I am writing this on a train to Edinburgh, and as it happens it is quite comfortable, with empty seats and a relatively quiet carriage. I would normally fly – partly because I live near Luton and partly because I prefer short to haul journeys to long – and actually enjoy flying.

As a New Zealander I’m not about to give up the principal of air travel so I am genuinely conflicted about aircraft emissions.

Trundling along at over 100 miles an hour I can’t help thinking that I would have already reached my destination had I flown.

So have I really made a difference or will this only happen when enough of us give up air travel, so that air lines reduce their scheduled flights. Sounds like a long shot to me.

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There's an amazing video on the BBC News website.  The story has been bigged up as an 'Alien scene' in reference to the Ridley Scott classic.  I have to say, it's pretty eye-popping.  I think we're conditioned to find slimy creatures repulsive, and when combined with parasitical behaviour - in this case eating the newly hatched unfertilized eggs of the mother frog - then you've hit the gross-out jackpot.  After all these years, isn't it great that something occurring 'naturally' like this has the ability to shock and amaze so many people?  
And don't get me started on the incidental fact that the (highly endangered) frog in question is called a 'mountain chicken frog'.  Why is it called a 'mountain chicken frog'?  A. It's found in the mountains.  And B. It tastes like chicken.  I do believe we've got to the bottom of why it's endangered.

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There seems to be a lot of chatter about wind power at the moment, like this piece in the Independent. Each side of the argument are as passionate as the other, and as an observer, it's sometimes hard to see the wood for the trees.

One issue is whether you think wind farms are a blight on the landscape or have some aesthetic value.  Some years ago David Attenborough said he thought they were quite beautiful, but clearly many people disagree.  Of course, there are other factors like the cost of creating this type of clean renewable energy.  But in the end, doesn't it boil down to weighing up the long-term benefit gained from reduced carbon emissions (is it measurable and meaningful?) against the perceived uglification of the landscape and seascape?

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