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Author Archives: Stephen Shellard
They all laughed at Christopher Columbus …
Approximately 6000 words, reading time, about 40 minutes I think I can credit my chemistry teacher, circa 1972, for alerting me to the publication of The Limits to Growth. In stark terms this publication, commissioned by the Club of Rome, … Continue reading
Posted in Environmental
Tagged "Cosmic rays", "Little Ice Age", "Medieval Warm Period", AGW, CO2, GWPF, Hocker, IPCC, Svensmark
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How to avoid a climate disaster…
If you have been living under a stone for the last fortnight, or have in some other manner, [and with good reason] been protecting yourself from all the world wishes to throw at you, then you may not already be … Continue reading
Time up for the House of Lords, and an end to “nostalgic deference.”
In a previous post [1] I speculated on the probability of Scottish Independence and on the question of whether there was any reform which might make the Union of the United Kingdom worth saving. The answer I suggested was … Continue reading
Saving the union: A job for a superhero? Nah — there could be a fix, but is it really worth the bother?
Having “done Brexit”, the intervention of the pandemic has deflected Boris Johnston from what might be his second great project, securing the Union of the United Kingdom. The early signs are, that his political vision falls a long way short of … Continue reading
Posted in Other Constitutional discussion
Tagged "United Kingdom", electoral reform, FPTP, PR, Scottish Independence
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Science and nonsense: diet, viruses and vaccines
I was recently told a story about a medical professional who, whilst explaining the benefits he was experiencing from a “low carb” diet, disclosed that it was his intention not to take the coronavirus vaccine; he was “…not going to … Continue reading
Government borrowing and the sins of the fathers
According to Michael Snyder, commenting in 2010 on the scale of US Government borrowing: We have sold our children and our grandchildren into perpetual debt slavery.[1] Government borrowing now, as a response to the pandemic is a staggering figure, significantly … Continue reading
People Fixing the World … with a doughnut?
I have recently started to include in my regular podcast diet, a programme with the optimistic title, People Fixing the World. Recent episodes have included: Riding the solar railway, on how to make train journeys greener using the power of … Continue reading
Posted in Economics
Tagged "dougnut economics", "People Fixing the World", "The Deficit Myth", Keynes, MMT
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Freedom and the Tiger which must be Tamed
Freedom’s Just another word for nothing left to lose. This line from Kris Kristofferson’s 1969 song, Me and Bobby McGee, offers a memorable, if somewhat world-weary stab, at defining freedom, and then adds the further, deadpan qualification: … nothin’ … Continue reading
Carruchan 
Reasons to be cheerful, blue zones and the importance of stopping eating before you’re full up.
A recent edition of the Reasons to be Cheerful podcast, features an interview with journalist Dan Beuttner who has collected and analysed the data on those communities across the world which have gathered some celebrity for the longevity of their … Continue reading →