The Chinese are facing unemployment, too: Foxconn replacing workers with robots

See this on SingularityHub. Hat-tip to "backwardsevolution" commenting here (comment dateline 23 January at 9:21 am).

Greece: Woodsmoke smog in Athens as locals burn furniture, forests

See Peak Oil blog here.

Also see our Energy Page story on China, coal and last week's smog there.

UK fuel security threatened by privatisation?

An article in the latest edition of Private Eye magazine (online version here) explores some worries about the proposal in the draft Energy Bill to sell off a system that guarantees oil to military bases and airfields.

An old Greek proverb says: There is no borrowing a sword in time of war.

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New economical car: Hybrid Air, from Peugeot

The Daily Mail reports (perhaps a bit unskeptically) claims by Peugeot that their new petrol/compressed air hybrid engine will deliver 117 mpg by 2020.

Brian Wang of nextbigfuture.com gives a more conservative estimate of 81.1 mpg, plus a purchase price / CO2 emission comparison with conventional petrol and alternative hybrid systems. If low CO2 is seen as value (and government incentives - e.g. this - could make it a factor for the car user), then Peugeot's offering looks like value for money, turning green chic into simply practical.

All original material is copyright of its author. Fair use permitted. Contact via comment. Nothing here should be taken as personal advice, financial or otherwise. No liability is accepted for third-party content, whether incorporated in or linked to this blog; or for unintentional error and inaccuracy. The blog author may have, or intend to change, a personal position in any stock or other kind of investment mentioned.

Nick Drew: EDF angling for guaranteed profits from building nuclear power stations

Our expert is caustic about the wily French operator and supine British Government - see the Energy Page.

Nick Drew: EDF angling for guaranteed profits from building nuclear power stations

Our expert is caustic about the wily French operator and supine British Government - see the Energy Page.

Nuclear Stand-off Hotting Up

(c) N Drew 2013

The business pages of the Telegraph are a favourite platform for commercial vested interests. De Rivaz of EDF has used them before to 'frame' the context of the farcical bluffing contest being conducted over what outrageous guaranteed price (and other ultra-valuable concessions) he can screw out of HMG for getting started on just the first of his 4 'promised' new UK nukes. And here he is again, the little Gallic tease - 'framing' for all he is worth. We must assume the 'negotiations' are at a critical juncture.

 "Almost all of the necessary pieces are in place. Our new build project at Hinkley Point is 'shovel ready' and only a few crucial milestones remain to be passed. ... Yet I am still asked – should the UK do it? And if so, do we have the industrial capacity and expertise to pull [it] off?" 

Careful with the 'we', monsieur.

"Just two more pieces need to be put in place. First, we await a final planning decision." 

I think you'll find that's a given, matey: this lot have long since bent over for the shafting. Or do you perhaps want some sort of new environmental indemnity thrown in for good measure ...?

"Secondly, and, most crucially, there must be a balanced, stable and durable agreement on the price of the electricity generated. To be durable, this price needs to be fair and balanced for both our company and the Government." 

'The Government': how sweet. What about the people ?! 

"I believe we can reach an agreement with the Government which will transparently display the economic viability of new nuclear, and which can underpin a robust business case for investors. EDF is now closer than ever to being able to make a decision." 

Ah yes, economic viability. And while we are at it, tell us again will you, about the security of supply for all that uranium you get from, errrr, Niger. Surely, a great age of eco-satire is upon us.


This piece first appeared on Capitalists@Work 


Nothing here should be taken as personal advice, financial or otherwise. No liability is accepted for third-party content, whether incorporated in or linked to this blog; or for unintentional error and inaccuracy. The blog author may have, or intend to change, a personal position in any stock or other kind of investment mentioned.