Response to Sixth Carbon Budget – Call for Evidence

The Climate Change Commission were looking for comments on a series of questions regarding the ‘The Sixth Carbon Budget and Welsh emissions targets – Call for Evidence‘. My comments focused on:

Kiwis don’t quack

It isn’t hard to find similarities between the British Isles and New Zealand. The traditions derived from the British immigration to the islands (and the South Island in particular) emerge as a common language; as familiar sports at which, for the most part, the Kiwis give us a good thumping; a liking for real ale, often locally brewed; an emerging viticulture and, of course, sheep (and cows).

Green Herrings

Energy prices seem to have been the topic of the Autumn what with Ed Miliband’s promises on price freezes and the latest excitement over SSE’s price increases. Interestingly SSE have provided some useful data both in their press release and in a more detailed (and colourful) pdf which help make clear the components of the ‘average’ bill and what is actually changing. In the ensuing arguments over ‘green subsidies’ it seems some of this detail has been overlooked.

The unfortunate Professor Nutt #nuttsack

Well A.N.Wilson certainly likes to stir things up:

“If you add together all the winos and self-destructive alcoholics, then throw in the smokers who’ve died of respiratory or cardiac disease, the total will far outstrip the number of young people who die after taking

Gun crime up. No, down. No. Yes

‘Gun crime rockets in the region‘ screams the East Anglian Daily Times. And in Lancashire and Nottingham. And all points in between. Home Office data ‘released to the Conservative Party through Parliamentary answers appears to show increases in gun crime in many police forces from 1998/9 to 2007/8. And more than a few media outlets regurgitated the data whilst their sub-editors (subbies) thought up suitably melodramatic headlines. But wait a minute…

Why school league tables can’t answer your crucial question

You’ll remember that I found a good guide to how to win big on the UK lottery in my breakfast reading the other day. Well that same journal also helps us to understand what can be done with school league tables and, more importantly what can’t. For those of you who may have been thinking about moving house to get into a specific catchment area, read on.

Debate: Science reporting

Science Minister Lord Drayson and Dr Ben Goldacre discuss the state of science reporting in Britain. Watch the webcast. It’s great.

How to win big on the lottery

So what were you reading over your muesli and beetroot juice this morning? Me? Well, I was delighted to find our postie had brought the new issue of the Royal Statistical Society’s Journal Series A: Statistics in Society. As dry as a bowl of milk-less wheat biscuits you might think. Sometimes. But not this one. Not only does it offer sage advice on the uselessness of school league tables when considering future schooling (more on that later) but it also tells you how to win big on the lottery.