Last week, I went to a lecture at my old college, the famous Imperial College in London on the topic of Energy Security. It was being given by the esteemed Sir Roy Gardner, the current president of the Energy Institute. He was a good presenter, and knew what he wanted to say and how to say. So, thus far good.
But, my disappointment and somewhat outrage came at the content of what he had to say. Whilst this is some 6 days later, I still remember him saying "we are increasing relying on further and more unstable countries for our energy", "we must tackle France and Germany" and that nuclear was the main option!!!!
He barely mentioned any renewables, seemed to barely have thought about the future beyond the next two decades, and thought of nothing but UK energy security. I wonder how someone can be allowed to say these things.
Energy Security is not unique to the UK, especially given it is part of the EU, and a small island on the west of this very entity. Nuclear energy is not environmentally friendly, is expensive and Uranium will also run out one day. NO body thinks the Mid East is currently stable, but hey, who invaded Iraq!?
Why is he (and people like him), not thinking about step change and truly about the future. What is wrong with thinking outside the box and using the free and actually easy to use energies our planet and solar system have provided to us???
Sir Roy and colleagues, please let us younger people have a say. It IS important.
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I hate going to supermarkets anyway, they are dingy, with too much artificial cold light. They turn up their fridges many notches too high, so I have to wear a jacket to go there even in the summer. They are overcrowded, over-priced and over-packaged. However, I must at least at times go to one, as no local markets exist in London, and it's convenient to do one big shop every so often.
I persuade myself every time that it won't be all that bad, just make a list and get out quickly. Hmm, if only that were possible. I don't just mean due to the queues at check out, oh, no. It's the labels and thoughts that go with it. Here is an example of how this happens, I'll present you a simple shopping list of mine and the complexity that I face with it:- Milk - First of all, which level of fat do I want? Whole fat is only 4%, which is the one I usually go for, but for the last few months, my pregnancy has meant I had to reduce that to skimmed or semi-skimmed. Now, look at the choices there, UHT or fresh, in a plastic bottle or Tetrapak. I prefer fresh. So far so good, but which pack? Plastic recycling is more accessible to me, maybe that's what I should get. BUT, BUT, what about storing some UHT boxes at home for emergency. Okay, okay, one of each. Getting there? Oh, no!!! What if the milk comes from somewhere far away and it has many carbon miles on it? Look at the label, and here it is, some are from farms in the same country, but the other side of it, some are from France. Oh, wait, there's one from the closes farms to this megapolis of London. Phew, I can buy some milk now. Go on, must get out of this place, must hurry up.
- Bread - Most of the bread is from while flour, not so good. Sliced toasting bread is fairly rank. I want continental nice bread. Yep, some of the baguettes and croissants look good. But, what's with the packaging? Four croissants are put on a tray, then wrapped in plastic, why? Were they promised comfort? Are they some poor animal who needs to protected? Okay, less moaning, choose the loose ones, yes that's better. But, wait, I don't want to come here for bread every day, must find some longer lasting bread for a couple of days' time. All white still... Look, look. Here's one with some brown/rye, but not as good as say German bread. After all, those have too much taste. I sigh and ignore the packaging, and where it comes from. Bread IS a necessity, "take it and move on" I think.
- Butter - Hmm, what a dilemma it was to come back to butter. Like milk, the full-fat version is not that fatty. I think it's better than manufactured margarine, but only if eaten in reasonable quantities. What's available? All in these funny packs that have no chance of being reused or recyled, so forget that as a choice. Price is roughly the same for them all, so forget that, too. Oh, SALT, why is most butter salted? I have enough in my daily diet. This reduces the choice to 2 or 3. BUT, wait, two of these come from Normandy, and I bet not by ship or train... I tell myself not to scream, but just pick one with as little salt as possible and get away from this isle, quick. I'm freezing almost. I wish they did have doors or covers for the fridges...
- Cheese - Oh, joy and fun. I love all cheeses, and know most nice ones come from France. They are all packed in plastic, and the good ones cost more. So, choices mostly already made in my head, and a conscious decision to go with perhaps more carbon miles for this one "luxury". Calories I can ignore, as the taste is otherwise compromised. Phew, I can just pick any. BUT, wait no. Pregnancy means I can't eat most of the nice ones, mould-ripened or blue are out of the question unless cooked, so no good normally. Of course many others are unpasteurised, so I don't have much hope here. I finally find a couple, but that was about 15 minutes wasted...
- Fruit - Oh, I'm tired now. I'll just pick some British apples, hopefully they're okay. Some bananas, miles are far too far, but at least fair trade is reasonable. Oranges? Oh, gosh not from Spain! They have desertified their country for this... I'm getting depressed, quick, don't look and pick. I'm losing the will to live. I compromise my soul and beliefs, choose some fruits and move on.
- Veg - Same story as above, but far more local-ish choice, hurrah. Except for tomatoes, from Holland!!! They never saw the sun poor things, but they're a good source of vitamins. Again, lose will to live, pick and move on. Don't waste too much time, it's too close to the fridges.
- Meat - NOOO! I am going to my local butcher to get this whenever I need some. I can't cope with choosing this stuff.
- Tinned beans - Yes, much easier to choose, no salt and no sugar. Probably from far away, but I really can't think any more.
I don't think I'm the only one feeling this rubbish about it all. Look at this article, apparently there are some concerns we customers want to be concerned. BUT, it does drive me up the wall.
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Is it a kick or just some gas? That is the BIG question. Rolling into week 17 of bearing my first one now. It's all exciting and weird. I feel exhausted, look bigger and am most curious about every detail.
Avidly I am reading each week's transformation for it and I. It's mad, it's already a fully formed being, just rather small, some 12 cm tall. Like all other babies, it looks something like this. I will get to see my own once again in 3 weeks' time, when it's half way through. Then it's all very very real, and ever more exciting.
All I can say now is welcome to my world my little one or as we call you کوچولو, pronounced Kouchoulou, little one in Persian!!!0Add a comment
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64 years on, and although there is no Joseph Stalin, another strong man of Russia is in Tehran. Back in 1943, Stalin with Roosevelt and Churchill wanted to thwart the threats of Nazi Germany and its allies (متحدین). Back then Iran's oil was of huge importance, as was its strategic position next to Russia and the biggest part of the British empire in India. The thorn in the side was the then Shah, Reza Pahlavi, who resented the European influence in his country, and was rumoured to have sympathy for Aryan Germans. Iran means the land of the Aryans in Persian after all, and is the name that its natives have always used for it.
Anyhow, back then, the conference led to the Shah's displacement with his young son, the allies (متفقین) based themselves in Iran, the crossroad of victory, and there was no more direct Russian influence. With the threatening Soviets next door, US and Britain kept influence, and even military bases in the case of the US in Iran. After the Islamic disaster of a revolution and ousting of the Americans, the Brits remained, especially in the form of oil companies and industry!
Today, with the world order still struggling to shape itself, Iran's oil (and now gas) are hugely important, while the country itself doesn't really follow anyone's political line any more. With a new idealogy of Islamism, it's trying to establish itself as the leader of the world's Muslims. Its nuclear ambitions, peaceful or not, are a side show. Influence, power and military might are more important! So, to this end Vladimir Putin is in Tehran today.
His name (پوتین) in Persian means boots, and he is a strong boot wearing man, even if not physically speaking. It'll be with great interest that the world and I will watch what he'll do and say. Already he is asking the Caspian neighbours of Iran not to let anyone strike it from their bases. He does NOT want war there, no matter what. There's already enough going on in the region.
Will he be using Iran as a card in his cool war against the Americans? Are the Iranians using him as their defence shield in achieving something?
This humble observer thinks both of the above are right, and as Putin is stayin in power after his presidency, he's setting up the region and his world. The Iranians, at least one faction, are relying on Russian protection, as they can't afford sanctions, nor to go to a war.0Add a comment
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A couple of days ago, the new PM of Britain, the one not actually elected, just replacing his mate Tony B, must have come up with an amazing revelation. He thought if hospitals were to beat infection, they need to be... wait for it... CLEAN! Who would have thought that hygiene would be necessary anywhere near a hospital? He made big new, here's the BBC's version of it.
So, what I wonder about is why and how could this - a "first world", "developed" country could get to this point, where hospitals are so dirty that the PM has to tell them to clean up!? In my world, where ever I have lived and visited hygiene was important, and the lack of it often leads or led to disease. Surely, this was one of the basics of nursing that Florence Nightingale came up with, a very British lady herself.
Or is there something else at play here? Do the medics, nurses and other hospital staff have no pride in their work? Are they overworked and uderpaid so much that they can't wash their hands or the cleaner to clean the wards?
It scares me and I certainly resent this PM order if it's just to look good for a potentially soon to be held election. Although every election needs an issue, not every issue should be left for election time. Some need to be tackled and solved in between these times.
Perhaps it's all about outsourcing everything to make it cheaper, hence the issues. In which case, the next thing to outsource should be government then. We can get some cheaper MPs into parliament, surely they can't be worse?0Add a comment
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I'm walking home, it's an average day, something draws my attention. A squirrel is running right in front me, crossing my path. It looks up at me, stops briefly, and carries on, not at all afraid of me!
The squirrel is of course not red, not like it should be, on this island that I live on. Oh, no it's a grey (American) squirrel. They are stronger and bigger than the reds, I remember, so have driven them aways from this land. I believe it's probably up in Yorkshire where the reds still live. Actually, it's not just their Americanism that's a problem, the Forestry Commission has a policy of containing them, here are some FAQs. And it seems that it's not the warmed up London - due to pollution - that causes their lack of their hibernation, it's just the way they are...
So, I wonder about what else is American about life here. My first thought is of the numbers games. I remember as a child, rich people had milliards, notbillions, there were no billionaires. Now, that really is due to Americans. Although they like and have biggers houses, cars and roads, not to mention food portions, their billion only has 9 zeros, not 12 like everyone else. Somehow, they've decided their wealth and measures can be smaller. So, in reality Bill Gates' money, does not have 12 zeros in front of it, that would be absurd. Wall Street likes to have billions quoted. Here's a site explaining the difference between British and US numbers, but the British numbers happen to be internationally used, except for in the USA.
Many other American things pop to mind:- Yes, I walked past a McDonald's, no surprise there.
- I also walked past an HMV, full of Hollywood films, and American singers' CDs, then there was TK Maxx. Starbucks happens to be on the other side of the road, while I can smell Subway from 100 meters away. Oh, and there's the Burger King.
- Some of the cars were Fords, but many were European.
- I don't know much on botany, but wonder if the oaks are American.
- American cockroaches, although not visible on my walk, do live here aplenty.
- The Economist magazine waiting for me at home, focuses mostly on America, the world's only super power at this time.
- The news is dominated (still) by the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 - not that their attempt in Afghanistan two years earlier has been a success or finished...
- And they threaten more invasions and sanctions on those against them, especially if they have oil. Watch out Iran and Venezuela.
- Of course, highly relevant and annoyingly their sub-prime mortgage lendings are affectin my economy, my personal economy even. I saved and didn't borrow beyond my means, but that's just NOT enough. American banks taking risks have been taking it for me. THANKS FOR NOTHING.
- Must not forget this - American religious fundamentalism, be it Christian or Jewish has made my world dangerous again. Would almost have been better if the Soviet Union exited, at least then they didn't have to invent an invisible enemy in some bearded idiots. Nor were those bearded idiots worried about blowing anybody up, except for when the Israelis continued taking their land.
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