Here on the Bucks/Oxon borders I think it must be around 36c but there is a bit of a breeze. I have certainly been in hotter places before but it is certainly very toasty for this country.
I am remarkably impressed by how well our new build (4 years old) house has coped. I closed everything at just after 9am today. Downstairs is about 23c and upstairs about 25c. When you step in from outside it feels air conditioned. All that insulation designed to keep the house warm is paying off now too. Our house is rendered white which I think must help too.
It’s tedious waiting until 8pm for the result today. Get on with it!
As for fertiliser and CO2, can Robert enlighten us on what Californian startup is going to become the Apple/Tesla/Google of food? Surely there’s mahoosive scope for highly energy and resource efficient vertical farming, closed loop even. Plenty experimenting with it, who’s going to be the trillion dollar company because of it? Because someone will.
On topic. I still think if Penny gets to the final 2 she will win. An awful lot is being judged on some debates but I suspect most MPs will have made up their minds on preferences. Or, at the very least, who they want to get rid of.
In case we get annoyed over how long it's taking the British Conservatives to choose a new leader, their Canadian counterparts have taken it to a new level.
They dumped their leader, Erin O'Toole by 73 to 45 in a vote on February 2nd and the new leader won't be in place until September 10th. The clear favourite seems to be Pierre Pollievre who is either a true Conservative or a libertarian depending on who you cite.
He's from Calgary in Alberta so came through the Reform Party and the Canadian Alliance.
See my post on the previous thread at 3:16pm: I think Mordaunt should be a (narrow) favourite to get into the members' round.
On Mike's last paragraph, Badenoch may well do better than expected but it's hard to see how she can do well enough to leapfrog over Truss and Mordaunt.
Of course, this is a volatile race and things will jerk around, so expect surprises!
IF renewable energy is so cheap, then why does it need subsidies...?
What subsidies?
Most new renewables aren't getting subsidies now.
Green levy on electricity bills is between 9 and 12 per cent, according to Ofgem.
That is not a Green levy and it has nothing to do with subsidies for new electricity generation though. Apart from that . . . again try and understand what it is you're talking about.
Perhaps they should stop calling it 'the green levy on electricity bills' then?
Considering there is no levy called "the green levy", how do they stop calling what doesn't exist what it isn't called?
If ignorant people like you are calling the levy which pays for the warm homes discount for the vulnerable etc a green levy by mistake, that doesn't make it a green levy being used to fund new solar panels or wind farms etc
IF renewable energy is so cheap, then why does it need subsidies...?
What subsidies?
Most new renewables aren't getting subsidies now.
Green levy on electricity bills is between 9 and 12 per cent, according to Ofgem.
That is not a Green levy and it has nothing to do with subsidies for new electricity generation though. Apart from that . . . again try and understand what it is you're talking about.
Perhaps they should stop calling it 'the green levy on electricity bills' then?
Considering there is no levy called "the green levy", how do they stop calling what doesn't exist what it isn't called?
If ignorant people like you are calling the levy which pays for the warm homes discount for the vulnerable etc a green levy by mistake, that doesn't make it a green levy being used to fund new solar panels or wind farms etc
... and don't forget that fossil fuels are subsidised too.
Kemi Badenoch has now backed net zero and committed to not stripping away climate commitments at the climate hustings - now all candidates back net zero
Bart gives up?
You talking to me? I've always supported net zero. 😕
I also think the UK is doing a fantastic job at it and we need to concentrate on continuing what we're already doing, not chastise ourselves for not doing it faster.
I also think that almost all global pollution comes from the rest of the world and we should be doing more for mitigation/adaptation and not only talk about prevention which isn't in our hands anyway. Preventing climate change isn't possible, mitigating and minimising it is.
We can't force the rest of the world to act. All we can do is what we do and show leadership to encourage others to follow.
What would be great is if we combined this zeal with what we used to be good at - engineering entrepreneurism. We should be developing and manufacturing the kit that we then export to help other countries hit their targets. As opposed to importing it all like we do now.
Carbon tax on imports, matching carbon tax on UK made equivelents.
That would pass WTO, I think.
We all want to reduce emissions, but its surely clear that government diktat driven hard targets for Net Zero are catastrophe waiting to happen.
Actually, not waiting to happen. Starting to happen.
Ah, so the way to deal with rising fossil fuel prices is to increase dependency on fossil fuels?
The way to deal with fossil fuel overuse is either produce better alternatives or stop using what we have and force billions back to the middle ages.
Sri Lanka chose B.
Sri Lanka banned imports of chemical fertilizer because it had run out of foreign currency to pay for it. What does that have to do with fossil fuels?
No it banned imports of chemical fertilizer because of green dogma.
It then ran out of foreign currency paying for the food imports it need after yields of rice and the vital tea crop collapsed because of organic farming.
Nonsense, they've been running out of money for many years. They've had a consistent budget deficit for many years, a terrible and widening trade deficit for many years, and plummeting foreign reserves for years. And they've lost the tourism sector (even pre-Covid) that was one of the major ways they gained foreign currency.
The switch to organic had nothing to do with green dogma, it was because they couldn't afford imported fertiliser. So they tried to put a face-saving spin on that.
If you're going to make these silly claims, you might want to learn what it is you're talking about.
Looks like you're right BR.
When Sri Lanka's foreign currency shortages became a serious problem in early 2021, the government tried to limit them by banning imports of chemical fertiliser.
It told farmers to use locally sourced organic fertilisers instead.
This led to widespread crop failure. Sri Lanka had to supplement its food stocks from abroad, which made its foreign currency shortage even worse.
In case we get annoyed over how long it's taking the British Conservatives to choose a new leader, their Canadian counterparts have taken it to a new level.
They dumped their leader, Erin O'Toole by 73 to 45 in a vote on February 2nd and the new leader won't be in place until September 10th. The clear favourite seems to be Pierre Pollievre who is either a true Conservative or a libertarian depending on who you cite.
He's from Calgary in Alberta so came through the Reform Party and the Canadian Alliance.
This is a shift to their comfort zone. The CPC needs to win seats in the east. Not the Prairies. It also needs to win swing voters. Not ban deficits, promote cryptocurrency, and re-legalise various types of guns. Amongst other things.
It’s tedious waiting until 8pm for the result today. Get on with it!
As for fertiliser and CO2, can Robert enlighten us on what Californian startup is going to become the Apple/Tesla/Google of food? Surely there’s mahoosive scope for highly energy and resource efficient vertical farming, closed loop even. Plenty experimenting with it, who’s going to be the trillion dollar company because of it? Because someone will.
It's an excellent question.
I've seen some very interesting companies in the sector - one of which produces LEDs tuned to photosynthesis. That is, they only output light in the wavelengths that plants can use for growing.
IIRC Sri Lanka didn’t run out of currency - they chose to ban fertiliser for their own reasons (albeit mad ones) failing to realise that the existing cash export crops were dependent on fertiliser imports & there wasn’t enough domestically produced fertiliser (regardless of source) to make up the difference. So exports fell more than imports & triggered a currency / balance of payments crisis.
There was an excellent bbc world service programme on this last night;
“The Climate Question: Can we feed the world without using chemical fertilisers?”
TBH, I usually skip over these climate programmes because they tend to be rather boring. But the title of this one piqued my interest.
Anyway;
Short answer is: No. The world can probably feed about 4bn people. But long term, chemical fertilisers are a big climate problem because methane is such a destructive greenhouse gas.
Innovative solutions required.
Farm kangaroos instead of cows. Produce much less methane.
On topic. I still think if Penny gets to the final 2 she will win. An awful lot is being judged on some debates but I suspect most MPs will have made up their minds on preferences. Or, at the very least, who they want to get rid of.
It does seem a bit eccentric holding these debates on mainstream channels when a large hall is all that's required.
But at least this'll get rid of the notion that PM's are given a personal mandate from the country.
First, I've invented a new word "heatbernate" - meaning to seek rest and shelter from periods of extreme hear.
Second, my prediction for tonight is Sunak first, Badenoch second, Mordaunt third and Truss fourth.
Assuming you are serious, what makes you think Badenoch will come second?
Slightly serious - I'm not sure either Mordaunt or Truss have covered themselves in glory in the debates and I could see both dropping support to the "bright new thing" that is Badenoch. Sunak will be well in front but while he's been deciding which of Mordaunt or Truss he wants to face in the members vote I suspect things have moved on and the view may be Badenoch is more likely to be a future GE winner.
It’s tedious waiting until 8pm for the result today. Get on with it!
As for fertiliser and CO2, can Robert enlighten us on what Californian startup is going to become the Apple/Tesla/Google of food? Surely there’s mahoosive scope for highly energy and resource efficient vertical farming, closed loop even. Plenty experimenting with it, who’s going to be the trillion dollar company because of it? Because someone will.
Theres a couple of UK candidates and a Dutch one who are looking to revolutionise high nutrient hydroponics with vertical stacking. Land use reduction of ~80% compared to traditional farming.
In case we get annoyed over how long it's taking the British Conservatives to choose a new leader, their Canadian counterparts have taken it to a new level.
They dumped their leader, Erin O'Toole by 73 to 45 in a vote on February 2nd and the new leader won't be in place until September 10th. The clear favourite seems to be Pierre Pollievre who is either a true Conservative or a libertarian depending on who you cite.
He's from Calgary in Alberta so came through the Reform Party and the Canadian Alliance.
It's not so long since the NL took 9 months to choose a Government. And I think that was without a new election.
Plus the French are stuck with another 4 and 3/4 years of President Pinocchio.
In case we get annoyed over how long it's taking the British Conservatives to choose a new leader, their Canadian counterparts have taken it to a new level.
They dumped their leader, Erin O'Toole by 73 to 45 in a vote on February 2nd and the new leader won't be in place until September 10th. The clear favourite seems to be Pierre Pollievre who is either a true Conservative or a libertarian depending on who you cite.
He's from Calgary in Alberta so came through the Reform Party and the Canadian Alliance.
Seems like a luxury that they can more easily afford, since they're not in power.
Tom Tugendhat has said he will not withdraw from the Tory leadership race, despite trailing behind rivals ahead of tonight's vote by MPs.
He told fellow Conservative MPs "some colleagues have suggested that I should step aside, that I should fall in behind someone else, that I've run a good campaign and can leave with my head held high".
"Some have suggested I could leave with a job as well," he said, but insisted "it is not for me to make that decision - it is for you".
"Were I to withdraw now then somebody else would be eliminated tonight without the opportunity to make their case further.”
He also condemned what he saw as the contest's "infighting, the sniping, the blue on blue, the attacks and the smears". "We do not need this, now or ever."
It’s tedious waiting until 8pm for the result today. Get on with it!
As for fertiliser and CO2, can Robert enlighten us on what Californian startup is going to become the Apple/Tesla/Google of food? Surely there’s mahoosive scope for highly energy and resource efficient vertical farming, closed loop even. Plenty experimenting with it, who’s going to be the trillion dollar company because of it? Because someone will.
It's an excellent question.
I've seen some very interesting companies in the sector - one of which produces LEDs tuned to photosynthesis. That is, they only output light in the wavelengths that plants can use for growing.
Kemi Badenoch has now backed net zero and committed to not stripping away climate commitments at the climate hustings - now all candidates back net zero
Bart gives up?
You talking to me? I've always supported net zero. 😕
I also think the UK is doing a fantastic job at it and we need to concentrate on continuing what we're already doing, not chastise ourselves for not doing it faster.
I also think that almost all global pollution comes from the rest of the world and we should be doing more for mitigation/adaptation and not only talk about prevention which isn't in our hands anyway. Preventing climate change isn't possible, mitigating and minimising it is.
We can't force the rest of the world to act. All we can do is what we do and show leadership to encourage others to follow.
What would be great is if we combined this zeal with what we used to be good at - engineering entrepreneurism. We should be developing and manufacturing the kit that we then export to help other countries hit their targets. As opposed to importing it all like we do now.
Carbon tax on imports, matching carbon tax on UK made equivelents.
That would pass WTO, I think.
We all want to reduce emissions, but its surely clear that government diktat driven hard targets for Net Zero are catastrophe waiting to happen.
Actually, not waiting to happen. Starting to happen.
Ah, so the way to deal with rising fossil fuel prices is to increase dependency on fossil fuels?
The way to deal with fossil fuel overuse is either produce better alternatives or stop using what we have and force billions back to the middle ages.
Sri Lanka chose B.
Sri Lanka banned imports of chemical fertilizer because it had run out of foreign currency to pay for it. What does that have to do with fossil fuels?
No it banned imports of chemical fertilizer because of green dogma.
It then ran out of foreign currency paying for the food imports it need after yields of rice and the vital tea crop collapsed because of organic farming.
Nonsense, they've been running out of money for many years. They've had a consistent budget deficit for many years, a terrible and widening trade deficit for many years, and plummeting foreign reserves for years. And they've lost the tourism sector (even pre-Covid) that was one of the major ways they gained foreign currency.
The switch to organic had nothing to do with green dogma, it was because they couldn't afford imported fertiliser. So they tried to put a face-saving spin on that.
If you're going to make these silly claims, you might want to learn what it is you're talking about.
Looks like you're right BR.
When Sri Lanka's foreign currency shortages became a serious problem in early 2021, the government tried to limit them by banning imports of chemical fertiliser.
It told farmers to use locally sourced organic fertilisers instead.
This led to widespread crop failure. Sri Lanka had to supplement its food stocks from abroad, which made its foreign currency shortage even worse.
“But the most boneheaded, bizarre mistake that the Sri Lankan government made was a disastrous plan to shift the entire country to organic agriculture. In April of 2021 the government banned the import and use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. This devastated Sri Lankan agriculture, since, as it turns out, fertilizer is really really important. Production of tea — Sri Lanka’s main cash crop — fell by 18% in a year. Production of rice — the main food crop — fell by even more.
This debacle did several things. First, by weakening tax revenues, it made the government less capable of repaying debt denominated in foreign currencies. Second, by weakening the economy, it gave Sri Lankans a reason to move their money overseas, which encouraged capital flight and put downward pressure on the rupee. Third, by reducing food output, it forced Sri Lanka to import more food just as foreign exchange was becoming scarce. And finally, because agricultural products are a substantial percent of Sri Lanka’s exports, the devastation of export revenue made it much harder for Sri Lanka to get the foreign exchange it needed to A) keep paying for imported food and fuel, and keep making payments on foreign-denominated debt.”
Sri Lanka made many policy mistakes & was already in a difficult position & then the government decided to something completely insane which made everything so much worse it tipped them over the edge into a full blown crisis.
See my post on the previous thread at 3:16pm: I think Mordaunt should be a (narrow) favourite to get into the members' round.
On Mike's last paragraph, Badenoch may well do better than expected but it's hard to see how she can do well enough to leapfrog over Truss and Mordaunt.
Of course, this is a volatile race and things will jerk around, so expect surprises!
I did - good post too. But I think the Badenochs will break for Truss and get her in the Final vs Sunak. Who I fancy to win it in the end.
In case we get annoyed over how long it's taking the British Conservatives to choose a new leader, their Canadian counterparts have taken it to a new level.
They dumped their leader, Erin O'Toole by 73 to 45 in a vote on February 2nd and the new leader won't be in place until September 10th. The clear favourite seems to be Pierre Pollievre who is either a true Conservative or a libertarian depending on who you cite.
He's from Calgary in Alberta so came through the Reform Party and the Canadian Alliance.
It's not so long since the NL took 9 months to choose a Government. And I think that was without a new election.
NL or BE? BE took 16 months from May 2019 to October 2020 to sort out a federal Govt.
It’s tedious waiting until 8pm for the result today. Get on with it!
As for fertiliser and CO2, can Robert enlighten us on what Californian startup is going to become the Apple/Tesla/Google of food? Surely there’s mahoosive scope for highly energy and resource efficient vertical farming, closed loop even. Plenty experimenting with it, who’s going to be the trillion dollar company because of it? Because someone will.
The last time I looked vertical farming was one to two orders of magnitude less efficient in produce per investment.
Fucking woke governments! How dare they assist deviant, foreign rodents display their trans(national) genitals in pure English habitats?
Beavers to be legally protected from harm in England from October
Under new legislation, it will be an offence to deliberately capture, kill, disturb or injure beavers in England or damage where the animals breed and rest
A five-year government trial on the river Otter in south-west England concluded that beavers had brought “a wealth of benefits to the local area and ecology”.
It’s tedious waiting until 8pm for the result today. Get on with it!
As for fertiliser and CO2, can Robert enlighten us on what Californian startup is going to become the Apple/Tesla/Google of food? Surely there’s mahoosive scope for highly energy and resource efficient vertical farming, closed loop even. Plenty experimenting with it, who’s going to be the trillion dollar company because of it? Because someone will.
Theres a couple of UK candidates and a Dutch one who are looking to revolutionise high nutrient hydroponics with vertical stacking. Land use reduction of ~80% compared to traditional farming.
In case we get annoyed over how long it's taking the British Conservatives to choose a new leader, their Canadian counterparts have taken it to a new level.
They dumped their leader, Erin O'Toole by 73 to 45 in a vote on February 2nd and the new leader won't be in place until September 10th. The clear favourite seems to be Pierre Pollievre who is either a true Conservative or a libertarian depending on who you cite.
He's from Calgary in Alberta so came through the Reform Party and the Canadian Alliance.
It's not so long since the NL took 9 months to choose a Government. And I think that was without a new election.
NL or BE? BE took 16 months from May 2019 to October 2020 to sort out a federal Govt.
See my post on the previous thread at 3:16pm: I think Mordaunt should be a (narrow) favourite to get into the members' round.
On Mike's last paragraph, Badenoch may well do better than expected but it's hard to see how she can do well enough to leapfrog over Truss and Mordaunt.
Of course, this is a volatile race and things will jerk around, so expect surprises!
I did - good post too. But I think the Badenochs will break for Truss and get her in the Final vs Sunak. Who I fancy to win it in the end.
That's where I am. Sunak is a far more serious contender and the membership *may* see sense. Also, if Sunak gets considerably more MP nominations that Truss then this may steer the membership towards Sunak too.
Here on the Bucks/Oxon borders I think it must be around 36c but there is a bit of a breeze. I have certainly been in hotter places before but it is certainly very toasty for this country.
I am remarkably impressed by how well our new build (4 years old) house has coped. I closed everything at just after 9am today. Downstairs is about 23c and upstairs about 25c. When you step in from outside it feels air conditioned. All that insulation designed to keep the house warm is paying off now too. Our house is rendered white which I think must help too.
On topic. I still think if Penny gets to the final 2 she will win. An awful lot is being judged on some debates but I suspect most MPs will have made up their minds on preferences. Or, at the very least, who they want to get rid of.
I don't even know why the five bothered with debates. The electorate for the next three rounds of voting are 358 MPs, most of which, if not almost ALL of which have already decided who they are voting for.
TV debates for the members votes, yes, as not all will be able to attend hustings; but at this stage it was a complete waste of time.
Unless, of course, the winner plans a snap election in October (hint: they don't).
In case we get annoyed over how long it's taking the British Conservatives to choose a new leader, their Canadian counterparts have taken it to a new level.
They dumped their leader, Erin O'Toole by 73 to 45 in a vote on February 2nd and the new leader won't be in place until September 10th. The clear favourite seems to be Pierre Pollievre who is either a true Conservative or a libertarian depending on who you cite.
He's from Calgary in Alberta so came through the Reform Party and the Canadian Alliance.
It's not so long since the NL took 9 months to choose a Government. And I think that was without a new election.
NL or BE? BE took 16 months from May 2019 to October 2020 to sort out a federal Govt.
It’s tedious waiting until 8pm for the result today. Get on with it!
As for fertiliser and CO2, can Robert enlighten us on what Californian startup is going to become the Apple/Tesla/Google of food? Surely there’s mahoosive scope for highly energy and resource efficient vertical farming, closed loop even. Plenty experimenting with it, who’s going to be the trillion dollar company because of it? Because someone will.
Theres a couple of UK candidates and a Dutch one who are looking to revolutionise high nutrient hydroponics with vertical stacking. Land use reduction of ~80% compared to traditional farming.
Use a great deal more energy too.
Not necessarily, they use a lot of CO2, which is a waste product in a lot of industrial and food processes. We've only just begun the process of capturing CO2 from beer brewing which in some parts of Europe has effectively replaced CO2 capture from burning gas.
In terms of energy overall, per ton of produce it's significantly lower than what is required in standard agriculture.
It’s tedious waiting until 8pm for the result today. Get on with it!
As for fertiliser and CO2, can Robert enlighten us on what Californian startup is going to become the Apple/Tesla/Google of food? Surely there’s mahoosive scope for highly energy and resource efficient vertical farming, closed loop even. Plenty experimenting with it, who’s going to be the trillion dollar company because of it? Because someone will.
The last time I looked vertical farming was one to two orders of magnitude less efficient in produce per investment.
It’s tedious waiting until 8pm for the result today. Get on with it!
As for fertiliser and CO2, can Robert enlighten us on what Californian startup is going to become the Apple/Tesla/Google of food? Surely there’s mahoosive scope for highly energy and resource efficient vertical farming, closed loop even. Plenty experimenting with it, who’s going to be the trillion dollar company because of it? Because someone will.
It's an excellent question.
I've seen some very interesting companies in the sector - one of which produces LEDs tuned to photosynthesis. That is, they only output light in the wavelengths that plants can use for growing.
Did you not read @OldKingCole's warnings on the last thread? Microbiology gives you boils; then it's a hop, skip and a jump to locusts and the death of first-borns heatwaves.
Tom Tugendhat has said he will not withdraw from the Tory leadership race, despite trailing behind rivals ahead of tonight's vote by MPs.
He told fellow Conservative MPs "some colleagues have suggested that I should step aside, that I should fall in behind someone else, that I've run a good campaign and can leave with my head held high".
"Some have suggested I could leave with a job as well," he said, but insisted "it is not for me to make that decision - it is for you".
"Were I to withdraw now then somebody else would be eliminated tonight without the opportunity to make their case further.”
He also condemned what he saw as the contest's "infighting, the sniping, the blue on blue, the attacks and the smears". "We do not need this, now or ever."
Am I the only person on this site who, book-value aside, thinks that Truss is the best candidate?
Almost everyone else on this site seems to be anti-Truss for one reason or another it seems.
There's always someone else I'd put her bottom of my list (with the caveat that Badenoch, while interesting, might do some things I really dislike; Truss I think would achieve little, so she might be preferable in that sense).
She's my second best betting result, though. Only because I saw value when she drifted out. Badenoch is still my best, even though I sold most of my stake early on.
*good/bad depending on whether she did more or what I liked or more that I disliked
On topic. I still think if Penny gets to the final 2 she will win. An awful lot is being judged on some debates but I suspect most MPs will have made up their minds on preferences. Or, at the very least, who they want to get rid of.
I don't even know why the five bothered with debates. The electorate for the next three rounds of voting are 358 MPs, most of which, if not almost ALL of which have already decided who they are voting for.
TV debates for the members votes, yes, as not all will be able to attend hustings; but at this stage it was a complete waste of time.
Unless, of course, the winner plans a snap election in October (hint: they don't).
Because for 3 of them the debates were the perfect place to introduce themselves to the general public ready for whenever the next leadership election came round.
On topic. I still think if Penny gets to the final 2 she will win. An awful lot is being judged on some debates but I suspect most MPs will have made up their minds on preferences. Or, at the very least, who they want to get rid of.
I don't even know why the five bothered with debates. The electorate for the next three rounds of voting are 358 MPs, most of which, if not almost ALL of which have already decided who they are voting for.
TV debates for the members votes, yes, as not all will be able to attend hustings; but at this stage it was a complete waste of time.
Unless, of course, the winner plans a snap election in October (hint: they don't).
Because one of the key things the MPs have to decide is who's best placed to win an election, which includes connecting with the public, being able to explain their plan for the country, and dealing with difficult questions from TV interviewers/the public. Oh, and participating in televised debates. So, on the whole, it's a good way of figuring out who'd actually be good at the job.
Also, remember that over 100 MPs will eventually have to change their vote from what it was on Thursday. They may know who their current pick is, but they might not have a full ranked order of precedence. They are also allowed to Change their Minds.
We've got 27 Braverman votes to allocate, I gave one third to Badenoch and the rest to Truss. I also assumed a few MPs will be giving up on Tugendhat, say 5 to Mordaunt and 2 to Sunak.
Am I the only person on this site who, book-value aside, thinks that Truss is the best candidate?
Almost everyone else on this site seems to be anti-Truss for one reason or another it seems.
Could gradually become popular if the policy mix is right, the cabinet choices are sound and sticks to her guns.
I have no idea if she'll be popular or not, I simply think she'll be good at the job.
Frankly I've given up on caring if the Tories win or lose the next election, since I'm not supporting them at the minute. So I'm not judging the leadership race based upon that, if I was then I wouldn't back Truss.
As it stands my first preference for the leadership race is Rishi wins, I collect my winnings, then I'll probably vote Lib Dem at the next election.
My second preference for the race is Truss wins, I lose my bet, but I'll probably vote Tory at the next election.
Am I the only person on this site who, book-value aside, thinks that Truss is the best candidate?
Almost everyone else on this site seems to be anti-Truss for one reason or another it seems.
There's always someone else I'd put her bottom of my list (with the caveat that Badenoch, while interesting, might do some things I really dislike; Truss I think would achieve little, so she might be preferable in that sense).
She's my second best betting result, though. Only because I saw value when she drifted out. Badenoch is still my best, even though I sold most of my stake early on.
*good/bad depending on whether she did more or what I liked or more that I disliked
I (modestly) have a superb book on this. Kerching whoever wins.
Am I the only person on this site who, book-value aside, thinks that Truss is the best candidate?
Almost everyone else on this site seems to be anti-Truss for one reason or another it seems.
You're certainly in a small minority. Fwiw I'm not as down on her as some. I do sense some personal merit there. Definitely my choice with Labour hat on though. I think she'd bomb with the voters.
It’s tedious waiting until 8pm for the result today. Get on with it!
As for fertiliser and CO2, can Robert enlighten us on what Californian startup is going to become the Apple/Tesla/Google of food? Surely there’s mahoosive scope for highly energy and resource efficient vertical farming, closed loop even. Plenty experimenting with it, who’s going to be the trillion dollar company because of it? Because someone will.
Theres a couple of UK candidates and a Dutch one who are looking to revolutionise high nutrient hydroponics with vertical stacking. Land use reduction of ~80% compared to traditional farming.
Use a great deal more energy too.
Not necessarily, they use a lot of CO2, which is a waste product in a lot of industrial and food processes. We've only just begun the process of capturing CO2 from beer brewing which in some parts of Europe has effectively replaced CO2 capture from burning gas.
In terms of energy overall, per ton of produce it's significantly lower than what is required in standard agriculture.
Have you an article I can look at? I find it hard to believe that vertical farming requires less energy than trad agriculture (especially at scale).
Am I the only person on this site who, book-value aside, thinks that Truss is the best candidate?
Almost everyone else on this site seems to be anti-Truss for one reason or another it seems.
There's always someone else I'd put her bottom of my list (with the caveat that Badenoch, while interesting, might do some things I really dislike; Truss I think would achieve little, so she might be preferable in that sense).
She's my second best betting result, though. Only because I saw value when she drifted out. Badenoch is still my best, even though I sold most of my stake early on.
*good/bad depending on whether she did more or what I liked or more that I disliked
Considering you and I are actually quite similar in many of our political views, I'd be curious why you'd put her bottom of your list?
I've got a GoPro (most recent version) and Pano DC-TZ200. They both have bewildering options regarding sattings.
E.g. Pano:
If MP4:
4k 100M 30p 4K 100M 25p 4k 100M 24p FHD 28M 60p FHD 28M 50p FHD 20M 30p FHD 20M 25p HD 10M 30p HD 10M 25p
That's for MP4. If I select AVCHD Instead of MP4 there are yet more options.
How is a normal person expected to understand this?
I want top quality film to play on my TV. TV is 4K. I've discovered that when I record video on the Pano in 4k it crops the video which is annoying. The TV is only 40 inch so I'm inclined towards the FHD with no crop I think.
I'm filming everyday stuff inc holidays and Go Pro for skiing. Any advice on the best settings to use would be much appreciated.
What are the down sides of going for the highest resolution/frame rate? It may be battery life, or it may be the cost of bigger memory cards. Try some experiments....
The other thing to think about is processing the footage you shoot afterwards. Try it and see what your PC thinks about manipulating the various resolutions.
The PC does not play my 4k footage back smoothly. But when I watch on the TV it is fine. I only use the PC to preview and edit. I'm pleased with the GoPro 4k video but the file size and drain on battery is significant. The 4k crop on the Pano camera is a problem for me.
These days, footage comes from Pano camera, wife and daughters' iphones, my Go Pro - and I collect clips and stitch together using Videopad software into one continuous film to watch on our TV.
No idea but... does your pc have enough memory and a graphics card? If you do have a graphics card, have you plugged your monitor into the right hole?
Looks like our living room has peaked at 30.6degC today; now dropped to 30.4degC. Still cooler than outside, mind - local stations in Airedale showing 32 or 33.
It’s tedious waiting until 8pm for the result today. Get on with it!
As for fertiliser and CO2, can Robert enlighten us on what Californian startup is going to become the Apple/Tesla/Google of food? Surely there’s mahoosive scope for highly energy and resource efficient vertical farming, closed loop even. Plenty experimenting with it, who’s going to be the trillion dollar company because of it? Because someone will.
Theres a couple of UK candidates and a Dutch one who are looking to revolutionise high nutrient hydroponics with vertical stacking. Land use reduction of ~80% compared to traditional farming.
Use a great deal more energy too.
Not necessarily, they use a lot of CO2, which is a waste product in a lot of industrial and food processes. We've only just begun the process of capturing CO2 from beer brewing which in some parts of Europe has effectively replaced CO2 capture from burning gas.
In terms of energy overall, per ton of produce it's significantly lower than what is required in standard agriculture.
Have you an article I can look at? I find it hard to believe that vertical farming requires less energy than trad agriculture (especially at scale).
There's a real problem comparing apples with pears...
I've got a GoPro (most recent version) and Pano DC-TZ200. They both have bewildering options regarding sattings.
E.g. Pano:
If MP4:
4k 100M 30p 4K 100M 25p 4k 100M 24p FHD 28M 60p FHD 28M 50p FHD 20M 30p FHD 20M 25p HD 10M 30p HD 10M 25p
That's for MP4. If I select AVCHD Instead of MP4 there are yet more options.
How is a normal person expected to understand this?
I want top quality film to play on my TV. TV is 4K. I've discovered that when I record video on the Pano in 4k it crops the video which is annoying. The TV is only 40 inch so I'm inclined towards the FHD with no crop I think.
I'm filming everyday stuff inc holidays and Go Pro for skiing. Any advice on the best settings to use would be much appreciated.
What are the down sides of going for the highest resolution/frame rate? It may be battery life, or it may be the cost of bigger memory cards. Try some experiments....
The other thing to think about is processing the footage you shoot afterwards. Try it and see what your PC thinks about manipulating the various resolutions.
The PC does not play my 4k footage back smoothly. But when I watch on the TV it is fine. I only use the PC to preview and edit. I'm pleased with the GoPro 4k video but the file size and drain on battery is significant. The 4k crop on the Pano camera is a problem for me.
These days, footage comes from Pano camera, wife and daughters' iphones, my Go Pro - and I collect clips and stitch together using Videopad software into one continuous film to watch on our TV.
No idea but... does your pc have enough memory and a graphics card? If you do have a graphics card, have you plugged your monitor into the right hole?
TBH I don't know. The playback on my pc is perfectly fine for previewing and editing - I never watch my footage on my PC - always the TV.
Tom Tugendhat has said he will not withdraw from the Tory leadership race, despite trailing behind rivals ahead of tonight's vote by MPs.
He told fellow Conservative MPs "some colleagues have suggested that I should step aside, that I should fall in behind someone else, that I've run a good campaign and can leave with my head held high".
"Some have suggested I could leave with a job as well," he said, but insisted "it is not for me to make that decision - it is for you".
"Were I to withdraw now then somebody else would be eliminated tonight without the opportunity to make their case further.”
He also condemned what he saw as the contest's "infighting, the sniping, the blue on blue, the attacks and the smears". "We do not need this, now or ever."
Comments
Here on the Bucks/Oxon borders I think it must be around 36c but there is a bit of a breeze. I have certainly been in hotter places before but it is certainly very toasty for this country.
I am remarkably impressed by how well our new build (4 years old) house has coped. I closed everything at just after 9am today. Downstairs is about 23c and upstairs about 25c. When you step in from outside it feels air conditioned. All that insulation designed to keep the house warm is paying off now too. Our house is rendered white which I think must help too.
(Still, heads you win, tails you lose, I guess.)
As for fertiliser and CO2, can Robert enlighten us on what Californian startup is going to become the Apple/Tesla/Google of food? Surely there’s mahoosive scope for highly energy and resource efficient vertical farming, closed loop even. Plenty experimenting with it, who’s going to be the trillion dollar company because of it? Because someone will.
2.04 Rishi Sunak 49%
3.7 Liz Truss 27%
4.9 Penny Mordaunt 20%
22 Kemi Badenoch 5%
150 Tom Tugendhat
250 Dominic Raab
Next Conservative leader
2.06 Rishi Sunak 49%
3.75 Liz Truss 27%
4.8 Penny Mordaunt 21%
21 Kemi Badenoch 5%
120 Tom Tugendhat
To be in final two
1.03 Rishi Sunak 97%
1.82 Liz Truss 55%
2 Penny Mordaunt 50%
11 Kemi Badenoch 9%
100 Tom Tugendhat
In case we get annoyed over how long it's taking the British Conservatives to choose a new leader, their Canadian counterparts have taken it to a new level.
They dumped their leader, Erin O'Toole by 73 to 45 in a vote on February 2nd and the new leader won't be in place until September 10th. The clear favourite seems to be Pierre Pollievre who is either a true Conservative or a libertarian depending on who you cite.
He's from Calgary in Alberta so came through the Reform Party and the Canadian Alliance.
On Mike's last paragraph, Badenoch may well do better than expected but it's hard to see how she can do well enough to leapfrog over Truss and Mordaunt.
Of course, this is a volatile race and things will jerk around, so expect surprises!
If ignorant people like you are calling the levy which pays for the warm homes discount for the vulnerable etc a green levy by mistake, that doesn't make it a green levy being used to fund new solar panels or wind farms etc
Runways melt at Luton, Brize Norton
When Sri Lanka's foreign currency shortages became a serious problem in early 2021, the government tried to limit them by banning imports of chemical fertiliser.
It told farmers to use locally sourced organic fertilisers instead.
This led to widespread crop failure. Sri Lanka had to supplement its food stocks from abroad, which made its foreign currency shortage even worse.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-61028138
First, I've invented a new word "heatbernate" - meaning to seek rest and shelter from periods of extreme hear.
Second, my prediction for tonight is Sunak first, Badenoch second, Mordaunt third and Truss fourth.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-launches-biggest-electricity-market-reform-in-a-generation
It also needs to win swing voters. Not ban deficits, promote cryptocurrency, and re-legalise various types of guns. Amongst other things.
Although it's all moved so fast and so often it could be anyone really.
A bold prediction.
I've seen some very interesting companies in the sector - one of which produces LEDs tuned to photosynthesis. That is, they only output light in the wavelengths that plants can use for growing.
One heatbernates to escape the hiburnrate?
This is 1986, and the Get More for your Monergy campaign.
Not a vintage advertising performance. Piggy wiggies and the big bad weather man.
But with a nice slogan: Reducing draughts means reducing overdrafts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9PsK2dcMyA
There is nothing new under the sun.
Just been in my conservatory, and the new aircon has run that up to 40C whilst keeping the kitchen at 23C on low. Seems to work.
But at least this'll get rid of the notion that PM's are given a personal mandate from the country.
We'll see.
Plus the French are stuck with another 4 and 3/4 years of President Pinocchio.
He told fellow Conservative MPs "some colleagues have suggested that I should step aside, that I should fall in behind someone else, that I've run a good campaign and can leave with my head held high".
"Some have suggested I could leave with a job as well," he said, but insisted "it is not for me to make that decision - it is for you".
"Were I to withdraw now then somebody else would be eliminated tonight without the opportunity to make their case further.”
He also condemned what he saw as the contest's "infighting, the sniping, the blue on blue, the attacks and the smears". "We do not need this, now or ever."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-62191267
NEW Common Sense Group chairman Sir John Hayes comes out for Kemi Badenoch in the Conservative Party Leadership race
-----------------
Given her strength with the members, is Badenoch the value bet at the moment?
https://solarfoods.com
In which the money quote is:
“But the most boneheaded, bizarre mistake that the Sri Lankan government made was a disastrous plan to shift the entire country to organic agriculture. In April of 2021 the government banned the import and use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. This devastated Sri Lankan agriculture, since, as it turns out, fertilizer is really really important. Production of tea — Sri Lanka’s main cash crop — fell by 18% in a year. Production of rice — the main food crop — fell by even more.
This debacle did several things. First, by weakening tax revenues, it made the government less capable of repaying debt denominated in foreign currencies. Second, by weakening the economy, it gave Sri Lankans a reason to move their money overseas, which encouraged capital flight and put downward pressure on the rupee. Third, by reducing food output, it forced Sri Lanka to import more food just as foreign exchange was becoming scarce. And finally, because agricultural products are a substantial percent of Sri Lanka’s exports, the devastation of export revenue made it much harder for Sri Lanka to get the foreign exchange it needed to A) keep paying for imported food and fuel, and keep making payments on foreign-denominated debt.”
Sri Lanka made many policy mistakes & was already in a difficult position & then the government decided to something completely insane which made everything so much worse it tipped them over the edge into a full blown crisis.
Eventually, but nowhere near yet.
I am guessing they weren't inspired by Thomas Paine.
Beavers to be legally protected from harm in England from October
Under new legislation, it will be an offence to deliberately capture, kill, disturb or injure beavers in England or damage where the animals breed and rest
A five-year government trial on the river Otter in south-west England concluded that beavers had brought “a wealth of benefits to the local area and ecology”.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2329105-beavers-to-be-legally-protected-from-harm-in-england-from-october/
Truss over-hyped as a final two candidate. Enough MPs have seen the shit show of her debate and now running away from another. "Naaaah......."
And Sunak might lend enough votes to Penny as he thinks he can beat her, but it is not the disaster of PM Truss if he is proved wrong.
https://www.dw.com/en/netherlands-dutch-parties-to-form-government-9-months-after-vote/a-60109396
Either win - my bet comes in, or win - the best candidate wins and we get the best candidate to be PM. Either way I'd be happy. 👍
TV debates for the members votes, yes, as not all will be able to attend hustings; but at this stage it was a complete waste of time.
Unless, of course, the winner plans a snap election in October (hint: they don't).
Sunak: 105 (+4)
Mordaunt: 90 (+7)
Truss: 78 (+14)
Badenoch: 54 (+4)
-----
Tugendhat: 29 (-3)
https://twitter.com/patrickjfl/status/1549058073154691078
Almost everyone else on this site seems to be anti-Truss for one reason or another it seems.
In terms of energy overall, per ton of produce it's significantly lower than what is required in standard agriculture.
Look, for example, how rubbish were solar cells a couple of decades back.
https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/evolution-of-solar-pv-module-cost-by-data-source-1970-2020
If the incentive is there, which it seems to be, a lot of money will get thrown at the problem.
locusts and the death of first-bornsheatwaves.She's my second best betting result, though. Only because I saw value when she drifted out. Badenoch is still my best, even though I sold most of my stake early on.
*good/bad depending on whether she did more or what I liked or more that I disliked
But I still want it to be Sunak or Badenoch (ideally both serve in cabinet).
Also, remember that over 100 MPs will eventually have to change their vote from what it was on Thursday. They may know who their current pick is, but they might not have a full ranked order of precedence. They are also allowed to Change their Minds.
Sunak: 103 (+2)
Mordaunt: 88 (+5)
Truss: 82 (+18)
Badenoch: 58 (+9)
-----
Tugendhat: 25 (-7)
We've got 27 Braverman votes to allocate, I gave one third to Badenoch and the rest to Truss. I also assumed a few MPs will be giving up on Tugendhat, say 5 to Mordaunt and 2 to Sunak.
Frankly I've given up on caring if the Tories win or lose the next election, since I'm not supporting them at the minute. So I'm not judging the leadership race based upon that, if I was then I wouldn't back Truss.
As it stands my first preference for the leadership race is Rishi wins, I collect my winnings, then I'll probably vote Lib Dem at the next election.
My second preference for the race is Truss wins, I lose my bet, but I'll probably vote Tory at the next election.
Has @TSE seen this, I wonder?
Not just the sovereign, but a surprisingly wide range of assorted relatives.
Westminster Voting Intention (17 July):
Labour 42% (–)
Conservative 32% (+1)
Liberal Democrat 12% (–)
Green 5% (–)
Scottish National Party 4% (–)
Reform UK 3% (-2)
Other 2% (+1)
Changes +/- 10 July
https://t.co/gk5SesdhCE https://t.co/FCsmqkjt44
Boredom reigns
. No idea but... does your pc have enough memory and a graphics card? If you do have a graphics card, have you plugged your monitor into the right hole?
We shall have a Rishi
On a little dishy
We shall have a Rishi
When the vote is known.