Severn Bore update entry

I don't ever comment on my own blog entries so this is more of an update to the article below, after having read the Times this week which did an article on the £14 billion Severn Barrage project and its possible contribution to the energy crisis.

The debate for and against the barrage is obviously a complex one, and I am not qualified to comment really but I will make one small simple observation from a layman's point of view: the barrage is reported that it will produce 5% of the UK power needs, which is a great achievement in a time when oil is expensive and increasingly rare, (lets leave carbon footprints out of this debate for the moment) but before you destroy this incredible area, has a study been done to see how much electricity we waste in this country from leaving lights on, TV's and computers in sleep mode and boiling the kettle too often? If we as a nation throw out 1.2 million out-of-date yogurt pots A DAY, how much electricity do we waste each minute of the day?

I bet you a pint of Ruddles and a Ploughman's lunch its more than 5%! Should we at least look at other alternatives before destroying this wonderful habitat?

I was planning to swim the length of the river Thames next year to raise money for Charity, but I am seriously considering switching it to the Severn and raising awareness of the above issues. 220 miles long though - lots of eels......I'll think it through carefully before jumping in!