A Wind Energy vs. Geothermal Energy Case Study: The London Array

On 4th July 2013, Phase 1 of the London Array Offshore Wind Farm, comprising 175 wind turbines and 2 off-shore substations with a capacity of 630 megawatts, was officially inaugurated by the UK Prime Minister

The London Array is an offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary in the United Kingdom. The project when completed will employ 341 turbines at a cost of around £3,000 million and will be the world's largest offshore wind farm.

Phase 1 and 2 of the project have a nameplate capacity of 1,000 megawatt (MW) and employ 217 turbines. The cost is estimated at £1,800 million. 

Geodynamics, Australia's foremost Geothermal Energy developer estimates that the cost of building one Engineered Geothermal System (EGS) plant generating 50 megawatts, would be in the order of £75 million. If that estimate is accurate, then it would take 20 plants to deliver the 1,000 megawatts of phases 1 and 2, and at £75 million each, the total cost would be in the order of £1,500 million, much less than the £1.800 million estimate for the London Array for the same capacity.

Moreover, EGS plants deliver electricity continuously regardless of the wind (or of the sun) whereas the output of the London Array will depend entirely on the wind. No wind --- no output. And in very high wind conditions, wind turbines need to be shut down!

Engineered Geothermal System

EGS plants require minimum maintenance. What will be the cost of maintaining hundreds of turbines located out at sea? Other than "high", no one knows.

Written by Leonard Berney

Carol Cleveland Attends the Final Pre-Release Screening of A Liar's Autobiography

I risked my life taking this photo for you! I had to stand in the middle of a busy Shaftesbury Avenue! The things we do for art!

The 3D animated untrue story 
of Monty Python's Graham Chapman
- A Liar's Autobiography -
goes on general release in the UK

Click here for listngs http://bit.ly/11GoX6j

Friday 8th Feb 2013 - Curzon Cinema Soho: Attending this special event which marked the start of the film's UK general release, in addition to Carol Cleveland (the seventh Python), were:

• The film's 3 directors: Jeff Simpson, Ben Timlett and Terry Jones' son, Bill Jones
• Monty Python's sound engineer who also appeared in the film: André Jacquemin
• Philip Bulcock who played David Sherlock as well as one or two other characters

A Liar's Autobiography is a FAB film (Fabricated Animated Biopic); in a genre all of its own! 

In the bar area of the cinema, a life-size cardboard cutout of Graham Chapman as the Colonel watched over an exhibition of various props from A Liar's Autobiography (the actual model of Sigmund Freud that appeared in the movie as well as his desk, plus the figures used in the opening Oscar Wilde scene); Monty Python and the Holy Grail (the actual sun emblem King Arthur wore on his chest); and The Life of Brian (the actual sandal!). Also on display was Graham's Cambridge scarf.

The three directors: Bill Jones asked the audience to comply with Graham Chapman's wishes at the start of  the film and to shout abuse at the screen for 60 seconds

The actual sandal from The Life of Brian!

Various props from A Liar's Autobiography, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and The Life of Brian - plus Graham's Cambridge scarf

"Please welcome Carol Cleveland" Our Carol's not shy, that's for sure

Some artwork from the film on display at the Curzon Cinema Soho 
(Exhibition thanks to LOCO London Comedy Film Festival)

Some stills from the film, background info, poster etc
(Exhibition thanks to LOCO London Comedy Film Festival)

Me "cuddling" Sigmund Freud (voiced by Cameron Diaz)

Graham's Cambridge scarf (no that wasn't his actual pipe)

Me with Carol Cleveland!

Philip Bulcock, me, André Jacquemin - photo taken by Carol Cleveland on my phone!

Philip Bulcock, Carol Cleveland, André Jacquemin

Philip Bulcock, Carol Cleveland, André Jacquemin

It was great to see André again, and I was so pleased to finally meet Philip having corresponded with him so much in the Twittersphere.

I also managed to have a little chat with Carol. I guessed that her most memorable Python sketch that she appeared in was either Marriage Councillor or Scott of the Sahara. For her, it was the latter. She told me how it was one of the rare long sketches that was filmed on location on Torquay Beach in 1969. At that time, she had only known the Pythons for about two weeks. She said she really enjoyed filming it and that they were always laughing so much on set. I asked her about her topless scene (well, I had to!) and she said that it was the only time she refused a Python 'order'! In the script, she was supposed to run up the beach away from the sea as the final cactus removed her bra. But by then, a large crowd had gathered to watch the filming, and she did not fancy running topless towards the crowd. So instead, she ran with her back to the crowd towards the sea. And here is the masterpiece for your delight:

A Liar's Autobiography on DVD and Blu-ray will be available from 18 Feb but can be pre-ordered now.

The Launch of A Liar's Autobiography at LOCO Film Festival

A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman opened the LOCO Film Festival last night at BFI Southbank with all the excitement you'd expect at a movie premiere.

Celebrities present were Terry Jones who appears in the film (well, his voice does) and Simon Pegg who doesn't, but he came along, I assume, because he's a Monty Python fan like the rest of us; well those with good taste anyway. I said hello to Simon (I had to!) and told him I went to school with Eric Fellner. It seems they're good friends!

Rebecca Front and Tony Law were also there, both on the "What Have the Pythons Ever Given Us?"panel after the showing of the film, discussing the influence that Monty Python has had, and still has, over comedy in film and TV. I was also very happy to see Python stalwarts André Jacquemin and Julian Doyle there.

LOCO/Graham Chapman animation
by Anna Ginsburg

Part of the evening included the wonderful Animate Chapman Exhibition put on by Justin Weyers (the film's Animation Producer) of Made Visual which included artwork and props from the film as well as a live animation demonstration. On display too were Graham's Cambridge scarf, the sun motif worn by Graham in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and the shoe (the sign!) from The Life of Brian.

An unexpected highlight for me happened during the "What Have the Pythons Ever Given Us?" discussion. I was sitting almost dead centre in the front row and on two occasions, Tony Law decided to loudly point me out to the whole audience as the World's Greatest Monty Python Fan. It was being videoed too, but you can edit that out can't you Ida?

What an incredible evening that was! I love the guys at Trinity Film! Thanks to Cedric Behrel (Co-founder and Co-director) who hired me, I am now working within the world of Monty Python, having been a dedicated fan for 40 years. I am so grateful to you Cedric! Thank you! My dream has become a reality.

Next up: A Liar's Autobiography goes on general release in the UK on 8 Feb but it can also be pre-ordered now from Amazon as a DVD or Blu Ray.

A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman stars Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Stephen Fry, Cameron Diaz plus Philip Bulcock, Carol Cleveland, André Jacquemin, Justin McDonald and Jamie Jacquemin.

£1 goes to QUIT, the charity that helps prevent children from starting to smoke and adults to quit, for every pre-order of the film on DVD or Blu-ray. Visit: www. quit.org.uk until 1st Feb 2013.

Neil Bentley Plays 'Sir Not Appearing' For One Night Only

Neil Bentley Plays 'Sir Not Appearing' 
For One Night Only

Spamalot is on at the Playhouse Theatre, London. 

The show is hilarious from beginning to end!

Go and see it for a fantastic night out!

Hot Talk, Cold Science - Global Warming’s Unfinished Debate

by S. Fred Singer (photo: desmogblog.com)

The Global Climate Treaty
According to proponents of the Global Climate Treaty, a consensus within the scientific community supports the view that human-caused global warming is occurring and that it threatens human health and well-being. Nothing could be further from the truth. Far from viewing the existence of global warming as “settled,” most atmospheric scientists and climate specialists hold that the global warming issue should be considered “unfinished business” requiring much further research.

Rather than embark on economically destructive policies to solve a problem that to the best of our knowledge does not exist, Singer urges policymakers to adopt a “no regrets” policy of continued research and unimpeded economic growth. We would then have more scientific knowledge, technology, and economic resources with which to confront climate warming, if we ever discover that it is occurring and poses a real threat. But prematurely mandating severe reductions of greenhouse gas emissions would make us—and developing countries, especially—poorer and less able to cope with any future problems.

No Scientific Consensus of Warming
That there is no scientific consensus of a global-warming threat is indicated by surveys of active scientists

In recent years, research on global climate change has led even more scientists to doubt that global warming is upon us or that it would soon bring Yet these doubts are characteristically downplayed in IPCC reports. These reports gave the false impression that all 2000-plus scientists who contributed to (or had their work cited in) the reports also supported the view that man-made global warming was occurring or posed a credible threat. The IPCC reports even indicated that the scientists who reviewed and commented on earlier drafts endorsed the report—whether their comments on the drafts were positive or negative.

Man-Made Global Warming Not in Evidence
The announced purpose of the Global Climate Treaty is to avoid “dangerous interference with the climate system.” However, this goal is entirely arbitrary because we have no scientific guidance for determining what constitutes a “dangerous interference.” Nor do we have evidence that human activity has had much effect on world climate.

While it is true that global temperatures have risen about 0.5 degree Celsius in the last century, most of this warming occurred before 1940, while most of the human-caused CO2 emissions occurred after 1940. Further, we simply do not know whether climate variability depends on carbon dioxide concentrations. Scientists are only now beginning to study the role of other potential factors in global climate change, such as the interaction between the atmosphere and oceans, variations in solar radiation, and the cooling effects of volcanic emissions and sulfate aerosols.

By and large, General Circulation Models (GCMs) have not yet considered these factors, which may explain why computer models cannot account for observed temperatures. Many models indicate that global warming has arrived and will intensify unless we reduce greenhouse gas emissions like CO2. However, weather satellite and balloon-borne radiosonde data indicate that global temperatures have fallen slightly since 1980. (But neither the weather satellite data nor the discrepancy between them and the GCMs are mentioned in the IPCC Policymakers’ Summary.)

While surface temperatures show slight increases—notably smaller than those predicted by the models—this appears to be due to the urban heat island (UHI) effect, stemming from population increases near weather stations. After correcting for the UHI effect, the years around 1940 emerge as the warmest years of the century in both the U.S. and Europe.

The gap between the satellite observations and existing theory is large enough to cast serious doubt on all computer-model predictions of future warming. Whatever the cause of the gap, we cannot rely on GCM forecasts of future warming. (GCMs are not even consistent with each other; their temperature forecasts vary by some 300 percent.) Until GCMs become validated by actual climate observations, they should not be used as the basis for policy.

Would Global Warming Be a Threat?
Given the incessant talk about the purported catastrophes a global warming might cause—severe storms, coastal flooding, increases in mosquito-carried diseases—it sounds strange to hear about benefits from a global warming. Nevertheless, the scientific literature supports the view that increases in CO2 concentration and global temperatures, were they to materialize, might actually improve human well-being. Some benefits include a CO2-enriched biosphere more conducive to plant growth, longer frost-free growing seasons, greater water efficiency for plants, and more available farmland at higher latitudes.

A reduction in severe storms would be another likely benefit if global warming were to occur. Since a global warming would probably mostly warm the latitudes farther north and south, the temperature gradient between the equator and the poles would fall, thereby reducing the severity of storms. (Contrary to anecdotal reports, theory and observations indicate that severe storms, both tropical and extra-tropical, have not increased in the past 50 years. In fact, North Atlantic hurricanes have noticeably declined in frequency and in intensity.)

Rising sea levels, another alleged consequence of a global warming, may also be a phantom problem. It seems likely that a global warming would lower, rather than raise sea levels, because more evaporation from the oceans would increase precipitation and thereby thicken the ice caps of Greenland and Antarctica. This possibility is supported by an observed inverse correlation between the rate of rise of the sea level and tropical sea surface temperature.

Ocean Fertilization and Economic Resilience
If increases in carbon dioxide concentrations do become a problem, a policy of ocean fertilization—to stimulate the growth of phytoplankton and speed up the natural absorption of CO2 into the ocean, as recently documented in field testing—seems more prudent (and cheaper) than energy rationing. Ocean fertilization would also likely bring an important side benefit: vast ocean deserts could be turned into thriving fisheries. Developing countries in particular would benefit from this less expensive policy by investing the saved wealth in strengthening the resilience of their economies, safeguarding against naturally occurring harmful climate events, and improving their health care systems.

About the Author
S. Fred Singer is Research Fellow at The Independent Institute, President of the Science and Environmental Policy Project, and a Distinguished Research Fellow, Institute for Space Science and Technology. He was the first director of the U.S. Weather Satellite Service. He is the former director of the Center for Atmospheric and Space Physics, and former Chief Scientist, U.S. Department of Transportation.