Observations: November 2008 Archives

The Environment Agency has announced proposals to generate its own renewable energy - enough to power a city the size of York - at its sites across England and Wales.

As part of the plans, up to 80 wind turbines could be built on Environment Agency owned land across the country, developing around 200 megawatts of renewable energy capacity - enough to power 90,000 households and save around 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

In addition the turbines will generate up to £2.4 million of revenue every year - money that will be ploughed back into protecting and improving the environment, and adapting to climate change.

So if we use 80 turbines' worth here in York, how many of these would we need across the UK. The mind boggles!

The old palace gates have been shut this week.

'Keep Out' is the strong message from the palace. Not only are the new gates firmly closed but a chained sign across the doors says Private. How sad for the residents of Bishopthorpe. The view through the gates has always been one that attracts visitors, and closing the gates shuts off some of our architectural heritage. It feels now as though the Palace is no longer part of our community, and that the Archbishop clearly has more important things than local concerns.

The 2000 Pageant saw a re-enactment of a storming of the Palace gates in support of the 1832 Reform Bill - perhaps a swell of opinion will get them opened again this time?

What do you think? - use the Comments facility (speech bubble above).

Good news today that the Post Office Card account will continue to be operated by the Post Office. This is much better news than the cessation of Royal Mail postal collections from our Post Office from 12.30 on Saturdays to sometime on Monday morning. And better too than the abandonment of second postal deliveries each weekday.

Especially as today my post was delivered not at the previously normal 09.30 but at 12.25. Oh - sorry - they've abandoned first deliveries.

Perhaps if the concentration was on giving better services instead of cost-cutting the Royal Mail group might make more money?