Climate change - Have we gone too far?

January 9, 2007 · Filed Under Thoughts · Comment

This is one odd winter. It is not really cold in Milan, nor was it last year. Not too long ago Milan got regular snow falls in winter. Not now. It was the same in the UK too around Christmas and we were in northern Britain at that. Remarkably mild for the time of year. Last summer it was incredibly hot during summer in the UK. My mum moaned about not being able to stand the 35°C heat.

Temperatures seem to be increasing at an alarming rate. The North Pole is melting away. Italian bears have been annoying skiers because they don’t want to hibernate.

I hope this is no more than a climatic cycle, but there many other elements which would seem to indicate it is not. More cars on the roads than ever before, massive increases in production and thus pollution in what were developing countries, more planes in the air and a thirst for electrical power that is becoming unquenchable. Not to mention all our past escapades (industrial revolution, second world war production levels) which probably started everything rolling before we really knew what the consequences would be. It’s not looking too good is it?

I can’t help feeling that we are not really being told everything about the rate of climate change. Maybe it is too late, or possibly we will be able to live with all the warmer weather. But how warm will it be for our childrens’ children?

I wrote a short story about this not too long ago. Let’s hope that it remains fictional.

Sorry to sow doom seeds, but I was just thinking about this this evening.

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Tags: Italian

Italian TV yet again

January 9, 2007 · Filed Under Italian TV · Comment

I heard it on the news last night. Recent audience figures from the Auditel TV monitoring body have confirmed that Italians want better quality TV. Goody, goody. The brain numbing effect of all the low quality trashy TV programmes has finally made Italians vomit their feelings. Good for them. Berlusco will not be a happy bunny as his companies may actually have to forgo some pocket money and pay up to make some real interesting programmes. Might mean an end to the dreadful Real TV program which shows other peoples video footage that has been ‘introduced’ by a half dressed nubile, but talentless, model. I’d like to say bye bye Big Brother too.

Forza Italiani! P p p people power!! Good stuff and yah boo sucks to the silly commenters who left daft comments on my original post on Italian TV a while ago.

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Tags: Italian

Getting confused

January 9, 2007 · Filed Under Language, Work · Comment

I’ve been preparing some material on sentence composition and managed to confuse myself after trying to understand the difference between adjuncts and adverbials. Adverbials can be adjuncts apparently, but not always. Then there is presenting all these nuggets of grammatical knowledge to students in a manner which will actually improve their written (and spoken) English in an effective and, preferably, non-confusing manner. Fun, fun, fun.
I shall have to test this material thoroughly and monitor its long term benefits. All I need are a few willing victims, sorry, er, guinea pigs.

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