Posted in October 2009

Climate Change To Hit Food Prices

Source: hazel eyes
Wednesday 28th October 2009, 12:15pm

In as little as 20 years, food prices could skyrocket due to climate change.

As climate change takes hold, crop yields are set to drop, causing substantial increases in price for everyday foodstuffs, potentially leaving millions hungry in the UK.

By 2030, if no action is taken to limit the effects of climate change, bread could cost £6.50 and a pint of beer could come to over £18, far in excess of inflation. Basmati rice could cost £15.21 per kg and 500g of cornflakes could cost £7.20.

A government report found that a 4C rise in global temperature could drop rice yields by up to 30% in China, India and Bangladesh and wheat yields could fall by 40% in Africa, the Americas and Asia.

The upcoming climate change summit in Copenhagen is widely regarded as the best chance to come to a global agreement to limit greenhouse gases and limit temperature rises to 2C to avoid "dangerous" climate change.

As well as each doing our bit to reduce our carbon footprints, we can opt to buy charity gifts and charity Christmas cards this festive season. The money we give to charity in this way will go towards helping those in direst need to adapt to climate change.

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Saving Account Rates Rising

Source: hazel eyes
Friday 23rd October 2009, 5:05pm

Savings rates are finally starting to rise as we poke our noses onto the path to financial recovery.

Savings Account Rates Improve

After the meagre savings account rates we have been experiencing over the past year or so, things might be starting to look up a bit. Of course its not like the 7% high that was offered back in 2007, but its creeping up from the 0.75% when the bubble burst.

Savings accounts aren't for everyone though. If you have credit cards or high interest loans to pay off, its usually adviseable to get rid of these first. The same is true to some degree for mortgages too, generally reducing the amount you owe has a higher cash benefit for money in your pocket than the interest you gain from a savings account.

Savings accounts come in many guises. If you can put a set amount aay every month, then there are Regular savings accounts which give a decent rate of interest, or if you have a lump some to invest and won't touch it for a year or more, then a fixed rate account is probably the way to go.

Usually an ISA is the first thing to look at though as it is tax free for £3,600. It is always adviseable to have some cash in an easy access savings account for those unexpected expenses and maybe lock away some for later on after a cushion has been established.

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Dubai Flights and Attractions

Source: hazel eyes
Tuesday 20th October 2009, 3:39pm

Dubai is often the destination of choice for trips to the UAE. Here's a rundown of things to do and see.

Flights to Dubai

A flight to to Dubai takes approximately 7 hours from the UK. It is 3,426 statute miles between Heathrow and Dubai airport. There is also a quite significant time difference, GMT +4hours, so the first few days it will feel like its a really, really early wake up call!

If you are popping over to see the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, Dubai is only a hop and a skip away. Now Jenson Button has clinched the driver's championship in Brazil, it isn't going to be the decider they were hoping for in their inaugural race.

Things to do in Dubai

Eating out in Dubai offers a wide ranging experience from rubbing elbows with the super rich at Michelin quality cuisine at restaurants owned by the likes of Gordon Ramsey and Gary Rhodes to eateries frequented by the less affluent of the locals.

Dubai is most famous for its cheap gold. The Gold Souk is the place to go to get bargains, not only in gold, but platinum, diamonds and sometimes silver, but haggling is a must. It has its rewards though, prices can be dropped as much as 50%. The street vendors may have a favourable price comparison, but their wares may not be as genuine fake as they appear to be.

Dress shopping in Dubai is not as exciting as New York for example, but there are many extra attractions in the malls to help you spend money such as the ski slope in the Mall of the Emirates, or the waterway in the Souk Madinat.

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Accident Car Rental

Source: hazel eyes
Wednesday 14th October 2009, 5:11pm

The last thing you want after a car accident is to be stranded without a vehicle, but are accident car rentals any good?

Car Rental Replacements

The first thing I noticed when I handed over the keys to the repairers and was shown my rental car for the week was that it wasn't exactly an even swap. I gave them a 2.0l HDi Peugeot, and they gave me a 1.0l Volkswagen Polo.

Hmmm, lets just say the power delivery wasn't quite the same. Not that the rental car wasn't fun to drive. It was great around town - small, easy to park, but after 40mph there was no acceleration there whatsoever. The rental car could also have benefitted from a service - the clutch was almost all the way up and there were a few other niggles that really shouldn't be present on a car with <1000 miles on the clock.

Compare that to a motorbike rental replacement. I gave them a 600 Bandit and they gave me..... a 600 Bandit. Nice. I could go out on a rideout sw and know exactly what the power was, which gear to use and how well it stopped. Of course, the bike went to a load of cowboys that took over 4 months to repair it and sent it back the first time with totally the wrong handlebars and hadn't done some of the things on the assessors sheet they mistakenly sent us... but we did get a free back tyre as they forgot to bill us for it.

I digress, why is it that care is taken to ensure bike rental replacements are similar to your owm motorbike, but with car rentals it is a totally different story?

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End Of The Summer

Source: hazel eyes
Thursday 8th October 2009, 5:10pm

October brings the end of summer in quite an abrupt fashion.

So its time to put away the summer dresses for another year. Away goes the shorts and light fabrics and out comes warmer clothes and jackets. This year, it seems to have all come about over the course of a weekend. On Friday it was sunny, allbeit a bit cooler and on Monday out came the rainclouds and decidedly chillier mornings.

The imminent onset has winter has also seen the end of sw rideouts for another year. Greasy roads and the hazards which come with rain and colder temperatures put an end to that for all but the most hardy. All that salt and muck doesn't do the motorbikes any good either. It takes quite a lot of effort to keep them clean over the winter. Some people coat the frame with various substances to protect the bike from corrosion damage over the winter and simply wash it off again when the weather brightens up again.

Its also time to think seriously about Christmas. Hampers seem to be present of choice this year with a variety of options for filling to the brim with delicious goodies to suit every taste and pocket.

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October Blues

Source: hazel eyes
Wednesday 7th October 2009, 4:07pm

That was summer then. October signalled a sudden change in the rain and temperatures.

No sooner has October arrived then Bang! The sun goes in and the rain arrives. I know we should be grateful we live in a country that isn't affected by many serious natural disasters. In East Asia they aare affected by drought and the recent Indonesia earthquake.

It's a very sad situation out there. The rains have failed year after year, devastating crops and the people no longer have any food reserves left to feed themselves. Conversely, El Nino, which scientists predict will bring hot weather to the UK next summer, tends to bring rain to East Asia. This is not good news either as it tends to fall in deluges, sweeping away soil and causing more misery.

So, whilst we winge about the weather over here, we have a lot to be thankful for.

Meanwhile, its the furniture sales again. Half price sofas all over the place and special offers on bedrooms and kitchens. It's all very well getting a nice shiny new thee piece suite or something of that ilk, but there's all the delivery hassle, will the van turn up on time, how much extra is it for delivery, plus timing the disposal of the old suite so there isn't a gap where you're sitting on bean bags for too long. I find it easiest to borrow or hire a van to take it down the tip, to a charity shop or in storage depending on what condition its in as there's no way something big will fit into my little car.

Not to worry, Christmas is nearly here, and then its the January sales and I'll definitely need a big van then!

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