Best of the web 01/09/09

Hi and welcome to our new series of posts rounding up the best articles on the web each day courtesy of bloggerscircle.net

Most of us know the benefits of real trees, including the fact that they transform CO2 into O2. Many of us know the complexities of cutting down rain forest to grow crops, for fuel and building materials, and to create grazing land for cattle. We should tackle the issues that are causing the real trees to be cut down and restore some kind of natural balance to our world rather than add to the imbalance by putting sunglasses in the sky to shield us from the sun or plant artificial trees that store carbon but don’t do anything productive with it.
http://theworldofgingerbreadgirl.blogspot.com/2009/09/artificial-trees-possibly-shortest.html

Why James Murdoch is more right than wrong on the BBC and the future of news media.
http://www.liammurray.co.uk/2009/08/only-reliable-durable-and-perpetual.html

Independence and pluralism are already to be found both within the mainstream and amongst the new irregulars. The future will, as Robert Peston suggests, rely more and more on the individual brand, and success will come to those news organisations which best engage and focus those talented individuals on the concerns and pre-occupations of those readers. In the meantime, long term commercial success will depend on deep pockets, an almost endless commitment to innovation, and, the missing link, a viable means of making money in a time of news abundance.
http://sluggerotoole.com/index.php/weblog/comments/peston-and-murdoch-with-competing-visions-of-a-new-journalism/

An ageing ex-civil servant fondly relives Quadrophenia and Tales from Topographic Oceans – is this amazing music doomed to die out?
http://charlescrawford.biz/blog/NSYFFN551731

You would think that in the 40 years since Enoch Powell made his infamous “Rivers of Blood” speech, the way we discuss immigration would have radically changed, keeping pace with society. The truth is that the language and stereotypes that were used to label Black and Asian immigrants in the 60s/70s have not changed, and they hamper our discussions of immigration.
http://leftoutside.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/dan-hannan-enoch-powell-volcanoes-and-the-daily-mail

It has been widely reported that BT have halted their trial of 40Mb fibre-optic broadband in Muswell Hill because of objections by local residents. In fact, the trial is still going ahead, but a few streets have not been included. With BT promising to roll this technology out to 40% of homes and businesses by 2012, I went to look at the new street furniture that is causing such a fuss with North London residents.
http://www.currybet.net/cbet_blog/2009/09/muswell_hill_fibre_trial.php

Alfie Dog considers devolution and the need for an English Parliament
http://blog.alfiedog.me.uk/blog/_archives/2009/9/1/4306040.html