Solution found to the World's biggest problem . . .

That is a good point Mike

Mick

My job just before just having to pack up due to ill health was a plant mechanic which involved repairing and testing electrical tools. Later on they started to produce tools with circuit boards in them when they packed up a new board was needed which in many cases meant that it was cheaper to replace the complete tool.

I went of a course at Kango who also made other tools one being drills for the DIY market. The instructor took us around the factory and when we came to the testing station he explained that these drill are design with a working life of as little as 1/2hours work as many DIY'ers would possibly never use them for that time over a years so called use, even if many did last for longer than that.

A scientist on TV some years ago suggested that nature's answer to global warming would most likely be a 100,000 year ice age

Mike (another one)

Unfortunately not. Heating only accounts for a small proportion of fossil fuel use.

Russell

Recycling the local councils have played us for idiots going back well over 10 years.
Quite a few do not recycle or even landfill but rather ship it out to land fills in India complete with your name and address flapping about in the wind.

One local council tip theyre all jobsworths. Car pulls in and they leap out to see what you have of interest and wont help unload unless that person wants it.
As buying from there no chance, soon as items are placed on the floor side of car unloading it becomes their property and cant have back said one employee. Of course you can play them at their own game ie get rid of undesirable acids, works both ways.

Our local tip is pretty good, they assist if required it all goes in the correct bin and there is no buying or selling, the only gripe I have is that I cant take my trailer in because a) it has to many wheels (4) and its to big, 8' x 5'

Martin P

I've heard that story too.

Pick a drill up, drill 3 holes in a wall for 60 seconds. Put it away. 6 months later, same again, but 120 seconds. One years worth 3 minutes.

After 10 years of this it finally goes kaputt and you think wow that was a really good drill.........

The world's biggest problem is overpopulation.

Between Trump, Putin and China they might alleviate this problem but the result may not please the survivors!

* Danny M *

I was thinking that but a news report on Friday said there was a concern that the rate had dropped below sustainable levels, that presumably in the west only but it wasn't clear if that was actually a decreasing population or maintaining the rate of growth that provides an endless supply of surplus youths to support the aged.

Well, this graph shows one aspect of what worries Greenies:

UK residents - when was the last time you saw a hedgehog?

Dave

Since the problem of lowering birth rate seems to be in the so called developed world, perhaps we will see a population "drift" from other less fortunate areas?

Oops, its started already!

Used to have an hedgehog come in every night until two years ago when i replaced the fence.
It goes elsewhere nightly now often seen opposite like clockwork around 8.45pm, the dogs love it.

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Interesting graph, Dave ... What's your source ?

MichaelG.

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Edit: This?

https://mobile.twitter.com/extinctsymbol/status/287968822017785857

http://sixthmassextinction.blogspot.com/2011/03/evidence-for-sixth-mass-extinction.html

http://www.whole-systems.org/extinctions.html

The explanatory note is important !

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 12/11/2018 22:28:28

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 12/11/2018 22:33:06

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 12/11/2018 22:36:39

But will you be in a fit state to repair it in 40 years time? & even if you are, you will, i am sure, have lost the will to repair it anyway. Why not buy a new one & enjoy it? If you drop dead next week then you will be able to say that at least you had a new bike for a week. People seem to say it is wrong to change, but is it?

Life is not all about possessions but it is about "comfort" & "quality" of living. Sure if you enjoy repairing old items ( & let's face it there is a satisfaction in doing so) then do it.Can you blame people for not wanting to have all the bells & whistles & the latest gadget or the latest bike, or the most modern machinery that actually has decent controls plus a few "extras" that you had not thought of before.

I saw a petition recently asking for property developers etc to deliberately put a suitable hole in garden fences on estates so allowing Hedgehogs to travel from garden to garden.

I have not seen a Hedgehog nearby for many years now.

this is it https://www.businessinsider.com/world-economic-forum-world-biggest-problems-concerning-millennials-2016-8 I go with this page it is right on

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Cause and Effect ^^^

All the Hedgehogs have re-located to the new estates, which have better travel infrastrucure.

MichaelG.

Please forgive and humour a one-off (and off topic) and lengthy rant, but V8Eng has hit a raw nerve with me!

Here in West Dorset a sizeable new greenfield housing development in our rural village featured, as a planning condition, a 2m wide strip of planted land between the junction of the development and adjoining properties. This was identified as a badger corridor. Some years later the owners of the new houses collectively submitted an application to remove the condition, allowing them to incorporate the land within their otherwise rather small gardens.

This was based upon an environmental consultants' evidence that the strip was not regularly used as a badger thoroughfare. In fact its design and that of the estate was such that the strip was unlikely to be much used by badgers. Continuous fencing restricts access and stark gardens provide little by way of food or shelter. The tract did however provide cover and food for numerous other species especially hedgehogs and small birds.

I presented an objection suggesting that, if approval was to be granted, a new condition should be included requiring passes in the garden fences for hedgehogs. This did not find favour and while there are hedgehogs nearby, their access to both those gardens and the habitat rich gardens adjacent is now effectively blocked.

On the next phase of this 'greenfield' development, the designer has actually taken pride in describing the security and privacy of gardens enclosed with brick walls. Doubtless many of these gardens will also feature astroturf lawns, shingle and concrete paving to simplify management and will be adorned with exotic potted plants of no value to our native wildlife. So we continue to extend the 'wildlife desert'.

Insects so often appear to be viewed with suspicion and deemed to be stingers, biters or dirty things (all of which need to sprayed or squashed rather than tolerated).

Cats are kept as they can be let out to do what they have to, with a simple 'oh dear' as they bring in each of the few fledgelings that manage to hatch in nearby gardens and a 'well done' if they bring in a mouse.

And we hear people blaming farmers and saying how they miss the thrushes, starlings, sparrows and finches that were once commonplace in the garden. The truth is that we are all involved and can do things to help.

We need to take time to actually actually observe animal and bird behaviour to understand how small details make a big impact. Things like sanctuary areas for hedgehogs, spots that remain wet even during very dry spells, thick/thorny hedgerows that provide secure roosting for songbirds (safe from hawks, cats and owls) and continuity of nectar rich flower species for insects throughout the year. The critical requirements will differ from location to location depending upon weaknesses in the local ecosystem.

Sadly our planning system appears to address only 'headline' aspects of endangered species and fails to 'join up' the wider habitat requirements.

Walk out during heavy snow and you will see songbirds doing their best to find food and sanctuary where dense vegetation provides shelter from the overlying blanket of snow. Fences and urban walls are a very poor substitute for hedges and dry stone walls at such times. It might be a transient requirement but is one of critical importance to the survival of many species during a hard winter.

The truth is that we all need to consider wildlife and habitats as we go about our lives ( as I am doing in trying to raise awareness in this 'off topic' post!)

Sitting still and quietly for half an hour under a decent hedgerow on a sunny day is one of the best ways to see just what goes on. Birds will come right up to you and all manner of insects and small mammals appear. A lizard or slow worm might emerge from nowhere to sun itself or wait for a passing bug to eat. As soon as you make the slightest sudden movement they flee.

For those that feel uncomfortable sitting alone in a hedge, the range of 'nature cameras' now available provides a great means of seeing just what goes on but the experience is never quite the same as being 'out there with it'.

The Costa Ricans are one of the few nations that have adopted a really enlightened approach to their environment . They now educate their children to understand and respect all wildlife (albeit prompted by the disastrous effects of deforestation and rapid habitat loss in recent years) and take a robust and holistic approach to maintaining and restoring critical habitats. It would be wonderful if our own and other nations can follow their example.

So, if this can stir even one person to try sitting under a hedge I hope my half hour on the keyboard brings half an hours pleasure to them!

If the message goes further I shall be delighted. 'From small acorns mighty oaks grow'. If we plant enough acorns we shall get a forest.

Yes its been a fantastic year for goldfinches across the country - I don't know why when other species are suffering. Does anyone know the answer?

John Paton 1,

I sincerely support your off topic submission, a few years ago our veterinary surgeon had a hedgehog that they had nursed back to health from a serious injury and they were looking for a suitable garden in which it could be released. I volunteered our garden which is very wildlife friendly, hedgehog was bought home and a shelter made for it in accordance with the plans on the St Tiggywinkles internet site. I placed the shelter under a large bush and the hedgehog took up residence, it was summer and we fed the hedgehog daily with dog food and hedgehog specific dried food. When winter came and it was time for hibernation we placed fresh hay outside the entrance of the hedgehog house every day and the hedgehog took it inside and made a snug area to hibernate. Come the late spring we were most surprised to find that the hedgehog was obviously female and had produced a litter of five hoglets, she was quite tame and was proud to show off her offspring to us. Sadly as the years passed we lost her and now to our knowledge we have no resident hedgehogs, sadly a situation that appears to be all too common as hedgehogs become a scarce feature of our wildlife.

Dave W