Gas Prices

It has been announced today by British Gas that their prices are going up by a staggering thirty-five percent. Now while I realise that energy costs are increasing, I can not see how an increase of this size can be justified.

One of the aspect in the report that I heard that caught my attention was that this single increase will have the effect of raising the British inflation rate by one percent.

There is an irony that this should have been announced as yesterday when returning home I passed by a location where there used to be four gas holders. They are now gone and the land has been developed into housing. As one of the reasons why the UK is so at risk of seeing the effects in the roller coaster ride that is the international gas market is we no longer have the gas holders that were used to store gas. They were sold for housing development and to increase the dividends paid to the shareholders. That very short sighted logic we are all now having to pay the price of.

Further, while at Teesmouth I saw one of the first gas fired power stations that generates our electricity. Before they were built, Britain had gas stocks of North Sea Gas that were going to last until 2075 Now they will last only ten years if that. We now all pay the price for cheap electricity.

Buses, Interesting Places and Foreign Food

Over the weekend just gone there were changes to the local buses. While nothing significant regarding the places I need to get to, or the times today was the first time I had need to use the amended service. I had to travel into Consett for some shopping and first aspect that I noticed was as the bus went through Shotley Bridge it turned off to the left. This took the bus into the heart of that village instead of it going along the lower part of the village. While I hadn't yet explored this part of the village I was wowed by just how attractive it is and the architecture. I will have to make some time to explore. For me this change is an improvement as it creates access to a new location for me, and judging by the increase in the number of passengers on the return, now provides a service that was needed.

It was funny, as yesterday I had a very different experience. I had planned my journey to Teesside carefully, but the first and my local bus into Newcastle developed a fault. The driver had cause to use the horn, because of a badly driven truck, but the horn stuck in the on position. The driver pulled up and contacted his depot or dispatcher and they would send a replacement bus. Well he got the horn working again, or should that be not working again so we could continue. I fully applauded his actions, but it did mean that I was going to miss my connections.

Therefore my journey took far longer than planned. I don't think that there was anyone to blame for that it was just one of those things that life throws up from time to time. However by having to get the slower bus, it did make me realise that there are some interesting places that may well be worth exploring.

Anyway, I had some shopping to do, greengrocer and butchers. I also wanted to go back to a wonderful Polish food store that has opened in Consett. I love the discovery of new flavours that exploring the cuisine of other cultures brings and I am excited by the sausages and deli foods there. I have some Polish cheese, now having never had Polish cheese before it will be interesting to see what its like.

It is ironic that when I have had to talk about racism and racist attitudes locally and that I find myself marvelling at the culinary wonders that other peoples bring us. As when left the shop I half heard what I think was a disparaging comment made towards me. The assumption I think was that I must be Polish This follows yesterday night as I left the Chinese Take Away in my village when someone shouted a racist epithet.

I don't want to give or create the impression that everyone here in the North East is racist or bigoted, but it has to be said that there is a very insular attitude shown by many people here. I far to frequently will hear offensive and racist language used. Most noticeable if there is any football match going on, and here its almost impossible to avoid football as its the compulsory religion here. Personally I think that it is this mindset that has held back the North East region for years. It is changing for the better, but there are remnants that remain especially in the former industrial areas, just where I live too.

It is a real shame as the location is fantastic, the majority of the people are lovely, friendly and welcoming. It is just that minority that let the region down and let themselves down.

A Wildlife Watchers Gem

Yesterday I went off exploring, and much further afield than normal. Because of events in the news, I had looked at the area on Google Earth and realised that this was and would be a great location for wildlife.

The events I mention are the Back from the Dead canonist John Darwin. What I find most disturbing about this whole episode is that he nearly got away with it. Even though he had a reputation as a bad landlord and was known to be days away from bankruptcy. Even from reports at the time of his disappearance, very few of the locals thought he was really missing, just hiding from his creditors.

So instead of Darwinism meaning Evolution it now means devolution, or the stupid act of a stupid man.

Anyway, I decided to visit the area. I nearly went to Tees mouth years ago, but my ex wife dissuaded me that it was a dirty and foul place to visit. She was influenced by local prejudice. There is an unhealthy contempt for people from other towns here sometimes. But I have to say that the location is fantastic.

While the River Tees and the mouth of the river is heavily industrialised with chemical plants, power stations, oil and gas and the freight terminal. Because of these industrial activities there are large areas that are waste land that is left to and managed for the wildlife.

I was spoilt for choice, there are the sand dunes a very important habitat, where I found many species of butterflies and plants. I was kicking myself as I had not taken my equipment for close up filming. I could have spent the whole day just filming and photographing the butterflies. While I have not reviewed the footage yet, I may have some interesting film. Then there are the birds. Tees mouth is a National Nature reserve and internationally important for many wading birds who come in winter to feed on the mud flats. However even in the summer it is a wonderful place. At one point I saw three kestrels hunting in the same general area. While that shows that the kestrels are doing well, it also shows that the small mammal population must be good to support that number. Further while I was trying to film the Kestrels, I am like a child wanting to see if I have got anything decent there, I noticed a bird out of the corner of my eye perched on the fence by the bridal path I was on. When I had a chance to look, I realised it was an Owl. I think it was a short eared owl but I am not certain. Although I latter discovered that was probably correct as they are there in reasonable numbers. But as I swung the camera around it flew off and disappeared from my sight. I spent about half an hour looking, but to no avail.

I would have loved to have spent more time there, but I had to get back home. The journey down had been a difficult one, because the first bus had been late, there were missed connections all the way, and I knew it would be a long journey back as I had stayed longer than I intended. However I will be going back and soon as this really is a wildlife watchers gem.

I get an Apology

On Saturday as I was returning from my wanderings I encountered a woman from the village. While normally this would not be worthy of including here, the conversation we had and subsequent events relate directly to previous posts.

I first met this woman when I first moved to the village. Back then I was a point of interest as was seen as a new and just as important single man in the village. It was quite amusing to have all that interest, but while I am open to a relationship, I am not really looking. This woman though was one that I did find attractive but we soon discovered that we had little in common. I am always open to forming friendships that was the way we left it.

We had been out a couple of times so I was rather surprised when she asked if I would look after her girl one afternoon. I refused but I did go with her to do the shopping she needed. It was because she had been let down over a lift that she asked, but as a single parent she could not envisage trying to carry the shopping home and look after her child at the same time.

Well when I saw her on Saturday, when I said hello she told me that she was not sure that she should be talking to me. While I had guessed why, I asked her what she meant. She told me what she had been told. Well I informed her that is was not true and the real reason behind the lies about me.

I pointed out that if I were a danger to children then wouldn't I have been trying to baby sit your girl, when in fact I refused. She admitted that was true and that she was confused. Anyway, I told her that unless the woman, who is my neighbour and repeating the vile lies stopped I may be forced to take legal action. That shocked her, I also told her that I had documents that proved that the friend of the neighbour was nothing more than a hateful liar.

So she came to my place and while I made some coffee, she loves my coffee, I got the papers relating to the court action. In particular was the report by Corgi and the Electrical survey done by the council on the state of the property. But what really clinched it was showing her the photographs of the poor state of repair of the property.

I explained that my then Landlady, and friend of my near neighbour, had made up the story to try and stop me getting any accommodation. However there were the matters that my near neighbour were saying independently. As my friend listed the criticisms, I was able to knock each one down. The one that really had me amused was that I regularly wandered around the place naked. Now while there had been once incident where it may have been possible for outsiders to see in, as she talked I realised that my neighbour must have been spying on me. I did comment that she obviously doest have anything better to do with her time, but I showed her that the only way she could have seen that was through my kitchen window, and as the yard is surrounded by a seven foot wall, she would have had to be making quite an effort too.
However during our conversation she reported a comment that greatly offended me. This near neighbour has previously made it clear that she doesn't like my long hair or that I frequently wear a beard. Now that is all a matter of taste, and I don't care what she or anyone thinks about that, but she is saying that it make me look like a “Dirty Jew”. While I have never hidden my Jewish heritage, my mother was Jewish, my great grandfather was a Rabbi, I have no religion. But this makes her motivations crystal clear to me.

I even told my friend that, as the near neighbour was clearly being racist she should consider if she should even be friends with her.

Well I thought that was the end of that. Then on Sunday while I was sorting out my video footage, I spotted the Common Buzzard flying over, so I went out to see if I could film it. As I walked to open ground the husband of the neighbour called to me. He had obviously seen me going out and had followed me. At this I told he “Did he really want to talk to a Dirty Jew?”

He blushed at this, at least that told me that his intention was not to beat me up. He then said that he was sorry that I had to hear that. I pointed out that he was sorry that I heard it not that it was said. What followed was a difficult conversation, as he tried to justify what his wife was doing and saying. It was clear that my friend had told them everything we had said. But clearly the real motivation here was to avoid getting sued. As I pointed out such lies could and would damage me and my business. While he agreed that they would not repeat the claims made by their friend, my former landlord, I would not agree to stop any thought of legal action. Mainly as I don't yet know how this may have damaged me or if the lies would stop.

I pointed out that their friend was not just a criminal but had been convicted of running a brothel that had a fifteen year old working in it. At this revelation he turned white, this had obviously been news to him. Therefore if anyone was guilty of child abuse she was. Even then he tried to defend their friend saying that she was only found guilty on a technicality. I told him “Technicality my butt”, not the word I actually used, and informed him that their friend was charging a rent that was about ten times higher than a normal rent, that she would not have done unless she knew what was happening. That information left him speechless.

At this he promised me that not only would the lies be stopped but he would make sure that the truth was told. He acknowledged that his wife didn't like me and had told several people but he would make sure that it ended.

Then this morning the neighbour herself came to my door to apologise. While I was cold towards her, I accepted her words. I just hope that this can now be an end to the matter.

While I was aware that this neighbour did not like me, she has been bitchy about my appearance and my lifestyle right from first meeting her, that I could live with. What has annoyed me most is the way that other people have been prepared to listen to hateful words and accept them without any evidence.

Personally I prefer to follow the words of an inspirational and eloquent leader, I judge people by the content of their character, and I admire people who do the same.

Badgers, Butterflies and a Muck Heap

Following my sighting of Badgers mating I went to an elderly man who lives in the village who has been watching Badgers for years. I knew that he too had seen this years ago. I know the reaction that he had when he told others, as I have had the same reaction that of not being believed. Myself and this gentleman share that experience but also the experience of seeing remarkable behaviour.

One of the interesting things I have discovered is that this man is nearly eighty. He has never revealed his age before, but as he is beginning to really feel his age, he is starting to think that he no longer has to try and protect the Badgers single handed. Something he has been doing for years.

While there are fewer people with the understanding of the natural world that are prepared to endure the difficulties and inclement weather to keep these badgers protected, there are enough to feel that the local population is not at serious risk. That said, the North East of England always tops the league when it comes to act of animal cruelty. Further, there are still plenty of failed laboratory experiments that feel that activities like Badger baiting is still worth carrying out. Even though it is illegal, people (these failed laboratory experiments) are still a serious threat to the Badgers. That is why I am careful about not revealing to much about locations.

That was why I was worried that the sett had been disturbed. But as I found, it was in fact that two badgers were setting up home. The Brock appears to be an outsider. Males will get driven out of the sett by the dominant male, the Old Brock who has the mating rights. So it is a logical assumption that he has been travelling looking for a new territory. Also young females like this Sow, who is about two years old, I have seen her grow up from a cub, has become attracted to this new male. This movement of males and pairing with young females is one of the ways that ensures that close relatives don't breed. While it does happen, that normally only happens when there is small isolated populations.

One of the evolutionary aspects that have enabled Badgers to be as resilient and successful as they are, is that the female can and will delay the implanting of the fertilised egg(s). The gestation is normally about four months, but badgers always give birth at the end of February beginning of March. They give birth as the food supply starts to increase, if they gave birth in the grip of winter they would have problems digging for the earthworms that form ninety percent of their diet from the frozen soil.

I will be watching the sett carefully over the coming weeks and months as it is likely that other young females could well join the group.

As well as this checking that I did today, I went out trying to film butterflies. I did get some interesting footage and one that I personally have not seen before, I will have to check my books before trying to name it, but I doubt that he is called Fred. The location where I saw the butterflies is new for me. I had asked permission to venture on to the land for something else, but it took time to get that permission so the original reason has passed. However, the land owner told me that the pasture was also rich in wild flowers and insects. Therefore I took some time today to see what was there. Within ten minutes I had seen eight different species of butterflies as well a numerous insects. Indeed the place is as rich as promised. The only problem that I had was that the sun was high, full and hot that meant the butterflies were very lively. That makes it impossible to film. Well for me. I will return and see what else may be lurking there.

Latter in the day as I was thinking of home, I went via a footpath that goes through a farm that keeps horses. Because of this and the fact that they have a nice muck heap, its a great place for insect eating birds. Indeed the sky was full of Martins. I did stop to see if I could film them in flight but I need to work out a plan to do that as they are to fast to do that ad hock. But I did stop to see if I could film the Pied Wagtails. This required me stopping right at the muck heap. As one of the people at the farm said; “that's no bed of roses” Oh the joy of filming wildlife.

Sex Kites and Videotape

Yesterday I had all those mundane things to do. Not very exciting but they had to be done and you cant buy a slave at Tesco. Therefore, I was not expecting that much exciting to happen today. Also when I had finished doing my chores, I had to go to the Metro Centre (a big out of town shopping centre), never my favourite place to visit.

However the weather was sunny and I thought I would enjoy watching the wildlife along the route. While the bus was trundling along a red kite came into sight. Not that unusual and as my regular reader will know any day that I see the them makes it “A Red Kite Day”. Much better than a red letter day. What made this sighting worthy of comment is the bird was flying on a parallel course to the bus. It stayed that way for nearly two minutes and it came within fifteen yards of the omnibus too. It was one of those moments when I wished I had carried a camera. Great to see though, and had the bus not had to pull up to a stop the sighting would have lasted longer.

There were three main reasons why I wanted and needed to go to the shopping centre, the first was that I needed some more video tapes for the IR camera. While I have some on order via mail order, when I did my observations of the Deer recently I used what I had. So I had to get some more. While I have plenty for the other camera, this one uses a different format. Therefore I had to spend over five pounds each on three more. Also I wanted to check on the times of some of the buses as I am planing on doing some wandering. You will need to keep reading here as if I can get the access I have something special I want to go and see and film. I also wanted to get some of the regional bus tickets that will allow me to get out and explore some of the great places there are in the North East of England.

The last thing that I needed to obtain was a new colander, that's a straining device for food. I though I had better add that as I know that I have gotten myself into difficulties with my American readers who have different meanings for words that us Brits take for granted. My old colander that I have had for over twenty five years started to split. My Exs, both thought that I was a skin flint for not replacing it years ago, but it worked well and why get rid of something that is working well.

While I was looking at the kitchen utensils, I also looked at the kitchen knives. As my British reader will know in the news there has been a lot of debate about knives and knife crime. While I don't want to see people carrying knives as a weapon or potential weapon, there are times when a knife is no more than a tool. I love cooking and I do have a couple of decent kitchen knives. However the paring knife I have is a cheep one and the handle is becoming loose. So I wanted to replace this for a good quality one. I did find a Sabatier one, not cheap but it will last my lifetime. However what made this purchase worthy of comment was just how little attention the shop paid to the need to need to carry this home in a safe and non public manner. I had to ask for something to wrap the knife in. The woman even acknowledged that she hadn't thought about that when I asked how I was supposed to carry it home.

Also while on this topic, there are times when I do have the need to carry a knife. I am sensible and do not carry it openly in public spaces, but some conservation work does require using bladed tools like a knife. There have been calls in the press for knives to be banned and the carrying of them to result in a mandatory prison sentence. I can see nothing but problems, as people who have a legitimate reason for carrying a knife, a fisherman is one that springs to mind, could end up being sent to prison for going about their lawful business. The problem is the people who are carrying a knife as a weapon Further, apparently there are some young people who think that there are safe places where you can stab someone in a fight... All nonsense and it seems to me that the real difficulty is one of education.

Coming back home, I found myself on a crowded bus. The service to the village, while it could be better, more frequent, it is not that bad. While during the day the buses are not full, they are well used. It is when I find myself travelling at peek times that the importance of these services become highlighted. Because of the number of people on the bus I nearly missed seeing a couple of Badgers that were traversing around the fields of one of the farms close to the village.

As it was only six in the evening I wanted to discover what was going on. As it is the school summer holidays it did cross my mind that it was possible that the kids had disturbed the Badgers, as it is not usual for badgers to be out at this time. While I know that some kids can be a bit of a nuisance at times, the vast majority are just thoughtless rather than bad I did not think that this was likely to be the reason why the badgers were roaming at this time of day.

Therefore, I did not even stop for a cup of tea, I was gasping, and grabbed my camera and went out to see if I could find out what was occurring. While I could have waited for the bus again, I also knew that I was just as likely to get there as fast on foot.

As I got near to the satellite sett where the badgers were likely to have come from, I encountered one of the know poachers. He has a Lurcher and Terrier, classic poaching dogs. I said hello and he seemed quite nonchalant and friendly. So I was bold, and asked him if he had seen anything that could have disturbed the Badgers. He was quite open about the fact that he is a poacher but he would not do anything to harm the badgers. But he had not seen anything that could have disturbed them.

I went off felling reassured to see if I could find the tracks of the Badgers and to see if I could find any disturbance. There was non except for some fresh digging by the badgers. I could see two sets of tracks one from a sow the other from a Brock. I followed them and they did lead to the farmers field and there was indications that they were feeding and gathering bedding. As I don't have permission to go onto that farm, I could only watch from the boundary.

This was at least an hour after having first spotted them from the bus, but the badgers were still there. Further I worked out what had disturbed them, it was hormones. While I could not see clearly, I could see they were mating. I tried to track their movements but in the long grass I lost sight of them but I was able to follow the paw prints back to the sett. I am not sure but I think the male is new to the area he looks quite young but the female is about two years old and they appear to have set up a little love nest. I will have to keep my eyes open and see if I can work out what is going on. But seeing Badgers active in daylight is very rare indeed, seeing Badgers mating is almost unknown.

Wind Turbines good for the Marine Environment

When the British government announced that there would be an expansion of off shore wind power generation, I personally gave the announcement a cautious welcome. The aspect that I was worried about was would the locating of the turbines damage habitat.

As I did not know, I decided to look into the matter and find out. What added to my concerns was that fishermen and the fishing industry were opposed to this. While I have to say that many fishermen are far from conservation minded, was this a matter where the people closest to that environment were being ignored?

The point where any turbine is located will cause some damage to the sea bed, but as has been proven time and again, building any structure out at sea actually attracts creatures. Ask any diver and wrecks are great places to find a whole range of marine wildlife. Further, artificial reefs have been created in British waters by sinking old vessels and by dropping crushed cars in the sea. All previously cleaned up so they don't create pollution it should be added. This is exactly what has happened around the the locations of existing off shore wind farms. In fact the additional habitat created by these projects are increasingly becoming important conservation areas. Therefore, my one major concern that there was a risk of damaging the marine environment is allayed as these structures enhance rather then damage marine ecology.

So why are the fishermen objecting? Well the main reason is that they would be excluded from fishing in the areas where these wind farms will be located. As each tower is spaced at five hundred metres apart, while there is room to manoeuvre a boat, any towed fishing gear would be in danger of getting snagged. Towed gear is not just simply nets, its the weights and dredges that are the greatest threat.

Here locally at Blyth where the British off shore wind industry started, the original test turbines are no longer generating electricity because the cable connecting the turbines to the shore was damaged by such fishing methods. Therefore with lessons learnt, fishing has to be excluded from the areas where these wind farms are situated and from the areas where the cables run. It should also be noted that the industrial fishing methods that will be excluded from these areas are the ones that have been most damaging to the marine environment.

The real problem with the fishing industry is that almost all the fishing methods are unsustainable. Fishermen are harvesting from the diminishing breeding population and are also taking fish and marine creatures that have not yet reached sexual maturity. Hence fishermen are and will cry foul of anything that restricts their activities. But just as happened to deep mining here in the UK, there comes a point when the industry has to end. With mining while there was still coal there, it was becoming increasingly dangerous to dig that coal out. However, with fishing unless we stop fishing now, the fishermen themselves will kill their own industry.

The fishing industry is in fact being very short sighted, as one of the advantages of the installation of all these off shore wind turbines will be to create undisturbed breeding and feeding grounds for an extensive variety of marine species. This will in time provide the solution to the collapse of marine animals that are used for food.

While I don't think that wind turbines are the whole solution to climate change, all of the incidental benefits of these off shore wind farms will make them vital for providing energy in the future.

One of the interesting things that I have discovered, Denmark have suffered much less than most nations with the hike in energy prices that has been occurring in recent years. Not least, because of the investment that they made in wind turbines in the past. While we in Britain are playing catch up on this, in ten years time we will actually have the buffer against the price rises that will happen in years to come. Equally once all these turbines are installed we will have done more to protect the marine environment than has ever happened in any part of our planet.

Radovan Kadrazic and International Justice

Yesterday, as I was busy away from the house, it was not until the evening that I heard the news that the war criminal Radovan Kadrazic had been arrested. I will not use the journalistic nicety of saying “alleged war criminal” as simply as the head of state he could have stopped many the atrocities that took place in Bosnia.

While it has taken thirteen years and a change of government in Serbia for this to happen, finally the many thousands of his victims will see justice. While there will be some who will think that this will just open old wounds, the victims need to see that people like Kadrazic are held accountable.

Additionally, states like Serbia and the people of that country, need to know that only through following civilised and just behaviour can any state become full participants in the human family.
This actually should also send a strong message out to all states that behave aggressively either to external people or internally to its own population, that no matter how much time has passed justice will happen.

Now there is a parallel with other events that are happening around the world, and if we can contain people like Radovan Kadrazic and states like his was, eventually they will change. I can see a direct parallel with Iran here. I don't want to see Iran with nuclear weapons, but nor do I want to see America or Israel taking military action against Iran.

The trouble is that because of the thirst for oil in the west and particularly America, we indirectly feed the Iran economy by buying their oil. With Serbia by imposing and keeping strong sanctions in place eventually the Serbian government and more importantly the people realised that only by following and adopting the accepted ways of behaviour will a state, a nation become part of the civilised world.

This has worked before, Libya while it is still not a pleasant régime, they are at least extensively following international rules. If we followed a consistent approach and stopped supporting odious states by the back door, we really could start to build a better, safer and much more just world.

Bats and Beetles

As anyone who has tried to photograph or film anything in flight can tell you the hardest part is getting and holding focus. Tonight. I discovered that for myself again. I was sitting having a cup of tea following my dinner this evening, while I had the television on, the programme was drivel. So I looked out of the window, it was past dusk and I saw something fly past the street light. While it had been to fast to tell what it was, I guessed that either a bird or a bat was feeding on the insects and moths that buzz around the lights. So tea forgotten I was straight out with the camera. This was going to be a good test of the IR video. Indeed it was a nocturnes bat, and I could see it taking moths, or at least the moth that I could see disappeared as the bat flew past. So I set the camera rolling and tried to film the bat. I got two chances but both times I missed it.

As bats are corpuscular, feeding at dawn and dusk, I will try again but I will expect to have many long waits though.

Although today I was pleased as I went out with the aim of filming butterflies and or insects and I got some great footage of Cardinal Beetles mating. I also got some other nice bits of film too. Watch this space. Interestingly, while I was out I met a chap who gave me some useful information regarding the Deer in the woods. As there has been some thinning work going on this has changed the movements of the Deer, and what I was told matched with my own observations of Deer tacks along one of the tracks. But more importantly he also told me that Badgers have started to be sighted at a particular spot near the village. While not surprising, I had often wondered why they were not seen there before. As we were talking a buzzard flew over. I just wasn't fast enough, as the camera takes a minute to switch on and from our vantage point the trees quickly obscured the bird.

Part of the reason I had gone out was to look at a specific location were I am hoping to film the Deer. So the additional information was quite timely, and I did see fresh tracks. However, where the trees have been thinned it now leaves me with less cover to film them. I am sure that I will find the right spot though, and if I do get them on film you will get to see it here.

While the impact of the thinning has been noticeable, the overall effect will be beneficial to the larger mammals. And while the ruts left my the heavy machinery has damaged some of the places where the rare orchids flower, this year there are less of them, as the ruts have filled with water they are providing some interesting micro habitats. I suspect that next year we will have more frogs, toads and newts breading here.

It was very hot and even in the shade of the wood I was dripping with sweat, and I was sure that I must have been releasing lots of odour to alert the wildlife. Therefore as I was busy filming a rather interesting fungi I was surprised to see a vixen and two cubs. I was quickly trying to get the camera set up but before I could a shout from a child made them run off. That unfortunately is one of the problems with the long summer school holidays.

My Traumatic Move to the Village

When I first moved to this village and started writing this web log, first on 360 and then here, I considered carefully if relating the events that had lead up to me moving here. But as they were horrible ones and it had been a very unpleasant time, I thought it was better to just put it behind me. As the move here was a far more positive experience. However, recent events now mean that I need to tell that story.

When my now ex partner and I moved to a flat in Felling, it was a forced move as our Landlady was selling the property we had been in. Even when viewing that flat we had doubts at the place was in a dire state. But we were told that the repairs that were needed were in hand and that the reason why the flat was in such a poor state was that the previous tenants had been drug users.

Coincidently I know that one of my readers is moving house, and from a rented property where they have an unsympathetic landlord. Well there is a difference between a bad Landlord and a criminal one.

My ex and I split almost as soon as we moved there. Dealing with the financial aspect of that split made it impossible for me to move out. Also as I realised that my Landlady was telling me lies I realised that if I just walked away from the problem another tenant would only have the same problems. And the problems were numerous, a seriously faulty gas boiler, dangerous electrics, serious leaks in the roof to name a few. At the time what appeared to be the most serious was in fact the least, that of the leaky roof.

As the landlady lived in Spain and if as she had claimed the previous tenants had been drug users then her claim that she had know nothing about the problem until coming back to sort out a new tenant all seemed credible. However once moved in there was clear evidence that this had been a long on going problem. The flat was over three shop units and I was then rather shocked when the landlady told myself and my Ex that the former tenant worked in the shop bellow that rented two of the shop units.

It took me a while to discover that it was a lie about the former tenant being a drug user and I am sure she had told me that so that I did not start to become friendly with the shopkeeper, as I later discovered that the leaking roof had been like that for the previous seven years. Finally I forced her to get the roof repaired by withholding some rent. But even then she tried to get me involved in an insurance fraud. I refused to be a party to that, but I did get her the quotes for the work, and I told her that if she didn't carry out the work I would get it done and pay for it out of the rent.

Then the next battle was over the Boiler. As every tenant and landlord should know that every gas appliance has to be checked by a qualified and certified person once a year. This is a legal requirement and a certificate, known as a CP12, has to be issued. When I first moved in I was told there was a CP12 in place but I was never given the tenants copy as required by law. Well much to my surprise she was late getting that sorted. It actually took me reminding her that she was liable to a substantial fine for her to allow me to book a gas fitter to carry out the test. The chap who did the testing was excellent and helpful but he showed me that the boiler had clearly not been serviced or checked for years. I noticed the difference almost straight away as my gas bill reduced by fifteen percent. And that was comparing a summer/autumn bill with an autumn/winter one.

I actually wish that I had not made her get the checks done as it would have been easier to prove just how much she was working the system. As her next move was to claim that I was not paying the rent and to start sending solicitors letters. I say solicitors as she engaged not one but two separate firms. As I knew this was unethical I deliberately wrote to both informing them of the others involvement and told both that there was no case to answer and could prove it. The rent was paid by standing order and I keep my bank statements.

When the threats continued I called in the Local Authorities Environmental Health Officer, again. While there were aspects of the state of repair that the EHO could deal with, had I not forced her to get the gas checked then they would have had something they could really deal with.

The minor aspects were the removal of a condemned gas fire and repair of faulty electric points.

All seemed to settle down, then before the next gas check was due I got a notice to quit. As well as a court summons claiming unpaid rent of two and half thousand pounds. Now as the rent was paid by standing order I had the statements to prove that so I was perplexed as to what game she was playing. So I took advice and filed my defence with the court, that there was no case to answer. I also made a counter claim for the poor state of repairs.

The day of the hearing occurred and I attended court, the district judge refused to hear the case and transferred it to a higher court as he felt it was to serious for him to hear. But then my landlady made a strange request, she asked to view the property. Now I had never prevented her access and I told the judge that as he was going to make an order that I allow access. The judge decided not to make that order, but I was even more confused.

When she turned up she was not alone she had a Local Authority Environmental Health Officer with her. Well the acting would have made any ham actor proud, as she and her husband attempted to claim that all the aspects of the poor state of repair was damage I had caused.

I could see what her plan was now, and equally I could see it for what it was, a desperate act. She was a woman that was used to getting her own way, by fair or foul means. Also she was greedy, in the past, as I was told soon after moving in to the place, the flat had been used as a brothel. However the landlady had ignored complaints, pleas and comments from everyone that this was the case until the police raided it.

Well that had been a long while ago, or had it? While trying to get statements from others regarding the state of repair of the property, I discovered that she had been prosecuted for keeping a brothel as the rent she was charging was ten times higher than would be normal for a residential flat. Further, a woman that I knew from my then allotment, was a clerk of court at the magistrates court and had some interesting facts about the property and confirmed that the property had been in a poor state of repair for years.

I had some very strong evidence against her, this was filed with the court. If she had been sensible she should have ended it there. But as I said she is not a woman that like to loose.

Then the killer blow came when she had to get the new CP12 done. I was already in contact with CORGI (The Certification Organisation Registered Gas Installers), nothing to do with the queens dogs. The person she got to do the safety check was not qualified or registered and when I asked for his ID, something he is required by law to carry, he panicked. There had been indications that he did not know what he was doing anyway. So I made a formal complaint to CORGI. They sent round an inspector. Well he took one look at the boiler and condemned it. While I had the knock out punch for the court I also had no heating or hot water.

The date came for the trial and just at the last minute as the matter was going into court she backed down. If I would call off my counter claim and would agree to leave. As my action was never vindictive I agreed to that. However the judge had to be told, and I thought that the landlady was going to be reasonable. But she then tried to get the judge to force me out in a week. I told the judge that if she was not going to be reasonable I would rather the matter went to a full trial. I was asked, not ordered to leave the property in two months.

Well that should have been the end of this, but that's when matters started to get really nasty.

The weekend following the court case, the wheely bin that normally sat outside the front of mine but belonged to one of the shops was set alight. Earlier that evening I had seen that it had been moved to the opposite side of the road. However before it had bin lit it had been placed in front of the door to the flat of the property opposite to me. I was the one that spotted the fire, I was asleep but something must have woken me and I saw the orange glow as the shop over the road was becoming engulfed in flames. As the fire brigade arrived I alerted them to the fact that there were two blokes living in the flat. Its a good job I did as one was already unconscious and the fire was begging to take hold in the bedroom he was in.

The police interviewed me as a witness, but was confused as owner of the property had named me as the victim. The police were already taking the matter seriously as an Arson and attempted Murder, and started to think that the wrong premisses had been targeted. I also discovered that my Landlady and her family had once been a notorious criminal family in the area. So what had I done to upset her?

When I told the police of what had been going on, they were convinced that I had been the intended target for the fire. Unfortunately there was insufficient evidence to link anyone to the fire and no one was caught or charged.

However, the purpose of the fire may well have been to hide other evidence, as because of the boiler being condemned by CORGI, the council sent in there own Electrical inspector to check the electrics. Well there were thirteen serious faults found including three points were there were risk of fire, and two were I was in danger of electrocution.

Was I glad that I was leaving the place. At least the council were not going to allow her to let the place again until it was made safe.

Then came the most traumatic episode of the whole saga. In Gateshead there is a Private Landlords Association. Most local authorities have them, and they are supposed to be vetted landlords who comply with the law and these associations work in conjunction with the local council. So I applied for a couple of properties via them.

I had already decided that I wanted to move out to a more rural location and Chopwell, the village I now live in was for me the best bet. As well as being affordable, I wanted to have interesting green space close by too. I did also look further afield, but as I knew that energy prices were going to shoot up, I also needed to find a place I could afford to run too. So bleak fell tops were a romanticist ideal but out of my budget.

It looked as though I had landed on my feet with the first property that I looked at, it was ideal. Moreover, I thought that my prospective landlord seemed really decent. However, when I went back to the association to get the ball rolling on accepting the tenancy. Well I was in for a shock as my Landlady was a member of this association and I was finding myself bared from getting a property via them. Not only that I was being treated like a piece of dirt by the staff. Now as the staff are council employees that is unacceptable from an ethical prospective as well as being unlawful.

Having failed to make me homeless via a legal method, all be it by telling a pack of lies, my landlady was trying to ensure that I could not obtain a home elsewhere. What made matters worse here, was that the council were being very partisan in this matter. Put simply it looked as though they were accepting what ever story she was weaving as true. As I had the evidence that showed that her claims were untruthful, I complained forcefully.

Initially my attempts to complain were being blocked, but I went to the top. Well while that unblocked matters somewhat, matters were still far from satisfactory and I did loose the house that I first viewed. However, one of the council staff contacted me in their own time, and told what was really going on and what was being claimed by my then landlady.

First she was claiming that I was an anti social tenant. I have never been involved in anti social behaviour! Second that I was a drug user, she has used that claim before. I don't use or approve of drugs. The other claim was the most vial as she was claiming that my ex and I had split because I had been in appropriate with her children. Well as my ex did not have children, nor do I, I have no idea where that came from. The only reason that a claim like that would have been made was out of viciousness and to be vindictive. And yes this is the aspect that relates to recent events. What better way of making someone the last person that anyone would want to rehouse.

Also this member of staff that had contacted me had also noted that there were inconstancies in her claims. The one that stood out was that my supposed unpaid rent was now over three and half thousand pounds. As the rent was fifty pounds a week that meant that the rent was supposedly unpaid for over a year, in fact nearly a year and a half. Now I don't know a landlord that would ever allow that to happen. Further, that the officers in that council department were not or did appear to be following the rules.

That was something I had already begun to suspect. Well there is nothing that motivates me more than fighting bullying or fighting injustice. Therefore I made a full and formal complaint to the council, about the individual involved. Further, I complained to the Gateshead Private Landlords Association as under their own rules no one who has a criminal record can be a member. That should have excluded my then landlady. Additionally as she had used false documents (electrical and Gas Safety Certificates) to gain membership she should have been thrown out immediately. She was not.

Additionally was the curiosity that her court defence and her defence with the council was that the gas and electrics were fully safe because the council had provided a grant to renew both a few years previously. All I got from the council was a whitewash. With sarcasm refer to their replies to my complaints as Dulux Letters.

The reality was and is that particular department in Gateshead council is corrupt. They protect landlords to the detriment of tenants.

I took my complaints as far as I could but I was left feeling that no one really wanted to even look at the problem let alone deal with it.

That would have all been in my past, but for recent events. Now there is a not so near neighbour that has been gossiping about me. When I posted about the matter, I got some heart warming support from folks here, and I thank you for that. But it was while I was shopping in Consett today that one of my local readers old me that she was only reporting what a friend of hers had told her. Now this woman was originally from Felling and it looks as though she is friends with my former Landlady.

This realisation makes me understand why this woman is so nosy about what I am doing. It also shows the power of a malicious allegation.

The former Landlady though has lost any credibility. The council ordered her to carry out extensive work on the property, as she refused she had to sell the building. So she no longer is a danger to tenants. She was finally kicked out of the Landlord Association. Also the council had to introduce an appeals process for rejected prospective tenants. Also the council officer who unlawfully supported her was moved out of the department he used to head. In some ways they were easy, I haven't a clue how I counter a nasty lie started by a woman that tried to kill me.

Voted Official Scarecrow

In yesterdays posting I told you of a community group that were looking to take on a derelict piece of land. Following a successful meeting with their local authority they have been provided a lease for the land and will be creating thirty allotments, although they have followed my advice and will now make them all half size plots, so sixty allotments, as well as cleaning up the rest to provide a wildlife haven.

Well over the weekend they were there clearing the rubbish and cutting back the undergrowth. While there were twenty odd that were part of the original group that started on Saturday, by the end of the Sunday they had over sixty people working as volunteers there. They got far more done than they ever expected. All the Allotment plots are now marked out, as are the main path ways.

They have a pile of rubbish to remove though, they tell me its about three skips full. It could have been more but they have kept the different types of items separate and what can be recycled will be. Further, they found items like copper pipe dumped there, and this they have already sold to provide funds for the project.

However, the best news was that they found a fox with cubs in part of the area that will be kept for wildlife, as well as an adder colony. The snakes did cause the only disagreement of the weekend, as one or two of the volunteers wanted to get rid of them, but fortunately sense prevailed and they will be carrying out work to improve the habitat for them. It is unfortunately one of the problems of community projects that different people will not always see the value of the wildlife. Fortunately as they are protected even those that are a feared of snakes will have to lean to coexist.

At this point, I have to say that this I was informed of last night in a phone call, then just as I was writing this (I know that this is really just typing and not writing), got another call. Even more good news. Firstly one of the volunteers who turned out is also one of the parent governors of one of the local schools, and the school would like to get involved in the project. However the best news was that another volunteer has connections with the owners of the adjacent land. They are going to allow the community garden to run a water connection from a metered tap so that they will have access to water. This only came about because there had been a discussion about if they could or should burn some of the rubbish. As one of the conditions for the use of this land from their council is no fires because of the lack of access to water this volunteer offered to ask the owner of the land about access to the wet stuff. They got an immediate yes.

There are other items that may be donated too. There may be some scrap wood for a couple of sheds, and even more interesting someone knows of or has, I was not totally clear on that, a large greenhouse that if it can be dismantled and taken away the project can have.

I know that a great deal of work over the past three years has gone into the preparation for this day, but even the people involved have been amazed by the strength of community that has made this happen. But for me the best aspect of all was that one of the women I was helping last week and had been in tears of despair over the whole project, was now genuinely overjoyed at the colourful display of Wellington boots that turned up. What's more they have voted me to be the official Scarecrow, at last a real role for me!

Deer, Butterflies and Village Life.

Well the last week has been rather busy, tiring and stressful for me. By Friday last week I was tired but hearing that I had obtained my IR camera, a farmer friend asked if I was willing to help him discover the numbers of Deer that were on his land. Near part of his farm are a small number of houses, and they have been complaining about the plants in their gardens getting eaten. Initially they blamed the cattle, but as he had to stop dairy farming when Foot and Mouth happened, (that's when I first met him) that clearly was not the cause. Then the owner of the majority of these homes, they are owned as holiday lets, realised that it was deer that were getting into the gardens and nibbling the plants.

However the owner(s) were not willing to put up deer fencing as it would spoil the view and reduce the holiday letting income. Thus the owners of the cottages wanted to have the deer culled. This has been on going for a number of years. The farmer doesn't feel that there is a problem, and when I have looked I cant see what the problem is either, what damage there is is minimal. The reality is that the owner of the holiday lets gets more money by keeping the gardens pristine and he wants them to look picture perfect all the time.

So I was asked to see if I could count the number of deer that are going into the gardens from the farmers land. No matter what is said about farmers in general, there are more that care about the land the wildlife and landscape than don't. Anyway the farmer set up in a copses of trees a hide for me. It was raised of the round so that my scent was not detectable, but once there I was stuck there all night.

Now as anyone will know, it poured with rain last Friday night. And I was in danger of evolving gills. I got the information required and I saw fourteen deer, five Roe and nine fallow. As well as many other animals, including a fox that found shelter under the hide and did not leave until morning when I was released from my wet prison.

Now I must say with all this effort being put into warming the climate, for us to be having all this rain someone is not trying hard enough! I am sure that there is some one that can switch on another appliance or drive around aimlessly in a bigger car so we can get the Mediterranean climate we all seem to be seeking.

Flippancy over, exhausted I went to bed, satisfied that the Farmer now had independent proof that the Deer numbers were no where as high as the Holiday cottage owner was implying. Further, only two of the Deer had gone into the gardens and they were the gardens of the residents who are not worried or complaining about the deer anyway.

When I woke up though, I was feverish and not feeling well at all. So I thought that I would take a few days off, let my body heal its self. And this was going to plan, until on Sunday just as I was getting out of the bath, the phone goes. Now in my own house there are times when I don't bother with clothes, so I was not self concious of my state of undress. I had dried myself and as the call had come on the mobile I was expecting it to be a short one. I was wrong.

Since last year I have been helping a volunteer group put together a proposal for turn some derelict land into some allotments and a wildlife area. I was initially contacted by the group via my old 360 blog as they had gotten a grant to pay a consultant to put together the proposal and grant bids. But through delays they missed out on two important grants they were hoping for. Therefore they asked me to act as a mediator and advisor between them and the consultant.

What I first found looked to be a bit of a mess as the plans drawn up by the consultant were incoherent to say the least. And the vision the community had wanted appeared to have been ignored. So with a series of site visits I got the people involved to work out what they had in terms of species living there, and we worked out what work needed to be done as well as what species could be attracted if certain plants were introduced. The main emphasise being upon attracting butterflies and moths.

Well all this had been worked out and sent off to the consultant by email. The call on Sunday was from one of the women involved in the group. As there was a strike by Local Government Workers on Wednesday and Thursday this week, the meeting that had been planned for the Wednesday had been cancelled However that was not the problem, the consultant had gone off on holiday, and knowing that the Wednesday strike had cancelled the meeting had not submitted the detailed document to the council. The problem was the local authority had offered them a new meeting on Monday or Friday.

So this community group were desperately trying to get a plan, a document together. The problem was some people had information on one computer other information was on another computer, and as no one had the same software it was all becoming a mess.

The problem was exacerbated by the fact that there were holes in the information, little details that mattered. So I spent an hour looking things up in books and on my electronic library all while on the phone. When I had finished, I look up and there are three children trying to peek into my living room. I quickly shut the curtain, I have a voile up as well but I am no exhibitionist either.

The following day, still feeling grotty from getting wet and chilled, I get another call from the community group while they had gone to the local council meeting on the Monday, the council were not happy with the presentation document. So I was being asked if I could re type it and put it into the format that the council needs. Plus I only have three days to do it in.

Realising how important this all was, I agreed to do it. When I saw the document I realised why the council were not willing to accept it. Even though I have dyslexia myself (I don't suffer from it other people suffer from my dyslexia), I could spot many spelling mistakes and the grammar and punctuation made it difficult to read. Now I am now typist so I got all the content emailed to me from the different contributors. Another aspect had been the number of different fonts and sizes used. That way I could edit it and use DTP to make it all look presentable.

With many telephone calls and emails latter I was able to get it looking good, and clarify parts that seemed to contradict each other. I even had to go and get the ink to print the documents out, and yes they will be paying me for that.

Then on Friday they called and told me that the council had accepted their plan and the council will be giving them a lease for the land. So that was a brilliant result. I suggested that they write to complain about the consultant who has let them down so often, something that the officer from the council also said they should think about doing. However, with the land secured they can get cracking with some of the work, as I know they are doing this weekend, While they await their grant applications. But even if that grant money doesn't come through, there is still a lot they can get done. I was just happy that I was able to help guide them along the way.

However, there is a twist to this as when I went to get the inks for the printer, I was stopped in town by a fellow villager and relatively near neighbour. I say relatively near as she doesn't live that close, but had the cheek to complain about my curtains previously and was questioning my movement when she had obviously seen me wandering about at “odd hours” as she put it.

Well she had heard that I had been seen wandering about naked. I told her that if I was seen I was in my own home and remaining very polite I did tell her that it really was none of her business. She then told me that there was a tale going round the village that there was a convicted pervert living in the village. Now I too had heard this and about the time I first moved to the village. I have no way of knowing if its true, but while people need to careful about who their children associate with, there is a nasty atmosphere developing here. One of the aspects of this village that makes it endearing is that it always has had a fair smattering of eccentrics living here. But of late it seems that anyone who doesn't fit into some stereotyped box is seen with suspicion. This suspicion is being generated by a minority who seem to have their own agenda.

This village has suffered from drug problems, alcohol problems and crime for many years. While those problems are still here they are far fewer incidents that was happening even three years ago. Yet when I first moved here I was told that all the problems were from people who moved to the village, from outsiders, but I have lived here long enough to have seen for myself that more of the problems here are as a result of indigenous wrong doers than from outsiders.

I told this woman quite clearly that I was not the convicted pervert, as I have had to undergo “Criminal Records Office” checks I have documents to prove that, and what ever her problem was with me she needed to get over it.

When I told the woman who lives next door, she was shocked that this near neighbour had said anything. As previously the same woman had said I must be Gay as I don't have a girl friend, my ex wife could quickly disprove that one. Further, this woman is apparently telling every one that I am a peeping tom, why else do I always seem to have a camera. Also she is apparently anxious to know who all my visitors are.

Now I know that my lifestyle is not a conventional nine to five one, but I can not understand why this woman has so taken against me. I have done nothing nor said nothing to harm her. But some people seem to just want to be nasty. Well I just have to continue to ignore people like that as I have better things to do with my time.

Climate Statement by the G8

Here is the full unabridged text to the statement on Climate issued by sixteen countries at the G8

We, the leaders of Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States met as the world's major economies in Tokyo, Hokkaido, Japan, on 9 July, 2008, and declare as follows:

1. Climate change is one of the great global challenges of our time. Conscious of our leadership role in meeting such challenges, we, the leaders of the world's major economies, both developed and developing, commit to combat climate change in accordance with our common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and confront the interlinked challenges of sustainable development, including energy and food security, and human health.

We have come together to contribute to efforts under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the global forum for climate negotiations. Our contribution and cooperation are rooted in the objective, provisions, and principles of the Convention.

2. We welcome decisions taken by the international community in Bali, including to launch a comprehensive process to enable the full, effective, and sustained implementation of the Convention through long-term co-operative action, now, up to, and beyond 2012, in order to reach an agreed outcome in December 2009

Recognising the scale and urgency of the challenge, we will continue working together to strengthen implementation of the Convention and to ensure that the agreed outcome maximises the efforts of all nations and contributes to achieving the ultimate objective in Article 2 of the Convention, which should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened, and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.

3. The Major Economies Meetings constructively contribute to the Bali process in several ways:

First, our dialogue at political, policy, and technical levels has built confidence among our nations and deepened mutual understanding of the many challenges confronting the world community as we consider next steps under the Convention and continue to mobilise political will to combat global climate change.

Second, without prejudging outcomes or the views of other nations, we believe that the common understandings in this Declaration will help advance the work of the international community so it is possible to reach an agreed outcome by the end of 2009

Third, recognising the need for urgent action and the Bali Action Plan's directive for enhanced implementation of the Convention between now and 2012, we commit to taking the actions in paragraph 10 without delay.

4. We support a shared vision for long-term cooperative action, including a long-term global goal for emission reductions, that assures growth, prosperity, and other aspects of sustainable development, including major efforts towards sustainable consumption and production, all aimed at achieving a low carbon society.

Taking account of the science, we recognise that deep cuts in global emissions will be necessary to achieve the Convention's ultimate objective, and that adaptation will play a correspondingly vital role. We believe that it would be desirable for the Parties to adopt in the negotiations under the Convention a long-term global goal for reducing global emissions, taking into account the principle of equity.

We urge that serious consideration be given in particular to ambitious IPCC scenarios. Significant progress toward a long-term global goal will be made by increasing financing of the broad deployment of existing technologies and best practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resilience. However, our ability ultimately to achieve a long-term global goal will also depend on affordable, new, more advanced, and innovative technologies, infrastructure, and practices that transform the way we live, produce and use energy, and manage land.

5. Taking into account assessments of science, technology, and economics, we recognise the essential importance of enhanced greenhouse gas mitigation that is ambitious, realistic, and achievable. We will do more. We will continue to improve our policies and our performance while meeting other priority objectives, in keeping with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. Achieving our long-term global goal requires respective mid-term goals, commitments and actions, to be reflected in the agreed outcome of the Bali Action Plan, taking into account differences in social and economic conditions, energy mix, demographics, and infrastructure among other factors, and the above IPCC scenarios.
In this regard, the developed major economies will implement, consistent with international obligations, economy-wide mid-term goals and take corresponding actions in order to achieve absolute emission reductions and, where applicable, first stop the growth of emissions as soon as possible, reflecting comparable efforts among them. At the same time, the developing major economies will pursue, in the context of sustainable development, nationally appropriate mitigation actions, supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacity-building, with a view to achieving a deviation from business as usual emissions.

6. We recognise that actions to reduce emissions, including from deforestation and forest degradation, and to increase removals by sinks in the land use, land use change, and forestry sector, including cooperation on tackling forest fires, can make a contribution to stabilising greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These actions also reduce climate change impacts and can have significant co-benefits by maintaining multiple economic goods and ecological services. Our nations will continue to cooperate on capacity-building and demonstration activities; on innovative solutions, including financing, to reduce emissions and increase removals by sinks; and on methodological issues. We also stress the need to improve forest-related governance and cooperative actions at all levels.

7. We recognise that adaptation is vital to addressing the effects of inevitable climate change and that the adverse impacts of climate change are likely to affect developing countries disproportionately. We will work together in accordance with our Convention commitments to strengthen the ability of developing countries, particularly the most vulnerable ones, to adapt to climate change. This includes the development and dissemination of tools and methodologies to improve vulnerability and adaptation assessments, the integration of climate change adaptation into overall development strategies, increased implementation of adaptation strategies, increased emphasis on adaptation technologies, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability, and consideration of means to stimulate investment and increased availability of financial and technical assistance.

8. We affirm the critical role of technology and the need for technological breakthroughs in meeting the interlinked global challenges of energy security and climate change. In the near term, broader deployment of many existing technologies will be vital for both mitigation and adaptation. In particular, energy conservation, energy efficiency, disaster reduction, and water and natural resource management technologies are important.

We will promote the uptake and use of such technologies including renewables, cleaner and low-carbon technologies, and, for those of us interested, nuclear power. Technology cooperation with and transfer to developing countries are also vital in this effort, as is promoting capacity building.
For the longer term, research, development, demonstration, deployment, and transfer of innovative technologies will be crucial, and we acknowledge the need to enhance our investment and collaboration in these areas. Mindful of the important role of a range of alternative energy technologies, we recognise, in particular, the need for research, development, and large-scale demonstration of and cooperation on carbon capture and storage. We also note the value of technology roadmaps as tools to promote continuous investment and cooperation in clean energy research, development, demonstration, and deployment.

9. We recognise that tackling climate change will require greater mobilization of financial resources, both domestically and internationally. There is an urgent need to scale up financial flows, particularly financial support to developing countries; to create positive incentives for actions; to finance the incremental costs of cleaner and low-carbon technologies; to make more efficient use of funds directed toward climate change; to realise the full potential of appropriate market mechanisms that can provide pricing signals and economic incentives to the private sector; to promote public sector investment; to create enabling environments that promote private investment that is commercially viable; to develop innovative approaches; and to lower costs by creating appropriate incentives for and reducing and eliminating obstacles to technology transfer relevant to both mitigation and adaptation.

10. To enable the full, effective, and sustained implementation of the Convention between now and 2012, we will:

Work together on mitigation-related technology cooperation strategies in specific economic sectors, promote the exchange of mitigation information and analysis on sectoral efficiency, the identification of national technology needs and voluntary, action-oriented international cooperation, and consider the role of cooperative sectoral approaches and sector-specific actions, consistent with the Convention;

Direct our trade officials responsible for WTO issues to advance with a sense of urgency their discussions on issues relevant to promoting our cooperation on climate change;

Accelerate enhanced action on technology development, transfer, financing, and capacity building to support mitigation and adaptation efforts;

Support implementation of the Nairobi Work Programme on impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation to climate change;

Improve significantly energy efficiency, a low-cost way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance energy security;

Continue to promote actions under the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer for the benefit of the global climate system;

And Intensify our efforts without delay within existing fora to improve effective greenhouse gas measurement.

11. Our nations will continue to work constructively together to promote the success of the Copenhagen climate change conference in 2009.

Coal and the Co Durham Coast

Last Autumn I contacted a friend, who owns a boat, to see if it were possible to arrange a trip up to the Farne Islands. Its one of the major Seal colonies and in the autumn is when the seals come ashore to give birth. Mainly because of cost that trip didn't happen.

However, on Thursday I went to see this friend again on his boat. While he is selling it, another victim of the credit crunch, I went to help him clean the boat ready for the sale. As he currently uses it for fishing trips, often his passengers do not leave the boat that clean. So I ended up doing more housework in one day that I normally do in a month. Should that be boat work?

While he was not able to help me, he put me in contact with others who may be able to, if I can afford the costs. At this stage I doubt that I will be able to.

However, that was not what was interesting. As we worked we talked, as he himself will admit the environment was never that much of an issue for him. However, when he started to see the problems for himself and especially the ones that effected him he realised just how important protecting the environment is. It has even led him to buy a hybrid car. That was something I never thought I would see him do as he always used to drive a thirsty 4x4.

Anyway while talking, I mentioned that next spring I would also like to take a trip along the Co Durham coast to see the breeding colonies of sea birds. He then told me of his experiences of that coast when he was younger, his now over sixty, so we are talking forty years ago. When that coast line was seriously damaged and degrade by the spoil heaps from the coal mines. The waste was just tipped on the beaches. Not just one but all of them.

Then back in the 1980s, as the mines closed the rubbish was removed and the coast line restored. But what he said was really surprising, as he had grown to realise just how damaging the mines had been. Not just environmentally, but economically.

For years this is something I have said, but in the North East that still is an unpopular view. The problem is that while mines or other forms of heavy industry does create wealth and jobs, eventually these industries will fail. This all damages the local communities who become reliant upon the jobs and the money. As he was a miner himself when he first left school it was interesting to hear him saying this. Additionally, when he himself worked down the pit, there was no one who actually wanted to be their. They all hated the job, but preferred that to having nothing. It was in fact this lack of choice that allowed heavy industry to survive.

He had also worked in the shipyards, and while he had preferred that work, he also said that the working conditions were really bad and that people accepted them only because they knew no better.

While he found it difficult to articulate what he had grown to realise, the influence of all these major employers upon the region had created a culture where it no one helps provides for themselves but are always looking for another big employer to come along.

But it was what he said about the pollution that these industries create that was most profound. The bill for the clean up of the Co Durham coast was met by the tax payers. Not the people who created the mess. Had it been that the mining industry had been forced to work in a cleaner way, or not been allowed to walk away from the costs of the pollution they created, would the mining have become the mass employer that it did. It is here that his and my opinions differ as I think it would have still done. However, we both agree that the regeneration costs would have been lower.

However it is the social impacts that have been the greatest. When so many people see industry and commerce despoiling the environment, they fail to see it as wrong to drop litter or paint graffiti or the many other ways we pollute. This lack of respect for the environment can be seen all over the country. The other aspect is the way that industries have impacted upon the social psyche, is the way that as long as it makes money then anything goes. He cited one example, that of many of the fishing boats that operate in the area, dumping waste into the sea. This is all illegal but it goes on. The problem is the attitude has become ingrained that if it will generate an income, what's the harm?

While our discussions were rather serious most of the time, we also did have many fun moments too. Like me standing over him holding a golfing umbrella so that he could retouch the varnish, it would have generated a picture worthy of any caption competition. Fortunately no one was there to take that picture.

Weather and Badgers

I don't know what's happened to the Summer? I placed my order last year and I am still waiting for the Royal Mail to deliver it.

But seriously, for the next two days I am expecting heavy rain. Down in the South West of England, there are six flood alerts. The rain that has already started is expected to greatly increase the risk of flooding and there are flood alerts in my region too.

I had been hoping to go out to watch the badgers tonight, but there are only so many soakings any mouse can take.

Before I go on ranting about the weather, there are developments on the Badger front. I now have permission again to access the main sett that I have been watching. The problem as my regular reader will know, was that other people were going on to the land and causing damage. However, that was only part of the story, as there was a pair of Red Kites nesting very close. I could not disclose this as, there was a serious risk of disturbance. Unfortunately there are some people who do not find these birds as magical as most people do. I wanted to film them but I don't have a licence to do that yet, but next year who knows. Anyway, the happy news is one chick fledged.

Also as my regular reader may know, or did I send that reader to sleep? I have been trying to write a book on the Badgers. I had two potential publishers that were interested. One pulled out due to the Credit Crunch, the other one has also decided not to proceed. They were only really interested in the book, the project had the government gone ahead with a cull of Badgers. They wanted a book that was full of conflict. As people in the UK will know the government has rejected a cull of Badgers to control TB. At least they have followed the science. But while it has curtailed the book for the moment, I will continue observing the badgers. However, I will reduce my observations so I can do other things too. So watch out I will inflict it all on you folks.

Anyway, back to the weather. One thing that I have done is bought some ex army extreme weather gloves. I have bought them during the summer as they were a quarter of the price they were in the winter. That will ensure that this winter I should remain more comfortable than I was during the last. If it was not for the enjoyment I get from seeing the wildlife, I would think I was mad. My psychiatrist may even agree with me.

However there is a serious point that I want to make about the weather. On the news I am getting sick of hearing that this weather is nothing to do with Climate change. These type of events are all in line with the events forecast in the climate models. Its almost as if everyone is trying to ignore the real effects of dangerous Climate change we are all seeing.

One good thing that this weather will do for me though is, I will have the time to continue with cataloguing the video that I have been filming. I have only just reached the film I shot in May, and at least once I get on top of all this I will be able to find the stuff properly. I think I just need someone to keep me in order.

UFOs and Ghosts

In the last post, I showed how a simple solution enabled badgers to regain habitat. Often all that is needed is some straight forward logical thinking.

Now to go off on a tangent, a couple of months ago the MOD (Ministry of Defence) released files relating to UFO sittings in Britain. Now I have had three occasions when I ave seen things that have made me wonder what I was seeing. The first time I was looking after a friends Cats, staying in her flat, and in an unfamiliar bed. I awoke to see a formation of lights that had the classic shape a flying saucer. As I pulled myself from sleep and watched the object transformed its shape into a jumbo jet. In the dark and from the angle it looked like a UFO but once identified it had a rational explanation.

Then a few years latter I had just moved into a flat in Gateshead. I had not had the time to get any curtains up so in the middle of the night when I was awoken by a frightful bright light flooding through the window, my first thought was that I was being abducted by aliens. It was not the most crime free area and the explanation was simply hat the police helicopter was shining its light down and into my window, as well as illuminating the suspect just as he was arrested.

Both sightings, apart from the sleep factor, were quickly resolved by simple logical thought and observation. There was also an incident when out in the Northumberland National Park. With some friends, we had all been drinking and were staying in a village hall as part of a conservation work team. While outside smoking and staring at the stars, it is a great place for star gazing, someone spotted an object in the sky. It was not a conventional aircraft, and sometimes it was moving at others it hovered. We could see it for twenty minutes or so, then it descended. What was amusing was the speculation, straight away everyone was talking about other worldly explanations. No one was prepared to apply any logic to what we had seen. Then the following morning the description of what was seen to the people in the group that had not seen the lights in the sky, was growing with each telling.

My speculation was that it was likely to be something the military were doing that we saw, and it was nothing to do with little green/grey/blue (delete as appropriate) men from out there. But there were people that convinced themselves that what they saw was something from outer space. No logic and no facts was going to dissuade them of this. I even tried to make a joke of it by saying that I was glad that I had not been the victim of a crime as the police would never catch the culprit had my fellow slaves been the witnesses.

It is actually something that is well known to the law enforcement that people will elaborate upon what they have seen. That's why in fishing stories the one that got away grows in size with each telling.

The problem with UFOs is that people start to believe what they want rather than what the facts are. Just because you may see something that is unidentified, or you cant identify, does not mean that it is extra terrestrial Personally I think that if someone wants to believe that there ETs exist they are more likely to give an extra terrestrial explanation should they see something. I genuinely have an open mind, but thus far all the supposed sightings have a rational explanation. I would love to find or see real evidence of flying saucers, but until I see that I will remain unconvinced that we are being visited.

The problem for me is that with our currant scientific knowledge it is impossible to cross the void of space. The distances are to vast and the amount of food, water and fuel needed to make the journey across the vast distances impossible. Further, only by having beings that could be very long lived would that journey possible. While I love science fiction, that's me revealed as a geek, until we invent the warp engine, it is just that, fiction.

Coincidently, the formation of lights seen in Northumberland was very similar to the infra red illumination that are used on the remote observation drones that are used by the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While on the topic of curios incidents, I recently discovered a ghost story that was linked to a place I used to live. When my ex wife and I split I moved to a flat in Gateshead. Not the same one where the police made me think I was being abducted by aliens, and the next street had literary connotations it was called Bronte Street. Therefore when I spotted mention of a haunting in that street I wanted to know more.

In 1963/4 the Coulthard family reported poltergeist activity. A local clergyman carried out an Exorcism but with no effect. The effects of the poltergeist was objects moving plates crashing off the shelves, objects moving. As the property was a council house they were eventually rehoused.
That last fact narrowed down the property, as Bronte Street was a small street, it has now been demolished, and the house had to be close to the railway line. As only the houses at that end were council owned. The rest were privately owned. While when I lived there the rail there was mainly used by the Metro, Newcastle's light rail system, there were also mainline tracks running alongside. Further, I knew from talking to neighbours who had lived in the area for years that during the fifties and sixties trains passing would rattle the houses there. In fact when having tea with the old lady and her mother who lived below me, when I first moved in. They told me that during that time you did not need to stir your tea as the passing trains would do it for you.
So poltergeist activity? Also, the area has had for a long time been a difficult area to live in because of crime and such, so I can see the Coulthard family using a story of a haunting to get themselves rehoused to a better area.

Just as with UFOs people will believe what they want to believe no matter what the facts are.

While I hope that aspects of these stories have amused you, I also hope that it has got you thinking about the way that some people will ignore the facts and follow their own agenda or prejudice or mindset. When talking of UFOs or ghosts, well they are free to believe what they want. The problem is when we are talking about Climate Change, ignoring the facts, the science will only lead to us creating an environment that is going to be difficult to live with. It makes me think, does it make you think?

New Badgers on an Old Sett

Late on Saturday I got a call and was invited to do some wildlife watching the following day. As the weekend was very wet, as per the forecast I was not sure about this. But I did agree and at a quarter to four on the Sunday morning I was picked up.

As my regular reader will know, I helped with a site survey on some private land that contains a remnant of ancient wood. This lead to me being asked to help with relocating some rabbits where I saw Golden Eagles. That only happened because the wife of one of the land owners had just given birth. Therefore, in spite of the poor weather and my lack of sleep, I had agreed to go. While I too my cameras with me there was little prospect of my filming as while I can and do protect them in the rain it was very heavy rain we were having.

Anyway I explain all that as my expectations were not that high. As had happened on my previous time there, they had set up a tent that we could use as a hide. When we got there the mother and child where there already. While I didn't say anything, I did think that having a baby there was reducing an already small chance of seeing wildlife. And as can happen even when I am enjoying myself, I did think that I really should be in bed. As the tent was cramped I set up my Tripod outside but kept the cameras in the tent. If the rain stopped then I perhaps could use them. In the low light levels the slow shutter speed means that trying to use them without support was a waste of time.

Talking in whispers we had a long stacarto conversation about some of the ideas I had brought forth when I had looked at the site previously. One of them being the removal of lots of galvanised netting that had been placed around the perimeter of sections f the wood to prevent deer grazing a number of years before. This had been done and they had seen more fallow deer in the wood since. That had only taken ten days or so to create that effect. So was it the deer they had brought me to see?

Then the baby started crying, I really thought that would be the end of any hope of seeing anything. Fortunately as I was laying at the entrance to this tent, mother was able to sit at the back and feed baby G. As I lay there I could hear the noisy suckling noises and this nearly obscured the sounds of an approaching animal. Even I could not believe what I was seeing, a badger, a young Brock.

In their Forest was the remains of an ancient badger sett that had not been occupied for at least twenty years. The sett had been raided by Badger diggers in 1987, and the last badger was seen a year latter. One of the works that had recommended was where the chicken wire could not be removed, holes should be cut into it so that other mammals could gain access. I had even found a spot where it looked as though foxes were worrying at the fence. Anyway, within days of them creating holes in the fencing for the wildlife, they noticed that one of the old badger holes was being re dug. So the wife not following a conventional sleeping pattern anyway, had had the tent erected here so that she could bring the baby and feed her while seeing what was going on. There are two other young sows and an older female with cubs that have moved in too, but I only saw the Brock. At the time when I suggested the fencing removal, I had said that eventually the set would be used again. I was thinking two or three years, but this was amazing. Then in the distance we saw two fallow deer with a calf. That was all to brief as they caught the whiff of human sent as someone in the tent needed her nappy changing.

For me what is remarkable about these people is that they are quite clearly from the upper echelons of society, they do have a rather posh accent. Therefore it does seem strange them being as hands on as they are. But for them it is about ensuring they keep this bit of land and countryside healthy for their children.

That brings me to an aspect that I spoke about in a previous posting. As with all land in Britain there is an interaction between man and the landscape. This wood is no exemption, in fact the previous owner of the land, a farmer, so valued the land and the people who share it, that when he sold it he placed a covenant on it to keep it safe. He also went further and split the wood so that when the farm land was sold, no one person or company had complete control of the land. However one of the buyers, even though he had agreed to this had wanted to develop this wood for commercial reasons. As I suspected the fencing had originally been put there so that pheasants could be raised there. But the economics of shooting ensured that was not viable. Then he wanted to build on the land, but that meant acquiring the rest of the wood. Had it not been for me legal friend and his wife buying the farmhouse, stables and land, the developer could have succeeded then.

Anyway, a group of local residents got together to keep the wood safe, but their efforts were being undermined at each turn. Until it emerged that one of the group was apparently helping landowner who wanted to develop the site. This was all rather puzzling, until it was discovered that the man who had been a hand on the farm and is now retired, was struggling financially. Thus the developer had offered to buy his cottage and rent it back to him for helping him. So the layer and his wife have made the same offer to the old boy, and that has resolved that problem.

While I am uncomfortable with one man having that much control, at least for the moment this has all helped keep the little wood safe. Further, because of the fact that the site has four rare and endangered species on it, they are now able to move forward to get some form of legal protection for the site too.

I hope that I will be able to return there soon to share the beauty of this hidden gem.