Well, it is something I do, not often, but when something I have read, maybe in the news analysis on here or in the press prompts me. I actually still buy a Daily Telegraph occasionally, mainly to get the TV review page on a Saturday or do the prize crossword (which I have never completed, in fact probably 5 clues solved is my best).
Anyway, I was going back through my “history” on my Ipad recently and was surprised by the cryptic titles to see where my stray thoughts or impulses had lead me. I’ll give you a few samples:
“How did the English Greens do”?
“Where is tea grown… the top 62…”
“Developing a hydrogen economy…”
“Results legal enquiry into press hacking” followed by “Lord Justice Leveson delivers…”
and Breitbart’s commentary on the dismissal of the Trent University chaplain for LGBT transgressions – advising students’ right to criticise.
I won’t start with the Greens’ doings, but first mention an item I saw in the Saturday 8th May DT entitled “This political revolution is bigger than Brexit” written by Sherelle Jacobs. Sherelle was “abroad” in Hartlepool chatting to some residents; she spoke to one and “asked her if Brexit was an important issue. She looked at me with pitying puzzlement. ‘No my dear , Boris got Brexit done, remember? It’s time to prosper and move on’” She says she had similar conversations time and time again in the run up to the election in Hartlepool.
The reason for my interest: I believe those voters and many others up and down the country who voted for the “Boris get it done deal” approve him for doing just that, whether it was a dirty deal or not. They are just not interested, they have not the slightest inkling that, as Ralph Prothero often points out, it is a sell-out. The “agreed trade deal” actually means we are still bound to the EU and will have difficulty doing free trade deals around the globe.
“How did the Greens do”?
Well, very well, according to them! And I tend to agree.
It appears to me that rather than operating on the edges they are becoming more mainstream and “bulking out.” They now have representation in 55 councils etc. across the country, not heavily, still only ones and twos, but some four and sixes and there is even one with nine. What alarms me is not particularly the numbers, but just the fact that they are “there” at local levels. The poison of Green Blobbery is meant to be at national level, not in the remit of normal local councillors. And as for their representation in Scotland – words fail me.
“Where is tea grown – the top 62 countries and quantities”
There’s not much need for an explanation for this one when we remember the item in Debbie’s Daily News Review where we were told there was deadly danger to the much-loved cuppa, particularly by us and the Yanks, due to – you`ve guessed it – GW. Obviously my and many others reactions were, well, we`ll just have to buy it from somewhere else, won’t we? Of course we will and my web site search quickly led me to the solution. I found a lovely little site called Tea How, for the love of tea. Not only do they list the top 62 sites, but they even offer tips on growing your own! Do drop in on them for a cuppa, you should find them on teahow.com.
“Results legal enquiry into press hacking” followed by “Lord Justice Leveson delivers…”
Do you know, quite honestly I cannot remember what led me to this dreary enquiry (perhaps they all suffer similarly) but this should also be tied in with a comment I found in the Telegraph that MPs had not forgiven the press for their expenses campaign. Could that perhaps explain the press’s apparent complete capitulation to the government? To be quite honest the press had got above themselves in I believe Leveson’s words were a “deplorable” way.
That the press have now got their comeuppance is a great loss to democracy in that they no longer question the government in any way and have let pass the government’s assumption of control in the guise of Covid legislation and even worse they are encouraging the government’s green escapade.
And finally to the latest bee in my titfer.
There have been various articles in ID just lately by Julian Flood and now Roger Arthur, dealing with various aspects. Essentially, if we are going all electric, where is the additional power to come from? Particularly when the green alternatives of wind and solar have inherent weaknesses, namely “days of no wind” and nights of no sun or winds. There are alternative suggestions such as SMRs (Small Modular Reactors). Some say tidal power, others say compressed natural gas obtained from fracking sources.
Personally, I have seen Hydrogen suggested and I do know that a leading German car manufacturer is still working on that development. However, just lately I have been bombarded by a share tipster organisation advising me that Elon Musk of the leading electric car fame Tesla has apparently thrown up his arms in despair and advised that he believes the future is a sort of reduced capacity rocket fuel said to be based on the normal household aid ammonia. To be honest I got the big can of Saxa salt out – somebody is having me on! Not so. I typed into my browser “Could cars run on ammonia?”
Up came headings:
“Cars running on ammonia? It’s more likely than you think”
“Pair claim they can make ammonia to fuel cars for just 20…”
“Portable ammonia factories could fuel clean cars/New Scientist”
“Combatting climate change with ammonia fueled vehicles”
“NH3 Car = that`s ammonia folks!”
And then I came to “The Am/Veh an ammonia fueled car from South Korea.” They already had one running, at least part gasoline and part ammonia and apparently were confident they could move to full ammonia.
It is understood that ammonia cracking is a power costly business, long and messy, but it appears that a firm in Ontario, Canada, has been working on a much less costly solution using wind and solar power. Those two fuels not only suffer from reduced production, but there are also occasions when they are going full belt and the grid has no use for them and that energy goes to waste. It is suggested that that power is harnessed to make ammonia to be stored as liquid energy like gasoline in batteries (tanks) and could be used fairly easily in “spark engined cars.” It would also appear one of the early uses will be in mammoth engined ships, which are currently under the cosh to clean up their act by an early date.
I would love to hear an evaluation from somebody on here who is far more technically equipped than me.
I believe there’s something in it. Do you?
Photo by jesse1dog 
Oh I do wish I had kept up with my interest in chemistry when I was young! But I always hated the smell of ammonia so I guess World Fame was never going to be on the cards for me!!!!!!! Lol!
I reckon the ‘tea scare’ was set up to re-balance the current obsession with designer coffee and ever more intricate home barista coffee machines! As I understand that tea plants are relatives of the camellia perhaps there is something in the possibility of growing our own!!! two leaves and a bud anyone?
No seriously Roger, I was most interested in your thought processes. It irritates me intensely that people should seem to be convinced that Boris Johnson was some kind of saviour for ‘getting BREXIT done’. If that is the reason why people still seem to be voting for the CONservatives and giving BJ ideas above his pay grade I cant wait for the denouement to arrive (as it surely will before too much longer!).
Surely my YORKSHIRE TEA bags are grown in Yorkshire ?!? Oh. No. It was Grapes the Romans were able to grow as far north as Yorkshire.
Thank you Roger Turner for this very interesting article.
Ammonia is highly flammable and carbon free like hydrogen.
But also deadly poisonous and smelly, unllke hydrogen.
Can be liquified. A whole new infrastructure would be required.
Ammonia and hydrogen are dead ends. Expensive, dangerous to transport and store.
Several car manufacturers have developed cars to run on both of these fuels and then abandoned them.
I suppose `ask a silly question` one can expect a silly answer.
You are a most obliging fellow Harrynotagain.
And bless me, here you are again, the very antithesis of initiative, enterprise and forward thinking.
Perhaps Donald Tusk was right…………`there is a special place reserved…………
Roger. Does H.A. even know what carbon is? Does he know what carbon dioxide is? Let alone hydrogen and ammonia!
Perhaps he thinks it’s that piece of paper that allows you to repeat the same old rubbish, that he calls “information” in multiple print
Mind you there is one problem with ammonia -that is the smell, apparently the remedy is washing with vinegar in domestic circles
I would be interested to know how it is dealt with industrially
Am I right in thinking liquid pig manure some farmers spread on the fields has an ammonia content ? If so it smells for miles
Mind you that from cows can be pretty whiffs!