Unthreaded
Saloni on Twitter: "People have sent me this article by @GeorgeMonbiot apparently refuting the chapter on Environmentalism in Enlightenment Now. https://t.co/qhw7nquQxp Since I was bored, I decided to check through it – I don't think Monbiot has properly refuted SP. (thread)"
https://mobile.twitter.com/salonium/status/974087548208406528

It's almost 8 months since the BBC reported on a special expedition to Pacific plastic patch
So they won't be able to resist going ape over this new one
ALL-FEMALE CREW TO SAIL NORTH PACIFIC GYRE ON A PIONEERING JOURNEY TO INVESTIGATE THE CRISIS OF OCEAN PLASTICS

"Changing environment influenced human evolution"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43401157
""[Technologically], things changed very slowly, if at all, over hundreds of thousands of years," he said.
Then, roughly 500,000 years ago, something did change.
A period of tectonic upheaval and erratic climate conditions swept across the region, and there is a 180,000 year interruption in the geological record due to erosion.
It was not only the landscape that altered, but also the plant and animal life in the region - transforming the resources available to our early ancestors."
"When the record resumes, the way of life of these early humans has completely changed.
"The speed of the transition is really remarkable," Dr Potts said. "Sometime in that [gap] there was a switch, a very rapid period of evolution.""
And much more in similar vein - so, rapid (non-man-made) climate change occurred, and it was hugely beneficial to human progress. But there's no joining the dots regarding the current, apparently man-made, climate change...

Tommy Robinson removed from Speakers’ Corner by uniformed police state thugs. The entire UK establishment is terrified of Muslims
How long will Tommy last [Live?]? - many comments
Tommy uses "totalitarian" to describe UK Gov't - I have used same word. Are we correct?

BBC and Police Play Down Telford Child Rape Scandal, Slam ‘Unhelpful Headlines’
In their report, the BBC also sought to question the claims of local Tory MP Lucy Allan that victims were mainly white, working-class girls and the officer they quoted suggested white people were equally guilty of child sex crimes.
Rather than focus on the dozens of victims who have come forward, the UK’s national broadcaster instead led with the words of West Mercia Police Superintendent Tom Harding, who said the force “significantly disputed” the number of girls attacked
‘Unhelpful Headlines’ - unhelpful to who? for what?

Times : YouTube has a new magic way to guard against FakeNews videos
..When it detects a contentious topic ..links will be added next to it to Wikipedia articles which will put you right
(cos as we all know Wikip articles are written by honest and logical people, not zealots with an agenda /sarc)
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Magic solar panel
Chinese have invented a panel that can harvest the kinetic energy from raindrops
..yeh right
===
Immigration issues
Sarah Woolaston MP says it is outrageous that although patient records are private, when a foreign person comes in, their address records are shared with the immigration dept for cross checking
I don't see a problem with this ..it's only like the way when you claim for free dental treatment cos you are on benefit, they check with the Social Security computer.
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A young biologist a few years ago was feted by Silicon Valley journos and BBC for her bloodtest on a chip corp
..except she'd faked progress reports etc.
So now it's being called a $700m fraud
2 new BBC stories
"Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes charged with $700m fraud"
"Bad blood: The rise and fall of Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes"
On Wednesday the illusion finally shattered as she lost control of the firm and was fined $500,000.
a previous BBC report
14 Aug 2014 "The 30-year-old health sector billionaire"

"The main span was built next to Southwest 8th Street using Accelerated Bridge Construction methods being researched at FIU’s Accelerated
Bridge Construction University Transportation Center."
"These methods reduce potential risks to workers, commuters and pedestrians and minimize traffic interruptions."

Idiot politicians are always saying UK needs to be a "leader" a "pioneer" in new tech
See what just happened in the Florid bridge disaster
They tweeted last week
\\ First-of-its-kind pedestrian bridge “swings” into place.
“FIU is about building bridges and student safety.
This project accomplishes our mission beautifully,”
-President Mark B. Rosenberg.
http://bit.ly/2IihmUm #worldsahead //
Last week they loaded the entire span onto the pillars, but there is no indication of the towers and suspension cables that are in the model drawings...as if they'd not done this part yet
..so today that span just dropped down on the highway.

Mark Hodgson
Harrabin is quite poisonous imho. People tend to forget that he has an official pan-BBC remit and in the moments when I hear BBC commentators and newsreaders opining on eco AGW issues on an assortment of streams I have detected traces of the man's fairly distinctive writing style in their scripts.
One aspect of the man's antics that he rarely fronts is his activity in the area of Public Health (vs. "The Environment") - he has been an active agitator for increased emphasis in BBC coverage on "Public Health" issues - I suspect he might get get an extended job title at some stage which will bring his wisdom to the fore in the public space.... can't wait....

Mar 15, 2018 at 11:17 PM | stewgreen
Re Sarah Woolaston
Of course the EU countries do this with each other as a matter of course in reclaiming the cost of treating non-residents from other member states. If you want privacy don't fall ill whilst visiting an EU country.