Comments for Change Alley http://environmentdebate.co.uk information, opinion, conversation Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:12:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on Thanet Earth Update by fresca group http://environmentdebate.co.uk/2008/03/06/thanet-earth-update/#comment-3022 fresca group Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:14:48 +0000 http://environmentdebate.co.uk/2008/03/06/thanet-earth-update/#comment-3022 [...] [...] [...] [...]

]]> Comment on My New Toy by Pete Smith http://environmentdebate.co.uk/2008/07/16/my-new-toy/#comment-3021 Pete Smith Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:12:30 +0000 http://environmentdebate.co.uk/?p=662#comment-3021 For years we ignored our front garden. Now it's turned into a personal mission, almost a political statement, to reclaim that space as everyone else is abandoning theirs. It's practical too; we live at the north end of a terrace running NNE-SSW, so we get morning sun in the front and none on the back patio. And because all our neighbours have built rear groundfloor extensions, there's a weird windtunnel effect that makes it very blustery round the back, even in low winds. So the front garden is the place to be, an oasis in a sea of paving. For years we ignored our front garden. Now it’s turned into a personal mission, almost a political statement, to reclaim that space as everyone else is abandoning theirs. It’s practical too; we live at the north end of a terrace running NNE-SSW, so we get morning sun in the front and none on the back patio. And because all our neighbours have built rear groundfloor extensions, there’s a weird windtunnel effect that makes it very blustery round the back, even in low winds. So the front garden is the place to be, an oasis in a sea of paving.

]]> Comment on My New Toy by Earthpal http://environmentdebate.co.uk/2008/07/16/my-new-toy/#comment-3019 Earthpal Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:31:53 +0000 http://environmentdebate.co.uk/?p=662#comment-3019 It sounds like my kind of place to sit. I feel the same abut people who concrete their lawns to make way for their cars. What a shame. My husband once mentioned paving over our grass until I threatened to camp out on it every night with my protest placards - and make lots of noise. He soon came to his senses. :-) It sounds like my kind of place to sit.

I feel the same abut people who concrete their lawns to make way for their cars. What a shame. My husband once mentioned paving over our grass until I threatened to camp out on it every night with my protest placards - and make lots of noise. He soon came to his senses. :-)

]]> Comment on My New Toy by Pete Smith http://environmentdebate.co.uk/2008/07/16/my-new-toy/#comment-3018 Pete Smith Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:11:16 +0000 http://environmentdebate.co.uk/?p=662#comment-3018 Thanks for the kind words about the garden EP. Since this is a post about a lawnmower, the photos deliberately feature the grass rather than the flower beds. It's actually a very ordinary suburban front garden. I'll rephrase that, it's what WOULD have been a very ordinary suburban front garden in the days before everyone paved them over for parking. Since I have a long-standing bee in my bonnet about this issue, I'm putting my money where my mouth is and trying to make it a pleasant space to sit in, rather than just somewhere you pass through on the way to and from the front door. It's sheltered, secluded, full of colour (my red hot poker was a triumph this summer) and it's quieter than the back garden, which suffers from constant noise blight from screaming kids on bouncy castles. Thanks for the kind words about the garden EP. Since this is a post about a lawnmower, the photos deliberately feature the grass rather than the flower beds. It’s actually a very ordinary suburban front garden. I’ll rephrase that, it’s what WOULD have been a very ordinary suburban front garden in the days before everyone paved them over for parking.
Since I have a long-standing bee in my bonnet about this issue, I’m putting my money where my mouth is and trying to make it a pleasant space to sit in, rather than just somewhere you pass through on the way to and from the front door. It’s sheltered, secluded, full of colour (my red hot poker was a triumph this summer) and it’s quieter than the back garden, which suffers from constant noise blight from screaming kids on bouncy castles.

]]> Comment on My New Toy by Earthpal http://environmentdebate.co.uk/2008/07/16/my-new-toy/#comment-3017 Earthpal Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:12:16 +0000 http://environmentdebate.co.uk/?p=662#comment-3017 Looks good pete. Great price too. A bit off-topic but my little boy has been learning all about air toys at school and the kids were asked to bring some of their own air toys into school as an example of toys that use natural energy. My son took all kinds of stuff in . . a frisbee, a helicopter, a kite, a rocket launcher. He even took in a boomerang that his uncle brought him back from Australia. His teacher told me the kids loved playing with them all, as if it was a novelty for them to actually play with toys that don't light up or make noises and don't require batteries. Anyway, lovely garden there Pete. When is this rain going to stop so we can enjoy our gardens that we work so tenderly on? Looks good pete. Great price too.

A bit off-topic but my little boy has been learning all about air toys at school and the kids were asked to bring some of their own air toys into school as an example of toys that use natural energy. My son took all kinds of stuff in . . a frisbee, a helicopter, a kite, a rocket launcher. He even took in a boomerang that his uncle brought him back from Australia. His teacher told me the kids loved playing with them all, as if it was a novelty for them to actually play with toys that don’t light up or make noises and don’t require batteries.

Anyway, lovely garden there Pete. When is this rain going to stop so we can enjoy our gardens that we work so tenderly on?

]]> Comment on My New Toy by Matt http://environmentdebate.co.uk/2008/07/16/my-new-toy/#comment-3016 Matt Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:22:07 +0000 http://environmentdebate.co.uk/?p=662#comment-3016 Had one for years. Love it. Never understood people using electric mowers. Stupid things! Had one for years. Love it. Never understood people using electric mowers. Stupid things!

]]> Comment on Swifts Locally Extinct by Matt http://environmentdebate.co.uk/2008/05/25/swifts-locally-extinct/#comment-3015 Matt Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:36:31 +0000 http://environmentdebate.co.uk/?p=657#comment-3015 Funnily enough we had some fantastic aerobatics from swifts Sunday early evening here in North London. I've never seen them dive so low, just 2 metres from my head. Know I wasn't the target! They were just having a lot of fun and popping up to the eaves, maybe for a few bugs. And circling the old oak tree like a brilliant high speed circus act. Swifts really are wondeerful. Funnily enough we had some fantastic aerobatics from swifts Sunday early evening here in North London. I’ve never seen them dive so low, just 2 metres from my head. Know I wasn’t the target! They were just having a lot of fun and popping up to the eaves, maybe for a few bugs. And circling the old oak tree like a brilliant high speed circus act. Swifts really are wondeerful.

]]> Comment on Eco-Towns: The Official Version by Pete Smith http://environmentdebate.co.uk/2008/04/03/eco-towns-the-official-version/#comment-3014 Pete Smith Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:39:27 +0000 http://environmentdebate.co.uk/2008/04/03/eco-towns-the-official-version/#comment-3014 OK, here we go. There are several separate strands that come together in the eco-town saga. First, we need more housing (or so we're told).Second, we need a significant proportion of new build to be "affordable", although what that actually means in terms of the coming economic downturn remains to be seen. Third, existing housing is highly inefficient in terms of energy use, as you rightly point out, and new build must conform to much higher standards. Retro-fitting existing housing stock to meet new energy standards is a Good Thing, but does nothing to meet points one and two. It's actually quite difficult to do in many cases; many older houses have single-skin walls, for example, so can't have cavity insulation. Or they don't have a south-facing roof, so solar panels don't give optimum output. If you accept we must build more new houses, it makes absolute sense that they should be energy efficient. Refurbishing old houses is just a red herring. OK, here we go. There are several separate strands that come together in the eco-town saga. First, we need more housing (or so we’re told).Second, we need a significant proportion of new build to be “affordable”, although what that actually means in terms of the coming economic downturn remains to be seen. Third, existing housing is highly inefficient in terms of energy use, as you rightly point out, and new build must conform to much higher standards.
Retro-fitting existing housing stock to meet new energy standards is a Good Thing, but does nothing to meet points one and two. It’s actually quite difficult to do in many cases; many older houses have single-skin walls, for example, so can’t have cavity insulation. Or they don’t have a south-facing roof, so solar panels don’t give optimum output.
If you accept we must build more new houses, it makes absolute sense that they should be energy efficient. Refurbishing old houses is just a red herring.

]]> Comment on Eco-Towns: The Official Version by John W. Whitworth http://environmentdebate.co.uk/2008/04/03/eco-towns-the-official-version/#comment-3013 John W. Whitworth Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:29:40 +0000 http://environmentdebate.co.uk/2008/04/03/eco-towns-the-official-version/#comment-3013 The eco-towns are a drop in the ocean in terms of combating domestic energy use. We need to upgrade out existing housing stock to low carbon standard straight away. The eco-towns are a drop in the ocean in terms of combating domestic energy use. We need to upgrade out existing housing stock to low carbon standard straight away.

]]> Comment on End Of The Line: All Change, All Change! by Pete Smith http://environmentdebate.co.uk/2008/06/03/end-of-the-line-all-change-all-change/#comment-3011 Pete Smith Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:03:51 +0000 http://environmentdebate.co.uk/?p=659#comment-3011 Nope :) Nope :)

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