natural gas extraction - hydraulic fracturing.

     Since the discovery of massive amounts of shale gas in the U.K. I have been curious as to the extent of damage to the environment by hydraulic fracturing.  Having a strong conviction that there are few truthful official sources of news coming out of the country, when someone can make a bob or two at our expense, and here I include the BBC's coverage of nuclear power and accidents which I, personally, would find laughable if it wasn't so sinister, I was grateful to come across the review in Grist of the best green films in 2010.  This included a film called  Gasland by the avant garde filmmaker, Josh Fox, who grew up in Pennsylvania on a gas rich shale formation and has chronicled the impact of natural gas extraction known as hydraulic fracturing, on the American landscape.
     It's a very good review and if you live in the North West of England and haven't read it yet, I would strongly recommend it  http://www.grist.org/article/2010-01-29-the-best-green-films-at-sundance  as I would also strongly recommend a visit to the Gasland website  http://gaslandthemovie.com/
     These people have already walked the walk.  And yes, if you read the review in Grist, there is the famous clip of flames coming out of the drinking water tap.  It lasts around 15 seconds and it is spectacular!
    There are much better wind turbines on the way, with far higher energy output and much quieter and safer.  We have solar power.  Just for once, wouldn't be lovely if people cared about people and made a future we could look forward to leaving to the next generations?

Train drivers in Japan ask for your help.

Years ago when I wrote "Everyone Can be a herO",  I envisaged that train drivers would be some of the people who might be at risk during and after a nuclear accident and wrote this into the story.
Sadly, even this is coming true, but we can do something about it if we are prepared to stand up for the Japanese rail drivers when they need international support.  Please could you pass the message on to other people. This isn't fiction, this is real.
  There is a link to their attachment which I have placed at the end of their letter which explains in full the situation they find they are in.

----- Original Message -----

From: international doro-chiba

To: doro-chiba-international@auone.jp

Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2011 7:01 PM

Subject: Doro-Chiba QR#34: strike against radioactive workplace

Dear Friends,

Japanese rail workers launched a historic strike against radioactive exposure of train crews and passengers. "We are not slaves of the Government and Tepco. Refuse to be exposed to high radiation from Fukusima Daiichi!"

Please forward this email as widely as possible, send protest messages to the Japanese government’s email form below and organize anti-nuke struggle all around the world.

https://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/forms/comment_ssl.html

And please read and fill the attached endorsement form of November 6 rally and send back to us.

In Solidarity,

International Labor Solidarity Committee of Doro-Chiba

http://www.doro-chiba.org/english/english.htm

These are the two attachments:  The first one explains the situation the drivers are in  far more fully.

Doro-ChibaQR_034.pdf, Endorsement_to_Nov_6_Rally.doc   in English.

Thank you.

Skulking in the bookshop

Unless I've got it wrong and I'm quite good at that, I should be in the Barnet Waterstone's in Hertfordshire, tomorrow between 11.30am and 3.00 pm, gripping a pen or fumbling with it in order to sign copies of "Everyone Can be a herO"... I'm not expecting to sign that many (!) but if you want to come and have a look at how we made the covers, because they are fun and very eco or find out about some of the characters, or talk about the weather, you'll find me skulking somewhere amongst their real books written by well known authors.
Come to think of it, that's not such a bad way to spend a few hours!
(The branch is in The Spires, which is off the High Street and runs up to Stapylton Road, opposite the library, )

Revolutionary wind power design can triple output. Where is the news coverage?????

  Have you seen anything about this new cheaper, logical, simple, safe, elegant wind turbine invented in Japan in the main papers?...  I just wondered if I had missed some, because this is a simple idea which has been shown to triple energy output and the turbines can be floated on hexagonal bases offshore and they even cut down on noise.  So why aren't any of the national newspapers even mentioning it?.... There are loads of references in smaller eco friendly journals but I didn't even know about it until Eco-tube emailed me with the video. http://www.eco-tube.com/v/ENERGY/New_Wind_Power_cheaper_than_nuclear.aspx  
O.K. SO this is probably the best invention in years, and even if our national press apparently don't want to mention anything that isn't nuclear or massive biomass, or gas..  and if you think the same as I do about it, well, why not pass the message on.  People power doesn't have to rely on the press, they proved that in Italy... so here is another reference for you from those I found on the internet, http://www.geekosystem.com/japanese-wind-power/
You can read about it as well, on the Geeko link if you don't want to run the video.
Geeko amazingly brings a comment  from someone about a new wind turbine being developed in Canada which works on the jet engine system and can run at much higher wind speeds than was possible.. " load was completely removed from the generator at 80 mph wind speed with no damage"  and it runs at lows speeds too..go to:
http://www.vortexwindfunnel.com/
there is a video as well, which shows it in action... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v..

Have fun! !

Sometimes you write it = and then it happens.

     When I wrote "Everyone Can be a herO" I hoped that there wouldn't be another major disaster in the  nuclear power industry.... It seemed pretty unlikely because there have been quite a few accidents which I, for one, would never have heard about if I hadn't started to research them... However, we all know about Fukushima. 
    Much nuclear contamination won't go away for millions of years..there is still the problem of the nuclear waste we are allowing to be built up.  This is one of the things the kids in the book have to face.  Our waste.. their inheritance.
     I thought that there would still be decent kids around, however, like today, and they would be kids who couldn't see any point in violence and just wanted to have fun, look out for their friends, and have a sustainable future.
    It's up to us whether or not they do.
 http:// www.insideoutsider.co.uk

Breakthrough in wind turbines from Japan

     A new wind turbine which could triple the power of offshore wind turbines has been developed in Japan.. It's a revolutionary design. I first received the news from ecotube.com  http://www.eco-tube.com/v/ENERGY/New_Wind_Power_cheaper_than_nuclear.aspx     They email out links for some of the best eco videos they encounter.
     You can also read more about it at http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/08/japan-has-wind-lens-turbine-design-that.html  and see the video from the university.
     This new wind turbine would, I guess, make wind power much cheaper than nuclear. Apparently it cuts down the noise problem as well and is safer.   It was lovely to hear such positive news from Japan.  There are more references on the internet and another short link is  http://skimthat.com/article/2703/japanase-breakthrough-for-wind-turbines
This is the wind of change!
.