London Times: Queen bores hole to heat palace (new "green" status symbol)

[DeepModem Mom]

Queen bores hole to heat palace
Lois Rogers, Social Affairs Editor


THE Queen is planning to create an underground network to extract heat from the earth’s natural warmth and cut energy bills at Buckingham Palace.

She has inspired a fashion among the super-rich for drilling boreholes at their properties as the latest "green" status symbol....

***

The Buckingham Palace system will provide secure, free and inexhaustible energy from beneath the surface of the four-acre lake at the heart of the walled gardens....Specialists in the burgeoning geothermal industry say that boreholes and other underground heat exchange systems are well within reach of middle-class householders....The system at the palace will work by circulating water, containing additives, through a closed loop of pipework running through the bed of (a nearby) lake. The slow journey through the coils allows the liquid to absorb surrounding heat.

This warmer water is then passed back up the loop of pipe and into the palace where it goes through a compressor which raises its temperature to 55-60C. The energy can then be used to heat the state apartments either with radiators, or by venting hot air through underfloor heating.

The mix of water and additives can also be decompressed so that instead of generating heat it can provide cool air for air-conditioning systems in summer.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1743819,00.html

[Sannum]

1. The Queen has been known for her progressive environmental views

for a very long time. She really cannot discuss politics because her role is non-political, but she has been an advocate for these progressive causes for a very long time.

Despite what the tabloids have said, she seems to be a very good woman. She has even been known to pay for the medical care for her staff out of her own pocket.

Plus, she loathes the Bushes, so that makes her brilliant in my eyes:).

[CottonBear]

2. Prince Charles is an environmentalist and historic preservationist.

Do you remember how the Bu$h gang invaded Buckingham Palace and demanded to have windows replaced with bulletproof glass when Bu$h went to England (and there were HUGE protests against him)? QEII refused. Then, the secret service agents destroyed part of her prized rose garden on the grounds while they were providing "security" for Bu$h. Reportedly, she was "royally" pissed off.

Bu$h should have stayed with the American Ambassador if he was going to be that much of a bad guest and visitor. That was no way to treat a woman who has known every Prime Minister for the last 60 + years. :(

[Captain Hilts]

7. Bush trashed her mother's rose garden and brought his own chef!!! (nt)

[CottonBear]

9. He takes his chef everywhere. He recently inflicted himself on QMII (DEN)

She had a big birthday cake made for him and a made a fool out of himself blowing out the candles. I doubt that he ate any of it since the Danish pastry chef made the cake. What an idiot. He took Laura and Jenna with him.

There were photos of Queen Margarethe (sp?), Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Mary waving goodbye (and most likely good riddance) to Bu$h and family and their annoying "army" of security. I read the English language Danish papers and the Danes were pretty pissed off at the massive security around Bu$h.

[0007]

17. I also heard that the chef cooked one of the Queen's

Pink Flamingo's for a grommet midnight snack. Something the Queen never found out about!

[natrat]

3. wow immagine a leader who is actually semi good

[1932]

22. No monarch living off the labor of others is anywhere close to semi-good

no matter what they do to their palaces.

[natrat]

23. strictly speaking yes

but compared to what we got someone who cares about the poor and the enviroment has some good in them. Our leaders are doing much more to hurt common folks

[1932]

24. If Q.E. cared about poor, she'd abdicate and give her property to nation.

As for the environment, Bush built a state of the art green house down in Crawford.

How you retrofit your castle doesn't mean shit.

[UTUSN]

4. Now If the Queen Would Progress into Deleting Her Elite Position... n/t

[Captain Hilts]

6. Interesting. The royal family has been the most consistent force

working to protect lower income people in Britain.

After the East End riots in London, Charles was there the next day. And when Liz came to DC around 1991, she went and visted homes in Southeast DC. Nelson Mandela didn't.

Besides, most of her money is family money and she costs England less than our president costs us. It's interesting to note that Liz is the last world leader who participated in WWII. That continuity is kind of cool.

But, yes, they need to divest themselves of the outer royals and not give them any money.

[CottonBear]

8. They and most other Euorpean royal familys have shrunk the "Royal Houses"

for cost purposes. Typically, only the sovereign and consort, their children and the children of the sons, the heir apparent (male or female) and their spouse and children are part of the official Royal House. The "Royal Family" can include those other members without a public stipend or role. Non-heir females (such as the Princess Royal) do not have children with royal titles unless they have married into a royal, princely or countly family. For example, Peter and Zara Phillips are NOT royals but they are the Queen's first two grandchildren.

[UTUSN]

10. While I Can't COMPLETELY (haha) Peer into the Specific Motives

of individuals, I can have guesses. While the deeds you cite are laudable in ANYBODY, Chuck and Liz were brain-trained in this part of their role and they might lose their heads if they didn't do SOMETHING along these lines. I wasn't referring to how much they cost their country, more to their being the remnant of the opposite of democracy, the biological democracy of all living things, if you will. Yeah, another example of ritualized noblesse oblige is how the Catholic Church has had a good record for social justice (apart from sexual matters) and shares 99 out of 100 positions with U.S. Democratic politicians, yet has been rigor morticizing itself into opposing the entire Democratic Party because of Choice. That said, I'm sure Chuck and Liz are very pleasant to talk to for 30 seconds.

Btw, Bill O'LOOFAH stakes his claim to be an "Independent" upon his supposedly being pro-environment (and anti-death penalty) and his claim to be TOUGH on Repukes by how he was oh-so-tough on Ahhhnuld for driving a Hummer. Yeah, O'LOOFAH practically butterfly-kissed him to death.

[struggle4progress]

14. Last world leader who participated in WWII? She was coronated in 1953

[skygazer]

15. She worked as an ambulance driver and mechanic during WWII

She was a teenager. I have a lot of respect for the lady - and I like the fact that she's initiating this energy idea.

[struggle4progress]

16. Ooops, I misunderstood yer claim. eom

[Kicked in the Taco]

11. Amen!

[Captain Hilts]

5. Queen Elizabeth is indeed a tree/flower/critter hugger.

I was SO embarassed when the day before Chuck and Di's wedding there was that polo match and Liz drove herself in tweeds and a headscarf and Nancy Reagan showed up in a motorcade and fancy regalia.

Evidently, Liz did/does a fantastic imitation of Nancy Reagan.

If people haven't read it, RUN don't walk to buy any of the the "Dear Bill" books published by Private Eye. They're supposed to be letters written by Denis Thatcher to a golfing chum and they're a riot.

[MasonJar]

12. I see no reason why there shouldn't be royalty; they are usually

down to earth, caring citizens of the world and often seen doing public service. I know that in the Blitz when Londoners were fleeing the city if possible, the king and queen stayed in London to be with their people. The British have a democratic government which appears to be superior to ours. The mind quivers to picture our beloved Stump being questioned by the House of Commons or the House of Lords. He wouldn't be able to hear his headphone. I'd take the queen any day over the atrocious, despicable crew some of us voted in. And it is easier to get rid of them too.

[VegasWolf]

13. Wonderful, we have a President that doesn't know which fork to use! nt

[Canuckistanian]

18. Salad forks are for cheese-eating surrender monkeys

He likes his "Dukes of Hazzard" fork with the lunchbox showing General Lee.

[meganmonkey]

19. My SO and I are hoping to switch to geothermal next year

I wish we could do it before this winter (natural gas prices = :scared: )

[Captain Hilts]

20. Everybody read Sue Townsend's "The Queen and I."

The Windsors have to go live in public housing. It's a good satire that is not biting.

Liz, Chuck, Di and Anne all come off well. Phil and Margaret don't, so it's like real life in that sense.

A fun read.

[Porcupine]

21. Bush beat her to it. Has one on Crawford along w/other toys

that would make you think that he needed a bunker. He reportedly has several large storage tanks of stabilized diesel fuel and massive generators as well.

What does he know that he's not sharing?