Shel and I had such a rich selection of topics to discuss in the June episode of The Hobson & Holtz Report podcast, aka FIR 208 - recorded during the weekend of the G7 meeting - that it was quite a job to assemble the order of discussion! As always each of us provides three topics, making six in total for discussion in each episode. Here's the final list for June: Half of U.S. adults consider who publishes it as the key factor in assessing a story’s trustworthinessColgate launches its … [Read more...] about FIR 208: A timely PR stunt at the G7
Climate Change
SDF 32: When Henry VIII met Dr Strangelove
If historical analogies provide the measure of a man, then Downing Street henchman-in-chief, lead iconoclast and perpetual ideas recyclist “Classic Dom” Cummings is doing a spectacularly good job, writes Thomas Stoeckele introducing the show notes for episode 32 of our Small Data Forum podcast. In this episode that Thomas, Sam Knowles and I recorded just a week after Boris got Brexit done, we disagree with such a wild claim mostly in a reasonable way (although Thomas has a different view on … [Read more...] about SDF 32: When Henry VIII met Dr Strangelove
Too much FUD and too little facts about fracking
If there's one major issue of significant public interest today that's shrouded in fear, uncertainty and doubt, it's fracking. If you believe the supporters of this mining process to extract natural gas and petroleum deposits from shale rock - formally known as "hydraulic fracturing" - it could be the salvation of our energy needs for the foreseeable future, maybe for the next forty years or more. If you believe the opponents of fracking, it's a major threat to the environment and to … [Read more...] about Too much FUD and too little facts about fracking
Tuning in to Hurricane Sandy
The ability for people to be connected via the internet is no more valuable when it comes to crises and disasters of one type or another, natural or otherwise. Hurricane Sandy - the super #Frankenstorm on track to hit the US East Coast today - is a perfect example. The latest advisory from the US National Hurricane Center is sobering: ..SANDY STRENGTHENS...EXPECTED TO BRING LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE...COASTAL HURRICANE WINDS AND HEAVY APPALACHIAN SNOWS... Being able to find out what's … [Read more...] about Tuning in to Hurricane Sandy
TFL’s stop-start approach to combating vehicle pollution
As someone who drives into and out of central London quite frequently, I'm as conscious as any road user of the huge traffic congestion that's a feature of a typical journey, along with consequential environment issues like exhaust emissions and air quality. So many vehicles, an overloaded transport infrastructure - these are points to ponder as you sit in a rush-hour traffic jam with engine idling, windows shut to insulate you from all that stuff out there, and probably with the climate … [Read more...] about TFL’s stop-start approach to combating vehicle pollution