Severn barrage could be ‘devastating to wildlife’ (From South Wales Argus)
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Severn barrage could be ‘devastating to wildlife’
2:10pm Saturday 12th January 2013 in News
Severn barrage could be ‘devastating to wildlife’
A PROPOSED barrage across the Severn Estuary could be absolutely devastating to wildlife, MPs have heard.
The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, RSPB and Angling Trust have told MPs at the House of Commons they all supported tidal energy development in the Severn, but that the current proposal lacks detail and claims that it would not unacceptably damage wildlife and large areas of habitat are realistic.
As well as doubting claims about the environmental impact of the barrage, all four organisations told the House of Commons Energy & Climate Committee they support future alternative smaller projects in the Severn Estuary to test and develop new tidal energy technology which Britain could export globally.
Wildlife and Wetlands Trust’s chief executive, Martin Spray, called for more information about the scheme.
He said: "We have got to get a little more clever about how we address the environment. There is potential for energy generation but we have to come up with environmentally sustainable, acceptable and sensible solutions."
Angling Trust National campaigns co-ordinator, Martin Salter said a full-width barrage across the estuary would mean fish dying due to sudden changes in water pressure and salinity, and through turbine strikes.
Comments(15)
areyour4real
says...
5:21pm Sat 12 Jan 13
The water will still flow and there will still be a tidal rise and fall the same as there is now, that's how energy is produced. Not all the water goes through the turbines.
This barrage will generate at least a 5 percent of the electricity needed in the UK.
We should get behind this project!
heresphil
says...
6:06pm Sat 12 Jan 13
Yes, I love the ecological diversity of the Severn and it should be protected as much as possible but not when it actively hinders the creation of employment and opportunity for an area that desperately needs it.
Robindabank
says...
6:17pm Sat 12 Jan 13
Mervyn James
says...
6:27pm Sat 12 Jan 13
areyour4real wrote:Quite ! Nimby's and naturalists start off well-meaning,then it becomes some sort of snobbery, and they feel bound to oppose anything and everything. The Barrage would bring a considerable amount of work to an are of the UK that is dying on kits knees. It is a straight choice, we give our people hope, or we simply take it away for a few fish and a few birds. Why don;t they find some compromise instead ? tooooooo easy !!!
The Barrage will be the biggest employer this area has seen for years.
We should be welcoming it with open arms.
It will take 25 years to build and will be a real boost to the economy in South Wales and Newport.
The factories building parts would be world leaders and be used to build parts for similar projects being rolled out across the globe.
Dave on his Soapbox
says...
6:39pm Sat 12 Jan 13
Birds will find somewhere else to migrate to/via......fish will swim somewhere......it's only the local twitters and anglers who will loose out.
cjwales1
says...
7:25pm Sat 12 Jan 13
Robindabank wrote:Darwinism yeah right the birds will just fly a whole 5 miles down the estuary!!! Tree huggers showing lack of knowledge or foreward thinking yet again !!!
Darwinism will kick in, post barrage species will move on...law of the jungle.
cjwales1
says...
7:26pm Sat 12 Jan 13
rover100rich
says...
11:48pm Sat 12 Jan 13
D Taylor
says...
11:49pm Sat 12 Jan 13
ninebalehigh
says...
9:28am Sun 13 Jan 13
The idea that it will bring 20,000 plus jobs to the Wales is ludicrous.
It will supply five percent of the UKs energy?? Is that now, or in 20 years time when it's finished? By then, what? 2 percent? 1 percent?
Argus headlines 20years time: Barrage Tolls set to rise again.
Next!?
rover100rich
says...
11:33am Sun 13 Jan 13
Markbusa
says...
4:26pm Sun 13 Jan 13
ninebalehigh
says...
8:37pm Sun 13 Jan 13
Until very recently the director of Corlan Hafren, the consortium behind the proposals, was one John Gummer, former Conservative environment secretary.
He's now Lord Deben, recently nominated by David Cameron to form the Commitee on Climate change that advises the govt on energy policy.
scraptheWAG
says...
7:48am Mon 14 Jan 13
areyour4real says...
5:13pm Sat 12 Jan 13
We should be welcoming it with open arms.
It will take 25 years to build and will be a real boost to the economy in South Wales and Newport.
The factories building parts would be world leaders and be used to build parts for similar projects being rolled out across the globe.