Re: Green campaigners storm coal train
 

I'm sure most of us wouldn't lose any sleep if these folk decided to take their protests to Russia and/or S.America. Somehow I don't think the authorities there would be quite as accommodating....

Re: Green campaigners storm coal train
 

Perhaps they will reconsider if one day, as it surely will, the lights go out all over Britain and we return to a more basic existence without electrical power.

The basic problem is that we do not have a national(ised) combined energy industry. We have demand from consumers being fed by private companies whos sole purpose is to deliver more energy to produce more income and profit.

How then can we talk of conservation of energy, green energy and reductions in demand and consumption?

True,the rising cost of fuels will drive innovation and conservation to some degree, but it will also fuel inflation.

Of course each individual on this planet needs to consider his/her impact and cut it as much as possible.

But then there is another conflict isnt there for we only live once and but for a short time. We want to maximise our life experience and so that means unfettered consumption and consumerism.

Is this an unsolvable conundrum ?

Eventually,when carbon based fuels run out there will be war and pestilence throughout the world as nation fights nation over the few reserves that are left. The population will dwindle because of want,starvation and disease and the earths ecological balance will re-adjust with the passing of many years.

The presence of man on the face of the earth is but a blip in time but his impact has been immense.

Re: Green campaigners storm coal train
 

Well thats cheered me right up thx Vlad fortunately despite your pessimistic writings i am not so pessimistic about the future. Old energies will be replaced by new ones and i am sure those pesky little oil company's have some stuff locked away ready to trot out when the oil runs dry. Apart from that it is not as though we are now totally dependent on oil and gas and are investing albeit slowly in alternative energy supplies. Trouble is most of the alternative energy is not very profitable for a company hence why i would like to see energy renationalised so that investment can happen.

Re: Green campaigners storm coal train
 

We are ageed then Rizzy that the UK needs a national(ised) combined energy undertaking. Of course this sounds familiar. We used to have the CEGB (Central electricity Generating Board) and British Gas. Both great institutions,well respected worldwide engineering concerns both of which had great expertise and research establishments.

I feel the way forward is to have a single national concern for our energy,a sustained campaign of development and innovation to drive efficiency and development and a campaign to cut consumption.

Burning Gas,oil and coal is such a crude and inefficient means of generating power.

Re: Green campaigners storm coal train
 

Beacuse she was mislead by her party when they quoted the amount of gas in the North Sea, she thought there'd be enough gas to last well into the next century so the coal mines weren't needed, we've nearly run out of gas due to the gas fired powere stations so coal is making a come back, Harworth Colliery in North Nottinghamshire is due to re open within the next few weeks due to an increase in demand for coal, the price has risen 3 fold over the last 2 years.

Re: Green campaigners storm coal train
 

Indeed Nidge,we are an importer of gas now via subsea pipelines from Europe. Some of those pipelines end in countries which are a little unstable. In addition,we are gearing up to ship vast quantities of liquified methane gas from places like Algeria to the new terminal being constructed in Wales. At this very moment a vast construction process is underway,a high pressure pipeline is cutting its way through the countryside from coastal Wales to tie in with the National Transmission system at the Wales/England border..the eco warriors are out there trying to oppose them..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mps6TdQzmgg

and so it goes...