Off Topic The Environment

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Toxic bacteria poisoning Lough Neagh is now killing swans, foxes, & dogs — but those seeking to raise awareness of the crisis say senior civil servants won’t even sit down to discuss what’s unfolding, despite the lough supplying 40% of NI's drinking water.
 
A bit of a worry - "scientists concluded that tropical forests could be drawing closer to the temperature threshold where leaves lose the ability to create life-sustaining energy by combining CO2, water and sunlight" - said threshold being 116F. Although I have worked in hotter temperatures for Queensland Forestry, and the trees seemed to handle the heat reasonably well - possibly adapted to it.

https://www.latimes.com/environment...ming-could-cause-leaf-photosynthesis-to-fail?
 
Given that there's a lot of discussion/argument currently going on over the issue of Hydrogen vs Electric vehicles, I found this video rather interesting.

A lot of the science goes over my head, but it does seem to make sense.

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Video emerging of the huge damage to Acapulco. Weather patterns are giving us extremes, but football authorities just add another couple of hundred fixtures to the programme, which will have fans flying all over the place. Not sure if it would be popular, but if global warming is taken seriously, cross-country away fans should not be sold tickets.
 
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If you are feeling brave over the state of the rivers and seas, you could follow this person's battle with his water company.

"Some of you may remember, as a result of illegal raw sewage dumping I refused to pay my bill. When they tried to take me to court I filed a counterclaim for not being able to swim in the sea, etc. This is what I have now received from their solicitor."

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oldfrenchhorn said:
If you are feeling brave over the state of the rivers and seas, you could follow this person's battle with his water company.

"Some of you may remember, as a result of illegal raw sewage dumping I refused to pay my bill. When they tried to take me to court I filed a counterclaim for not being able to swim in the sea, etc. This is what I have now received from their solicitor."

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Wouldn't buy me off that cheaply! Clearly the water company lawyers think they'll lose!
 
Here's a quandry.....

In France we live in a very rural area.... which has deepopulated over the years...but now a new generation of young French familes are moving in to live simple alternative lifestyles..... . we love it here.

We have heard in the last two weeks of a plan to build, at least 4, 5o0 metre windturbines..... around 500 metres from our hamlet.

Commune meeting last night most peole are against... it will change life here forever,,,, but people who own parcels of woodland in the designated are have all be offere 15000E a year for 30 years if they accept.....

Frecnh law means the commune cannot object so a lively difficult meeting ensued..............................
 
yorkshirehornet said:
Here's a quandry.....

In France we live in a very rural area.... which has deepopulated over the years...but now a new generation of young French familes are moving in to live simple alternative lifestyles..... . we love it here.

We have heard in the last two weeks of a plan to build, at least 4, 5o0 metre windturbines..... around 500 metres from our hamlet.

Commune meeting last night most peole are against... it will change life here forever,,,, but people who own parcels of woodland in the designated are have all be offere 15000E a year for 30 years if they accept.....

Frecnh law means the commune cannot object so a lively difficult meeting ensued..............................
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We have the same problem, with 13 turbines proposed in the commune. The first application was made to build them in 2010 and there has been resistance from the population ever since. There are associations across much of France set up to oppose the installation of them, but taking the matter to the courts is an expensive business.
The landowners are tempted by the large payments they are promised, and despite finding out they will be responsible for removing them at the end of their 25 year life, are taking the view they will take the money, and not think about the future. Our mayor was thrown out of office when convicted of trying to influence the council to approve the planning application, which just so happened to be to his advantage with land he owned.
Driving north from here there are vast open spaces with hundreds of turbines on them, with not a house in sight. I have no real objections to them where they do not disrupt people's lives, but do have concerns about the vast amount of concrete needed to build them, and the disused fibreglass blades, that after use are creating more landfill.
 
yorkshirehornet said:
Here's a quandry.....

In France we live in a very rural area.... which has deepopulated over the years...but now a new generation of young French familes are moving in to live simple alternative lifestyles..... . we love it here.

We have heard in the last two weeks of a plan to build, at least 4, 5o0 metre windturbines..... around 500 metres from our hamlet.

Commune meeting last night most peole are against... it will change life here forever,,,, but people who own parcels of woodland in the designated are have all be offere 15000E a year for 30 years if they accept.....

Frecnh law means the commune cannot object so a lively difficult meeting ensued..............................
Click to expand...
If French law says that the commune can't object (rather draconian?), effectively making the plan a fait accompli, what was the point of the meeting?

There's an offshore wind farm currently under construction about 2 miles along the coast from us. Whilst there was plenty of public consultation about the plans, and plenty of local approval, one thing that wasn't mentioned at any meeting or in any pamphlet distributed was that four giant metal sheds would be required. They are being erected on land between the sea and the main road - I've no idea what they're for but they are a bloody eyesore, and, situated right next an old distillery, they look totally out of place. Money talks I suppose.
 
Bolton's Boots said:
If French law says that the commune can't object (rather draconian?), effectively making the plan a fait accompli, what was the point of the meeting?

.
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French local community at work........ they can find ways like... rezoning the land, building a house nearby, flora and fora etc etc


Seems like if organized could keep them at bay for years.....and then the law changes.......( 3 years ago the law was changed so that the local commune has no say)

This is planned right in ancient woodland around our hamlet..... we are on a little cul de sac..... .so all the infrastructure for this wouls have to come down a narrow lane etc....
 
yorkshirehornet said:
Yes...EXACTLY.. that is the dilemma

But would you accept 4 150 metre high structures a 1/4 mile from your house???? And who will benefit???
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There are many options being put in place here in France to produce green energy. Hydro, solar etc. Disused gravel pits now have floating solar panels on them, and many farms have new barns with panels covering their roofs. Most people accept that wind has also to be used, but the question is where do you put them. Some countries have now set a minimum distance from properties of three miles because of reported adverse effects on peoples lives, but currently the minimum distance here is 500 metres. 8 miles north of here are fields that you might mistake for prairies. No houses within sight, and very windy. I see no reason to not use areas like this rather than building them so close to hamlets and villages. According to official figures, we live in a part of the country with the least wind, but that doesn't matter with subsidies being paid for days when the blades are not turning. It is only recently that the government has agreed to offshore wind farms, something that could have been going on for a long time.
 
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yorkshirehornet said:
Yes...EXACTLY.. that is the dilemma

But would you accept 4 150 metre high structures a 1/4 mile from your house???? And who will benefit???
Click to expand...

Would not be overjoyed but as you say this is the dilemma, we cannot just stop using oil and gas until we have something better in place, the main problem with wind farms is not enough wind and they dont work too strong a wind and the props have to be feathered

As Frenchie says below Solar Panels could be an option BUT we need the sunshine and the cost is very high

I do wonder if the really big energy corporations have the answer but dont want to lose their profits from the current situation (I do know really)

The earth itself is almost a dynamo with the speed it spins and the general strata's between the core and the surface and the core is molten so heat from that could be used to power steam turbines

America has square miles of Solar Panels in the dessert areas, I dont think that would work in the Middle East the way things are out there and just not Israel and Palestine
 
duggie2000 said:
Would not be overjoyed but as you say this is the dilemma, we cannot just stop using oil and gas until we have something better in place, the main problem with wind farms is not enough wind and they dont work too strong a wind and the props have to be feathered

As Frenchie says below Solar Panels could be an option BUT we need the sunshine and the cost is very high

I do wonder if the really big energy corporations have the answer but dont want to lose their profits from the current situation (I do know really)

The earth itself is almost a dynamo with the speed it spins and the general strata's between the core and the surface and the core is molten so heat from that could be used to power steam turbines

America has square miles of Solar Panels in the dessert areas, I dont think that would work in the Middle East the way things are out there and just not Israel and Palestine
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Agree with this...I am not a conspiracy theorist but i have a friend who assures me the big corps could turn this around if they really wanted to .

One of the reasons i am against these big wind turbines is they will be spinning a profit for someone at my and my communes quality of life expense
 
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Last year, and into this, I talked about the cranes that flew into the area, and instead of continuing further south, overwintered here. It would appear that similar things are happening with Bewick's swans in the UK.

"Winters used to be colder, so when they came down from Russia they travelled all the way to Britain to be at a comfortable temperature,"
"But these days, winters are warmer, so when they come down, they arrive in Germany and the Netherlands, and they think, 'It's good here. I'll stay. I'll not bother to travel all the way to England.'
"And northern Germany now seems to be the main area for them to stop and spend the winter."

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67407574
 
oldfrenchhorn said:
Last year, and into this, I talked about the cranes that flew into the area, and instead of continuing further south, overwintered here. It would appear that similar things are happening with Bewick's swans in the UK.

"Winters used to be colder, so when they came down from Russia they travelled all the way to Britain to be at a comfortable temperature,"
"But these days, winters are warmer, so when they come down, they arrive in Germany and the Netherlands, and they think, 'It's good here. I'll stay. I'll not bother to travel all the way to England.'
"And northern Germany now seems to be the main area for them to stop and spend the winter."

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67407574
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They're not Bewick's swans - they're Brexit swans. No longer interested in coming to the UK because of the red tape at the borders, they're perfectly happy to stay in the EU. ;)
 
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