A Swim Today With Colin And David Along The Esplanade In A Wetsuit. Swan Just Over 2km In 57 Minutes.

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"The Martian" by Andy Weir

I'm just back from holiday. While away I read this really fun book titled "The Martian" written by Andy Weir. It is a great read, fast paced, full of action with suspense and light relief. For other Engineers like me it really brings home what we do which is to solve problems. I highly recommend this book!

We went to the Blue Lagoon today. I do love hot springs.

I was down at the Boat Club today. David Jenkins and I did a 500m swim in around 16 minutes without wetsuit. Water temperature 9 degC. Highish tide going out. After our swim I needed to get more steps. These birds were sitting on The Esplanade railing across from the Old West Kirk. (at Greenock Esplanade)

(33 cities chosen from) more than 1,000 registrations and nearly 400 formal applications from cities around the world. Each city was asked to present a clear and compelling description of how they are approaching and planning for resilience to decrease vulnerabilities, and after careful review of the applications, a panel of esteemed judges, including former presidents Bill Clinton and Olosegun Obasanjo, recommended the first set of 33 cities for the 100 Resilient Cities Network.

It wasn’t easy to choose only 33 – we had so many passionate, vibrant entries. Among the winners: One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world wrote of the city’s history withstanding shocks for the past eight millennia. One African city wrote of a resilience plan as harmonizing climate change adaptation, biodiversity, planning and management and water security. And a city in South America finds itself dealing with landslides and forest fires, all while sitting in the shadow of a volcano.

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Europe

Bristol (UK) Glasgow (UK) Rome (Italy) Rotterdam (Netherlands) Vejle (DK)

Links to the rest of the cities, here. What’s surprised me most was Oakland, California(!) made the final cut. Also, Bill Clinton and Olosegun Obasanjo were on the panel. Bizarre stuff.

Give Nuclear Power Plants cool names

The list below shows the 16 Nuclear Reactors currently operating in the UK.  It was taken from the World Nuclear web site at

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Country-Profiles/Countries-T-Z/United-Kingdom/

I would urge those naming Nuclear Power Plants in the future, pick cool names for Nuclear Power Plants instead of simply naming them after a location.  Names that come to mind are "Opportunity", "Hope", "Progress", "Our Children's Future", "Reliability" etc.  In fact you could have a competition and ask local children to name the plant. 

In the Iain M. Banks Science Fiction books there are ships capable of faster than light travel controlled by "Minds".  "Minds" are cognitive machine and because they are cognitive they get to name themselves.  There names introduce a bit of whimsy into what often is a very serious business.  A bit like Nuclear Power, a serious business that would benefit from a lighter and more fun image.

A list of the names of the "Minds" appearing in some of Iain M. Banks novels is available at Wikipedia at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_%28The_Culture%29

I think the favourite name there that could be applied to a good Nuclear Power Plant is "Vision Of Hope Surpassed".

In addition, it might be good to hear an opponent of a Nuclear Power Plant saying something along the lines of  "I don't want to see "Our Children's Future" built" or carrying placards the say "No Nukes ! Stop Hope!".  Quite often this is what they really are saying but without being explicit.

Boxing Day Swim 🏊 - High tide, Force 7 High Winds Near Gale - David, Ernie and I didn't go far. We went up The Esplanade for around 100m the went towards the MOD slip and then back. We were in for around 12 minutes. The squalls and spray when you in the water are exciting. Water temperature 8.2degC (at The Royal West of Scotland Boat Club)

Dome City Blog 6 - Ring Park

Something I feel strongly about is that it is important to spend time outside and to have public parks that are easily accessible from the Dome City.  Therefore, I would like to see the Dome City surround by a ring of park land 500m wide.  

This Ring Park would provide parkland with an area of 235 hectares (580 acres).  

To put this into context, in London, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens together are 253 hectares (625 acres) while New York's Central park is 341 hectares (843 acres).  Of course, for the residents of the Dome City, would never be more than 500m horizontally from the Ring Park unlike residents of London and New York who could be much further away from these outstanding green spaces.

Some of the features i would hope to see in the Ring Park are sports fields with modest amounts of spectator seating for football, rugby, cricket, and field hockey.  There should also be some outdoor tennis and basketball courts. Pitches and courts for these sports would also be available within the Dome City but with limited head room due to height restrictions of the levels in the Dome City.  These are the sports I would choose but ultimately it would be for the residents to decide.  

I would expect that we would make allotments available for residents who want them to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs and other plants.

There should be a wide range of play parks for children of all ages and I would include a skate park within the Ring Park.

I would hope that there would be a lake where water sports such as swimming and kayaking could take place.

Somewhere in the Ring Park we should have a cemetery.  

Aside - I understand that the largest municipal cemetery in the whole of Europe is in Greenock, the town next to where I live.  It is 31 hectares.  If you are ever in Greenock and have a at a few hours visit this cemetery, it is fascinating - End aside 

Within the Ring Park here should be a range of different habitats such as grasslands, forests and marshes.  These habitats should become a haven for wildlife.

Footpaths and cycle ways would exist to encourage walking and cycling.

These are my initial suggestions and I think that the residents of the Dome City should have a say in what they want from the park.

Joe Heffernan - 8 April 2015

Tonight's sunset at the Boat Club.