I was asking our Residents Management Co. the other day about the possibility of installing electric car charging points in the communal parking area, and possibly solar panels to feed these (tho I've no idea if that's feasible).

They manage numerous developments n have not been asked this question before, which surprised me.

Someone said when you install solar on your roof you no longer own your roof, you merely rent it. I'd never heard that before - is it true? There was the fear that whoever owned it wouldn't look after it as well as you would yourself.

I think all this environmental stuff is a nonsense in the grand scale of the life of this planet and what has happened to it.

Earth is some 4.5billion years old and has seen phenomenal changes including ice ages, global warming, earthquakes etc etc.

Humans are very new indeed and this idea of us destroying the planet is irrelevant. We may be destroying it for ourselves but we aren't destroying the planet - it will vastly outlive humans and if that means other species come into existence in the billions of years ahead then good luck to them.

Yes Peter it's our environment along with many species that is being destroyed by us. Yes the planet is going to continue turning but quality of life for all creatures is in peril. Just ask an Orangutan.

Ray.

Man is the only organism that has ever existed on this planet that has developed the ability to totally change and destroy very large parts of the planet.

So, yes, man may be newly around, but the effect of the species is catastrophic.

Think of whole mountains being hollowed out in North Korea, or destroyed in China, think of the desertification that has happened due to the destruction of the Aral Sea, think of the destruction of natural forest in the Amazon jungle, and in the U.K. Where the natural deciduous forest has been removed and ciniferous forests planted so densekybthat no ground or shrub layer can exist below the ever present canopy.

As a direct result of man's activities the forest that used to exist in North Africa has been totally destroyed SINCE ROMAN TIMES and the Sahara desert has been formed - now spreading eastwards at a rate of at least 25 km a YEAR. All because the Romans introduced wild goats that destroyed the seedlings - the Romans used to capture lions and zebra in, where now is Tunisia and Libya. The "Cedars of Lebanon" have virtually all been destroyed, except those in artificially maintained ornamental gardens.

New ? Yes but totally out of control.

Attenborough is 100% correct and the destruction is hastening in an extrapolating manner as bigger and bigger machines are developed driven by more and more desire to destroy for short term profit.

You are right about the scheme, Barry but it is very complicated and many people think it is not worth the hassle. Air source heat pumps do not, as you say, heat the water hot enough for them to be safe in that bugs can grow in the hot water cylinder. You have to have an immersion heater, as well, that will do that.

I think there were schemes like that, Jean, and the extra power generated went to the owners of the roof. You can, however, buy the panels outright and install them just like any other home improvement. There are also roof tiles that have photovoltaic cells in them but they are very expensive at the moment.

Been doing some further digging today. I got as far as looking up "approved" companies that can do the work required and the first four I found when I googled them they didnt even have websites! When I worked on the North East Suppliers register as an IT Consultant and advisor to One North East you wouldnt have even got on the list without a website and that was well over a decade ago. Ill pursue it but it already smacks a bit of another "Excel" Spreadsheet Tory corner cutting cock up to me.

I am finding that many tradesmen are using Facebook as a means of displaying their skills and touting for business. If I don't find a website I go on Facebook.

Yes Pat but all the 'rouges' on Rouge Traders have super websites but operate out of a spare bedroom. It's too easy to present a glossy online image.

Ray.

I find that extremely unprofessional using Facebook as your only form of internet presence. I want to see case studies and more importantly reviews and structured detailed information about their products and services. I found none of that for any of the first four companies I searched on. Fair enough if you are just looking for a bob a job plumber to fit a leaky tap I would be happy enough to take a recommendation from Facebook but if we are talking of £10k worth of home improvements I want to know whoever is coming to do the work has a glowing long standing reputation.

I think you have six months to go through this process. I bet finding the right suppliers and getting the quotes in will take until well after Christmas.