Though it might not say so directly, ‘Crap Towns’ is, in fact, a plea for beauty – as something that should be present everywhere, not just in the enclaves of the rich.
If shale gas can displace oil from transport, then that’s a big plus for both the environment and energy security.
Now that both parties are fighting to take credit for the coalition's achievements, rather than seeking to blame each other for its impact, it seems an opportune moment to ask: who is winning the Coalition? Do the Lib Dems or the Conservatives enjoy more success in Government? Let's tot it up, match by match, across […]
By Harry PhibbsFollow Harry on Twitter Today we learn that the Government is to introduce a Plastic Bag Tax. It will start at 5p a bag. The policy has the political attraction of placating both the Daily Mail and the Liberal Democrats. It is claimed that it will help the environment. It is then added that […]
Obesity isn’t just a problem in the developed world, it is a global (and, indeed, globular) crisis. We must, of course, resist the temptation to make light of this issue, because the implications are deadly serious – as David Berreby reminds us in a startling article for Aeon: “For the first time in human history, […]
Until shale gas came along, nuclear power was the form of energy most associated with rightwing politics. This is odd when you consider just how dependent the nuclear industry is on the state for its continued existence. Technologically and economically, nuclear is too risky for the private sector to go it alone. Though some private […]
By Mark WallaceFollow Mark on Twitter. The primary responsibility of the police is not to solve crimes or catch criminals – it is to prevent crime happening in the first place. However they do it, it is a role that must be fulfilled. The alternative is a society which is cowed by criminals, which is inevitably mired […]
The shale gas revolution has brought down energy prices in America. It is said by many that the same would apply to Britain if we develop our own shale resources. Regional markets make that a questionable assumption, but if it’s right, then the economic case against renewables (and nuclear) would be strengthened. Still, it doesn't […]
The Daily Mail reports that the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs believe residents would like to have higher Council Tax as this would result in cleaner streets. The report says: DEFRA, which tried under Gordon Brown to charge ‘pay-as-you-throw’ taxes to take household refuse away, drew up its scale of possible council tax […]
How did we become such a nation of nimbys? We can’t always have been so hostile to new development otherwise we wouldn’t have become one of the most urbanised countries in the world. There must have been a time when our default assumption was that new development would improve our lives, even if we do […]
The shale gas industry was born in the USA and to a very large extent that is where it remains. The impediment isn’t the lack of resources beyond North America – because in all probability there are vast quantities of the stuff in shale formations around the world. No, the difficulty is transplanting an industry […]
Is Europe “missing out” on genetically modified crops? Owen Paterson, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs seems to think so, judging from a recent speech, which you can read on the DEFRA website: “Less than 0.1% of global GM cultivation occurred in the EU. While the rest of the world is ploughing […]
By Peter HoskinFollow Peter on Twitter Back, back before the last election, David Cameron seemed rather like Bruce Dern’s Lowell in Silent Running (1972) – he’d kill for those trees. You could put him in a spaceship, with only some flora and a pair of huskies for company, and he’d hightail it to Saturn and beyond […]
By Harry PhibbsFollow Harry on Twitter Paul has already given some of the context of the Environment Secretary Owen Paterson's speech this morning making the case for GM food. Mr Paterson soon made quite clear his own support for GM but added he was "conscious of the views of those who have concerns and who need […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. There were many means by which food production rose during the twentieth century – despite the earlier, apocalyptic forecasts of Malthus, who believed that demand would outstrip supply as population grew, leading to mass starvation. These included the use of improved machinery and methods of irrigation, as well as […]