Just changed a light bulb and noticed that the packet had two seperate energy efficiency ratings on it - one for GB only rating it A++ and one for the EU and NI rating it E. I wonder what I'm supposed to deduce from this, other than (a) we have obviously already diverged from the EU on these standards, and ours are - what a surprise - less stringent; and (b) the seperate GB rating (whose sole purpose is to mislead me about the product's environmental credentials) will have imposed an extra cost that I will have paid. Another Brexit dividend!
I am not an expert on this but I think (from looking at the information from various organisations working on energy saving) that you have this the wrong way round.
The A++ system is the old system that existed in both the UK and EU for many years. The A to G system is the new system that is being introduced both in the UK and the EU.
So are we giving them more time to change the labelling than the EU is? Presumably they wouldn't have bothered to put seperate energy ratings on unless they have to or felt there was some advantage in showing A++ still here. Although I note that even when the rules are harmonised again they will apparently still have to print two labels, showing the same thing, one with a UK flag and one with the EU flag. Presumably tested twice too? What a colossal waste of time and money.
Well no. Since you are so fanatically desperate for everything to be about the EU and Brexit you haven't even bothered to find out that the energy standards for light bulbs are not even an EU derived regulation. They are an international standard set by the International Electrotechnical Commission. All the signatory countries/organisations are party to the decisions and the only thing that has changed since Brexit is that the UK now has its own seat at the table rather than that being decided on our behalf by the EU.
But we get our own entirely pointless seperate label thanks to Brexit so that's a big win.
No we get to take part in the actual decision making rather than having that done by some EU official on 'our behalf'.
That is the win.
And you think the rest of the world is going to pay attention to us, a tiny market in terms of global trade? Wouldn't it be better to be an influential member within a group of like minded countries who together constitute the world's largest single market and who are as a result the most influential in setting global standards, rather than spending more money to attend in person as a minor player?
Just changed a light bulb and noticed that the packet had two seperate energy efficiency ratings on it - one for GB only rating it A++ and one for the EU and NI rating it E. I wonder what I'm supposed to deduce from this, other than (a) we have obviously already diverged from the EU on these standards, and ours are - what a surprise - less stringent; and (b) the seperate GB rating (whose sole purpose is to mislead me about the product's environmental credentials) will have imposed an extra cost that I will have paid. Another Brexit dividend!
I am not an expert on this but I think (from looking at the information from various organisations working on energy saving) that you have this the wrong way round.
The A++ system is the old system that existed in both the UK and EU for many years. The A to G system is the new system that is being introduced both in the UK and the EU.
So are we giving them more time to change the labelling than the EU is? Presumably they wouldn't have bothered to put seperate energy ratings on unless they have to or felt there was some advantage in showing A++ still here. Although I note that even when the rules are harmonised again they will apparently still have to print two labels, showing the same thing, one with a UK flag and one with the EU flag. Presumably tested twice too? What a colossal waste of time and money.
Well no. Since you are so fanatically desperate for everything to be about the EU and Brexit you haven't even bothered to find out that the energy standards for light bulbs are not even an EU derived regulation. They are an international standard set by the International Electrotechnical Commission. All the signatory countries/organisations are party to the decisions and the only thing that has changed since Brexit is that the UK now has its own seat at the table rather than that being decided on our behalf by the EU.
But we get our own entirely pointless seperate label thanks to Brexit so that's a big win.
No we get to take part in the actual decision making rather than having that done by some EU official on 'our behalf'.
That is the win.
And you think the rest of the world is going to pay attention to us, a tiny market in terms of global trade? Wouldn't it be better to be an influential member within a group of like minded countries who together constitute the world's largest single market and who are as a result the most influential in setting global standards, rather than spending more money to attend in person as a minor player?
Actually the world's largest single market is the United States and actually with regards to services the EU single market never really existed anyway.
Apparently over $100 billion has been spent on autonomous car development.
No wonder the companies are so keen to persuade the gullible they've developed some magic sauce.
It’s a classic example of something that turned out to be way more difficult than imagined, a “99% there” problem, where most of the money is yet to be spent.
The solution is now much more likely to involve reconstruction of the existing roads, or building new towns around autonomous transport with grade separations and traffic lights.
Senior car execs have been duped by the techies - could it be they are too used to being chauffeured around to appreciate the complexities of driving?
It’s a combination of a decade of cheap money, and the (utopian tech bro) idea that one company would end up dominating the space, where in future millions of automated taxis would replace traditional private transport. The likes of Google, Apple, and Tesla, had access to plenty of VC money, and GM felt they had to get either involved or miss out.
The most difficult bit, as we’ve discussed on here many times before, is where the technology can do most of the driving, but can and will disengage itself at short notice, meaning that the human needs to stay awake and alert at all times - something which humans find quite difficult, even the professional test drivers.
Meanwhile, that old favourite of new car technology, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, has what looks to be the best system deployed so far in the new 2024 model, with very little hype. It’s a “Level 3” system up to 40mph, meaning the car drives itself and Mercedes are insured for any damage it causes. https://carbuzz.com/news/mercedes-announces-first-level-3-self-driving-for-s-class-and-eqs-sedan You can’t use it to drop the kids at school or collect you from the pub yet though, which is what most people think a self-driving car should be able to do, a taxi without the human driver.
BIB: Mick Lynch just texted me to say that is why train drivers get paid so much. Their job is to maintain concentration through 99.999 per cent tedium so they can react instantly to obstructions.
Whereas bus drivers can be paid about half train drivers because all they do is collect the fares, act as the police force, do social care for the elderly and drive the bus, 100% attention all the time, on roads full of drunks, druggies, under age bikers, boys showing off and delivery drivers double parking.
Indeed. My bus driver mate always said that if they don't want to pay their fares, that's fine because he doesn't want to get stabbed over 50p.
That said, what car-driving PBers might not have noticed is there are lots of lady bus drivers nowadays, thanks mainly to power steering.
There are a few lady train drivers nowadays, too.
On steam locomotives too!
Really? Diesels I can understand, but steam train driving is a rather mucky job.
Yes. There are female drivers and firepersons* on the Keighley and Woorth Valley Railway.
*Female firemen doesn't sound right, but neither does firewomen or firepersons. Maybe "coal shovelers"?
Footplate staff covers all eventualities.
The problem is that 'footplate staff' includes both driver and fireman, which are somewhat different roles, with different amounts of prestige. Woe betide anyone calling a top-link driver a 'fireman'.
There is a traditional hierarchy with steam engines, going back 200 years. Put simply, you may start as a young lad as a firelighter, become a cleaner; learn about the loco whilst cleaning it. After a few years if you do well or have the right contacts, you become a fireman. Then after another few years, you may become a driver. Each step on the ladder builds on knowledge gained in the last, along with tests.
This hierarchy has persisted onto preserved steam railways. It makes sense in a way, but also puts tremendous power in the gatekeepers who say who is a passed fireman/driver.
It’s funny how apes will assemble themselves into a hierarchy without much external pressure.
Becoming an expert is one of the better ways. I am amazed at the job satisfaction that comes when you tell somebody really high up that they're mistaken and then prove it in a way that makes sense to them.
Problem is of course is that the latter bit is really hard...
Yeah, I'd noticed when trying to explain their colossal safeguarding failures to OFSTED.
It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.
Spielman is a woman, and the key problem is (was) that her self-esteem depended on her not realising what a colossal disaster she has been on every level.
I was using the Upton Sinclair quote in the sense of “man” = human.
It seems to me that if she realised and admitted her mistakes, then her job and salary would cease. Which is the point that Sinclair was making, I think.
No we get to take part in the actual decision making rather than having that done by some EU official on 'our behalf'.
That is the win.
Except we don't
The "decision" we took is to have an entirely useless redundant label, while keeping the one "some EU official" deems necessary.
BIG fucking win...
So your argument is actually that we should have left the EU earlier so we weren't having to follow these EU decisions. Glad to see you have come round to agreeing with Brexit old man.
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Edit - beaten by @viewcode! What a victory against the odds!
It seems to me that if she realised and admitted her mistakes, then her job and salary would cease. Which is the point that Sinclair was making, I think.