From Gerry Wolff
It is true that decarbonising the world’s economies will require some tough choices, but perhaps not quite as tough as Fred Pearce suggests in his article on the implications of a Severn barrage (18 April, p 32).
A report published by Friends of the Earth Cymru in 2007 quotes evidence that tidal lagoons in the Severn estuary could produce more electricity than the proposed barrage, and with less harm to wildlife.
There are other methods of power generation, too, such as solar power. Less than 1 per cent of the world’s deserts could produce as much electricity as the world is now using; less than 3 per cent could produce the amount of electricity that is equivalent to the world’s total energy needs. It should be possible to protect sensitive areas of desert.
New developments in high-voltage direct-current transmission lines mean that long-distance power cables can be laid underground or underwater without costing much more than overhead lines. They have the advantage of causing less visual intrusion. To this end, the investment company Imera has recently announced a €4.4 billion plan to begin creating a pan-European transmission grid made up entirely of submarine cables.
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Menai Bridge, Anglesey, UK
While I am all for looking after the birds, I am sure that they have survived far worse perturbations of habitat during the last 60 million years than would be caused by a Severn barrage. They will adapt, as ever.
Desertec-UK
