Quote:
Originally Posted by geordie graham  Hi Chris
I hope you don't think I am "for" the destruction of our countryside or "against" the preservation of habitats you so obviously care about because I care about these same things myself. I go up onto the moor regularly to see those same golden plovers, red grouse etc and to just absorb the wild peace and beauty of those same landscapes.
What I am is a realist who can see that our world, not just our country, is running out of energy resources such as coal and oil. Renewables make a lot of sense to me, not just wind turbines but also wave power and heat generated from within the earth. No one would advocate moorland being the only site for wind turbines, there are many sites including the possibilities of putting them alongside motorways. The most I have seen in one place though are actually in a farmers field near me, I would think this would generate income for him and possibly even make the difference in him being able to keep his farm running.
Unlike nuclear power which seems to be the other popular choice of government to create our future energy, renewables give out no emissions to pollute our air, no radiation to cause illnesses, they would not be a target for terrorists and if they did 'leak' or 'blow up' for any reason they would not poison our earth for countless years and render hundreds of miles around poisonous to wildlife and humankind alike. Yes, wind turbines are not the prettiest sight but they won't be everywhere or every few feet and not only in the countryside, there will still be lots of our beautiful countryside left to enjoy and we would not be held to ransom by other countries trying to increase prices of a rapidly diminishing resource if we were able to produce a good proportion of our own power. After all everyone's homes, workplaces, schools,leisure pursuits and means of transport need power whether they are in the countryside, town or city and we are all going to have to share responsibility for that if we want our children and grandchildren to have a future.
Graham |
Oh Graham! We agree on so much! Of course renewables are a way forward, even the 'work's cat' surely understands that. I will say though, that I suspect we will need to tap into the nuclear option. Renewables might be clean, but as yet, they don't have the greatest consistency and reliability to cater for an overpopulated group of isles like ours. That is unless we cloak our glorious nation from top to toe with turbines and the like and we can't have that now can we.
No, the cornerstone of my umbrage I shall emphasise again: under no circulstances should we be erecting turbines on our mountains and moorland. The sea....marvellous, intensive prairie-style agriculural expanses....lovely, the hard shoulder of the M62...I like it. But, destruction of a globally rare habitat, no way. Crivvens! British heather moorland makes up over 70 per cent of the global amount, and then we have the peat mosses, a colossal store of organic carbon. It deserves better.
Arguments can be cloaked with apocalyptic language and talk of 'future generations', but I'll never be convinced that urbanisation of our uplands is all for the greater good.
Now back to the footy and a can of ale!
Regards, Chris