Cambon

Quick, run for the hills. We are doomed!!! From the article: ......could add 2.6% more water to the ocean than the water displaced by the ice, or the equivalent of approximately 4 centimeters (1.57 inches) of sea-level rise.

Man made diversions - not carbon. Lakes drying up causing more greenhouse gases - not carbon. Water from drying lakes raising sea levels - not carbon. Cause of evaporating lakes? a more arid landscape as more and more green area is turned to concrete to house the masses - not carbon.

Wow! Back to school for you then Yes, the sea level is rising. Yes, scientists say that the northern ice cap in particular is melting. As a very large proportion of that is floating, it is already displacing it's weight by volume of water. So a bit like ice in a glass, as it melts the level stays the same. On the other hand, the likes of the Aral sea (fourth latgest sea in the world) has halved in size since the 1960s. The massive man made lake that feeds the Hoover dam is drying us as the rivers that feed it dry up. Even the world's largest freshwater lake, Lake Superior is at it's lowest level in the best part of a century. All the great lakes are drying up. All that water has to go somewhere and my guessing is water vapour (the biggest greenhouse gas) and then the sea.

But Slim, sea levels have been changing ever since the dawn of time. Off Jersey there is an area called the petrified forest, which during an exceptionally low tide you can see. This is from when that whole area (including the channel Islands) was dry land. In other parts of the world lakes and seashore have dried up. A whole re-balancing act of nature. I am not saying that adding carbon from fossil fuel is not adding to the already unstoppable problem (called nature). I am just tired of the scaremongering and industry that has grown up around it. Carbon is carbon. There is a finite amount of carbon on earth. All the carbon that is now oil, coal, gas, was once living organisms. It was all above the surface. As Albert Tatlock continually bangs on about, the only way to reduce the amount of carbon used is to reduce the number of people. As the population of earth continues to grow, so will the atmospheric carbon problem. It really is as simple as that.

Ah good, I'll get the suncream and shades out then, and wait for the summer.

There are literally tonnes of boats that cross the Irish Sea on a daily basis for a fraction the cost of the Steam Packet. If the linkspan was deregulated, don't you think some of these companies would want to pick up some of the very large, lucrative trade monopolised by the Steampacket? I mean, all they need to do is stop here for an hour or two on the way to Belfast or Dublin! The IOM is small in population compared to UK towns, but it is much richer. There is actually a market for shops other than Lidl and Poundstretcher. A lot of companies know this but cannot get in because of red tape. It took years to get McDonalds, and fairly soon after KFC was here. It is all very closely controlled. Remove those controls and it could be amazing. Look at Jersey. They have a thriving high street, much more than us and they are much more independant than us. I think any movement is very small. A few sabre rattlers at best. I don't think anything will come of it but that does not mean we should not be looking at all possibilities.

Independence does not necessarily mean cutting ties with the rest of the world, only the UK. There is no reason why IOM could not maintain good relations with Europe, USA, etc. It could actually work out very well for IOM. However, i don't think the IOM has enough governing experience to carry it off. Also, I think your ideas about full amalgamation are wrong. It is more likely that transport links would improve. Things like the MEA and steampacket monopoly would go, and freight would be subsidised as per northern ireland. More UK chains would come here because there would not be the red tape (back handers etc.) required to open up. The red tape and backhanders are the route of the monopolies here.

Carbon offset? What a load of cock!

Well i for one am shocked. I mean, how stupid can one be? I never knew east anglia had a university!

Basically, yes. Western governments have managed to create a massive industry around this, and at a time when they are trying to find ways to create jobs, this is an easy option. It is also a soft touch for taxation. Better to cover up any good news on reductions in CO2 with lies about bank bail outs. Good news about reductions in CO2 could affect their plans to create new jobs in the industry.

Wilkins use a watchmaker who is very good. I think he used to work for R.W.Smiths. It is not cheap though.

Are the plans still on display?

I know, spend the 4 million relocating the government departments that don't need to be in douglas, out of douglas, reducing conjestion and parking problems considerably.

In this case fairer=everyone gets frustrated because everyone (whether going to the sea terminal or along the prom) has to use the single lane stretch from the roundabout to the corner. That causes the conjestion. If the prom people could slip down Walpole ave, and the sea termonal and remainder of the prom people use the existing route the traffic will flow more freely. 2 lanes verses 1. A total no brainer. Even the DOT shold see that. In reality they are trying to stop people using Walpole avenue. it is probably going to be the enterance to whatever they build on the carpark.

The problem at QB is caused by two things. Firstly, the traffic along peel road towards Brown Bobby, and on to Quines Corner. And secondly, the amount of traffic from the South and Farmhill trying to get into town. Because the situation getting into town via Kewaigue is so dire, many opt to go via QB. The reasons it is so dire are firstly, you cannot turn right by the railway. This in turn backs people up Athol Street and to Brown Bobby, and ultimately QB. The second reason is that they made Walpole Avenue one way the wrong way. Walpole avenue used to act as a buffer taking the strain off lower Douglas round about. It no longer does that. Now everyone for Douglas and the boat has to go past the sea terminal all at the same time (in the evening). As I said in an earlier post, the problem at QB is not caused by getting onto the round about it is by the inability to exit it.

That will make the problem at QB even worse. All they need to do at allow right turns at the railway and that problem will go away. Cost? virtually nil.

The whole idea is mad! It will never work. The problem is caused by conjestion and it does not matter how many lanes you have going into a roundabout, it is still single file traffic. The solution to the problem is to get rid of that stupid plastic stuff which restricts the flow and is a big part of the problem, and secondly improve other access roads into the town centre. The reason QB does not work during rush hours is due to the traffic trying to exit QB, not approaching it. This is a total waste of money. The £4M (if we already have it) should be spent on free public transport as is being implemented in Bermuda.