Andy Harcombe - Weblog » environment

Porthcawl Park Benches

Andy — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:11:43 +0000

There was an article in yesterdays local paper (The Western Mail) titled ‘Dilapidated promenade benches creating seaside slum’ (view article) The seaside resort in question is Porthcawl and I quite frequently visit the place as a really good friend of mine lives there. In an hour walking around the seaside town, i didn’t find one dilapidated bench. However, I did see some lovely benches, old and new. Here’s a sample..

[View with PicLens]

Lights out for the 100w bulb

Andy — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:49:47 +0000

Invented by Thomas Alva Edison and patented in 1879, the electric light bulb has become one of the everyday convenience that affects our daily lives.

Today, the European Union is banning it’s import and manufacture as part of its strategy to reduce energy consumption and, hence, carbon emissions.

In its place comes the high-efficiency bulbs as a direct plug in option. They no doubt are far more efficient than Edison’s incandescent bulbs but they bring their own problems. The use of mercury in their linings makes their disposal an issue and they still have technical shortcomings in terms of light output levels, warm-up times and, some claim, high frequency flicker issues that can trigger epileptic fits and migranes.

Sure, we need to reduce energy consumption but we also need robust strategies for replacement technologies and power generation (UK government in particular).

Windturbine blots on the landscape.

Andy — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:05:40 +0000

Look. Let me start by saying that I’m all for reducing carbon emissions and our demand on the Earths’ limited resources. I recycle whatever I can, travel as little as possible and, wherever possible, buy local produce to reduce carbon miles.

There’s one thing though that just drives me nuts and that is this whole windturbine nonsense. Put aside the fact that they are destroying some of the most beautiful parts of the UK with wind farms; they just don’t make economic sense. There are over 2000 of them in the UK now and they contribute less than 1% of the country’s demand at a cost per megawatt double that for coal, gas or nuclear generated electricity.

The UK Government, and many other equally short sighted European ones, say that these windturbines will account for as much as 32% of the total demand by 2020. This means that two windturbines will have to be comissioned every single day between now and then – Current build rate is apparently less than one per week during good weather months.

There’s some green agenda political correctless gone mad and Governments across the world need to stand up straight and show some leadership here, now, before it’s too late. People must wake up and realise that nuclear power does NOT equal nuclear weapons.

If I had to make a choice, I’d rather a nuclear power station on my doorstep to a 10,000 windturbine wind farm anyday.

What about you?