Nuclear electricity is part of a varied menu
Published 20 Dec 2010 17:30
4 Comments
Share this
Jim McLeod is correct that I was the Tory who did in fact lead the opposition to the SNP motion to have Inverclyde council declared as a nuclear-free zone.
In my speech, I defended nuclear weapons and nuclear energy, both of which are opposed by the SNP.
The Faslane/Coulport installation is the largest military establishment in Scotland and is currently the home base for 10 nuclear submarines of various types. There are 8,000 people employed at the base (many from Inverclyde) and these would be lost under an anti-nuclear SNP independent Scotland.
Nuclear electricity contributes a significant base-load to our power availability as part of a varied menu of production including coal, gas, hydro and wind.
First minister Alec Salmond is very pro wind, and when it is blowing, it produces green energy, but in the last two weeks of clear skies and windless conditions nary a turbine has been turning. Without the back-up from nuclear energy, the lights go out.
I argued that nuclear power stations were a matter for holyrood and our nuclear weapons, one for Westminster, and that as councillors it was our job first and foremost to concentrate on those matters that we can control for the benefit of our constituents. The majority of members agreed.
Councillor David Wilson
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
-
Tiddles
1077 posts
Jun 15, 12:53
Report commentYea, yea, let's dig deep into the public coffers to pay for hugely expensive nuclear power stations and then hand them over to some Tory created private power company who can fleece us until we cannot afford to heat our homes and cook our food!
Alec Salmond is very pro any renewable power generation but he is rightly, totally against the building of DEADLY dangerous nuclear facilities. Without question, these things are NOT safe no matter what blue-tinged propaganda Cllr Wilson spews out.
Scotland is self-sufficient in energy mainly because of our hydro electric schemes of which we could have many more but only if the people who build the things are in control of them NOT Tory privatised asset strippers.
As to nuclear weapons, how can he possibly defend spending on this when his hash and slash pal Liam Fox is cutting just about every branch of the defence forces. Perhaps he can tell us who he thinks the yanks would allow us to nuke? Who would need to be nuked? Would we survive the retaliation that would follow our nuking anyone?
Recommend?
Yes 6
No 0
-
rod2mc
293 posts
Aug 16, 11:30
Report commentWe could use tactical nukes to clean up parts of Inverclyde!!!!!!! Low yeild scheme sized devices!
Recommend? Yes 0
No 0
-
rod2mc
293 posts
Aug 16, 11:33
Report commentWhat better than a bucket of instant sunshine to clean the place up
Recommend? Yes 1
No 0
-
dustyroads
37 posts
Sep 4, 04:19
Report commentthere i was sailing up the river to antwerp july 89 all these wind mills birling about and i thought what is this all about i found out it's all to do with cheap electricity.doesn't cost anything other than origional outlay. there was thousands of them. up that river. later on i was in zeebruger. wind mills all over the place. years later in liverpool docks. even bigger wind mills birling about. alec salmond has the right idea. use the wind.i was in fukishama japan in the the 90's a story i was told that the nuclear plant would not stand up to earthquake or anything else was because the cooling plant could n't cope with any disaster.which has been proven. the italians got rid of their nuclear power plants years ago nobody said anything about that.sure it is clean and cheap in france, not in the uk.
Recommend? Yes 0
No 0
Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our Opinion archives.
