UK power generating capacity - problem solved

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

I suppose the good thing is, that French Unions are much more powerful that British Unions.

French Unions wont be pushed about, Like those in this country. We have stupid prats like Boris, and Cameron running as soon as there is any Union trouble. Then they try to bring out a law prevent Unions going on strike.

The other is, we should return to coal.
This would bring several things. Employment to deprived areas of the UK. Cheap coal for the elderly, instead of them being ripped off by energy companies.

Don't forget this country STILL IMPORTS COAL. And then we would have no worries of Power Station producing Electricity

Stop living in the past.Coal is bad for the ecology and climate and it's non renewable.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Maggy, I am not living in the past. I believe there is an energy source from Coal. Why should this country pay OUR TAX money, to import coal. When we have our OWN coal source, which would create thousands of Jobs.
And would also create jobs.

If you look at Wales, and in the North where Coal was mined. You would have people queuing up for work. And just think of the Employment figures - instead of them being fixed by Cameron and Co. They would be true figures

I think by July Cameron will have quit anyway

Arthur, we would pay more of our 'tax money' for UK coal - it is more expensive than imported coal.

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Maggy, I am not living in the past. I believe there is an energy source from Coal. Why should this country pay OUR TAX money, to import coal. When we have our OWN coal source, which would create thousands of Jobs.
And would also create jobs.

If you look at Wales, and in the North where Coal was mined. You would have people queuing up for work. And just think of the Employment figures - instead of them being fixed by Cameron and Co. They would be true figures

I think by July Cameron will have quit anyway

I am related to a lot of Welsh people.They don't really want to go down the coal mines anymore..

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

I am related to a lot of Welsh people.They don't really want to go down the coal mines anymore..

I know a lot of kids who don't want to go up any more chimneys too.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

I suppose the good thing is, that French Unions are much more powerful that British Unions.

Unions being powerful isn't necessarily a good thing.. Depends on the Union. While my own Union (Unison) intervened at work when I was downgraded, and got that reversed, there are Unions that are too powerful. Look at TFL. Tube drivers are paid >£50,000 a year for a job that isn't (on the face of it) any harder than shop workers, who are paid a lot less. They also have a unions that are willing to do their best to bring London to a halt when TFL dare to do something that will bring the service on the London Underground up to the level of other tube systems (including, ironically, the french metro).

French Unions wont be pushed about, Like those in this country. We have stupid prats like Boris, and Cameron running as soon as there is any Union trouble. Then they try to bring out a law prevent Unions going on strike.

Can you explain why the French Unions should have ANY SAY in what goes on in THIS COUNTRY?

The other is, we should return to coal.

Why? Does the evironment meant nothing to you? I'd be a fool to suggest Nuclear doesn't have serious problems, (waste, potential for meltdown), but it's actually relatively clean evironmentally, when you factor it the amount of power generated.

This would bring several things. Employment to deprived areas of the UK. Cheap coal for the elderly, instead of them being ripped off by energy companies.

Don't forget this country STILL IMPORTS COAL. And then we would have no worries of Power Station producing Electricity

Cheap? So who is going to pay the tens of billions of pounds required to upgrade the machinery at our coal pits so they can compete safely with the cheap coal provided by other countries. Bear in mind that we have health and safety regulations in place that are considerably more strict than those in place in other countries, and following those recommendations costs money.

[Osem]

I see we're back on a very familiar track...

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Stuart.

I am in the Union PCS, and l can assure you that they have my job on several occasioms.

What l am saying is that Unions pay an important part in workers lives. Just look at the BMA.

No the French Unions don't have a say in the UK. But the Government are trying to kill the Unions in this country, this is whay they are trying to bring out a law, to say that the Union must have a certain amount of vote, before striking.

The Conservatives brought the NUM down, there were major problems at Wapping.

As for the Unions on TFL. My brother works for TFL. and makes sure that passenegers travel in safety, each night checking tracks in case of cracks. And there are quite a few each night that have to be replaced.

And each day the Union of the RMT, are trying to protect the passenger. This is why they are so against the 24 hour tube. - When are safety checks to be made.

I know its a bit off the subject, but l had to make that statement. Always the TFL come out along with Boris at the time. They state it is the passenger who suffers.

If it wasn't through the Unions, there would be a train in every station, like Boris said two years ago.

Safety is paramount. And my brother works for the whole shift underground, and taking in all that crap in the tunnels - that's why he gets a decent wage.

And then there are the dead bodies, they have to collect when they get hit by a train

[Matth]

We need coal, what happened to proposals for coal with carbon capture?

And of course, there is great promise for fracking, it would be logical to combine a fracking site with a power station

[Arthurgray50@blu]

People DONT WANT FRACKING. Just read the local news.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

People DONT WANT FRACKING. Just read the local news.

Unfortunately, that's the nub of the problem.

Essentially, the "Not In My Backyard" attitude.

Everyone thinks that Wind farms, Solar Farms and Nuclear would be good for power.

Nuclear would. Wind and Solar can be, but are limited by the weather and (to a large extent) the efficiency of the technology in use. Essentially, with no wind, a wind farm is a very large and expensive collection of ornaments. Without enough sun, a Solar farm if a very large and expensive collection of mirrors. I believe various companies are working on large scale power storage systems (essentially batteries large enough to power a small town), but these may not be any more environment friendly than coal (which is bad), as the chemicals and materials used will need to be replaced and are probably toxic.

The problem with Wind and Solar is that the farms are very large. A wind farm powerful enough to power even a small town would require several square miles of land, or sea. Space in the sea isn't a problem, if the town is relatively near the sea. Not too much good for (say) London, Birmingham or Manchester though.

As such, very few people want a wind or Solar farm near them.

Nuclear is another option, and probably the most energy efficient. It has the problem of waste disposal and also what to do if there is an accident. Any significant leakage is likely to kill a lot of people and animals, and also leave the area uninhabitable for decades.

Fracking is relatively efficient, doesn't require large areas of land or sea, but while in the event of an accident, isn't likely to leave large areas uninhabitable for decades, does have a question mark over it's safety.

Even Hydroelectric systems, while generally safe, are rumoured to have a massive negative impact on sea life.

So, bearing in mind we are going to need an increasing amount of electrical power, and coal/oil are not a good long term option (quite apart from the environment impact of burning them, we have limited supplies left on the planet), which power source would you chose?

[Kursk]

Originally Posted by Gary L

I know a lot of kids who don't want to go up any more chimneys too.

They were bound to rumble your 'find the hamster' game sooner or later Gary