The government has come in for criticism over fracking from an unexpected quarter this week.  The Country Landowners Association (CLA) – a membership organisation for owners of land, property and businesses in rural England and Wales – has written to Energy Minister Richard Harrington MP, raising concerns about the lack …

Some climate scientists revised their models this month.  Taking account of recent data, they discovered that your children will still probably die a horrible death due to climate change and its consequences; just not quite as quickly as had been thought. How this new research was reported says a great …

An argument has broken out between Oil and Gas UK – the industry trade body – and an Edinburgh geologist over the future of North Sea oil.  According to Professor Roy Thompson, the end is in sight and: “The UK urgently needs a bold energy transition plan, instead of trusting …

Hidden in amongst the Tory ‘power grab’ that is the EU Withdrawal Bill is a clause that allows English ministers to take full control over fracking licenses and decisions in Scotland and Wales.  The change is just one of a raft of clauses that seek to neuter the devolved Scottish …

Given the government’s self-inflicted struggle to ‘cut the deficit’ and, ultimately to ‘balance the books,’ announcing an unfunded £27.6bn tax give away is something you might assume that they would not want to do.  Moreover, even in the so-called ‘silly season’ (when our MPs are on holiday) we might expect …

There is nothing quite as ridiculous as the spectacle of Britain’s ‘great and good’ enriching themselves on the back of faux concern for the poor.  It is in this light that we should treat the Tory government’s new Inclusive Economy Partnership that is supposed to foster new and innovative solutions …

In addition to his famous ‘hierarchy of needs,’ psychologist Abraham Maslow had a hammer: “I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.” In central banking, that hammer is the rate of interest on overnight lending …

We have become accustomed to the claims and counter-claims about the damage hydraulic fracturing (fracking) may or may not do to the environment.  Earthquakes, polluted water and methane gas emissions are the most obvious.  However, concerns have also been raised about birth defects, cancers and declining bird species in areas …

The UK government looks set to embrace a new fleet of nuclear power plants as the solution to Britain’s growing energy predicament according to Alan Tovey at the Telegraph: “Ministers are ready to approve the swift development of a fleet of ‘mini’ reactors to help guard against electricity shortages, as …

There is growing unrest among Tory donors (the fabled men in grey suits who decide who does and who does not get to govern).  After stumping up millions to fund the 2015 general election campaign, they had expected to spend the five years to 2020 quietly counting their money.  Instead, …