Carlos

Dates are important too

If we had an electricity grid that was interconnected over a large area, combining a mix of different types of power generation, we could do that kind of thing. It's because we don't that there's an additional layer of compromise over the top of the choices.

It's already pedestrianised 11:30 to 5:30 - no access, no deliveries, no vehicles except disabled badge holders, it's just the enforcement that's not happening. Parking anywhere in the short stay area except a marked bay is also already a ticketing offence during the day.... again, just the enforcement that's not there.

Very well puts - sums up the strong anthropic principle vs weak anthropic principle arguments.

There is a big limit to what can be done in image processing from standard definition video. Tweak the light levels a bit to help out, but no chance of pulling out any more details than are recorded - SD video is like a 0.4 mega pixel image at the very best, and low light just equals more and more noise. It's a running joke in the video production industry that police turn up looking to have CSI details pulled from their VHS tape - the video guys say "Ah, we thought it was YOU GUYS that had that stuff!!" I think the original spec. for the system was that it would record everything digitally in the control room, so at least in theory it should make it very quick and easy to check through a night's footage and pull out what you got......

Your project is likely not concerned with the feasibility of any engineering? But I don't think it's going to be easy to get something built in deep enough water to berth cruise ships, located clear of the shipping channel and with space for shore side development too. Maybe more chance on the Bressay side......

Been doing a lot of interviews lately! Also here http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/mar/29/james-lovelock-climate-change and the same interview in more depth here http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/mar/29/james-lovelock "I don't think we're yet evolved to the point where we're clever enough to handle a complex a situation as climate change," said Lovelock in his first in-depth interview since the theft of the UEA emails last November. "The inertia of humans is so huge that you can't really do anything meaningful." One of the main obstructions to meaningful action is "modern democracy", he added. "Even the best democracies agree that when a major war approaches, democracy must be put on hold for the time being. I have a feeling that climate change may be an issue as severe as a war. It may be necessary to put democracy on hold for a while."

I presume there are growing seasons and growing seasons? A March that is 0.5C warmer than it used to be would be an extended growing season, but if it is full of wind and rain it might not end up very effective?

Given the much higher relative dangers of somebody killing you by careless driving on the way to the airport, should more draconian controls be put in place there?

I presume it was a building control issue? No option not to comply It maybe brings up a wider point too, where there might be some feeling that there's too many staff in an area (building control for this example) and all they do is spend time on red tape, why not get rid of that and cut the staff? Unfortunately sometimes it's the red tape that is required by law or by Edinburgh, and the parts that you might find useful (giving advice, checking forms, "having a quick look to see if it seems OK") are the option extras that'd get cut back with less staff.....

If somebody falls on the step and takes on an injury lawyer. As soon as they find the step did not meet regs but was passed by the council anyhow then they become the target - the one with the most money. The point would be that it would not be you taking the risk with your money, but rather an official taking the risk with public money.....

You'd have no complaints if they've turned a blind eye to it and the council ended up paying out public money on a claim?

Which is why smaller independent local schemes are always going to be less efficient than a Europe-wide grid of mixed source industrial sized projects?

Well, the Canadian winter has been reported as 4C warmer than average........ http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Canada+warmest+winter+ever+beyond+shocking/2666979/story.html But yes, this one winter has little bearing on any climate change debate.

I don't know much about the specific science and don't want to generalise, but I suppose the ice volume and ice thickness relationship is linked but not necessarily fixed, depening on quite a few things. Air temperature, water temperature and overall effects of wind action would seem to be the main drivers of ice cover, but then you have local variation in time and location to each of those, with the combined effects maybe showing more variability than any single thing would suggest? Long term trends will become obvious in the long term, but the driving factors as always are likely to be combinations of effects acting together?

I was reading recently of the influence of wind patterns in ice break up in the Arctic, with up to 1/3 of the variability in ice cover accounted for by the seasonal extremes of wind. I'd imagine that any lower ice cover from other factors generally means thinnner ice, which in turns means it is easier for any destructive winds to break up, and ends up showing more variability in the annual ice cover records?

If you are planning on giving somebody £200k, do you not write a contract anyhow?

Not at all, it is just the most cost efficient way to run things just now. If you chose you could have a VE windfarm and a large pumped water storage hydro electric scheme wired together, and as long as you made the water storage, MWs and windspeed probabilities come out in the right proportions you could then run with no other input. The reason that is not done is more on the economics than any engineering problem.

Yes, you can go in there and out at the cross. The spaces at the bank (and only the MARKED spaces) are I think 15 minute short stay parking. It is on the signs anyhow.I'd need to read the signs for the main bit of the street to check, but I have a feeling that 11:30 to 5:30 is a flat "no entry except for disabled badge holders", no loading, no nothing.

Earth's 9 lives "They identified nine "planetary life-support systems" that are vital for human survival. They then quantified how far we have pushed them already, and estimated how much further we can go without threatening our own survival." http://www.newscientist.com/special/ocean-to-ozone-earths-nine-life-support-systems

Hmm denial is different than scepticism.... some people might not want to imply the degree of uncertainty "sceptic" carries?

By using the cash cow of the Scord Quarry, with it's bitmac monopoly to subsidise the rest of its operations ! Wheras the other option would be to use the profits from the Scord to subsidise paying the same rates to private contractors? At least any DLO profits go back to the council

Better to waste a few thousand now than waste a few hundred million later. Shouldn't we be supporting councillors making informed decisions?

If you're looking to save money, probably a good idea to check what the actual saving will be?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that is what is being done, using more efficient kinds of lights and downward pointing so less light spill. Changing wiring and control gear to allow selective dimming / timing / switching off half the lights would have an extra cost up front, and you'd have to see how long it took to make that back in savings in the electricity. Similar to tunnels, maybe you save money in the long term, as long as you have the capital available to spend now to start it off.