We are all still here...

Well, we all seem to still be here, so the switching on of the Large Hadron Collider hasn't generated a black hole. Although I think they would probably need to collide something to make that happen. I swear that some journalists are almost a little disappointed. So how many of you have been discussing the Higgs Boson over your cornflakes? Purely for my own interest, does anyone know how much energy it takes to start and run the LHC?

Some political news has passed across the radar this week. Firstly, the American Presidential candidates have been turning their minds to the energy matters. Barack Obama has outlined plans for creating 5m new green collar jobs, ensuring 25% of electricity comes from renewable sources by 2025, and putting a million plug-in hybrid cars on the road by 2015 and has set a goal to end the US' dependence on oil from the Middle East within ten years. Meanwhile John McCain has suggested that the US "will produce more energy at home. We will drill new wells offshore, and we'll drill them now. We will build more nuclear power plants. We will develop clean coal technology. We will increase the use of wind, tide, solar and natural gas. We will encourage the development and use of flex fuel, hybrid and electric automobiles".

In domestic news the high energy prices are threatening to push 5.7 million households (25%) into fuel poverty. Fuel poverty occurs where households spend 10% or greater of their income on fuel bills. However, help is at hand because the Government is due to announce a package of energy efficiency measures for 10 million households. The measures are expected to include help for households to install insulation and double glazing. Furthermore, according to a price guide published by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) such energy efficiency measures are good value for money. However, the RICS report is less kind to new boilers and solar photovoltaic cells.

Finally, in order to save fuel and carbon emissions train drivers are being encouraged to switch off their engines and coast on downhill sections of track. It all sounds like a good idea as long as they remember to turn the engine back on!