Broxwood

Well, Happy New Year! Welcome to 2010!

And what a cracking start to the year, quite literally! Britain could be in the midst of the coldest winter for 100 years with forecasters predicting that the current Siberian conditions may retain their icy grip for another week or so.

For me though, this type of snow-packed winter is only what I would normally expect from the extreme conditions we experience every year in my native Norway where temperatures are currently as low as -40°!

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As we approach the COP15 Summit, I can’t help but wonder if the Scots may be trying to bite off a little more than they can chew having announced the most ambitious interim greenhouse gas reduction targets in the world.

Scotland is certainly leading the way in legislation to tackle climate change. Following Royal Assent of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 in August, the Scottish Parliament collectively agreed a ruthless set of targets aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping 42% over the next decade. By comparison, the UK Government plan is for a total interim reduction of 34% on 1990 levels by 2020.

Such a glittering target might certainly wow them in Copenhagen next week – shame then that the SNP’s own Cinderella Sturgeon and Black Prince Salmond are not invited to the Ball! However, when you consider that the nation’s buildings are responsible for almost half of all energy use in Scotland, you might just wonder whether a harsh mid-day sun took its toll on the Scots the day they passed the Climate Change Bill.

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I was invited along to a housewarming party last weekend which turned out to be a great do. A few of us were having a chat about the new build house when a friend of a friend announced quite emphatically that she would never buy timber windows.

Why not, asked I, recoiling slightly. To which the lady in question replied that wood windows equated to a dreary life sentence of regular oiling, puttying, sanding, priming and painting.

Now normally I’m not one to talk shop at a party but I absolutely had to set this lady straight!

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