Tony Blair Road Pricing, the Reply

Tony Blair Road Pricing:

This is the letter sent by Tony Blair to all those who signed the E-petition on road charging.

The reply attempts to be all things to all people and in doing so, adds little new to the debate. It remains to be seen what the next steps in the debate are. But at least this E-petition has galvanised thinking about the power of the internet to spark polictical and social dialogues on contentious issues.

New Symbol Launched to Warn Public About Radiation Dangers

New Symbol Launched to Warn Public About Radiation Dangers: "With radiating waves, a skull and crossbones and a running person, a new ionizing radiation warning symbol is being introduced to supplement the traditional international symbol for radiation, the three cornered trefoil."

IAEA Video http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Multimedia/Videos/NewRadiationSymbol/index.html

The message appears to be : We all going die, run for your life!!

Chemicals put 27,000 people a year at risk | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited

Chemicals put 27,000 people a year at risk Special reports Guardian Unlimited

Chemical spills, leaks and explosions put up to 27,000 people at risk of injury in a single year, according to the most extensive government survey yet of chemical accidents. More than 3,000 people suffered effects including poisoning and burns from contamination during 2005.

The Health Protection Agency's report includes hundreds of incidents involving mercury, asbestos, carbon monoxide and pesticides; it reveals 1,040 accidents involving potentially harmful leaks and emissions of chemicals directly affected an estimated 27,000 people, with up to 3,400 reporting symptoms of exposure. A fifth of accidents were industrial but nearly as many were in people's homes.

HPA report can be found at
http://www.hpa.org.uk/publications/PublicationDisplay.asp?PublicationID=94

It's intresting to consider how much effort the nuclear sector puts into controling discharges and reducing discharges close to zero. These resources might return a greater safety benefit if they were directed to reducing chemical leaks, spills and explsoions

Urban turbines struggle to turn a profit-News-UK-Science-TimesOnline

Wind Vs nuclear a no brainer?

Urban turbines struggle to turn a profit-News-UK-Science-TimesOnline: "

Having spent £13,000 on installing a wind turbine at his home, John Large is disappointed at the return on his investment, which amounts to 9p a week.

At this rate, it is calculated, it will take 2,768 years for the electricity generated by the turbine to pay for itself, by which time he will be past caring about global warming."

My be John Large should opt for Nulcear

Drunk Aussie attacks a shark

Only in Australia: Strange but true Drunk Aussie attacks a shark: "A drunk Australian fisherman wrestles a bronze whaler shark and survives to tell the story.

The uneasy relationship between science and politics

BBC NEWS Science/Nature Politics and science - chalk and cheese?: "Former president of the Royal Society, Lord May, looks at the uneasy relationship between science and politics."

Politicians must decide on many aspects of our lives governed by science, from climate change to medicine to the food we eat. How do they determine the right course of action? Former government chief scientist and Royal Society president, Lord May, examines the crucial but uneasy relationship between politics and science.

The current example in which I have an interest is the "managing radioactive waste safely" process. This is case in point,where science togther with politics play a critical roles in the decision making process.

However the best laid plans of government can come undone, when due process is not followed see:-

http://freds-take-on-the-world.blogspot.com/2007/02/government-loses-nuclear-power-case.html

Government loses nuclear power case

This sorry story demonstrates that it doesn’t pay to take short cuts with due process. It is always better to take some short term pain for success in the longer term.

The key points are

Greenpeace said the government failed to present clear proposals and information on key issues surrounding a new generation of nuclear power stations, such as the disposal of radioactive waste and the financial costs of building new plants. Mr Justice Sullivan agreed, saying the information given on waste was "not merely inadequate but also misleading". He added that information of substance did not emerge until after the consultation period had ended.

The consultation document gave every appearance of being simply an "issues paper".

It contained no actual proposals and, even if it had, the information given to consultees was "wholly insufficient for them to make an intelligent response".

Mr Justice Sullivan said “Something has gone clearly and radically wrong" with the consultation exercise.

Fairness required that consultees should be given a proper opportunity to respond to that substantial amount of new material before any decision was taken.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/nuclear/article/0,,2013618,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6364281.stm

It is also ironic in view of my post last May, where I said "Who says that decison has not already been taken !!!"
http://freds-take-on-the-world.blogspot.com/2006/05/be-green-and-say-yes-to-nuclear.html

The next question is whether the Government will appeal the judgement; if it does not, it will be interesting to see how the government puts the wheels back on!!