The Iodine Trade

Who would have thought that boring iodine would be in the news? But then a nuclear reactor throws out radioactive iodine-131 and suddenly everyone wants some. Why? Because saturating the thyroid with ordinary iodine prevents the take-up of radioactive iodine. Iodised salt is not much use for this as the iodine concentration is very low. It is only about four tablespoons of potassium iodate per tonne of salt and while this is is great against goitre it is useless against nuclear fallout.
Iodine was accidentally discovered in 1811 by Bernard Courtois, while trying to make gunpowder from seaweed. The antiseptic properties were used to save soldiers in the American civil war. Daguerre used it to make photographs. It was discovered by Chinese in 2700BC that seaweed could cure goitre, and in 1820 it was confirmed that iodine was the active ingredient. It used to be a way of life burning seaweed on the coasts of Ireland, Scotland and Brittany for the minerals needed by the alkali industry for fertilisers and the like. They would harvest the kelp, dry it and burn it, resulting in dense blocks of material ready to be shipped for processing. Gradually other sources were found that could be mined and the industry suffered. Iodine provided a valuable extra revenue that the kelp burners could earn but this was only temporary. When sodium iodate extracted as a by-product of saltpetre from Chile became available it threw thousands of crofters out of work and many were forced to emigrate. Nowadays iodine mainly comes from saltpetre and certain brine deposits.

Opus Energy Dodgy Trading

Opus Energy are in the business of hijacking companies' energy accounts . They will use some spurious reason to claim the contract for energy supply. Then they use every underhand and barely legal method to prevent you from escaping their grubby clutches.

Here is a six step list of how to escape from the misery of Opus Energy.

1) If Opus Energy cold call you and you aren't already signed up, DROP THE CALL IMMEDIATELY. The telephone sales people can not be trusted.
2) When they don't release your account (and they won't), open a formal complaint with Opus Energy and ask for a case number for the OFGEM ombudsman. Opus Energy will deny that they have a complaints procedure and case numbers don't even exist.
3) Contact your local MP and explain how Opus Energy are harming your business by charging excessive rates and trying to destroy your credit rating by sending spurious demands for unpaid bills.
4) Get onto Watchdog and see if that helps. Opus have been on there before so this might get a result.
5) Get onto the Police or Crimewatch if you think that Opus Energy used fraudulent methods to hijack your account.
6) If none of that works, then wind up your company and start a new one....in a new country.