Tag: Climate Change

It caught my eye… 5 -2025

MikeLeave a comment

I am in the process of clearing up the piles of papers in my study and came across an old article (2009) about Cinerama, a forerunner of today’s IMAX. Cinerama was a great idea at the time that sadly did not catch on, but not before it brought a travelling Cinema (in a tent – like a Circus) to the UK and a number of other European countries.

Making a new search on the web this week led me to find a few new links about Cinerama, including one about a young (at the time) Junior Projectionist who worked at the UK travelling Cinerama during the mid 1960’s in the UK.

I remember going to see a show when it was in Paignton (we lived in Plymouth), an amazing film experience. But sadly, no more. Though, you can still be able to see some Cinerama films at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford.

Keeping on the theme of Cinema, it was great to Medicinema win an award at the 2025 BAFTA’s.

I had not heard of this organisation before seeing this year’s BAFTA’s awards. Good to see how Cinema can be used as part of recovery during a stay in Hospital.

In a new study from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) current has not declined in the last 60 years. Despite the fact that no one seems to still be able to predict if it will suddenly collapse or not.

It just goes to show how difficult it is to accurately predict climate change, and particularly how the impact of it will at some stage affect us all.

For me, the Ocean Currents hold the secret to what will happen, so it’s important that we pay attention to all the details that these studies contain.

It caught my eye… 6-2024

MikeLeave a comment

Amazingly, the list of cities around the world that are literally sinking is increasing dramatically. This is due to a number of reasons, mainly related to Environmental changes that are affecting the ground on which have been built over the years of their existence.

In a recent report, The World Economic Forum cited 11 cities that could entirely disappear by 2100. It’s not a problem confined to one area, it seems to be a world-wide problem from Bangladesh to Egypt and Houston, USA. The USA is also covered more deeply in this Newsweek report using data from NASA images.

This one definitely caught my eye, having been in the Navy I always like to keep up to date with any changes that are happening, this one is significant.

With HMS Vengeance having just returned from its epic 201-day mission under the sea, this Technical Briefing from Navy Lookout just shows how the underwater threat has changed over recent years. It is going to change further and faster as more nations deploy their own submarines. If you’re interested in this aspect of our defence, it’s worth a read, including the comments.

2nd May 2024 and local elections are looming. But could it also be a snap General Election? Make sure that you have done everything you need to obtain your Voter ID.

The Electoral Commission has full information about this. There is a deadline to obtain a valid Voter ID, it’s 24th April 2024. Don’t delay.

It caught my eye… 5-2024

MikeLeave a comment

In one of my past roles I was involved with multilingual dictionary production and even attended a lexicography conference in Lorient, France in 2004.

So it was surprising to read this article in the Guardian about Disappearing tongues: the endangered language crisis. It’s one of their long-reads, but worthwhile seeing where the world’s languages are heading.

Seems that the ever-changing climate of earth is continuing to affect all aspects of life, including the oceans fish population. Reported on Earth.com, it appears that the world’s oceans are losing their ability to sustain plankton.

Being at the bottom of the ocean food-chain, this is a worrying development.

There’s nothing like a dish of lovely Risotto to satisfy an empty stomach. However, not all is well in the rice fields of the Po Valley in northern Italy where Arborio and Carnaroli rice, the most suited to Risotto are grown.

Recovery from recent droughts will take some time and it appears that other rice varieties being trialled just can’t offer the same quality of dish.

Having spent some thirty minutes on the phone to my own water company, Thames Water, about a 30% increase in my monthly payments, I am not surprised to read that I am not alone in thinking what this report says.

Seems to me that we are not getting enough regulation from OFWAT or the UK Government about this subject

It caught my eye… 3-2024

MikeLeave a comment

Physician Associates (PA’s) seem to be a big topic in the mainstream media at the moment, with some questions being asked about the potential of replacing doctors.

Various arguments for and against have also been put forward to about PA’s being used to fill the shortfall in recruitment of new trainee doctors.

There is still some confusion about their role in the wider medical environment. However, an article about PA’s and their roles at the Reading NHS Foundation Trust makes for interesting reading.

News this week indicates that the search for missing sailor Simon Parkes, who disappeared 31 years ago in Gibraltar while serving on HMS Illustrious, has restarted as Police investigate a car park in Gibraltar.

The investigation into Simon Parkes disappearance has also been linked to serial killer Allan Grimson who was serving on HMS Illustrious as a Petty Officer at the same time. He was subsequently jailed for the murder of two other men, one of which was also a sailor serving on HMS Edinburgh at the time of his death. Let’s hope this mystery is cleared up finally.

It seems from figures emerging that 2023 was a very hot year indeed. The UK according to various researchers had its second-hottest year on record.

Reports from around the world back up the ongoing warming of the planet and shows no sign of abating. For example, meteorologists in Australia have already warning about massive increases in temperatures across a lot of the country for this week.

It seems, from various sources, that if we have not already passed it; we are certainly close to passing the point of no return for more massive changes in the Earth’s climate.

It caught my eye… 2-2024

MikeLeave a comment

Wow!! What a lot of rain over the past few weeks and it seems that we have another example of climate change. That of course is no help to the people are having to bail out their homes from the latest inundation of flood water. Help from Citizens Advice is available.

As the chart on the left shows (click to get a bigger version), the planets’ climate is continuing to change, is it approaching the point of no return? One hope not for all our sakes.

With the sad news that Derek Draper has died today at the young age of 56, Long-Covid continues to cast its shadow over many people.

A recent report indicated that, even in people that have recovered to some degree, they are still affected by it when trying to exercise to get back to full health. If you’re suffering from Long-Covid, here’s a Long Covid recovery guide from the British Heart Foundation.

With Solar flare activity increasing and intensifying—see the recent Northern Lights magnificent shows, another effect of solar flares you may have personally experienced is interference in terrestrial broadcast TV and Radio signals. I have here in the last few weeks.

Italy could soon have a solution to this as a side-benefit to its requirement to provide a reliable TV/Radio signal across all of its regions, in particular the most mountainous areas, by having an internet fall-back. It makes interesting reading and compares how a few other countries are progressing.

It caught my eye… 6–2023

MikeLeave a comment

According to press reports, The Guardian, The FT, This is Money; Thames Water could be about to run out of money!

I thought the whole idea of privatization was that it was going to be better for all!

Funny how things turn out.

The UK Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) confirms plans to check bank accounts to stop £1.3 billion in benefit fraud. In an update to legislation, the UK Government has giving itself the power to look into all UK citizens banks account that receive state benefits!

Big Brother on the march, again! Why not look at the UK.Gov?

A very written article about this very subject — How the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill is the government’s latest erosion of hard-won rights!

With Climate change high on the agenda at the moment and with COP28 taking place in Dubai, it is interesting to learn that Scientists in Scotland are using robotic subsea gliders to check ocean currents for signs of climate collapse.

They are monitoring the “conveyor belt” which carries warm and cool water between the Caribbean and the Arctic.

Let’s hope that they find out what’s happening soon.

Acapulco Hurricane – What!

MikeLeave a comment
Photograph: Francisco Robles/AFP/Getty Images

In an incident that seems to have been initially passed by the mainstream media, a category 5 Hurricane has devastated Acapulco last week.

It was a news story that was of interest to me, as I visited Acapulco some 40 years ago for a long weekend while working in Mexico City for six weeks.

It certainly looked an interesting place then, that has obviously changed tremendously over those years.

Here are some links that I found that are starting to show some devastation resulting from the Hurricane.

The Independent – Acapulco hotel guest describes terror of ‘nightmare’ Hurricane Otis

WION – Damage and distress in Mexico’s Acapulco as Hurricane Otis batters beach resort

CNN – Before-and-after shows devastation from Category 5 Hurricane Otis in Mexico

REUTERS – Hurricane Otis pummels Mexico’s Acapulco, cutting off famous beach resort

BBC – Hurricane Otis smashes into Mexico coast

Climate Change – It’s happening!

MikeLeave a comment

With the news that grasses has been found growing on the lower slopes of Mount Everest and with the Aussie bush fires about to enter a new cycle with the return of increasing temperatures and winds; it’s pretty obvious to anyone with an ounce of intelligence that something is happening to our climate and at an increasingly fast pace.

Copyrights – Karen Anderson/University of Exeter (Mount Everest); Copernicus Sentinel 2 (31Dec2019), Getty Images (Burnt Forest)

I wonder how long it will be before Governments really start to take serious actions now and not by looking to reduce carbon commissions variously in the next 10/20/30 years.

I think it is time for action now.

Aussie Fires

MikeLeave a comment

What devastation we are seeing on our screens!! Who knew that fires could travel so fast? Having a connection with Australia makes it all the more sad to see the carnage that is happening all over the country, especially in New South Wales (NSW) where my fathers family hailed from.

Photo: A hot and parched Australian landscape is fuelling devastating bushfires on the east coast. – Copyright http://www.abc.net.au & (AAP: Dean Lewins )

Lets hope they can get the situation under control soon.