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A few sites I've stumbled across recently....

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And a list of sorts (pun intended) is here

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/location_of_every_post_box_that

but the list is not much use so this site is where users add the proper locations

Apr 27, 2011 at 6:03 PM | Unregistered CommenterBreath of Fresh Air

Ref Postboxes, what makes it even more idiotic is the data is available but at a price.

1. There are currently 668,430 common points of detail with the same map feature code as Royal Mail post boxes. Of these points, Royal Mail post boxes are annotated by the letters 'LB'(for Letter Box) within our large scale database, now OS MasterMap and not Land-Line. As this information is reasonably accessible to you by other means by using our Point X product, even though accessible only on payment, this part of your request is exempt under section 21 (2) (a) for the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/aboutus/foi/questions/2008/0023.html

Apr 27, 2011 at 5:57 PM | Unregistered CommenterBreath of Fresh Air

@ matthu, 4.00 pm.
Of course the positions of post boxes are a state secret - that's why they are painted a prominent scarlet colour. If everybody knew where they were, people would start posting things, giving postmen something to do and the Post Office something to deliver instead of ever-increasing amounts of junk mail for kerbside collection operatives to dispose of. ( Yet another example of Labour's make-work racketsat the taxpayers expense). Actually having to collect, sort and deliver letters would blow an almighty hole in the Core Strategy, which, as far as I can see, is to provide as little service to the general public as is possible whilst maintaining a facade for ever-more Government subsidy. The "Yes Minister" episode featuring a fully staffed hospital with no patients does in fact demonstrate the ultimate desire of every public funded body - to, "Be busily doing nothing, working the whole day through, Trying so hard to find things not to do." /rant off

Apr 27, 2011 at 5:07 PM | Unregistered CommenterGrumpy Old Man

Today's Scotsman has a couple of articles on how long it takes for CO2 to dissipate based on the recent article from Gabriel Bowen at Purdue University:

"It will take long time for the carbon dioxide to go away again. 50,000 years may be fast in geological time but it still slow by human standards." Professor Simon Tett, chair of earth system dynamics at Edinburgh University. Simon Tett is a Climategate correspondent.

The print edition is complete with 'A victim of global warming isolated on an iceberg . . .the perpetrator is man . . . " you know the picture of a polar bear atop a lonely iceflow!

Article: http://news.scotsman.com/environment/World-will-recover-from-warming.6758405.jp
Comment by Simon Tett: http://news.scotsman.com/environment/Analysis-Plain-truth-is-carbon.6758403.jp
WUWT report: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/04/22/new-study-earth-may-be-able-to-recover-from-rising-carbon-dioxide-emissions-faster-than-previously-thought/

Apr 27, 2011 at 2:24 PM | Unregistered CommenterCameron Rose

More Grauniad hypocrisy

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/apr/26/bp-oil-spill-oil

"The anniversary of the BP Deepwater oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has come and gone, but many questions remain unanswered, not least who was to blame for what? Now, thanks to Greenpeace, you can play a part in finding some answers.

Greenpeace have been using freedom of information laws to gather as many previously confidential documents as possible. They have now amassed 30,000 pages worth,"

FOI requests for climate data, bad. FOI requests against oil companies, good.

Apr 26, 2011 at 1:34 PM | Unregistered CommenterAtomic Hairdryer

Further to Booker's recent pieces about the uselessness of wind farms and the likely early decommissioning of large power stations, I notice that Lidl currently has a 3kW generator on sale for under £200. If it's a reaction to the recent shenanigans back home in Germany, they're certainly quick off the mark!

Apr 26, 2011 at 11:51 AM | Unregistered CommenterJames P

More carbon shell games

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/25/carbon-cuts-developed-countries-cancelled

"Cuts in carbon emissions by developed countries since 1990 have been cancelled out many times over by increases in imported goods from developing countries such as China, according to the most comprehensive global figures ever compiled."

Well duh. Combination of high costs and high regulatory burden from environmental policies (amongst other things) and what did people expect? Why did our steel production offshore? Why did the owners get to keep their carbon credits?

"Environmental campaigners have long argued that global carbon accounting should be based on consumption rather than production of goods and services. One barrier to implementing such a system is the huge challenge of accurately monitoring the flow of emissions embodied in traded goods."

I'm sure someone will be along real soon now to suggest a new way to handle carbon accounting, for a small fee. Wonder if environmental campaigners will realise most of the carbon emissions occur during production and that's also where savings should occur. This seems a 'polluter offsets' rather than 'polluter pays' mechanism. Not sure China or India would like or dislike this idea, they may if it reduces their carbon liability, they may not if it harms their exports.

Apr 26, 2011 at 11:07 AM | Unregistered CommenterAtomic Hairdryer

It seems Nature Magazine screwed up last year when it claimed that phytoplankton had seen a 50% decline (because of global warming):

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/04/25/the-ocean-wins-again/

A Google search on Nature Magazine phytoplankton still brings up all the old references - including one where this claim was reported by the BBC so it will be interesting to see how long it takes for the BBC to publicise the retraction.

Apr 26, 2011 at 7:28 AM | Unregistered Commentermatthu

Wikileaks accuses BBC of possible bias

A phone number of someone at the BBC was found in phone books and programmed into the mobile phones of a number of militants seized by the Americans.

The BBC number listed on the file is now dead, but the revelation could further dent the broadcaster’ reputation for impartiality. It has for years faced claims it is biased towards the left.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1380498/Wikileaks-accuses-BBC-possible-propaganda-media-network-Al-Qaeda.html

Apr 25, 2011 at 9:52 PM | Unregistered Commentermatthu

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