Glad you were lucky enough to avoid too much damage to yourself or the bike. It's no weather for cycling IMHO.

Quote from: Nickslikk2112 on January 09, 2025, 03:02:56 PMDio - Holy Diver

Needs more bass!

Quote from: Fishy on January 09, 2025, 08:45:56 AMEmail from E-on saying they are reducing our DD next month.. we're over £300 in credit and jumped on a fixed deal before Xmas.. not quite sure how we're reducing as the bloody heating has been on non stop in dec..

Smart Meter?

https://www.energylivenews.com/2024/11/11/smart-meter-issues-cause-billing-problems-in-northern-england-and-scotland/

Quote from: Slim on January 07, 2025, 06:44:39 PMNME piece that refers to the Classic Rock interview here:

https://www.nme.com/news/music/rush-reflect-on-2015-farewell-tour-we-let-our-british-and-european-fans-down-3826666

Rush reflect on 2015 farewell tour: "We let our British and European fans down"

I haven't read it but don't they mean "Neil let our British and European fans down"? 

Quote from: Fishy on January 04, 2025, 10:17:14 PMBit of snow n ice and the country grinds to a halt

Cower in fear, two inches of snow on the way 

Quote from: Matt2112 on January 04, 2025, 04:09:07 PMBeen bed-ridden and isolating for over two days, with symptoms reminiscent of the last time I was floored by Covid, just over two years ago.

But apart from the physical weakness, the dreadful insomnia, the loss of appetite and the secondary back pain, I've shedded half a stone and I'm on fire on Wordle.

Get well soon. I'm sure the jabs would have helped 

Quote from: Slim on January 04, 2025, 04:12:32 PM

Quote from: David L on January 04, 2025, 10:37:49 AMOf course you are but it's all hypothesis. How many years to reverse China's dominance of the global solar panel industry?  If you're serious, I'm guessing, too many.

Oh I see. I thought you meant that if the West were to give up on fossil fuel, we'd be handing an advantage to the Chinese.

The thing is - we don't really have a choice. The stuff is going to get harder and harder to get out of the ground. Even the uranium used for nuclear power is going to run out one day. And for as long as we burn gas and oil, we're edging closer to a climate catastrophe.

We don't have to rely on China for solar technology, we can invest in manufacturing it in the West.

And which government are you going to rely on to do that? 

Quote from: Slim on January 03, 2025, 08:02:47 PMWe've just got to stop digging our energy out of the ground and cooking ourselves.

I agree with that aim and I think most would. However, in the real world the UK's self-flagellation looks increasingly non-sensical.
To compromise people's ability to effectively heat their homes for a reasonable cost seems not to be the way to ensure this aim is met. Make the technology competitive and it will surely be adopted. Green subsidies that result in ever-increasing energy bills is not the way forward IMHO.

Quote from: Slim on January 04, 2025, 10:34:52 AM

Quote from: David L on January 04, 2025, 12:21:00 AM

Quote from: Slim on January 03, 2025, 08:02:47 PMIf 80% of the Sahara was covered in solar panels, humanity could generate about 170 exajoules of energy every day, even at 20% efficiency. Then there's wind power, wave power, hydropower, geothermal and a few other potential sources.

We've just got to stop digging our energy out of the ground and cooking ourselves.

'Make China great again'

I'm using the "humanity" we there.

Of course you are but it's all hypothesis. How many years to reverse China's dominance of the global solar panel industry?  If you're serious, I'm guessing, too many.

Quote from: Slim on January 03, 2025, 08:02:47 PMIf 80% of the Sahara was covered in solar panels, humanity could generate about 170 exajoules of energy every day, even at 20% efficiency. Then there's wind power, wave power, hydropower, geothermal and a few other potential sources.

We've just got to stop digging our energy out of the ground and cooking ourselves.

'Make China great again'

Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on January 03, 2025, 08:28:40 PMA family acquaintance is just back from a last minute trip to Dubai as her grandchild's nanny was unexpectedly indisposed over Christmas. I don't know how many times she's been there over the past twelve months. As much as I admire the sight of the A380 overhead and laugh as our daft dog chases it, I wouldn't care if they had to scrap them all and recycle them as wind turbines. Stuff the loss to the economies concerned and to the huge hole being left in people's lives at not being able to selfishly nip to Prague on a stag or hen do. Byres Rd was fine for us in our twenties. At the very least air travel should be rationed to a certain limit of miles per person per year. If you're wealthy enough you could still flout the rules by paying extra tax to fund carbon storage (if that even really works).

When you were in your twenties and making do with Byres Rd for stag do's, many relied on their employment in factories, shops and coal mines to survive. Nowadays many people put food on the table by working in tourism and the travel industry.
And if it is decided that we should limit air travel, let's see that limit initially imposed on celebrities, sports teams, royalty, politicians, David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg, Emma Thompson et al, to set an example.

Quote from: Thenop on January 03, 2025, 05:51:17 PM

Quote from: David L on January 03, 2025, 05:50:10 PMColdplay boast that they've cut their "world tour greenhouse gas emissions" by 59%.
However, a study has revealed Coldplay fans travelled a staggering 18.8 million miles to see the band in concert.
What an absolute load of nonsense this all is.

I think it's best they call it a day, for all of us.

Coldplay boast that they've cut their "world tour greenhouse gas emissions" by 59%.
However, a study has revealed Coldplay fans travelled a staggering 18.8 million miles to see the band in concert.
What an absolute load of nonsense this all is.

Quote from: Fishy on January 03, 2025, 01:48:25 PM

Quote from: David L on January 03, 2025, 01:18:10 PMNeil Young has pulled out of Glastonbury because it is "under the control" of the BBC.
He headlined in 2009 but now states, " We were told that the BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in."

He's playing again...

+££££££ 

Neil Young has pulled out of Glastonbury because it is "under the control" of the BBC.
He headlined in 2009 but now states, " We were told that the BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in."