The UK's Energy Gap: very scary

untothislast

I think Starvid and myself are always going to be in fundamental opposition when it comes to the issue of nuclear technology. Basically - in its present incarnation - it scares the hell out of me.

I also feel that having every child in the UK contaminated with plutonium - however small the quantity - should be a matter of concern. We don't know what the long term effects on DNA are likely to be, and in tandem with the PCBs, pesticide residues, and all the other crap from everyday modern life, it doesn't point towards the rosiest of futures, healthwise.

That being said, Starvid's sign-off quote from James Lovelock is based on an unavoidable fact (although not one clearly expressed, as plenty of 'civilisations' have prospered without recourse to nuclear energy in the past). I think Lovelock would be nearer the mark if he'd said: 'our present level of consumption is insupportable without nuclear energy'.

And sadly, it's the truth. None of the renewables are going to come anywhere near bridging the gap - if we want to carry on living in exactly the same way as before. Either we're going to have to drastically rethink our usage of energy, and eliminate unnecessary waste - or find some safer way (if at all possible) to harness nuclear energy. I'd rather we didn't have to, but I can't see a population the size of the UK's making an easy, or overnight, transition into a 'Green' lifestyle.

Thanks to Starvid and all other correspondents, for making this such an interesting discussion.

cubes

The Today program on BBC Radio 4 had an interview with the Managing Director of British Gas this morning.

It can be listened to here http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/index.shtml and it's the 0615 business news.