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"[T]he share made of 55+ year-olds has increased from 16% to 19% - a relative increase of 22%," according to Nielsen Online.  And that would be interesting enough by itself.  Every increase has to correspond to a decrease, though, and the decline occurred in what might be the least-expected place.

"Over the last year (Oct 06 - Oct 07), the share of the UK Internet population made up by under 25 year-olds has decreased from 29% to 25% - a relative drop in share of 16%," the Nielsen report states.

Time to dispair? Not according to Monbiot:

“We must confront a challenge which is as great and as pressing as the rise of the Axis powers. Had we thrown up our hands then, as many people are tempted to do today, you would be reading this paper in German. Though the war often seemed impossible to win, when the political will was mobilised strange and implausible things began to happen. The US economy was spun round on a dime in 1942 as civilian manufacturing was switched to military production(25). The state took on greater powers than it had exercised before. Impossible policies suddenly became achievable.

The Guardian reports this morning on a private report to Gordon Brown that suggests that Britain should oppose binding target for renewable energies in Europe (20% of all energy by 2020, as agreed earlier this year at this spring's EU Summit). The Guardian flags the juicy political bits ("work with Poland and other governments sceptical about climate change to "help persuade" German chancellor Angela Merkel and others to set lower renewable targets", "a potentially significant cost in terms of reduced climate change leadership"), but also provides some of the apparent underlying reasons provided, which are worth commenting upon:





• it undermines the carbon-trading scheme which "allows wealthy governments to pay others to reduce emissions";


• it costs too much money (£4 billion a year to get to 9% by 2020);


• it does not help push for new nuclear plants as it "reduces the incentives to invest in other carbon technologies like nuclear power";





Let's say it plainly: each of these arguments is stupid, short-sighted and, quite simply, false. Let me take you through them in turn (under the fold).

SOME of North Yorkshire's finest views are to become even more picturesque, as work begins to bury unsightly electricity lines underground.

Three areas of the North York Moors National Park have been selected for the burial scheme, with a further four lined up if funding allows.

NEDL, the company responsible for maintaining the power network in our region, received a £5.5 million grant from electricity regulator Ofgem last year to carry out undergrounding work in seven protected areas.

MORE than 80 per cent of Londoners have had an electric shock in their own home.

Dodgy electrical appliances are the chief culprit, accounting for more than a fifth of all shocks, and 17 per cent of Londoners got a jolt while using cutlery to unblock a toaster.

MORE than 80 per cent of Londoners have had an electric shock in their own home.

Dodgy electrical appliances are the chief culprit, accounting for more than a fifth of all shocks, and 17 per cent of Londoners got a jolt while using cutlery to unblock a toaster.