Nuclear power

I can see that the world is not perfect. Decisions have to be made, however. As I see it climate change is a bigger and more pressing problem than nuclear waste disposal. The existence of nuclear waste is not going to result in London being mostly under water and the Netherlands disappearing under the waves, but climate change very well might. Renewable, weather-dependent, sources of power can only do so much, because they are not available all of the time. I would not be greatly concerned with a well-designed mini nuclear power station being sited near where I live. 

One of the power sources that's rarely talked about is tidal, unless someone steals the moon, then tidal power will be a regular twice a day thing. I think a lot of solar panels are more efficient than they used to be, as others have said you don't need lots of strong sunshine for them to work.

I remember when wylva was being shut down and cleared out, the railway car's of mini nuclear storage bunkers sitting in sidings a few yards from my house sometimes for hours, before being shunted about and taken to their final destination. Its takes a huge amount of resourses from the police to guard this waste, the containers are almost certainly as secure as possible. It's not the idea of terrorists stealing aster material for a dirty bomb that concernes me, but the container being breached and the whole island and much of Wales, the North and Midlands of England being contaminated for decades, most people don't know that it was only a few years ago that the last farms were cleared to move livestock from the land contaiminated by Chernobyl.

Another thing, is what all this extra power is going to be used for, data centres and AI, do we really want this?

I agree that we do need sustainable power, but we could do so much more fairly easily, we could legislate for bulders to have to insulate homes to passive house standards, we could legislate so that new estates have have houses built so that one side of the roof faces south and has solar panels, the north side a green roof.

We need to be smart with our money nationally and make it work hard for us, to think laterally about it's use. I don't like the idea of every town having it's own mini nuclear ower station and I certainly don't like the idea of big business having them to power data centres.

Most of all I don't like the idea of having them imposed on us with little local say on it.

There was a company here in Wales that wanted to do tidal power in Swansea Bay, they did loads of research and environmental impact studies, even offered to remove it at thier own cost if it didn't work or harmed wildlife, it wasn't allowed to go ahead. From what I remember it didn't involve floating pontoons, but impeller type of thingies under the water, also if we can have offshore wind turbines and floating oil platforms, then why are the seas to heavy for tidal power? If we don't have real world trials then it will never get done and nothing will change.

I'll be glad when the do get hydrogen, then maybe I'll get rid of my car with it's infernal combustion engine, I just hope that the vehiches will be less complicated than the electric cars I've seen, because going by them, I think I could probably crash one before ever getting off the drive!

No we often don't get much say in things like power stations, but we did get some and to be honest one of the least of my worries is being prosecuted, if I get a criminal record then so be it.

I agree Herge, our country is broken and it's no better in North Wales that is is anywhere else in the north, to get to  the Welsh capital by train, I pretty much have to go via another country, England. I think stating HS2 in London was madness and it should have been started in Manchester at least with the next bits being to Leeds and places north.

But I still don't think that nuclear is right, do we actually know where the waste thats been created in the last 60-70 years is? One of the problems is that governments and energy authorities can be so secretive about this sort of thing that they don't see to tell themselves where things are, how an earth is waste going to be kept track of for the next tens of thousands of years, if we can't keep track of it over the last 60 years?

It is tricky with me.......I know that......I'm obscure and confusing to most souls.

All I was trying to say was that I believe that some people are wholly "anchored" in one place....and have been for endless generations.  Generally, I find these type of people incredibly reasonable.......whether they be Iraqi, Mayan, Irish, German, etc......they seem to be grounded and straightforward......and I like that.

I was TRYING (yes- almost certainly very badly) to pay you a compliment!!

I was trying to tell you that I now understand why I perceive you as "grounded and straightforward"........and I like that!  You are simply "Southern English."

Unlike most humans these days, I don't care whether I agree with people on everything, or even on most things......I just like them to be grounded and straightforward and without any evangelical drive which wishes to change me.

I think we might have got crossed wires here Number, it sounded like you were having some kind of pop at me, but it would appear from your response that you weren't. and wanted to open dialogue, that would be good?

I guess not then.  I'll leave you be.

I guess not then.  I'll leave you be.

It is tricky with me.......I know that......I'm obscure and confusing to most souls.

All I was trying to say was that I believe that some people are wholly "anchored" in one place....and have been for endless generations.  Generally, I find these type of people incredibly reasonable.......whether they be Iraqi, Mayan, Irish, German, etc......they seem to be grounded and straightforward......and I like that.

I was TRYING (yes- almost certainly very badly) to pay you a compliment!!

I was trying to tell you that I now understand why I perceive you as "grounded and straightforward"........and I like that!  You are simply "Southern English."

Unlike most humans these days, I don't care whether I agree with people on everything, or even on most things......I just like them to be grounded and straightforward and without any evangelical drive which wishes to change me.

I think we might have got crossed wires here Number, it sounded like you were having some kind of pop at me, but it would appear from your response that you weren't. and wanted to open dialogue, that would be good?