Warmongering? Fight climate change instead!
I've just been reading a fantastic blog by George Monbiot - on the strange things going between the UK government and defence industry. Or maybe they're not strange at all... maybe it's the same old malarkey.
"On Friday, the National Audit Office published a report which appeared to congratulate the [British Ministry of Defence] for going only 11% over budget on thirty acquisitions, such as attack submarines, destroyers, Eurofighter aircraft and anti-tank weapons. This overspending – a mere £3bn or so – is a heroic improvement on the ministry’s usual efforts. The story was spoilt a little when we discovered that it would have looked much worse were it not for some creative manouevres by the 1st armoured accounts division, confounding the enemy by shifting money between different parts of the budget."
"But what the audit report failed to answer, or even to ask, was why we need attack submarines, destroyers, Eurofighter aircraft and anti-tank weapons in the first place. Are the Russians coming? Is Angela Merkel preparing to mobilise a few Panzer divisions? It is preposterous to suggest that we face the threat of invasion, now or in the foreseeable future."British writer George Monbiot: Defence Against What? »
This is all very interesting - the article appars to focus on conventional weaponary, and Monbiot argues that the British military-industrial complex has effectively shot itself in the foot - in terms of going on another 'adventure' any time soon. But, as you may recall, the British government and military establishment are busily building some new Weapons of Mass Descruction - last week, weapons inspectors went to visit Aldermaston to check out the situation.
Cory Doctorow posted a 
I need to have a rant. I am sick of being patronised by Exxon and Shell. How stupid do they think I am? Let's start with the more traditional, old-school marketing technique being rolled out by Exxon and then move on to the even more sickening and condescending campaign by Shell. (And BP and Chevron, don't think you're innocent, you just obviously haven't paid for the prime-time spots on CNN and BBC World or I would have been tempted to throw up in my porridge by you this morning as well).
Latest news - it looks like Edinburgh is set to follow the UK town of Woking, and long with Denmark and the Netherlands in implementing decentralised energy, as well as dramatically its carbon emissions. 
A web editor at Greenpeace International, originally from that place at the far end of the planet that is full of kangaroos. I write about forests and GE but occasionally i'm allowed out to play and do other stuff...like '
Here in London, we're all recovering from a hectic day at the Count in the Square - 25,000 people packed into London's Trafalgar Square. We were gathered to make a call for action on climate change - everyone from the Women's Institute to the rock band Razorlight. Quite a mixture. 
