http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Dealing with Climate Change & Justice en Mon, 12 Oct 2026 14:03:56 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=90#post-386087 Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:04:12 +0000 chdot 386087@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Ministers preparing to slash heat pump subsidies to fund defence spending </p> <p>Exclusive: Some of £2bn savings needed from energy budget expected to come from boiler upgrade scheme, sources say</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/12/ministers-plan-slash-heat-pump-subsidies-fund-defence-spending" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/12/ministers-plan-slash-heat-pump-subsidies-fund-defence-spending</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=90#post-386085 Sun, 11 Oct 2026 20:15:39 +0000 LaidBack 386085@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.thenational.scot/politics/26619746.data-centres-new-student-flats---worried/" rel="nofollow">https://www.thenational.scot/politics/26619746.data-centres-new-student-flats---worried/</a></p> <p>Extract from Robin McAlpine in Sunday National. May appear shortly in his blog away from paywall. </p> <p><strong>Data centres are the new student accommodation.</strong></p> <p><blockquote>After all, in the worse case scenario they own the land and can release its value again during the next cycle. These are not really buildings (student accommodation) at all, these are speculative financial assets parked on valuable land to increase the wealth of those who have money in equity funds.</p> <p>And now, what is the land that has suddenly become valuable? Land on which you might get planning permission for a data centre, particularly if you deliberately confuse politicians and the public about what data centres are and what benefit they bring.</p> <p>Data centres have as much to do with propelling their host nation forward into an 'AI future' as student flats do with promoting the study of Aristotle. Which is to say far from feeding these goals they are parasites sucking the life out of them.</p> <p>The real gold rush in data centres is that no-one wanted to build anything on the land beforehand. You put data centres near the poorest community you can where no-one wanted to build luxury flats or office blocks or student accommodation anyway.</p> <p>But they are built on the basis of a much, much riskier business model than student flats. No-one yet knows how to actually pay for data centres without raising the cost of AI way above what it can be sold for. Data centre projects are being cancelled all over the world because the finances are ropey.</p> <p>So this is our question to you – having given away your land, water and energy for nothing, what do you do if and when these data centres go bankrupt? You can turn student flats into normal flats, but what are you going to do with enormous empty mega-warehouses?</blockquote> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386084 Sun, 11 Oct 2026 16:55:27 +0000 chdot 386084@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>‘Some aren’t going to make it’: how pressure on farmers threatens UK food security </p> <p>Food producers are adding their voices to the chorus of warnings about the vulnerability of British supply chains </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/11/farmers-uk-food-security-producers-supply-chains" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/11/farmers-uk-food-security-producers-supply-chains</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386080 Fri, 09 Oct 2026 23:08:33 +0000 chdot 386080@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p> Infrastructure sends politicians berserk. Propose more money for the health service or reopening youth clubs and frowns break out all round. Can we afford it? But shout infrastructure and cheers go up. The word suggests glamour, chest-beating and “growth”. Reason flies out of the window. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/09/heathrow-third-runway-money-pit" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/09/heathrow-third-runway-money-pit</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386077 Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:37:42 +0000 chdot 386077@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Tories overstate net zero cost by nearly £500bn in apparent spreadsheet error </p> <p>Exclusive: Badenoch’s flagship conference policy document cites £957bn estimate, twice the total in climate advisers’ data </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/09/tories-overstate-net-zero-cost-500bn-spreadsheet-error" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/09/tories-overstate-net-zero-cost-500bn-spreadsheet-error</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386076 Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:35:07 +0000 chdot 386076@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Cop31 host urges wealthy countries to spend ‘much more’ on climate than defence</p> <p>‘The climate issue is the security issue,’ says Turkish minister at Pacific pre-Cop summit in Fiji</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/09/cop31-host-wealthy-countries-climate-crisis-spending-defence-nato" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/09/cop31-host-wealthy-countries-climate-crisis-spending-defence-nato</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386070 Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:29:38 +0000 chdot 386070@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Water companies in the UK made more than £340m in revenue last year by pouring billions of litres of industrial and commercial wastewater into sewage treatment works that experts say are not designed to remove most chemicals, leaving pollutants to pass into rivers, seas and farmland. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/09/uk-water-companies-industrial-commercial-wastewater-sewage-treatment" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/09/uk-water-companies-industrial-commercial-wastewater-sewage-treatment</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386068 Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:09:11 +0000 chdot 386068@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>The British government must be honest about the scale of the threat posed by climate and nature breakdown, researchers have said, after nine out of 10 people surveyed after watching a briefing on the issue felt more motivated to act.</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/08/britons-kept-in-dark-scale-of-climate-crisis-first-of-its-kind-emergency-briefing" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/08/britons-kept-in-dark-scale-of-climate-crisis-first-of-its-kind-emergency-briefing</a></p> <p>“</p> <p>Richard Nugee, a retired general, said politicians focused on the threat from Russia were failing to see the greater threat of the climate crisis. “Climate change is going to be a bigger problem than Russia,” he said. “It’s an insidious threat, one that has crept up. It’s going to do more damage than the threats they’re focused on now. But all they see is a resurgent Russia.”</p> <p>He said politicians needed to ensure the UK could cope with the greater extremes of weather that were already apparent and going to worsen. The lack of action to ensure that vital infrastructure is resilient was leaving the country vulnerable to extreme weather, and open to attack from enemies who could perceive this weakness.</p> <p>“Having spent most of my life fighting, I need to believe this country to be strong. The last thing I want to see is this country go to war. But we are not providing a sufficient deterrent, because we are not resilient enough [to the impacts of the climate crisis],” said Nugee.</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/27/limate-related-risks-uk-economy-security" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/27/limate-related-risks-uk-economy-security</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386067 Thu, 08 Oct 2026 13:57:45 +0000 Baldcyclist 386067@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Other things of note, the DNO approval happened almost instantaniously for the heat pump. Once we paid deposit an automated email went off to power folks, and the approval came back less than 5 minutes later.</p> <p>I still don't have the DNO letter for my panels yet, and I need that for export tarrif, and I have been surprised during summer at just how self sufficient our house is and how little we are pulling from grid - that will change over next few months though, but everything should be using 7p overnight energy. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386066 Thu, 08 Oct 2026 13:45:57 +0000 Baldcyclist 386066@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>We got a 3.9kw solar and 10kw battery system in August. No grants for solar just now, so that was straight forward, they arrived 2 weeks after we paid deposit, and had that done in 3 days. We were left with scaffolding for a couple weeks as the scafolding subcontractor didn't come and get it, so that was a bit annopying.</p> <p>The heat pump has taken longer to organise, mainly due to funding application. We went with Heat Geeks (other compainies will be just as good) because we have a relatively new (15 years old) and well insulated house, so we didn't think we would need new rads.</p> <p>We paid for the survey, and our choice of local (sub contracted) installer who is Heat geek approved came out and did a heat loss survey on the house, and confirmed no new rads, and gave us firm quote which was slightly higher than the heat geeks website quote just because of distnace, and that they needed to pull up the floor to run pipes to the cylender.<br /> Once we agreed with price (no hard sales or bartering, it's just the price), we paid deposit, and then applied for the £7500 grant.</p> <p>Think it was 10 days before the grant was approved.<br /> Once the grant was approved, we contacted Heat Geeks, and we were given a date 3 weeks later. So start to finish that would have been 7 to 9 weeks.</p> <p>They started on Monday, and were done by 5pm on Tuesday, then on Wed morning someone came out and commisioned the system.</p> <p>Now, it is expensive, especially if you need new radiators. For us though our boiler was at replacement age, and our cylinder was breaking all the time so we probably needed to replace that anyway. So cost was arround £1 - £1.5k when grant included, more than a like for like replacement would have been. That said the new cylynder is also bigger, and an upgrade over the old one, so that ofsets some of teh cost as well maybe.</p> <p>Our current gas bill is £650 a year as we have a Hive system than only heats rooms you are, and we are projected to be £380 a year in electric now, heating the whole house. So we would 'break even' in 3 to 5 years over replacing like for like.</p> <p>I now have a big bill to pay the ballance, so I hope the grant comes quickly. :D to offset that.</p> <p>One thing of note the Heat pump is huge, I maybe hadn't counted on it taking up all of the side path of the house. So I will need to buy some slabs and extend the path out to allow us to get bins etc out the gate. If I do that myself it's probably £500, maybe £1500 if I get someone to do it. That is unexpected cost I hadn't accounted for. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386065 Thu, 08 Oct 2026 12:47:37 +0000 Arellcat 386065@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Bc, how long did the whole application and tendering and installation take?</p> <p>An ASHP is on my radar for next year, but I would like to get solar and battery as well to help electrify my house entirely, but the total payback is pretty long as currently I rarely heat my house as much as I would like. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386064 Thu, 08 Oct 2026 11:45:04 +0000 Baldcyclist 386064@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Heat pump was cpmpleted in two days, so that's good especially as it's gotten colder this week.</p> <p>I do kind of understand how they work, but it does feel a bit like Voodoo that the radiators are all barely lukewarm, but every room is cosy warm @20 degrees. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386063 Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:27:32 +0000 chdot 386063@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>The threats to our resilience are the same as the threats to our democracy: what Burnham called “that sense of the powers-that-be pulling against the people, not with them”. We’ve had five decades of lobbyists shaping policy, with devastating consequences for our ability to withstand crises. Willing to play our part as we may be, we cannot do the work of government.</p> <p> • George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/08/stockpile-food-wash-hands-how-to-prepare-environmental-catastrophe" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/08/stockpile-food-wash-hands-how-to-prepare-environmental-catastrophe</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386053 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:25:38 +0000 chdot 386053@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Drax datacentre could create nearly twice the yearly emissions of all Gatwick flights </p> <p>Exclusive: Campaign group’s analysis of North Yorkshire plans finds datacentre would have to burn 4.9m tonnes of wood a year </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/06/drax-datacentre-yearly-co2-emissions-gatwick-flights-analysis" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/06/drax-datacentre-yearly-co2-emissions-gatwick-flights-analysis</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386051 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:24:40 +0000 chdot 386051@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Tory plan to cut energy efficiency rule for builders will cost new home owners £1,000 a year, says thinktank </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/oct/05/tory-party-conference-labour-reform-planning-economy-business-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-6ac3c51a8f08141b6cedfb92#block-6ac3c51a8f08141b6cedfb92" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/oct/05/tory-party-conference-labour-reform-planning-economy-business-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-6ac3c51a8f08141b6cedfb92#block-6ac3c51a8f08141b6cedfb92</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386048 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 14:26:13 +0000 neddie 386048@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><blockquote>the world should accept some bad things happening</blockquote></p> <p>This sounds like people dying or getting hurt.</p> <p>Exactly the same philosophy as the motor industry: "we should just accept that 60 million people will die since cars were invented, that millions (billions?) more are hurt, obesity/climate crises, and kids can no longer play outside their houses..."</p> <p>How about we actually DO NOT ACCEPT THAT! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386046 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 14:15:27 +0000 chdot 386046@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>“I think there’s a lot of daylight,” Altman said. “One of the differences between us and some of the stricter AI safety people is that we believe that the world should accept some bad things happening for the benefits of this technology and people having the agency [to use AI widely]. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/05/sam-altman-open-ai-chatgpt-benefits-risks" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/05/sam-altman-open-ai-chatgpt-benefits-risks</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386029 Sat, 03 Oct 2026 08:42:11 +0000 chdot 386029@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Bangkok at breaking point as floods turn streets into stagnant lakes People wade through a flooded street in Bangkok. </p> <p>With 40 dead and a disaster declared across all 50 city districts, experts warn extreme flooding will only worsen across south-east Asia </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/03/bangkok-thailand-floods-breaking-point-stagnant-lakes" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/03/bangkok-thailand-floods-breaking-point-stagnant-lakes</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386012 Fri, 02 Oct 2026 12:09:04 +0000 Baldcyclist 386012@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"upgrades to Naylor’s home mean she will not have to pay anything."</p> <p>That's a bit of a screw you we're rich story there. Though that said if you do have funds and a house that will accomodate the tech, it's a no brainer. Our heat pump is going in on Monday, and we've been told it's guarunteed to be 430% efficient. So looking forward to seeing what the winter looks like, and how it will cope (we didn't need any new rads).</p> <p>Govt needs to do more to ensure those on lower incomes can take advantage of these technologies, and building regs should be updated or a carbon tax on homes, to force those on higher incomes to invest to decarbonise their homes. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-386008 Fri, 02 Oct 2026 07:55:05 +0000 chdot 386008@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/02/may-heatwaves-deaths-ruined-harvests-study-of-europes-summer-paints-grim-picture-for-the-future" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/02/may-heatwaves-deaths-ruined-harvests-study-of-europes-summer-paints-grim-picture-for-the-future</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-385996 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:33:32 +0000 chdot 385996@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>While millions of British households face the highest energy charges in three years from today after a 4% rise in the price cap, and predictions of a 16% increase in January, upgrades to Naylor’s home mean she will not have to pay anything. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/01/the-zero-bills-home-how-one-family-is-beating-the-energy-price-hikes" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/01/the-zero-bills-home-how-one-family-is-beating-the-energy-price-hikes</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-385994 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 19:58:29 +0000 chdot 385994@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/30/two-million-people-uk-unaware-flooding-risk" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/30/two-million-people-uk-unaware-flooding-risk</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-385982 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:53:01 +0000 chdot 385982@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>New UK homes in flood-risk areas could become uninsurable, says Aviva boss</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/29/new-uk-homes-flood-risk-areas-insurance-aviva-amanda-blanc-budget" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/29/new-uk-homes-flood-risk-areas-insurance-aviva-amanda-blanc-budget</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-385968 Sun, 27 Sep 2026 21:11:21 +0000 chdot 385968@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/27/most-of-uks-essential-food-supply-grown-in-drought-risk-areas-report-warns" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/27/most-of-uks-essential-food-supply-grown-in-drought-risk-areas-report-warns</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-385965 Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:03:30 +0000 chdot 385965@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>After more than a year exploring the complex relationship between rural Scottish communities, renewable energy and the need for a dramatic response to climate breakdown through The Power Shift: Investigating Scotland’s Green Energy Boom, The Scottish Beacon is launching a new environmental journalism network. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.scottishbeacon.com/news/environment/launching-the-scottish-environmental-journalism-network/" rel="nofollow">https://www.scottishbeacon.com/news/environment/launching-the-scottish-environmental-journalism-network/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-385950 Thu, 24 Sep 2026 08:30:51 +0000 chdot 385950@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>We’ve got to change direction’ says UK’s climate representative </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.channel4.com/news/weve-got-to-change-direction-says-uks-climate-representative" rel="nofollow">https://www.channel4.com/news/weve-got-to-change-direction-says-uks-climate-representative</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-385949 Thu, 24 Sep 2026 08:17:25 +0000 chdot 385949@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Two decades after the release of his groundbreaking documentary An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore has admitted he was surprised by the ferocious, ongoing backlash from the fossil fuel industry and its political allies. But the former US vice-president insists he still has optimism the world will confront the climate crisis. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/23/al-gore-climate-crisis-an-inconvenient-truth" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/23/al-gore-climate-crisis-an-inconvenient-truth</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-385947 Wed, 23 Sep 2026 22:04:33 +0000 chdot 385947@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>150 homes damaged by Storm Babet flooding to be demolished </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9lykerxxxg2o" rel="nofollow">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9lykerxxxg2o</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-385946 Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:53:27 +0000 chdot 385946@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/23/uk-climate-crisis-national-security-report-suppressed-starmer-ed-miliband" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/23/uk-climate-crisis-national-security-report-suppressed-starmer-ed-miliband</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20766&page=89#post-385942 Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:39:33 +0000 chdot 385942@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“<br /> Britain is to join a major new ocean science programme led by the European Union, as Andy Burnham's government seeks closer ties with the bloc. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/flatplan-13590808" rel="nofollow">https://news.sky.com/story/flatplan-13590808</a> </p>