Freedom of Expression

Some of you know this, but I lost my laptop charger at Greenbelt 2 weeks ago. Its been winding me up ever since, and its partly why a few days got missed in the usual blogging cycle. And its driving me potty. Its also reminding me just how important the gift of expression is, and how thankful I should be for it. From the political right to expression, to having the wherewithal to do it, its becoming rather obvious just how much I take it for granted.

Finding faith in Social Media

Several weeks ago a Roman Catholic Archbishop said one of the most regrettable, misguided and short sighted things I’ve heard from a church leader in a very long time. Did it concern the role of women, or gay marriage, or perhaps even abortion? No, none of these. It concerned the internet, social media and new communication technologies. (Warning, this post may contain unwarranted levels of bitterness).

The “Climate Change Affects Us All” Myth

Like many myths, the myth that says that Climate Change will affect us all is based on some degree of truth. But it is also somewhat unhelpful if we are to understand the imperative to act. We in Britain are already likely to fare much better than those elsewhere in the world, for instance Tuvalu, where the danger of total landmass submersion is now so great, they’ve been forced to act much more decisively than anyone in Europe has managed thus far.

Perfecting Humanity: Nihilism or Celebration?

Reflecting on a recent discussion with a friend about the impending ban on hi-tech swim wear in competitions, I was musing about the different attitudes to what sports is actually all about. Essentially, I found that on an individual level, it came down to one question: is sport a celebration of human capacity, or an attempt to overcome one’s humanity?

On Space Exploration

This month has seen the 40th anniversary of the first human visit to the moon, and so discussions of Space Travel have been in the news. The one which caught my eye was the announcement of a 12-week consultation on giving the UK its own Space Agency, much like NASA. Space is an area of fascination, but beyond specific scientific benefits, is investment in space travel really a great thing.

Pro-Cycling vs. Anti-Car

All being well, today sees the return of the Critical Mass Bike Ride to York’s streets, just after London Critical Mass celebrated its 15th Birthday. One of the most common accusations against Critical Mass is that its dominated by people who are anti-car, rather than, I suppose, pro-Cycling. But what of the difference, and why the taboo?

A need for speed?

Yes, for those who have the pleasure of my company in real life on a regular basis, you probably knew this post was coming. It doesn’t just contain the stuff you’ve heard me waffling about though. Instead, it contains my own personal gripes on rail in Britain and Europe.

Sabotage to blame for Wind Turbine damage?

Just realised I never wrote about this here. Remember the tale of mystery surrounding some Wind Turbines getting damaged? The conspiracy theories all seemed to point to the least plausible reason: an extra terrestrial incident. I came up with my own idea about how this happened…

A car-free solution to factory closures?

I was watching News 24 on Saturday (not for long, I should add) and happened upon an interview with a representative of Friends of the Earth. I was appalled by what the FOE representative had to say: the solution to car industry woes is to build more cars, and make them a bit nicer. What are they thinking? Aren’t they missing the real opportunity?

Shouldn’t we be stopping Nukes?

I’m writing this for the DISARM zine, part of the campaign at the University of York which aims to see the University divest itself of investments in BAE. I thought I’d look at the case for focusing on “conventional” weapons where many have invested time and effort in ridding the world of nuclear weapons in the past.