Micah Bunny’s Blog

Ordnance Survey Consultation

Last December 2009 the UK Department for the Communities and Local Government (DCLG) announced proposals for the provision of free data from the Ordnance Survey. The consultation closes on the 17th March 2010.

The consultation document is titled: Policy options for geographic information from Ordnance Survey Consultation. ISBN: 978 1 4098 2100 7.
The DCLG announcement states:
“The possible range of products under consideration for release as part of the ‘Ordnance Survey Free’ includes:
‘Raster’ products in a range of scales from 1:10,000 to 1:1 000 000 that will enable developers to produce an application that overlays their information on a map and to zoom-in from a national view down to the street level; Definitive gazetteer, boundary and postcode information that will enable widespread use of these commonly used geographies and act as a link between other government data sets which reference the same geography;
Small-scale vector mapping products which would enable developers to link between boundary, postcode and mapping data.”

You can see what we will get to use more widely via Where is the Path?. The 1:10000 is interesting. While I welcome the proposal as a step in the right direction but the data to be freed does not include the large scale vector Mastermap (which views well at 1:1250 and 1:500) that shows building outlines, boundaries, kerb-lines, and much detailed geographical data is referenced against it, so releasing it for free incorporation in web applications would allow much easier access to all sorts of records,.
While even with present system we have sites that show data against such as gov’t MAGIC we would get more and ability to have this sort of data across many web applications.

An example of existing web service using OS Master Map is Fix My Street. I envisage all sorts of similar services where users can select location on the map.

Another example of sort of data referenced against Ordnance Survey large scale maps is location of utilities underground such as pipelines and cables, if the data for these was open that allow quicker easier access to such records by those who may which to check where they are before digging. At moment one can apply to each major utility for copies of maps showing utilities and do search via services such as Linesearch which will enable application to various underground asset owners, but open web access would I am sure ensure such record are checked more often with more up to date versions on site.
Now it seems maybe there are plans even within framework of present copyright agreements with OS to maybe do this. See NUAG website. But a report by NUAG notes on page 36 concerns that ‘The relatively high price of Ordnance Survey maps will continue to militate against widespread use of the most accurate versions unless more reasonable prices apply. There is an argument that map information should be free, or near free, particularly on health and safety grounds; this would unlock a great deal of its potential, and encourage much wider use, leading to more accurate information’.
The making available for free distribution of such utility asset data into various third party websites such as Open Street Map would push forward innovation.

Open free use of OS Mastermap would also allow companies to enable greater integration of systems with each other.

Here are questions that responses are invited as part of consultation:

“Question 1: What are your views or comments on the policy drivers for this consultation?
Question 2: What are your views on how the market for geographic information has evolved recently and is likely to develop over the next 5-10 years?
Question 3: What are your views on the appropriate pricing model for Ordnance Survey products and services?
Question 4: What are your views and comments on public sector information regulation and policy, and the concepts of public task and good governance as they apply to Ordnance Survey?
Question 5: What are your views and comments on the products under consideration for release for free re-use and the rationale for their inclusion?
Question 6: How much do you think government should commit to funding the free product set? How might this be achieved?
Question 7: What are your views on how free data from Ordnance Survey should be delivered?
Question 8: What are your views on the impact Ordnance Survey Free will have on the market?
Question 9: What are your comments on the proposal for a single National Address Register and suggestions for mechanisms to deliver it?
Question 10: What are your views on the options outlined in this consultation?
Question 11: For local authorities: What will be the balance of impact of these proposals on your costs and revenues?
Question 12: Will these proposals have any impact on race, gender or disability equalities?”

I may later update this blog with my responses.

Bio Gas?

A few weeks ago I was looking at presentation notes on adding bio-gas to the domestic gas mix with the fossil fuel natural gas.
http://www.sbgi.org.uk/ContentFiles/UN/Event%20Presentations/Gas%202009/3.%20Janine%20Freeman%20Presentation.pdf
Also see:
http://www.nationalgrid.com/NR/rdonlyres/9122AEBA-5E50-43CA-81E5-8FD98C2CA4EC/32182/renewablegasWPfinal1.pdf

And recently spotted offer Ecotricity:
http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/news/green-gas-from-ecotricity-is-go!

While I think bio-gas may only make a small contribution it will be interesting to see how develops.

New supplies of Natural Gas from shale gas which has become accessible are pushing down gas prices in UK due to world market in LNG.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKGEE5B10ZK20091202
http://nohotair.typepad.co.uk/no_hot_air/can-shale-gas-transform-uk-energy-policy.html

which fits in with what was in book The Grand Energy Transition by Robert A. Hefner III mentioned in previous energy post.

And others:
http://theenergycollective.com/Podcasts/43813

switched from Kubuntu to OpenSuse

I have switch the GNU/Linux distro I am using after the graphics died after a update to the X server under Kunbuntu. I could have fixed it, but I used the opportunity to switch to OpenSUSE.
I had intended to use OpenSUSE when I got my computer last year, but it came with Kubuntu so thought would give a go. Ulla’s laptop and previous computer has had OpenSUSE on, and I had found it quite polished setup. There are aspects I really like about OpenSUSE over Kubuntu, although some things getting used to. Some programmes I was using under Kubuntu are not easily in found default repositories; but most are. I have discovered some new programmes such as Choqok, which can use with micro blogging sites such as Identi.ca
GNU/Linux are made up of similar ingredients, the distro is really the recipe that blends them together. More important is choose of which programmes to use for main tasks and what desktop platform to use. I use KDE and use many KDE programmes such as Kmail.
Note if switching from OpenSUSE from Kubuntu you can’t just use upgrade option with Open SUSE, I need to create a new partition for OpenSUSE install and do new install into that then set old partion as home directory and move old home folders, and create users as before. OpenSUSE is good at resetting permissions on directories for new users as they are created. Kubuntu does not do this when I tried reinstall of it.
Also I have had to move some config files from .kde to .kde4 directories for some users. I think this is because of way I upgraded early to KDE4 for some users but not others under Kubuntu, together with difference in how distros handles the switch to KDE4.
For example I had to move the config file for Amorak to get back my podcast list. Amorak now works under OpenSUSE as it should with it auto downloading podcasts which it did not before under Kubuntu where it also added random tracks to playlist. I listen to allot of podcasts on way to and from work each day.

Previously I had upgraded from OpenSUSE 11.1 to 11.2 it did not work first time and need to use repair tool on same install DVD then worked ok. The repair tool with OpenSUSE is much more user friendly and seems to do more than Kubuntu’s.

Energy Choices

[This blog entry is in flux and being updated]

Links related to future energy debate:

General:

“Sustainable Energy – Without The Hotair” by David MacKay.

David Mackay has recently become adviser to govt on energy matters. I bought his book a few months ago and thought it was really good, still do, and it got me thinking about energy choices and investigating some areas not really examined before like the heat pumps. It is a good starting point to consider plans. I like that it makes an attempt at comparisons by breaking down amounts of production and consumption into per person per day energy usage, to try to get things to add up. But I believe it has some flaws. He says he is discarding economics often, but then at points makes conclusions that depend on him making (mistaken) economic assumptions. He does not take into account many of the practicalities & costs of transition, starting from where at now. But that is not to say not good to have vision of where want to get to and be concerned to make it add up in final form. But there is need to have efficient bridges to get to final vision.
The thinking behind one of his plans of several for energy production, Plan E for economics (page 211), which he says would be result of free market with carbon tax is mistaken as does not take into account lots of factors such as variable cost of capital, technological trends and inertia, the effect of govt ‘picking winners’ (or not) and creating a market on costs. Although I would be guessing too on any plan I would propose, even if I would try and bring in economic, practical and environmental factors to more refined level. There are many variables and many hard to quantify, and much contested. At end of day there needs to be some plan that adds and move forward with urgency on it.
I think his idea of big need for pump storage is spot on, sure bet that this will be need both for expansion of wind and useful with expansion of nuclear.

He sees Carbon Capture and Storage as only a stop gap. But one reason to develop it is is if ignored then market will mean others will just burn the carbon saved elsewhere anyway, so best to develop for future use worldwide.

But his general point that we have start saying yes to change in big way is right.

“Plan B” by Lester R. Brown.

Seems to move towards some sort of detail and ambition that is required.

http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/international/press/reports/energy-revolution-a-sustainab.pdf
Also yet to examine fully this report, although have seen other stuff from Greenpeace and others with that push to localise initiatives local mixes often starting with community Combined Heat and Power, as well as big push for offshore wind, which looked promising but seem to have stalled.

All good plans including above have energy use reduction by efficiency at top of list as most cost effective use of resources.

Nuclear:

Walt Patterson on Nuclear issues including book: Going Critical

“The Nuclear Illusion”
by AMORY B. LOVINS & IMRAN SHEIKH
A detailed critique of nuclear (Large PDF).

Frances Nuclear Power Push article.

Nuclear Engineering International magazine

World Nuclear Association

This Week in Nuclear podcast
Cheerleading nuclear. Some good points, and some overblown. A good listen at times anyway.

Atomic Insights blog with associated
podcast, which learning allot from.

Thorium:

http://energyfromthorium.com/

Video presentation on Thorium
There are several video presentations on Thorium, all super upbeat, with interesting history of why not chosen path.

Wikipedia article on Thorium

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4971

http://nucleargreen.blogspot.com/2008/04/thorium-fuel-cycle-development-in-india.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/is-thorium-the-answer-to-our-energy-crisis-428279.html

Thorium for the long term, will supersede uranium if depletion becomes a limit.

Liquid Salt reactor with continuous processing for less waste per unit of energy, as can covert all the fertile material to fissile and use it all up as alternative to solid nuclear fuel where lots is left over, is interesting, but pie in sky for now, where as evolution of present designs more viable for the near term.

Natural Gas:

The GET The Grand Energy Transition

While I find the solid, liquid to gas classification a bit overstretched and enters the almost metaphysical (if not plain wrong), this book does make a good case for the gas bridge to a cleaner future particularly in U.S. in chapters that focus on area of expertise of author, such as gas deposits found in contrast to oil.

meanwhile in the U.K. there more efforts to get non-gas households connected up see links below:

http://www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk/cms/444.html

http://www.northerngasnetworks.co.uk/documents/1235406547.pdf

http://www.sbgi.org.uk/event.aspx/a3ce2416-2748-453b-866c-394f66836f43

more fuel poverty links below

Oil:

The Oil Drum blog

Building energy solutions:

Heat Pumps:

http://heatpumps.co.uk/

http://heatpumps.org.uk/

http://www.icsheatpumps.co.uk/

http://www.kensaengineering.com/

http://www.heatking.co.uk/

http://www.ecovisionsystems.co.uk/

http://www.iceenergy.co.uk/

http://www.gshp.org.uk/

http://www.ehpn.de/

http://www.groundreach.eu/

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=702257&highlight=heat+pump

http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/withouthotair/c21/page_146.shtml

Renewables:

Renewable Energy Association

http://www.sharenergy.coop/

http://www.energy4all.co.uk

Energy efficiency, transition & Fuel Poverty:

http://www.lowcarboneconomy.com/

http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk

http://www.claverton-energy.com/

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/

North Edinburgh Trust
in my area recently launch Net Your Carbons project.

Fuel Poverty:

Community Energy Solutions

EAGA

DTI (now BERR) Design & Demo Unit ‘LEAP-FROGGING THE STATUS QUO’ report

http://heatevidence.dialoguebydesign.net/

Zero Carbon Hub

Misc:

Read your Meter website to record electric, gas and water meter readings, to produce usage graphs over time. Dig out those old bills and put old reading on to see trends.

end of Summer

After windy day yesterday it is calm today and also sunny but cool as summer as come to an end, but I should get out after posting this. I am still cycling to and from work but not sure for how much longer, as a the other really felt need for a that. I had a late start to cycling this year as took a while to fix my bike and only because my missus helped me, to make sure I started for Bike to Work week.

We have been visiting quite a few trips to various places this summer which has been good. Been adding odd bits to to Open Street Map from them. But not really added much in systematic way.

I have been reading up on various aspects of future trends in energy production. After reading lots I am better informed but still split over some of predictions and not able to say clear which winner to back. I keep meaning to post in this blog my conclusions but one thing holding me back is that conclusions not clear cut. Anyway we will see. But one thing is I think it is going to be interesting to see big changes over next few decades.

Listening to tunes from bands have not heard in while, in Spotify.

Summer Reading

Deep Simplicity – Chaos, Complexity and the Emergence of Life by John Gribbin

Physics of the impossible by Michio Kaku

Sustainable Energy – without the hot air by David MacKay FRS

Waste by Tristram Stuart

Surviving and Thriving on the Land – Rebecca Laughton

Economics for Everyone by Jim Stanford

More May Reading

Just finished Grand Scuttle – The Sinking of The German Fleet at Scapa Flow in 1919 by Dan Van Der Vat which was a good read.

I am also in process of reading ‘Copy, Rip, Burn – The Politics of Copyleft and Open Source‘ by David M. Berry (Pluto Press), but it academic style means it does not read for me with easy flow. I find the subject matter interesting but maybe because I have read so much else from this area I am only dipping into this in bits, and not finding much new, but it the author seems to have look around widely for doing this.

Read ‘Meltdown: The End of the Age of Greed’ by Paul Mason

I just finished reading ‘Meltdown: The End of the Age of Greed’ by Paul Mason. It was a good read and I recommend it. I had heard recently Paul Mason had just been interviewed by Doug Henwood on his radio programme, but I only decided to buy book on seeing it as part of 3 for price of 2 offer at Waterstones. It is only just out. It has a good pace of writing which draws you in as well as generally very good take on situation. I did gain some understanding of some specific aspects of how financial system had evolved in recent years, that I had not got my head round before. I am in process of feeding Paul’s outlook on future into my own, as I do with books as I read them to various degrees, as well as news, observations and experience , which I guess goes without saying.

Reading and listening to Doug Henwood

A few years ago I read “After the New Economy” by Doug Henwood

I have been just reading his previous book “Wall Street” which I downloaded as a PDF

I also listen to his radio show which is quite interesting with present financial crisis.

http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Radio.html

I download from rss feed in Amarok audio programme and then rsync to my portable audio player and listen to on way to and from work.

I am now also reading: “Technology and capital in the age of lean production” by Tony Smith.

Ferry Gait streets added to Open Street Map

Last Sunday I wondered around some new streets called Ferry Gait in may area collecting the names and adding them to Open Street Map. They just were rendered since I last looked yesterday at it. I am quite pleased.

A path from the Muirhouse Linear Park to them has just been opened up which saves me a bit of time going to work on my bike. I added that too.

Google Maps and multimap have only part of roads.

Before I added page to my webserver which pulls over tiles from open street map for my area:
http://map.movingpages.org/
I want to play more with openlayer and OSM, and changing how displayed. Next step maybe being to creat custom tiles on my server.