one.point.zero - Colin O'Brien's weblog
December 09 2007
Potential future energy sources for Europe: a string of giant solar power stations along the Mediterranean desert shores and a a 5,000-mile wind-powered electricity supergrid, stretching from Siberia to Morocco and Egypt to Iceland.
November 12 2007
Short-term vision for the planet is still abundant: European utilities are shipping US coal across the Atlantic.
October 20 2007
Warning: this vehicle may seriously damage your health.
September 04 2007
Europe’s coolest cities are the medium-sized ones, not the mega-cities, and certainly not boring old Brussels either.
August 22 2007
From the look of things, Mobistar may be the operator that brings the iPhone to the Belgian market. Locking phones to operators is illegal here though so I’m curious to see how that one will play out.
August 01 2007
A Europe-wide wind-powered electricity grid could be in our future.
July 16 2007
Happiness doesn’t cost the earth
The happy planet index rates European countries on their happiness-to-carbon output ratio.
Conclusions seem to show that even though our standard of living is marginally higher than in the sixties, consumption (and our per-capita carbon footprint) has increased dramatically while general happiness has dropped.
Belgium ranks 17th out of 30 countries while the Scandinavians hold the top positions.
June 07 2007
Tell the EU to make cars more fuel-efficient.
April 25 2007
The cost of that monthly commute“The travelling circus between the European Parliament's two homes pumps the same amount of C02 into the atmosphere as 4,000 London homes”
March 28 2007
The new coaster season is upon us
An update on some new rides that will be appearing this year in nearby parks:
The flying dutchman is the new water coaster at De Efteling (Netherlands). It looks like it has some really good themeing too. Photos of the press opening, a blurry on ride video and an outdoors video of the testing.
Phantasialand (Germany) are building Talocan which, from the looks of it, is a topspin with an aztec theme and a fire and water show.
Heide Park (Germany) are busy putting the finishing touches to Desert Race, a rocket (launched) coaster. Heide Park is on my must-visit list as I haven’t ridden the incredible Colossos yet.
And, finally, Walibi Belgium should be opening their cablecar/coaster hybrid Vertigo if they can get communication between cars to work.
March 14 2007
Don’t overdo it today, we’re in the middle of a pollution peak. Coincidentally, coach drivers will be protesting a new European law by driving en masse through Brussels. Great timing…
February 27 2007
An open letter calling on the EU to abandon targets for biofuel use throughout Europe. Without commitment to reduce consumption, the consequences risk being deforestation, land conflicts and more. (thanks Fergus)
January 31 2007
The European commission has caved in to the auto industry on new emission standards opting instead to push the use of biofuels and the placement of indicators that “tell drivers when they need to inflate their tyres or change gear”. Seriously.
January 07 2007
Cá Bhfuil Na Gaeilg eoirí?
December 17 2006
A snowball’s chance in hell
Ski resorts across Europe, usually blanketed by snow at this time of the year, are desperately void of the white stuff. Many are blaming global warming.
So what do they go and do? Setup snow canons all over the place to compensate artificially. Snow canons that use massive amounts of energy and huge quantities of water. Talk about the snake eating its own tail…
December 07 2006
How low can Exxon go“Texas-based Exxon is trying to influence opinion-makers in Brussels because Europe - rather than the US - is the driving force for action on climate change.”
November 08 2006
Belgium is as corrupt as the USA and Chile and ranks lower than most of its European neighbours.
November 05 2006
Europe got a taste of rolling blackouts yesterday. They were due to increased demand on the grid when temperatures suddenly dropped. update: it actually started with a line being turned off in order to let a cruise ship past.
November 02 2006
When I saw this on TV, I thought I’d misheard something, but this really is the logo for the EU’s 50th anniversary.
October 28 2006
That’s going to hurt
A report on global warming by the British treasury says it will be cheaper for developed nations to tackle the problem with significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, than to deal with the consequences later. Duh.
With most politicians looking no further than their own noses the next elections, I doubt that will kickstart anything except a few empty promises.
Meanwhile, Belgium is part of the 7 European countries that will exceed their individual emission limits. No big surprise there either, they’re too busy trying to cause a depression down south before climate change does it for them.
October 04 2006
Potential whistleblowers at the European commission will want to think twice before acting. I don’t know all the details of this story but it certainly doesn’t bode well.
October 03 2006
Interesting view on how lobbyists in Brussels shape European decisions.
September 25 2006
A recent document from Eurostat (PDF) shows that Belgium is the second highest energy consumer per capita in Europe, just behind Finland. And, let’s face it, they need it much more than we do here.
On top of that Belgium is 80% dependant on external sources for its energy needs. How about that as a future recipe for disaster?
August 28 2006
Rice contaminated by GM has been on sale in Europe for months. The US government has known about this since January but has kept silent.
July 30 2006
You don’t want GM foods? Too bad, the EU and Monsanto say you’re getting them anyway.
June 10 2006
Someone get Europe a proper marketing department or, better still, actions that speak for themselves and don’t necessitate one.
June 01 2006
Dear Mr Barroso, have you ever heard of practicing what you preach? Obviously not.
May 21 2006
Follow your Euro banknotes as they travel around the world by entering their serial numbers into EuroBillTracker, Europe’s answer to Where’s George?