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Considering tomorrow today<\/strong><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Nuclear Power \u2013 Discussion Part 2.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Forum member Glenys Stone presents some ideas.<\/p>\n Are there any sustainable options? <\/strong><\/p>\n The UK has some unique problems caused by inconsistency in the climate, little space to build and a NIMBY mentality in some of the population. It is difficult to grasp our detrimental effect on the planet without personally seeing the physical effects. While we will for a time reflect on the very high temperatures in July by September it will likely have been forgotten. This human failing is proven as we are only now, slowly taking notice of what scientists have been saying for years. Wildfires, drought, rising sea levels, crop failures, famine – and the consequent economic hardships – are increasing. Who can afford to install solar power or heat pumps? Is all property suitable? Will private landlords accept regulation requiring their property to be converted, with no personal benefit from the financial outlay? Higher rents make poor families poorer. Can local councils afford such expenditure without government grants? Europe now has economic concerns due to fuel shortages, blamed on a war that started in early 2022, but energy firms were going \u2018bust\u2019 before Christmas 2021. Huge profits are paid in dividends to those that don\u2019t need the money while the poorest are asked to pay more for fuel and increasingly living in \u2018fuel poverty\u2019. We are exhorted to economise, implying that the profligacy of our consumption is causing our dire financial state and destroying of the planet. However, when making comparisons with our childhood are we extravagant? Economising was second nature; use as little as possible, waste nothing, replace only when beyond repair. We were frugal to finance upward mobility. Did the urge to give our children more opportunities and a better standard of living than we experienced, lead to us being thriftier.<\/p>\n TATA Steel in partnership with local universities, are developing an intriguing system to repurpose and reuse their waste whilst creating a saleable by-product used in the manufacturing of, amongst many other things, filters. This has financial and environmental benefits; and possibly more widespread industrial use if the investment is forthcoming. Imagine all factories recycling their waste while making money?<\/p>\n There is a cheaper, safer, and more efficient form of nuclear power \u2013 Fusion, but it could be 30 years before we have a viable system. This begs the question-“WHY?”. <\/em>Covid vaccines were successfully and speedily developed when the ambition, resources and talent were made available.<\/p>\n The “developed world” is, throwing vast sums of money at the energy problem while the “undeveloped world” with no existing power grids, has the opportunity, but no finance, to start from scratch. Unfortunately, the COP 26 climate\u00a0conference in Glasgow was unable to devise an urgent and unified approach. If rich countries financed the ability of poor nations to harness power from their natural, reliable resources, could we buy-back power, improving standards of living and offsetting our carbon footprint? Could offshore wind and wave farms in our territorial waters, or hydroelectric power (such as the 28 sites in Scotland and the Huka Falls in New Zealand) be more reliable and suitably NIMBY-proof solutions?<\/p>\n All governments\u2019 decisions are made from a political and economic perspective. More jobs and lower living costs, sell well on hustings. But do we have influence? Could adjusting our personal actions have a \u2018domino effect\u2019 bringing about changes at local, national and ultimately global levels? Undoubtedly, actions by individuals and communities will have a personal and local benefit. So, can community projects make a difference to the country’s future, overall, domestic electricity consumption?<\/p>\n I try to have as little reliance on electricity as possible. I minimize my global footprint, reducing my direct and indirect use of fossil fuels by “Buying British” wherever possible and from companies that have Eco, Environmental or Climate-friendly symbols on their labels. I vote with my feet when considering purchases; is it planet-friendly or even necessary? I exercise my right to vote, then send emails or letters to whoever wins, making them aware of my opinions, regardless of my politics. They represent us all and must listen.<\/p>\n Lastly, and obviously, can we morally just do nothing? There is a proverb regarding hundreds of stranded starfish on a beach, they are all dying, it\u2019s horrible. What can you do? You START by putting ONE back into the sea, and then, you put back another, and another, and another\u2026<\/p>\n The above article and the previous part 1 of the discussion are on our Blog site https:\/\/wenvoeforum.wordpress.com\/ If you have any comments on the articles please contact us via the blog site or e-mail.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.. <\/strong><\/p>\n In the Forum we often say \u201cDoing nothing is not an option\u201d. <\/strong>If you have ideas about activities, projects, education opportunities that could turn Wenvoe into a Climate Conscious Community then please come and join us. We usually meet on the second Thursday of the month at 19.00 via Zoom \u2013 e-mail Gwenfo.forum@gmail.com for the link. All are welcome.<\/p>\n We are also on Face Book Contact us by befriending Gwen Fo @ https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gwen.fo.1\/ and joining Wenvoe Forum @ https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/635369267864402<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Considering tomorrow today Nuclear Power \u2013 Discussion Part 2. Forum member Glenys Stone presents some ideas. Are there any sustainable options? The UK has some unique problems caused by inconsistency in the climate, little space to build and a NIMBY mentality in some of the population. It is difficult to grasp our detrimental effect on the planet without personally seeing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[384],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6cWjO-388","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11936,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=11936","url_meta":{"origin":12036,"position":0},"title":"Nuclear Power \u2013 Discuss","author":"Alan Williams","date":"8th July 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"What Can We Do? Nuclear Power \u2013 Discuss. Part 1 - Forum member Glenys Stone sets out a problem Energy prices are through the roof. \u2018In the short- and long\u2013term, which if any of the available power sources is most practicable, safest and least harmful for the planet\u2019? Is a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wenvoe Forum"","block_context":{"text":"Wenvoe Forum","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=384"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11260,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=11260","url_meta":{"origin":12036,"position":1},"title":"Considering Today and Tomorrow","author":"Alan Williams","date":"7th March 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 WENVOE FORUM Considering Today and Tomorrow Global gas prices have seen record increases over the last 6 months, with wholesale prices quadrupling in the last year. They are set to rise further, and with the knock-on effect to electricity production, the Ofgem energy price cap is due to increase\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wenvoe Forum"","block_context":{"text":"Wenvoe Forum","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=384"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13967,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=13967","url_meta":{"origin":12036,"position":2},"title":"Searching for GOLD","author":"Alan Williams","date":"13th February 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"WENVOE FORUM Considering tomorrow today Searching for GOLD Do you know the colour of hydrogen? Wenvoe What\u2019s On readers may remember from school science lessons that hydrogen, in its normal state, is a colourless, tasteless, odourless and non-toxic gas. It is the third most abundant element on the surface of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wenvoe Forum"","block_context":{"text":"Wenvoe Forum","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=384"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Picture5-1-300x241.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16259,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=16259","url_meta":{"origin":12036,"position":3},"title":"Seeing Further Ahead Together","author":"Alan Williams","date":"23rd October 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"WENVOE FORUM Considering Tomorrow Today Seeing Further Ahead Together The Wenvoe Future Forum was set up in the immediate post Covid period, when life was getting back to normal but there was a feeling that the world had changed and people were more aware of their own actions and their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Items for November 2025"","block_context":{"text":"New Items for November 2025","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=427"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10983,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=10983","url_meta":{"origin":12036,"position":4},"title":"A Belated Happy New Year!","author":"Alan Williams","date":"7th February 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 WENVOE FORUM Considering Today and Tomorrow A belated Happy New Year! Our apologies. We hadn\u2019t realised that the New Year WO copy date was early and we missed the deadline for the January issue. However, our article on Making 2022 happier can still be read currently on the home\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wenvoe Forum"","block_context":{"text":"Wenvoe Forum","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=384"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Hops.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14923,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=14923","url_meta":{"origin":12036,"position":5},"title":"Energy Security","author":"Alan Williams","date":"10th December 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"WENVOE FORUM Considering Tomorrow Today Why not build into the Community plan , - Energy Security One of the potentially biggest problems facing us, here in the UK in the next couple of decades is the failure of our power generation and distribution network. The world around us has changed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Wenvoe Forum"","block_context":{"text":"Wenvoe Forum","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=384"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12036"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12036"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12039,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12036\/revisions\/12039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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