The Glass Box for Wednesday
The Glass Box is the place where you can comment on what you heard on PM, interact with other listeners and get responses from the people who make the programme. This is proving to be a useful tool for us, and we hope, for you.
Just click on the "comment" link.
Don't worry either if you didn't catch the whole programme, or were busy doing other things and not giving us your full attention. If there was something that "caught your ear" we want to hear about it.
The Glass Box is named after the booth outside the PM studio where we all discuss the programme at 18.00 every weeknight. We try to be honest and constructive. Sometimes there is criticism, and the criticised get a chance to explain themselves.
The people who make PM will read the comments posted, and will sometimes respond. Unless it's Roger Sawyer editing. He's completely hopeless. And he's editing tonight. After last night's fiasco!
Please feel free to post your thoughts. There is a link to previous Glass Boxes on the right.
Also on the right, you'll find lots of other links you might like. The Furrowed Brow for example is the venue where you can start talking about anything serious: The Beach is a fun place, and there are links to Blog entries with photos, audio and links. And if you want to see us drone on about awards, you can do that too.
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"The government asks for our ideas?"
"But Tony Blair said while the ruling would change the consultation process, "this won't affect the policy at all"."
xx
ed
Please can we have and end-of-year compilation of Eddie鈥檚 quick quips? I鈥檇 like to nominate today鈥檚 retort about Patricia Hewitt鈥檚 abilities in office for inclusion. It was good enough to flummox, and momentarily silence, Lord Hunt earlier: 鈥淪he鈥檚 good at clearing up her own mess.鈥
A clever and wise ecologist. It ain't economically attractive. Buy some longjohns and save energy the simple way.
Nuclear power is anything but carbon free. I wish the media would make this point strongly when discussing Britain's energy future, because everyone keeps saying the opposite without thinking.
There is a very good press release about this from International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), but I've only found it on their German site (I am German and listening to PM via BFBS in Bielefeld, Germany). It quotes a study from the Oxford Research Group, "Secure Energy? Civil Nuclear Power, Security and Global Warming". The carbon footprint caused by the production of nuclear fuel, which requires energy and chemical and physical processes - all producing greenhouse emissions - is high and set to rise as uranium resources are being depleted. In terms of CO2 per unit of energy produced, the carbon footprint for nuclear energy is already between that of renewables and fossile fuels. Around 2050 nuclear might have a carbon footprint equalling that for natural gas.
So, CO2 is carbon free? No, that's just propaganda, and I'm sick of hearing that cliche in parliament or repeated by the media without anyone speaking out against it. Not even the Tories in today's debate.
You like a challenge? Find and interview a healthcare professional currently working within the NHS that still has confidence in Ms Hewitt.
In the time I've been qualified (all since New Labour came in) I've seen wastage increase as staffing levels drop. I've seen patients discharged before they are ready because of the pressure on beds and collapse in a heap before they'd left the ward. The 4 hour rule is worked around by opening an Emergency Assessment Unit and moving people there after a 3 hour wait.
Patients used to receive healthy, well cooked food. They now have cooked, chill, reheat food. A patient was served with a slab of scrambled egg that was completely inedible. He asked to be transferred to a private hospital.
More recently (and worryingly) I heard that a local Trust was delaying surgery in young breast cancer patients and giving chemo instead to save money when it is not what any of the guidelines recommend. I'm so glad that I'm out of the NHS and looking after NHS patients in an independent healthcare provider. Patients may still complain but at least they are in a clean, safe environment with adequate staffing, well cooked food and staff who have time to care for patients and are not slavishly completing paperwork to meet targets.
Lord Hunt appears to have completely ignored the fact that there are a huge number of Junior Doctors who will not have a training job to 'enjoy' in August since once again the thing that seems to be forgotten is yes the computer system hasn't worked and has removed our autonomy but the main fustration from the doctors is the shortfall of training jobs.
To say that Patricia Hewitt is a great minister is surely meant as an insult to all of us waiting to here the outcome of our generic uninspiring interviews.
Nuclear power is anything but carbon free. I wish the media would make this point strongly when discussing Britain's energy future, because everyone keeps saying the opposite without thinking.
There is a very good press release about this from International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), but I've only found it on their German site (I am German and listening to PM via BFBS in Bielefeld, Germany). It quotes a study from the Oxford Research Group, "Secure Energy? Civil Nuclear Power, Security and Global Warming". The carbon footprint caused by the production of nuclear fuel, which requires energy and chemical and physical processes - all producing greenhouse emissions - is high and set to rise as uranium resources are being depleted. In terms of CO2 per unit of energy produced, the carbon footprint for nuclear energy is already between that of renewables and fossile fuels. Around 2050 nuclear might have a carbon footprint equalling that for natural gas.
So, CO2 is carbon free? No, that's just propaganda, and I'm sick of hearing that cliche in parliament or repeated by the media without anyone speaking out against it. Not even the Tories in today's debate.
A clever and wise ecologist, that Goldsmith lad. His dad would be proud. It ain't economically attractive. Buy some longjohns and save energy the simple way.
Eddie..
re: Unless it's Roger Sawyer editing.
Is he, by any chance, related to Roger the Cabin Boy, or Roger the Co-Pilot?
....the public has a right to know.......
Aye, Sebastian,
And there's all that concrete, too. Every tonne of cement produces between 0.8 and 1.4 tonnes of CO2 in it's production.
Wiedersehen,
ed
Sorry about my comment appearing twice ... I got a server error when I submitted, so I thought I should try again. (And I didn't want to ask whether "CO2 is carbon free" either, replace "CO2" by "nuclear" ...)
Another unaccountable and unelected Minister prevaricates on a current ongoing disaster while seeking to absolve his department and his boss of all culpability. D茅ja vu all over again?
Following on from the item about language skills in pre-school children, I have a friend who works in a specialist unit for primary age children with communication difficulties in Oxfordshire. When I last spoke to her they had only a handful of children in the unit, because the special needs system was failing to refer needy children. I think this links in with your recent discussions on the failure of the special needs system to identify problems and help children.
Got a little distracted during the programme with Fifi and Gillian at Chris's house singing Celine Dion songs
However we all noticed that DAB is now plugging the blog in a big way on the text display. Well done Marc :-) Not the case for FM yet.
I'll listen again to the programme
RE: The nuclear debate....in essence I think that I can smell a rat or should I say a hidden agenda. Basically it goes like this because we are depened on Gas & Oil from Russia at present and many years to come, so it seems. And Blair et al wants to build a new generation of Nuclear Plants (although only 18% of our requirements) why not whip up a new anti-Russian hysteria with stories like the death of Alexander Litvinnenko.....so he can say look we need these Nuclear Plants or we may be held too ransom by nasty Russians...noting that I have been following these probably related stories in the Guardian...which means that Berezovsky and Puttin may have had their motives as well....but as I remember it was not that long ago that Blair and Putin were the best of friends...
Brian V Peck
I was a nursey teacher for 20 years, and was very interested in the feature concerning childrens' speech.
It is all very well putting the responsibility on the family....I have no argument with that, but it isn't the whole picture - the curriculum and organisation of early years classes also have a huge impact.
One of the best ways to encourage language development is to give children imaginative challenges, in an unthreatening and unpressured envionment, and give them the chance to use whatever language skills they have to solve problems, share ideas, co-operate and collaborate with their peers. A sensitive and focussed teacher watches and listens, records and reflects. She makes sensitive interventions, asking ''how'', ''why'', and ''what would happen'' questions, and provides opportunities for discovery and wonder. This isn't a new approach - it's called play.
In our early years settings, five-year -old children are being denied the chance to play. They are given play opportunities as a reward, when they have finished their academic work....which means that there are some children who hardly ever get to play, because they are struggling with their formal tasks. These are the children who most need to play. Structured play opportunities can help children with their overall development - social, emotional, physical, creative and cognitive. It can be used to develop literacy, numeracy, and logical thinking. It is worth noting that Scottish Primary schools are working towards delivering the early-years curriculum through play, which will inevitably lead to a more-rounded education and happier children. Above all else, it will give these young children exciting and creative experiences which they will want to talk about. It is difficult to see how much lively conversation can be wrung out of table-top activities and pencils and paper.
Gillian (16),
Brilliantly put, and yet another reason to interview the responsible Scottish Minister as a counterpoint to Empty Desk.
xx
ed
Just a quick thought about Patricia Hewitt.
Click through to:
Thank you Ed I (17) As you can probably tell, it's my favourite subject!
Gillian - that's fascinating. I agree with everything you say. The plus of home-ed is that we've done an awful lot of learning through play. Actually, sometimes we've struggled with the "learning" bit, but we've certainly got the play bit off well!
Years ago my SO was a kindergarten teacher in NZ, where the kindergarten system operated purely on a "Learning through Play" basis. No child was even given a pencil unless it was for drawing with. And these were 3 & 4 year olds who only went to classes for 3 hours in the morning. (The 3 yr olds went 3 afternoons a week, as I remember) Then full time school at 5. Can you imagine how appallingly lax that would seem now? I can't think how any of us ever learnt to read or write!
Brian Peck # 15,
I don't think it's anti-Russian propaganda to consider that when they disagreed with Russia [on the price of gas], Ukraine and other former Soviet republics had the gas turned off. As Europe becomes ever more dependant on Russian fuel, a wise country would try and get a second (or third, or fourth..) source of energy. Whether nuclear is either sensible or indeed a practical one is another matter.
I think the current spat regarding extraditions between Russia and the UK happen to be in the headlines now, but is not the reason why there is a nuclear debate.
I forget who said that if everyone switched off devices rather than left them on "standby", it would reduce the country's energy requirements by two power stations. I've heard higher figures than that, but as a working number, it's only a useful guide if we know how many power stations (or power station equivalents) this country actually has; is it 1%, 5% or 25% of them? I think both types of figures need to be presented; one, in that people can picture a power station, the other as a figure that can be related to.
Today you had an item about Bio-mass being burned in Slough. What do they use to chip the wood? A petrol engine chipping machine?? What do they run the lorries on?? I bet they aren't converted to run on pure veg oil. The government are talking green, but they have not removed the tax on pure veg oil type fuels. Why?
Re: DI Wyman (9) that's naughty! Poor Roger - report now to Capt Pugwash - on second thoughts perhaps not
Re: Bill Waldergrave (18) and his link
hahahahaha
Re; Team and Eddie - was just about to listen again and 大象传媒 Four (TV) got me hooked on the Greg Dyke documentary about Lord Reith. What a fabulous documentary.
What a truly fabulous man Greg Dyke is -- I really believe that.
I missed this weeks Desert Island with Kirsty so a reminder to myself and you to keep an appointment with Radio 4 on Friday morning 9AM. His first song is Bruce Springsteen and 'Born to Run'
fabulous!
Re:- Gillian - Your post was very interesting and has convinced me to 'listen again' - even if we did catch the odd few seconds during our singalong with Chris ;-)
Hello Folks...
Thanks for all the comments. Strangely awkward programme to put together in that there were quite a few stories around, but they all felt a bit old really. The nuclear stuff had been around all day and - indeed - another one of those stories when we could have put pretty much what we put on air five months ago and it would have sounded the same. Which is why we went for Patricia Hewitt as our top story.
Andrew's piece on the link between children's communication skills and offending was really thought provoking, but my best listen was the Martin Plaut piece about UN peacekeepers in Congo smuggling gold out of the country and re-arming militias... or is militia the plural of militia? Like cannon?
And yes, DIY... Roger the Editor comes from a long line of 'Roger thes'. Cabin Boy was a my great great grandfather. He was scuttled at Trafalgar. But Co Pilot I think comes from a different branch of the family.
I'm off to a REAL beach now. Broadstairs.
Toodle pip
Rog
Right, guys - Time to lay off poor Roger! He's probably had to put up with these epithets all his life, AND he has to put up with Eddie's teasing.
Roger - Broadstairs is lovely. Enjoy yourself on the beach and forgive the frogging fun.
Ed I;
The GP service in Buxton, Derbyshire is to be outsourced to a large US healthcare provider. This runs counter to the expressed wishes of the local population and is much more expensive than a tender put forward by the local GP's themselves.
The locals won a judicial review on the grounds of 'insufficient consultation'. Hoorah, you'd think. Only the minister responsible came out and brazenly said that they would conduct the consultation and then carry on regardless, rendering the consultation pointless.
This is a consistent Govt. policy.
And you're right about Goldsmith. Great interview. If Cameron REALLY listens to him then we could see the beginnings of a genuinely informed green energy policy from the Tories.
Kazza;
My SO thought likewise. She now earns a third more as a private physio than she did in the NHS, for two-thirds of the hours. And much less paperwork to do. Health professionals, go private, you know it makes sense.
J Waller;
Yep, another Govt. minister living in cloud cuckoo land. Add him to Lord Adonis, recently taken to task over the provision of Special Educational Needs services on PM and here on the Blog.
And like Adonis, he's a Tony crony, ennobled in order to give him a Govt. job. An unaccountable peer divorced from reality. BA in political studies and a working background as a health administrator. N.B. NOT a healthcare professional. He knows the theory of healthcare, but has never had to actually deliver it.
Si.
Brian Peck;
Blair & Putin friends? Hmmm, I think that Western leaders saw the kind of man that Putin was early on but hoped that by wooing him they might convince him not to head down that path. Russia was economically weak then (remember 'Kremlingate'?). He tolerates no dissent or opposition. He's turned the country away from the path of democracy. No free press, journalists murdered with impunity and the long arm of the state reaching abroad to murder opponents. Shades of Georgi Markov.
There can be no doubt now that Russia is regressing politically to a virtual dictator state. And don't imagine that the next elections there will be free and fair. Putin needs to ensure that he isn't brought to book in future, so he will ensure that friendly faces are perpetuated in the Kremlin. And with a newly-strengthened Russia flexing it's economic muscles we should certainly be worried about their intentions to use their assets as a tool of political 'persuasion'.
I'm sorry to disagree with you, but I don't see any direct connection between the death of Litvinenko and the whipping up of a frenzy to ensure that we get more nuclear power stations. The policy of Russia should give Western governments cause for concern where it's economic might and political will overlap. Britain has never held other countries to an implied ransom by witholding North Sea Gas or Oil from sale to them on political grounds. Russia has done that very thing with it's neighbours recently. In that light it is only common sense to ensure that provisions are made for the energy security of this country against the withholding of energy sources by unfriendly foreign governments.
We need a combination of reductions in demand, better energy efficiency and a more diverse and less vulnerable supply. To make the link which you have is pure conspiracy theory. You'll be telling us next that Prince Phillip really was driving the white car in that tunnel and that Blair is an extraterrestrial lizard in disguise.
anth;
the 'Standby' thing; it might have been me, if you saw it on the Blog. I worked with the National Grid for six years, although admittedly on the I.T. side and this two power station figure was common currency there.
In regard to how many power stations we have, the is a wide diversity, from the likes of Drax (Europe's biggest coal-fired station and one of the largest polluters) down to the biofuel chappy on the programme last night. So coming up with a meaningful figure for you is impossible.
But consider supply and demand; the large proportion of demand is in the South-East, it's where the people and the businesses are, especially Greater London. The supply is in the North, especially along the Trent and Humber. There is not a great deal of generation in the South; Dungeness, Isle of Grain, Shoreham and Sizewell spring to mind immediately, then I struggle for others. And there are none inside the M25 at all, if memory serves.
So the electricity has to be transmitted hundreds of miles from generator to consumer, incurring substantial energy losses in the pylon lines along the way. If more generation could be built in the South-East this problem would resolve quite substantially. But who will grant planning permission for a series of thumping great power station in the Home Counties? The new planning rules may overcome that virtual prohibition.
Si.
Roger the Editor;
You describe last nights programme as 'awkward'. I caught the first 45 minutes and thought it a very good one. Real diversity and picking up on some of the stories that the news programmes left out.
Particular favourites were the Patsy Hewitt story with Eddie's interview of Lord Hunt and the UN corruption one.
Enjoy Broadstairs. But why not pop along to PM's own private Beach once in a while?
Si.
I see there is much discussion about Radio 4 on the Anorak website :-)
Doesn't Carrie Gracie look stunning today!
News 24's viewing figures must be rocketing,
two 502's :-(
Simon # 27,
I too am aware of the geographic distribution of power stations, and that this does not match demand. I had thought of posting that IF we were to have nuclear power stations, why not build them on the sites of the currently being de-commissioned ones (Berkeley, Oldbury etc) as there is much local infrastructure still there. I know that does not match demand either, but there are the local villages built up to house those working there etc...
Actually, I've seen the figure before, but it was mentioned on PM yesterday. My point is "2 power stations" does not tell me, let alone a non-technical person, if it's a seriously significant saving - for example 10% - or a drop in the ocean. Maybe it's the latter, if the 2 power stations figure has been used for years without anyone estimating what percentage of the UK's daily power consumption that means...
Yes I agree with Si, I didn't think the programme seemed awkward at all - in fact it kept me listening in my car in the car park of the supermarket for the last 15 mins before I finally went and got my shopping.
Incidentally - on your last feature regarding corks. Must admit am guilty of buying screw top wine quite frequently - not necessarily through conscious choice but because a particular wine I like just happens to have one, but last night I made a conscious decision to go for one with a cork - and it wasn't even a real cork, it was a plastic/rubber/whatever its made of one. How can you tell if if a bottle has a real cork????
Gillian - excellent summary and I wholeheartedly agree with what you say. The thing I found odd about the feature was that it only featured boys? Is the same theory not true of girls then?
anth;
Check out this 大象传媒 document;
for a comprehensive list of UK powerstations with maximum power ratings and transmission lines, etc.
The Wikipedia entry for National_Grid_UK is pertty good too, giving capacities and demand and loss figures.
About 7.5% of generated power is lost between the generating station and your house, about 4GWatts on average.
Si.
Si, your reliance on Wikipedia as a source of information never ceases to amuse me! :-)