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Green travelling or time travelling?

“I had always anticipated that the people of the year Eight Hundred and Two Thousand odd would be incredibly in front of us in knowledge, art, everything. Then (.) a flow of disappointment rushed across my mind. For a moment I felt I had built the Time Machine in vain.” H. G. Wells, The Time Machine

Every country always makes a first impression. Casting some stereotypical notions aside, when I moved to England from Finland it must have been that of the above quote from H. G. Wells book The Time Machine.

The Time Traveller of Wells had great anticipations of the people of the year “Eight Hundred and Two Thousand odd”. But even though tranquil and peaceful at first, the future world soon shows to have a dual structure. The race Eloi inhabit the beautiful earth, childish and leading an easy life. But below the earth, in deep tunnels, lurk the sinister Morlocks, who were out to feast with the Eloi. I can’t help thinking this duality serves as a metaphor when one considers countries that are fond of wasting.

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Great, what railway?

Just when you thought it was safe to get back on the railway, further cuts to an already depleted and erratic service are announced as the Government plans to cut its rail subsidies.

With the A38 clogged up around Ashburton because of the programme of road improvements, for many the train to Plymouth was becoming a viable option again.

And woe betide anyone with the temerity to live anywhere near a ‘community railway’ (already denigrated by the ‘community’ label in today’s newspeak) and not want to use their 4×4, or worse still, not have one.

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Hold on to your hats

Experiments in renewable energy are taking place in South Devon.

British Gas has teamed up with Windsave to trial pole-fixed roof-top propellor-type wind turbines.

But before we throw our hats up in the air with a collective whoop of joy, only for them to be taken far and wide on the prevailing winds, these turbines are not without their nay sayers, and what about the efficiency of turning the rotational energy in electric energy – a common bleat of those who are generally against wind power. And what ever happened to the other urban roof-top wind turbine maker, Winddam? 

And while we’re on the subject of efficiency, photovoltaic cells and solar power seem to have had a false dawn, and solar power in general has suffered by being sold in the same way as double glazing, creating mistrust in a tentative market.

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Music to my ears

Vibraphonic, the Exeter music festival is hitting the streets next week. So listen out there for some funky and original sounds. There’s even the reappearance of the radio station that will dance upon the city’s air waves.

Fair trade fortnight is fast approaching (March 6 – 19), but can anyone tell us what the

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Who’s responsible?

Three cheers for those socially responsible hacks at the Evening Herald, who yesterday reported that the city council is all ready to remove the ‘potentially racist’ mural at Bretonside Bus Station. The graffiti image of a Kalahari bushman trying to start a fire with sticks of dynamite has apparently prompted outrage from a support

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This bird has flu-n

A swan, ah go on! With a bird curfew imininent, this may be the last time we are able to see such avians (and this picture was taken from a bridge – sur le pont, avians I would say if I wanted to push my European credentials, although I have a feeling that

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Skanks, but no thanks

It seems to have passed everyone by but NoComply are NoMore. The soi-disant horn-fuelled punkers announced the split on their website a couple of weeks ago. Here’s what their ‘statement’ said:  ‘After a total of nearly eight years as a band, NoComply have decided to call it a day and finish as a band

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