The Orwell Prize 2009: Blog Prize

I am very proud to have entered and for my submissions to be successfully accepted for The Orwell Prize 2009: Blog Prize.

The next milestone for me will be the Longlist Announcement - Wednesday 25th February 2009.

Actually, if I get that far I will be very pleased especially as the standard of entries of my peers is very high.

The shortlist will be announced on Wednesday 25th March 2009.

Primrose Hill and Belsize February 2009!

I could not resist the temptation on that only too brief Sunday and Monday of "real" snow for 18 years to get out there with my daughter on the piste of Primrose!

For my daughter this was the first time to experience snow, she loved every moment of it.

As for myself, I remember only too well the last occasion in London 18 years ago when I found myself snowed in my Baker Street office.

I seem to recall then that it was apparently the wrong kind of snow as far as British Rail was concerned! Now in 2009 it was the wrong kind of quantity! It makes me very proud of our British traditions to blame the weather! I don't ever remember being without public transport of some kind or the other whilst on holiday in the Ski resort of Gstad or Zermat in Switzerland. The Swiss do what comes natural and that is to plan for the snow and anticipate the ice, but then they have had rather more practice at it every year for whole seasons long.

What a pity that as global warming is taking its hold not only is the polar ice caps melting at an alarming rate, but also the winter paradise of the Alps is facing increased ice melts and industrial pollution from cars and industry not in Switzerland itself but from the heavily polluted atmosphere that deliver contaminates which are concentrated in the ice and snow. This is not a very well known or publicised fact in Switzerland but there is a team that sets out every year from the University of Bern to investigate the worsening pollution. But it acts as a strong reminder that CO2 global warming is touching all wildernesses and not just the capital cities.

Author: Nigel Rumble 17 February 2009

Power without responsibility

"Respecting press freedoms while safeguarding public safety can be a difficult balancing act, especially when mayhem breaks out at an unauthorised demo. But if you've been reading our news pages recently, you'll know that there's a lack of equilibrium when photographers come face to face with police and their sometimes over-zealous use of stop-and-search powers.

As the Home Office has quite correctly stated, there are no restrictions on photographing in public spaces, and the government - as far as we're aware - has no plans to introduce any. But it has failed to address concerns that despite new guidelines designed to ease tensions, many rank-and-file officers seem unaware or are blatantly disregarding them. Simply put, if guidelines aren't enforced, they're not worth the paper they're written on.

Which is why I'm particularly concerned about section 76 of the new Counter-Terrorism Act, which criminalises taking pictures of police officers 'likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism'. The wording is little different to the 2000 Act, (in fact, it's equally vague), except that police officers are specifically mentioned. And that's an important detail because the issue we're fighting is not so much erroneous legislation (although many see the Act within wider concerns about the erosion of our liberties) as the misuse of power. The amendments in the 2008 Act provide further ammunition for officers who, for reasons of their own volition, are effectively criminalising street photography ad-hoc. "

See my last blog where I discussed Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and read Liberty for more facts if you wish to join the debate and campaign for more sensible measures of police stop and search powers relating to photography.

Simon Bainbridge, Editor BJP 11/02/09

Bridget's plot to block Heathrow expansion

Lib Dem campaigner Bridget Fox has taken action to stop Heathrow expansion by becoming a co-owner of a field in the path of the controversial third runway, in partnership with Islington-based Greenpeace. And now she's encouraging other Islington residents to do the same.

Bridget explains, "I'm asking people to join me and become a 'beneficial owner' of the land. The plot is in Sipson village, which will be flattened if the runway goes ahead. Anyone who wants to buy or develop the land will need to contact each one of us, so the more the merrier!"

The Labour Government has now announced that it will go ahead with a third runway, despite huge protests. The Government has not let Parliament decide, and Labour backbenchers have failed to force a vote.

Bridget says, "Expanding Heathrow is bad news for all of us, including Islington. Local people will suffer with increased noise and pollution if the runway is built; and millions of pounds is being diverted into the massive planning process in the meantime. Grafting an airport the size of Gatwick onto Heathrow will generate the same carbon emissions as Kenya. It's madness.

"Instead of wasting money on a white elephant airport, the Government should be listening to the Lib Dems. We're calling for a Green Road out of the Recession, creating lasting jobs in energy efficiency, zero-carbon homes, and modern high-speed rail links."
Greenpeace's Airplot campaign



Islington residents who want to become beneficial owners of the land can sign up free of charge on the Greenpeace website at www.greenpeace.org.

10.25.00am GMT Fri 16th Jan 2009

Heathrow expansion - disaster for Islington and the planet

Local Liberal Democrats have condemned the Government's plans to build a third runway at Heathrow, which will increase noise pollution in North London as well as being a climate change catastrophe.

The airport expansion plans came as a blow to environmental campaigners, as Heathrow's annual CO2 emissions are set to rise by 10 million tonnes a year.

But the Government announcement also came as unwelcome news to Islington residents who have campaigned against the flight paths that bring low flying jet planes over Islington at unsociable hours- particularly between 5 and 7am. Department of Transport maps show that aircraft approaching the new runway will fly over Hampstead and Islington before beginning their descent over Paddington.

Julia Williams, Liberal Democrat councillor for Hillrise ward, commented:

"I'm a light sleeper and have been personally annoyed and woken up by noisy planes flying low overhead, particularly in the early mornings from 5am. Many residents of Islington - from Crouch Hill to Clerkenwell- have told me they've had the same problems. We've collected petitions and written to the Government, who have obviously ignored us.

"The Labour Government's decision is to support whatever the aviation industry asks for, rather than the needs and wishes of ordinary people. It's now very clear whose side Labour are on: it's clear that they've sold out to big business."

Please sign our 'Quiet Skies' petition at:

http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/IslingtonQuietSkies

The Liberal Democrats have called for investment in new high-speed railway connecting London with Scotland and the north and for more connections between St. Pancras International to German and Dutch railways, instead of more flights into Heathrow Airport.

11.28.00am GMT Tue 20th Jan 2009

The PFI debacle in Camden Social Housing

Five towers on the Chalcots were lucky to be selected for the £150M PFI retrofit 4 year makeover works, or at least the residents had hoped would be the case.

A different story is now slowly emerging that sets the tone of building problems to come over the 15 year PFI contract period.

Click photo left and you will just about be able to see the panels peeling off !

Question: What does a contractor do when faced with an output driven specification to deliver to a quasi "Decent Homes Standard".

You have probably guessed the answer already; build to that standard, especially as it only represents the minimum standards that builders can get away with.

The output specification is met and the client Camden is satisfied.

It now turns out that the cladding system and metal window system which only just meets the thermal insulation levels to pass current building standards is inadequate. As I have reported in previous blogs during the "cold winter snap" levels of condensation on the metal window frames have been unacceptable and black mould fungus has been popping up (mostly on the silicon sealant) everywhere in many of the resident homes during the past months, more are being reported to me every week.

I have started to dig around in the details of the window specifications themselves, it is clear to read that the windows used are the minimum specified by Schüco. That is not to say that the windows are bad but indicates that in the environment for which they have been installed is unsuitable.

All windows are made to a “thermal insulation” standard. A basic solid wood non-insulated frame provides about 1.4W/m2K. Double glazed glass with argon gas is rather better at 1.2W/m2K. (The lower the U value the better the insulation).

However, here is the rub the Schüco window frames installed on the Chalcots are around 3.9 W/m2K which represents a very poor level of thermal insulation. Which when you take into consideration the exposed nature of the “five” towers facing the Primrose Hill, leads to a thermally inefficient design that HAS already presented all the classic signs of high levels of cold bridge condensation on the metal frames.

As important is the increased energy costs to heat these new refurbished buildings, energy is basically going out the window and with it an increased CO2 footprint for Camden. Compared to what could have been achieved with improved insulation provision.

To add double insult to all the residents of the Chalcots, heating cost are set to increase by 13% over the year for Camden housing properties.

One of the key “selling features” that was used to get buy-in from the 717 resident homes was the fact that an energy efficient saving design was put forward.

Also the level of thermal cladding itself is only what has been described to me as a bare minimum, the architects HTA publicly state in press articles that their design concept is “London Borough of Camden is aiming to deliver a 30% cut in CO2 emissions”

When one considers that the original 40 year old buildings with high prevailing winds facing the Primrose Hill with no double glazed windows (using only one single sheet glass) literally losing up to 50% of heat through the old single sheet windows and cold concrete walls. Then 30% reduction represents only a small improvement of energy efficiency in the wider perspective.

Yes it is a welcome improvement but does it represent good value for a £150M PFI project that is the big question still to be answered.

Author: Nigel Rumble 20 January 2009

PassivHaus in Camden

The best part of the "PassivHaus" building concept is that it cost nothing or very little to heat. However, in Camden Social Housing building and development is using a rather more tradional approach of building to "only" the minimum building standards for thermal effiency