Wild parakeets living in Britain to be shot before they become a nuisance

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8471075/Wild-parakeets-living-in-Britain-to-be-shot-before-they-become-a-nuisance.html

Summary

Monk parakeets are becoming a serious problem in the UK. Their rapidly growing numbers could pose a threat to both people and native bird species. They can damage agriculture because of their preference for fruit as food, and their very large nests are troublesome for people. Besides, they can drive out other birds that need the same resources to survive. Parakeets are being trapped, re-homed and their nests destroyed. When necessary, they are also being shot. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds agrees that the situation must be controlled before it is too late, but does not commend the shooting of birds, especially when the numbers are still relatively small.

Comment

I agree that birds should not be shot simply because they have the possibility of becoming a threat. The first thing I thought upon reading this article was “But humans are the most destructive creatures of them all and you do not see birds shooting us for that”. I know that is not a particularly rational or fair comparison, yet I do not see why shooting them is at all necessary. They are now talking about 150 parakeets, a number they should be able to re-home without resorting to (the much easier) use of bullets. It is not the parakeets’ fault that they ended up in the Home Counties.

Schoolgirl wins right to use her iPod in exams as she can't concentrate unless she's listening to music

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1389910/Schoolgirl-wins-right-use-iPod-exams-concentrate-unless-shes-listening-music.html#ixzz1RUFQ3u7K

Summary

A girl studying at the expensive Mary Eskirne School for girls in Edinburgh has won the right to listen to her iPod during exams, claiming she cannot concentrate otherwise. The request was initially denied, and the school only conceded after being threatened with legal action. The school had to buy a new iPod for the girl, the music being loaded into it by a teacher to prevent any attempts at cheating. They are now bracing themselves for requests from other students hoping to be granted the same right. This could be disruptive for the school exams, as the iPods all have to be checked individually and these students would have to sit in a different area, demanding extra attention from teachers.

Comment

I find this rather ridiculous, to be honest. It feels to me like a spoiled girl who would go to any lengths to get her way. As the school refused her request, she simply took it one step up and threatened with legal action. While I do understand that it can be much easier to concentrate with music playing, it seems like a very egoistic thing to request considering the extra work involved in complying with it. It is one thing when this is done because of medical reasons. But we all have circumstances in which we can concentrate better and if school had to keep track of all of them, they would hardly do anything else.

Metropolitan police officer sacked for Facebook and text abuse of colleagues

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jun/23/metropolitan-police-officer-sacked-abuse

Summary

A Metropolitan police officer lost his job after several incidents of misconduct. This involved making crass remarks about one of his colleagues on Facebook (such as calling him a liar). He also abused a female colleague he was previously involved with through text messages and verbally threatened a member of the public. The Crown Prosecution Service decided against any criminal proceedings. After a Metropolitan police gross misconduct hearing, it was decided the man was unfit for the badge and should be relieved from duty. A commenting IPCC commissioner said he betrayed his position as someone the public should be able to trust by acting like a bully.

Comment

I agree with the decision to sack this police officer after what he did. As a member of the police, you simply cannot behave this way towards people, be they colleagues or members of the public. Commenting on co-workers on places like Facebook already shows quite a lack of judgement, and any form of cyber bullying should be condemned. I do understand why the man was not charged with any criminal proceedings, though, as losing his job should be enough of a punishment to him. This should also serve as a warning to other officers – or any professional, really – to keep their professionalism in mind, all the more when working with the public is involved.

Plastic surgery mistake prompts £6m award for businesswoman

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/may/23/plastic-surgery-award-businesswoman

Summary

A woman, named Penny Johnson, sued her plastic surgeon after her surgery resulted in nerve damage to the right side of her face. According to her, this damage has led her business going belly-up and to estrangement from her husband. She says her face is constantly contracting, that she has trouble sleeping and there is a buzzing around her eye. The defence accepted that the damage might have made working more difficult, but that the claims for the losses she suffered from it are unrealistic. The judge ruled in Penny’s favour, granting her 6 million pounds.

Comment

While I sympathize with how horrid it must be for the woman to have suffered this injury, I find the ruling slightly unfair. If the surgeon really did do something beyond what they agreed upon (experimental surgery), he should definitely be sued. On the other hand, every surgery has its risks. I am of the opinion that cosmetic surgery done purely to get rid of a few annoying little wrinkles should be subjected to different laws when it comes to how much of the outcome is the person’s own risk.

Scottish newspaper claims it has identified injunction footballer

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/scottish-newspaper-claims-it-has-identified-injunction-footballer-2287689.html

Summary

A Scottish newspaper was the first mainstream publication to identify the footballer accused of using the courts to keep sexual affairs a secret. They published a picture of him with his eyes blacked out, making him fairly easy to recognize to anyone who is familiar with the sport. The name of the footballer has already been released to the internet after a reporter mentioned it on Twitter. The injunction that prevents British media from printing the man’s name has no power in Scottish. The editor of the newspaper said it is not right for newspapers not to be able to print something anyone can find through Google.

Comment

I find this situation very controversial. On the one hand, it is daft that a newspaper cannot print information readily available on the Internet. On the other, it is an issue of protecting people’s identities. Affairs should be something that is handled in private, even when it comes to famous people. It puts enough strain on a marriage as it is without the public gawking along. However, there is no way to control what appears on the Internet, it is not feasible. Rather, there should be laws about what journalists are or are not allowed to post on their personal social media accounts when it comes to their job.

BritNed power cable boosts hopes for European supergrid

article

Summary
After five years of construction, the power cable between UK and the Netherlands has been completed. It has the capacity of 1,000MW and is seen as the first step towards building an European supergrid. This grid will be used to import and export renewable energy generated by, for example, wind power and solar power. Its completion should increase the energy security in the UK. Building the supergrid should take about 10-15 years. More lines are planned by 2020, linking the UK to Norway, Belgium and France. There are also plans for lines within the UK, linking Scotland and England on both east and west coasts.


Comment
The supergrid seems like a positive development. Renewable energy can be shared between countries, and surplus energy can be ‘sent’ to places that are experiencing a low ‘production’.  However, I wonder whether adding money to the mix might cause problems. By making it so that countries can buy and sell their natural power resources, there is a chance that certain nations will not be able to compete or outbid each other.  It is impossible to make the grid a free-for-all, though, as this also has its downsides. Rather, I think there should be a system in which countries all get a fair share of usage of the cables.

\o.o/

First post, yay!