‘Growing proportion of England’s flood defences in disrepair, analysis finds’

From the Guardian today: Ministers have been told they will be “punished” by voters after analysis revealed the decline of vital flood defences across England. The proportion of critical assets in disrepair has almost trebled in the West Midlands and the east of England since 2018, leaving thousands of homes and businesses more vulnerable to storms. Critical assets are defined as those where there is a high risk to life and property if they fail. The east of England, which spans the Conservative heartlands from Suffolk to Bedfordshire and Essex, has one of the highest proportion of rundown flood defences in … Continue reading ‘Growing proportion of England’s flood defences in disrepair, analysis finds’

Energy-rich Scotland doesn’t need costly and dangerous nuclear power

Leah Gunn Barrett Two recent letters responding to Tory nuclear energy minister, Andrew Bowie, and Paul Wilson in The Scotsman, who call for more nuclear power plants in Scotland. The first appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News on December 7th, but The Scotsman chose not to publish the second. I wonder if Andrew Bowie, the clueless, youthful ministerial cheerleader for nuclear power, is concerned at all about leaks coming from a huge silo of radioactive waste at the crumbling Sellafield nuclear site.  Norway, Ireland and the US certainly are. Norway is worried that an accident could lead to a radioactive … Continue reading Energy-rich Scotland doesn’t need costly and dangerous nuclear power