If that project takes off it could become the world's largest water-quality trading programme, spanning as many as eight states and allowing trading between 46 power plants, thousands of wastewater facilities and about 230, 000 farmers.

ECONOMIST: Nutrient pollution

Well, even in these days of programme or flash trading, that is patently not true of all assets.

FORBES: Innovation In Investment Vehicles

In Britain, where DuPont participates in a voluntary emissions-trading programme, the government has, in effect, paid companies to accept reduction targets, he says.

ECONOMIST: A new approach to global warming

Peers also asked the government about the merger of the Competition Commission and the Office of Fair Trading, the future of the Fulbright Scholarship Programme, and design quality in the built environment.

BBC: Peers hear of error in Highway Code

My background was in Trading Systems for banks, so I decided to learn about GPS, how to programme a mobile phone (smartphones were just appearing then) and developed a server to hold the parking regulations and geographic data taken from a couple of enlightened authorities.

BBC: Parking - Your Thoughts

Three days after Direct Line shares started trading on the London Stock Exchange, that helps make the case for the Hester recovery programme being on track.

BBC: Royal Bank's obstacle course