers from Mbuyisa Moleele and Leigh Day today announced that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Anglo American South Africa Limited ("AASA"), a subsidiary of London-headquartered multinational mining company Anglo American Plc (LSE: AAL, JSE: AGL), in the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa.

The action has been filed on behalf of a class estimated to comprise more than 100,000 individuals in the Kabwe District of Zambia who are believed to have been poisoned by lead. The application is brought by 13 representative plaintiffs on behalf of children under 18, and girls and women who have been or may become pregnant in the future.

• Mbuyisa Moleele Attorneys, with the Assistance of Leigh Day, Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Anglo American South Africa Limited
• Serious Corporate Human Rights Abuse Resulting in Multi-Generational Lead Poisoning of Children and Women in Kabwe, Zambia
• Seeks Financial Compensation for Claimants in Addition to Medical Screening of Children and Pregnant Women and Clean-Up of Polluted Land
• More Information and Visual Media Available at www.childrenofkabwe.com

The claimants – principally young children – are suffering from alarming levels of lead poisoning which, depending on various factors including the blood lead level ("BLL"), causes a range of significant conditions, from psychological, intellectual and behavioural damage to serious and permanent physical damage to their bodily organs, neurological systems and fertility. In extreme cases, serious brain damage and deaths occur. In pregnant women, lead they ingested as children is absorbed into their bones and released during pregnancy. Women are also exposed to lead during pregnancy from the surrounding environment. Lead is known to cross the placenta, resulting in the unborn child being subjected to the same concentration of lead as the mother. Not only can the baby's health be damaged, lead causes pregnant women to have a higher risk of pre-eclampsia; gestational hypertension and miscarriage.

Generations of children have been poisoned by the operations of the Kabwe mine, originally known as Broken Hill, which caused widespread contamination of the soil, dust, water, and vegetation. The main sources of this poisonous lead were from the smelter, ore processing and tailings dumps. The BLLs of the vast majority of children in Kabwe exceed the BLL limit of 5 micrograms per decilitre set by the U.S. Center for Disease Control. A substantial proportion of the children have BLLs in excess of 45 ug/dl, the limit at which medical treatment is required. There are numerous cases of young children (including among the representative plaintiffs) with BLLs in excess of 100 ug/dl, at which serious brain damage and death may occur.

The Kabwe mine was part of AASA group from 1925 until 1974 and was one of the world's most productive lead mines during this time. It is alleged in the class action that AASA is liable, including for the following, because of AASA's role in controlling, managing, supervising and advising on the technical, medical and safety aspects of the mine's operations:

1. Substantial emissions of lead into the local environment were due to deficiencies in the design and systems of operation and control of lead, which AASA failed to ensure were rectified;
2. AASA failed to ensure the clean-up of the communities' contaminated land; and
3. According to experts[1], around two thirds of the lead currently in the local environment is likely to have been deposited there between 1925 and 1974 when the mining operation was transferred to ZCCM, a Zambian state-owned company, in 1974.

The class action seeks to pursue remedies in the form of compensation for these children, as well as girls and women with lead poisoning who have or may become pregnant in the future. Also sought is (a) blood lead screening for children and pregnant women in Kabwe, and (b) clean up and remediation of the area to ensure the health of future generations of children and pregnant women is not jeopardised.

Richard Meeran, Partner & Head of the International Department at Leigh Day, said:  "From the 1950s, Anglo American publicly committed to making a lasting contribution to communities in which it operated. Its current human rights policy is to contribute to remediation when its business has contributed to adverse human rights impacts. This ongoing public health disaster is the result of a flagrant disregard for the health of the local community, which is totally at odds with those grand public pronouncements."

Zanele Mbuyisa, Partner at Mbuyisa Moleele, added: "AASA is considered a mining giant that has been instrumental in building the economies of various countries, but it also has to be acknowledged that their operations have caused the decimation of communities and long-lasting damage to the health of those communities."

Mbuyisa Moleele is a Johannesburg-based law firm led by Zanele Mbuyisa, and Leigh Day is a leading international law firm specialising in human rights and mass environmental tort claims. Both firms have a proven track record of litigating complex international class actions on behalf of victims from disadvantaged backgrounds. The case is being funded by Augusta Ventures, the UK's largest litigation fund by volume of claims.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

My New MP And Dominic Cummings

Speaks for itself:

Dear Ms Richardson,

If the Government is to provide any sort of leadership at this time then surely is should be one based on morals. Therefore I do hope that you are one of the Conservative MPs pressing for Dominic Cummings to go:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/24/dominic-cummings-must-resign-says-tory-mp-steve-baker

Now, if never before, is not the time for "one rule for them and another rule for us".


Yours sincerely


Richard Bawden 

My New MP: What Sort Of A Reply Is This?

I suppose I wasn't really expecting anything better but the email I had from Angela Richardson's office manager (not even from herself!!) is just pathetic. Read for yourself:

Dear Richard,

 

Many thanks for your email regarding Covid-19 and Climate Change and apologies for the delay in getting back to you. As I am sure you can appreciate we are dealing with a much higher volume of correspondence due to COVID19.

 

On the points you have kindly raised:

a) COP26 – As I am sure you are aware, COP26 was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. I appreciate that many are disappointed, however this decision was taken with the health and safety of those involved in mind.

 

Despite the postponement, climate change remains one of the greatest challenges we face, and the Government recognises the importance and urgency of public debate on this issue.

 

I am proud of the UK’s world-leading role in tackling climate change and the transition to Clean Growth, with the UK being the first country to legislate to eliminate our contribution to climate change by 2050, and the fastest in the G20 to cut emissions. Since 1990, the UK has cut emissions by more than 40 per cent while growing the economy by more than two thirds, and we are a world-leader in offshore wind.

 

At the same time, the ambitious Environment Bill is being introduced to protect and improve the environment for future generations, enshrining in law environmental principles and legally-binding targets, and the first progress report of the Government’s ambitious 25 Year Environment Plan found that 90 per cent of the priority actions have been delivered or are on track for delivery.

 

I know the Government’s International Climate Finance commitment has seen several projects established around the world in which the UK supports developing countries tackle climate change. One example of a project is the UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions), a bilateral capacity building programme, which responds to the critical global need to build the capacity of countries to accelerate the implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). With £60 million between 2018-2021, UK PACT works with high-emission, high-ambition developing countries through bilateral programmes, skill-shares and a global challenge fund.

 

b) Brexit Extension - The UK left the EU on 31 January. A transition period has followed during which market access remains the same and the UK and EU are negotiating an agreement on their future relationship. The Governments message has been clear that the transition period will not be extended beyond December 2020 and this has been put into law.

 

I appreciate concerns about the deadline but ministers have already shown that they are able to negotiate international agreements with speed and efficiency. The Withdrawal Agreement was re-opened and re-negotiated in under three months despite many believing that this would be not be possible. A high-level summit will take place in June where both sides intend to take stock of progress.

 

The UK and the EU share closely aligned interests and I am confident that the determination and willingness of the Parties to reach a free trade agreement will ensure that the matter is brought to a conclusion by the end of 2020 as legally committed to in good faith by both parties as part of the transition period.

 

I hope this has answered your questions and I again apologise for the abnormally long delay in getting back to you.

 

I hope you and your loved ones are stay safe and well.

 

Kind regards,

 

Kris Hearsum

 

Kristopher Hearsum | Office Manager

The Office of Angela Richardson MP

Member of Parliament for Guildford

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

No Reply Yet from My New MP

I have had no response to my email to my MP sent a month ago so the following has just been fired off:



Dear Ms Richardson

On 14 April I wrote to you asking

(a) how you would be working to ensure that COP26 is a success; and
(b) what is your view with respect to extending the Brexit negotiating period beyond a concluding date in December 2020.

It is now 14 May and apart from a brief exchange with your office in which I confirmed that it is your response to these questions that interests me not the official line from "the appropriate department" I have received no reply.

Am I to conclude from this that

(a) you have no interest in mitigating the threat of climate change; and
(b) you are simply willing to go along with whatever timescale and process the Government decides upon for Brexit negotiations?

You are my representative in Parliament and I think it is not unreasonable for me to seek to understand how you will be acting on my behalf.

Thank you for your attention,

Yours sincerely

HMG Still Hasn't Learned to be Open

You would have thought by now that HMG would have learned that being open and honest instills confidence in its activities. It would appear not to be so as this article from New Scientist shows.

UK government won't say how many covid-19 contact tracers it has hired

Health 30 April 2020

By Adam Vaughan

UK health secretary Matt Hancock has set a target for recruiting contact tracers

Pippa Fowles/DPA/PA Images

The UK government has refused to say how many covid-19 contact tracers it has employed, with less than three weeks to go until its target of recruiting 18,000 of them by mid-May.

Health secretary Matt Hancock set this deadline on Tuesday, but could not put a figure on how had been recruited at that point.

“I’m sorry I don’t have the information to hand as to exactly how many we’ve recruited, but that is underway,” he told New Scientist. “I don’t have the data to hand but I’ll try to find that for you,” he added.

However, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has now told New Scientist it is not disclosing the number. A spokesperson confirmed that recruitment had begun and said work was underway to ensure a rapid increase in tracers, but would not say how many there are now.

Contact tracers interview people who have tested positive for covid-19 to establish their potential close contacts with others. They then contact people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus to advise them to self-isolate. Some of the 18,000 are expected to be existing and recently retired healthcare professionals, who will be recruited over the next few weeks.

“The NHS is developing a contact tracing app, which alongside effective tracing and testing, will pave the way to safely reducing current social distancing measures,” says a DHSC spokesperson. The 18,000 contact tracers are meant to in place by the time the UK’s National Health Service launches its contact-tracing app in mid-May, so the two can work in tandem.

The government had also promised to reach 100,000 covid-19 tests a day by today, but it will not be known until Friday or Saturday whether the target has been hit or missed, due to a lag in data gathering.