Go to the solar panel output page for output comparisons over the past few years.

2009 was a pretty good year for electricity generation, with a total output of 2429.7 kwh. This compares with 2491.3 kwh in 2007 and 2343.1 kwh in 2008). Again, the summer was not particularly hot or dry. The best month for electricity generation was actually May with a total of 311.2 kwh, out second best ever (the best being 353.3 kwh in April 2007).

I spent nearly an hour this morning chopping logs for kindling and using my chainsaw to cut the larger logs ready to be used in our wood burning stove.

There's still more that needs cutting up to size and hopefully we'll have enough to last until the end of winter.

Back on the 5th December, Harrison and I took part in the world record attempt at planting the most trees in one hour.

The "Tree O'Clock" hour involved people across the UK planting trees.

We went to Ravenshill, near Alfrick where they had got around 300 trees to plant. All the people that turned up managed to plant all the trees available in under half an hour.

Harrison really enjoyed it, as did I.

Plus, it is small actions like these, done by many people, that can make a difference. No issue, particularly one as important as climate change, can be left to world leaders to sort out.

From my experience of observing political goings on at both UEA and Hull University, it never really appealed. The latter, especially, just seemed to be big kids playing at being members of parliament.

However, I've been interested in environmental issues since I was about 18 and back in 2006 we spent most of my redundancy money on photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. We now generate most of the electricity that we use.

I got to thinking that although I've made a change, this has little impact on the problem of climate change and peak oil. If I could persuade or influence other people to do something similar, then that would have a greater impact.

Whilst I was thinking about this, the state of politics in the country was becoming desperate, what with the various scandals surrounding MPs expenses, plus the questions over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hence, I decided to stop talking about politics and take some action. The Green Party were the obvious choice. I'd voted for them in the past, but it had always seemed a token gesture, as there had seemed little chance of them winning. Recently, this has not been the case and in both European elections and local elections they have had successes. They are a party on the rise and a party that fits with my world view.