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 ...........