It's been a beautiful day here in south west Wales so I decided to pop over to the National Botanic Gardens, only about 20 minutes away. I'm a member and love visiting and May is one of the best months. If you're ever in this part of the world it really is worth a visit, especially the largest single-span glasshouse in the world: please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Grrr... don't know why my photos aren't showing. Need to go feed a friend's cats so I'll hopefully sort it later!
Don't know how many Sotonians know this, but Fawley Oil Refinery is about to undergo a revamp. This will enable it to produce more ultra low sulphur DIESEL, rather than import it, and a HYDROGEN plant will be built next door. Almost certainly the Hydrogen will be of the steam reforming methane variety which is hugely power consuming and bad for the environment: https://www.chemengonline.com/hydrogen-production-by-steam-reforming/ I wouldn't have a problem with Hydrogen production if it was done via Electrolysis, but they won't, probably because the electrolysis method is fine for the environment, and we can't have that. Actually, it's because the oil industry is in charge of the Natural Gas too and they can loosely tie it all in with their processes of refining fossil fuels. So it's all about how cheaply it can be done and how much profit can be made. Did someone mention Carbon Tax? Back to the point - Fawley Refinery Revamp: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-45496649 And here is the reaction by people who know and give a toss: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-48226267 The thing is... there might be conflicting interests here. The UK imports ultra low sulphur diesel, and this would reduce that a great deal. Personally, I don't want to encourage the oil industry to do any revamping of anything. I want it all scaled right back. But this is still the real world and should we be doing the refining if we are going to use the fuel anyway? This is where it gets really personal for me. Back in the early 1990s, before I left for NZ, I was offered a job at Fawley Oil Refinery. I knew my well paid job was coming to an end at STC in Southampton and Fawley was a way of earning just as much. So I went for an interview and a tour of the plant. A week went by and they offered me a position - and I turned them down on the grounds of the direct damage they were doing to the immediate area and that they were producing fossil fuels. Basically, I'd flirted with the idea of working for them, but I wanted to see how bad an oil refinery really is before I made up my mind 100%. It's bad. I could never have gone to work for them and lived the lie that I care about the environment. It's probably why I gave a good interview - I didn't give a toss whether they wanted me or not - I didn't want them. Anyway, sorry about that ramble. Read the articles above and see what you think. By all means miss out the first one, it just explains hydrogen production.
This is just the sort of thing that Extinction Rebellion and other environmental activists need to stop by taking direct action, with the maximum publicity that such action would bring. The world has simply had enough of Big Oil and the appalling consequences of the pollution they create. As you say, let’s make hydrogen from electrolysis, and generate the electricity needed to produce it from renewable resources, wind, sun, tidal and hydroelectric.
I’m sure I heard somewhere that due to public opposition, plans for an offshore wind farm way off the coast of Poole Bay had been scrapped, and in its place? Yep, an oil rig. Well done general public, forward thinking as ever.
Interesting article here with both good and bad news. The UK is unlikely to meet the 2020 target of 15% of overall energy from renewables (the EU as a whole is on track for 20%) but we are generating more than 25% of our electricity from wind alone. The use of coal is dwindling to tiny amounts, but obviously we are still far too reliant on gas and oil products, when there is absolutely no need to be. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/biggest-wind-turbine-scotland-aberdeen-vattenfall-energy
And from a cost basis alone, the proposed Nuclear Power plant, Hinkley C will, if it ever finishes being built which isn't likely at present, produce clean electricity at so high a cost that they'll never turn it on. That's a David Cameron-Theresa May collective brainfade. Funnily enough it would be considerably cheaper to produce the same amount of power generation in Wind Turbines and Battery Storage. And RSS, yes you did read right that the population of Poole voted down the proposal to put an off-shore wind farm out in the Channel. You reap what you sow.
Honda retreating to Japan, or anywhere where economic uncertainty isn't going to play a part in their future. Tesla UK right there? Seriously, I wonder if a car manufacturer will take over the factory? That's what it was built for. That's what it is best for. That's what the local workforce are trained for. Did you know that Dyson, the innovative vacuum cleaner company, with its HQ just 30 minutes away from Honda, in Malmesbury, are going to produce three new electric cars in the next two-three years? James Dyson, a keen brexiteer, is going to manufacture them... in Singapore.
Spoiler: GoT Wow! Best episode ever, utterly apocalyptic. Daenerys finally shows her true nature, which I’ve been expecting for a while now. Sets everything up nicely for a final episode showdown between Dany and Jon. Arya still has some part to play, but can’t think what.
He keeps his R&D bit here as he pays little or no tax for R&D......but for production he is producing in Singapore so he pays no tax to the uk government.......and we have found out that Honda has been planning to leave since 2012 ....and 2 factories have just been built in Brazil.....funny that .
Some will remember a heated debate on here about the moped thugs terrorising London over the last few years. Well, I'd just like to say a big well done to Police & justice system for dragging these guys in and given them proper sentences. (without ramming their arse's of the road!) Result. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-48256040
Doris Day has died aged 97. This was her favourite film: RIP Doris Day, born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhof 22 April 1922 - 13 May 2019 Que sera, sera
Spoiler: GoT HOLY. ****. THAT. WAS. EPIC. The fight between Gregor and The Hound was GoT at it's best. And I reckon Arya is going to kill Danys.
Spoiler: GoT I don't think Jon will be able to kill her. Arya saw for herself the utter horror that she created and she won't hesitate to kill Danys. I don't think Arya will end up on the Iron throne though. My guess is that Sansa will.
Spoiler: GoT Now that Jon is a cousin to Sansa and Arya rather than half-brother, he could marry either of them. I agree about Arya killing Dany. I also think Tyrion will get (literally) roasted when he tells Dany what he thinks of her actions.
Yep. We had a discussion a few months back on here about Dyson. A lot of his manufacturing of the domestic appliances was actually moving to the Phillipines. Previously made in Malaysia until his tax freedom ran out and he was going to have to pay 7-8% tax (from memory).... so he sought suppliers and contractors in the Phillipeans
