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Energy & Sustainability Links

RELIABLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION

SUSTAINABLE LIVING

CENTRE FOR ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY
Known as "CAT", this is the inspirational centre in Wales, demonstrating low-key, practical solutions to environmental problems. They are educational, objective, and scientific on these matters. If you want to support an environmental group which, this one is well worth considering (see also SONE, below).
http://www.cat.org.uk

Note that CAT is much less objective about large-scale energy generation (nuclear, gas, coal, etc). For this information, use the appropriate sites. The DoE is a good starting point (see below).

FUTURE ECO COMMUNITY IN WHARFEDALE
Less dependence on possil fuels, less waste, more recycling....they are looking into photovoltaics, water turbines, reed beds, solar water heating, and biomass. Go to their site and click on "technologies".
www.middletonsustainable.com
There's an article on this site about the project: Middleton Sustainable Community, a page about a recent award to Myddelton Construction, and a separate construction company website

ENVIRON
Environ, now known as "Groundwork Leicester & leicestershire" (who thinks of these catchy names?) is an independent charity. It runs the eco-house on Western Park, Leicester, and provides help and advice to encourage individuals and organisations to live more sustainably. The website is:
http://www.environ.org.uk

It is knowledgeable on small scale renewables, but its statements on large-scale electricity generation should be treated with caution. For this information - again - use the appropriate sites.

ENERGY FROM WOOD

PROJECT ARBRE
Based in Yorkshire, this project (gasifying wood; use the gas to fuel a power plant) was deemed to be uneconomic after several years' work and is now defunct. A pity; it seemed a good idea.

PHOTOVOLTAICS

LEICESTER UNIVERSITY
Leicester University has a large PV array on the roof of one of its Engineering buuildings. Information on the website:
http://www.le.ac.uk/research/groups/power/jamb/

SCHOOLS INVOLVEMENT

EMAS IN SCHOOLS
Eco-management and Audit Scheme (another catchy title), a voluntary European scheme designed to improve and organisation's environmental performance. Included here because schools are becoming involved - for example, Eyres Monsell Primary School has obtained planning permission for a wind turbine. Website:
http://www.emasinschools.org.uk

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LARGE_SCALE POWER GENERATION

NUCLEAR POWER
Good basic introduction to nuclear power.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power.htm

NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUTE
Policy organization of the nuclear energy & technologies industry.
http://www.nei.org

WORLD NUCLEAR ASSOCIATION
Global industrial organization seeking to promate the peaceful worlswide use of nuclear power.
http://www.world-nuclear.org

UK DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Government site with statistics, information on energy sources, the environment, and energy markets.
http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/index.html

RENEWABLE FUELS
American Department of Energy site.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelrenewable.html. The main DOE site is
http://www.eia.doe.gov

LARGE SCALE WIND ENERGY
List of consented projects in Leicestershire and elsewhere in the UK:
http://www.bwea.com/ukwed/consented.asp

For those who are interested, here's a remarkable new visual search engine, designed to find information quickly. After doing your search, press the space bar to see links between the sites located.

Search the Web :



ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER GROUPS
There is a problem with one-issue websites; they lack credibility. I hope this site avoids that pitfall. If you think it doesn't, please tell me - I am not a mind-reader.

Here are some opinion-formers with opposing views on wind energy and other energy matters.

SUPPORTERS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY (SONE)
Well-informed site about nuclear power. Lots of interesting discussions; pieces written by Bernard Ingham and others. If you want to support a group which is set on ensuring we have a secure electricity supply (and minimising environmental damage and use of imported fuel), this is a good choice.
http://www.sone.org.uk

GREENPEACE
Originally a groundbreaking environmental lobby group. However, one of its founders, Dr. Patrick Moore, left Greenpeace in 1986 after becoming disillusioned with its motives, and the reasons for his departure are still very relevant. The door-to-door funding of the group relies on media exposure of deliberately orchestrated and highly publicised actions to keep its name on the front pages.

JON RAY
Interesting and extensive blog site by an Australian academic which attempts to separate fact from fiction in the wind energy debate.
http://antigreen.blogspot.com.

Jon runs several blog sites on a wide variety of subjects.

NUMBERWATCH
Professor John Brignell's site - designed to nail a few of the politicians, journalists, so-called scientists and others who try to confuse us with the wrong numbers.
http://www.numberwatch.co.uk.

NATIONAL WIND WATCH
American website presenting facts about industrial wind power.
http://www.wind-watch.org.

and Eric Rosenbloom's own site, also on wind energy and related matters:
http://www.awea.org.
(Eric Rosenbloom is a science editor and writer living in Vermont)

YES 2 WIND
Site supporting the virtues of wind energy, when properly applied.
http://www.yes2wind.com.

VIEWS OF SCOTLAND
An association with the belief that the case for wind power is seriously flawed from a scientific, economic and political perspective.
http://www.viewsofscotland.org.

GLOBAL WARMING DEBATE
Interesting interview with Dr. Fred Singer, atmospheric physicist at George Mason University, and a leading sceptic of the scientific consensus on global warming.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/warming/debate/singer.html.



MISCELLANEOUS
There's more to sustainability than sensible use of energy. The Diversity website has information on growing apples, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, etc. Show me a better information site on apples and potatoes on the web! Written by ND, habitat21 website.
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/suttonelms.

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