Plasma TVs should be junked

Our television recently started blinking so I had a look around for potential replacements even though the chances of us acquiring a new one are something less than zero.

Now, I’m not up on current TV technology so I was surprised to find that some stores, including John Lewis, no longer stock cathode ray tube televisions and have moved entirely over to plasma and LCD screens.

These are supposedly bigger, brighter and better, but never being one to take the marketing for granted I did some research of my own.

Making flying “carbon neutral” - I don’t think so!

Co-op travel firm Travelcare has announced that it will offer its customers the chance to counter the environmental impact of their flights.

According to a BBC report, Co-op in ‘carbon neutral’ scheme, Travelcare customers will be able to invest in overseas schemes, run by Climate Care, aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

Apparently, the proposed schemes in India and Uganda will range from wind farms to more efficient cooking fuel.

Onion and shallot troubles

I was recently asked about neck rot in shallots and onions, something that we’re used to living in the damp north-east of Scotland.

Neck rot in shallots, onions and garlic is usually caused by botrytis (a fungus) and starts with the tissue around the neck of the bulb.

The infected part is grey to brown in colour, with a definite margin between the infection and the healthy part of the shallot (or onion, garlic).

Rain at last

It’s a common misconception that north-east Scotland has rain clouds perpetually hovering overhead.

In fact, it’s relatively dry up here and has been getting worse as we know from our problems with the water supply.

But yesterday, the heavens opened and down came the rain.