Blog


Addressing Carbon Risks – Here and in New Zealand!

Just back from another trip to New Zealand – a different country from when I was last there a year ago, transformed as it is by a change of Government! To everyone’s surprise, the National Party failed to win enough seats in last year’s General Election to stay in power, enabling a coalition of…

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Women in Construction: InspireMe!

One of the most pressing challenges for the construction sector in the UK is its appalling record on recruiting women – and then retaining and developing their careers within the industry. • Just 12.8% of the construction workforce is made up of women, and no more than 1% of employees working…

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EdF’s Latest Nuclear Bullshit

It’s not often that nuclear matters make me laugh out loud. But yesterday provided one such occasion, on reading of the latest announcement from EdF that a new ‘optimised reactor’ would be unveiled in 2020 at roughly half the price (£5.3bn) of the reactors currently under construction at Hinckley…

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Palm Oil: the Edible Oil Westerners Love to Hate!

Just back from another visit to KL as part of the work Forum for the Future does with Sime Darby Plantation – one of the biggest (and most sustainable!) palm oil companies in the world. Oh boy! Are they (and the Malaysian palm oil industry as a whole) up in arms about some of the ongoing…

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‘A Green Future’: Another 25 Years of Bland Platitudes?

So what are we to make of the lionising of Michael Gove by a host of people who really should know better? His speech to the Oxford Farming Conference, and his scripting of Theresa May’s speech to launch the new 25-year Plan to Improve the Environment, have persuaded large numbers of my colleagues…

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The State of American Democracy

How often have you heard something like this: ‘Well, the situation here in the UK may be dire, but things aren’t half as bad as they are in America!’ I’ve said it myself, mostly in jest, sometimes in near despair. But I had absolutely no idea how terrifyingly true that throw-away comment really is…

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