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
Communicators: Here’s how to support famine relief in East Africa
You've seen the news reports about the humanitarian disaster in East Africa. Famine and drought on a massive scale. Millions could die in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. As communicators, what can we do to help? Well, how about supporting the call to action from our friends at Communicate Magazine and #CommsChat: This week’s #CommsChat was scheduled to be on measurement. But something came up that we felt was more important. Amid the anger of News International and the vacillations of the Euro … [Read more...] about Communicators: Here’s how to support famine relief in East Africa
Local gestures can make global impacts
On Saturday March 26 at 8.30pm, we'll be turning our lights out at home for about an hour as we support Earth Hour 2011. It's our small part in supporting a grassroots environmental campaign that aims to bring attention to climate change. From the Wikipedia description: Earth Hour is a global event organized by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature, also known as World Wildlife Fund) and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their … [Read more...] about Local gestures can make global impacts
Grounded by the ash
The mainstream media has been full of photos of the ash cloud from the Iceland volcano eruption that’s the cause of a complete shutdown of incoming and outgoing flights in the UK – and now nearly 20 European countries – since last Thursday. Here’s one that I think epitomizes the scale of this natural phenomenon possible more majestically than other pics. Quite a dramatic photo, isn’t it? (It was posted to Twitpic by burritojustice who says “via an Icelandic friend of a German … [Read more...] about Grounded by the ash