This afternoon's meeting of the Environment Partnership heard an update on the electric car charging points to be installed round the borough - not as many as we'd first thought because the grant funding doesn't stretch to laying in lots of extra cable so having a point in Preston Park won't happen just yet but we will get them in several other places where the power is more accessible.
The CO2 savings are quite impressive though the financial cost is still rather high until such time as economies of scale kick in.
Then we heard about the new Stockton Active Travel Centre, The Hub. When it was first proposed I confess I was a little cynical about whether there'd be much take up for its services but it seems there is - people are using the place to find out about cycling and walking, to join in guided walks and cycle rides, to learn how to maintain their own bike in good condition, to borrow a bike, to have lessons in cycling and much much more. The council officers are so enthusiastic that I can almost visualise me cycling along the riverside path with one of them , till reality hits!
And then on to the Feed In Tariffs for small scale generation of electricity. One of the good things the last Labour government did was to listen to the consultation responses on these and change them to make it really worthwhile installing microgeneration systems. The council is planning to install some and to encourage far more householders to install them at home. The new coalition government is committed to continuing the FITs so it's definitely worth installing them now!
So just the sort of meeting I really enjoy, hearing the good news about what's going on in the borough and being able to ask questions and raise issues to get the next step underway. Why can't they all be as positive as that??
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2 comments:
"The CO2 savings are quite impressive" This would be the case if:
1. The statement was made by someone with a financial interest, ie. an electric point salesman.
2. The statement was read and interpreted by someone without much scientific knowledge, ie. the man/woman on the street.
3. Both of the above parties had political axes to grind, ie. Stockton Borough Council.
If more people took the time to understand so called green issues, and were able to separate the political self-centered garbage from true scientific facts, we might as a society stop wasting so much money and angst on what is pure political cobblers.
If you have any real interest, might I suggest reading www.withouthotair.com.
Only one persons view. But he is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge and the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Who knows, he might even be a Liberal, but we wont hold that against him.
I'd be more impressed by your comments if you had the courage of your convictions and revealed your identity.
A blog isn't the place to present detailed evidence but is a place for my reaction to it.
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