hicksy3

My experience as a technology writer is that most wind energy companies are acutely aware of changes in the subsidy market. They are altering products to suit. They are also exploring new markets. Globally, as one subsidy door shuts another one opens. http://bit.ly/1wf6TQC They are also exploring new lower maintenance turbines that will dramatically reduce operating cost of offshore wind. Try typing 'smart grid' into Google and you will see just how much research is being done into problems of meeting peaks and troughs in demand from renewables. Try looking at the Energy Transfer Partnership http://bit.ly/1AIUbNe. A lot of your responses imply that you think renewable energy developers and advocates are unaware of wider problems and pretend they don't exist. Simply not the case. You said something about needing loads of laptop batteries. Why? Laptops already have batteries in them so why would we need any more? And if you're worried where the raw materials will come from, old batteries is the obvious place to me. Interestingly, I've never been commissioned to write anything about recovery of materials from batteries. I'm pretty sure someone's working on it though. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

You are either unaware or conveniently ignoring the latest reports by renewablesUK and other bodies predicting that Wind of various types will become the cheapest form of energy over the next 5-10 years. http://bit.ly/1FDzVK4 The main reason anyone presses for 'rapid' decarbonisation is that they hope this is enough to get the vested interests of fossil fuel lobbyists to move at all. In reality more gradual decarbonisation is all anyone can hope for. What about the potential cost of NOT decarbonising? Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

Going back to OP, if his house were on fire, what would he do? Put it or get out? Or start calculating what a doubling of the rate of fire would mean, and whether he should take action or not? We are spending trillions on decarbonisation as a precautionary principle. To use another analogy, what level of cigarette smoking is dangerous? 5, 10 or 20 a day. That's a comparable question to the OP's original question. I refuse to vote in this as I would not be surprised if this could be used as some sort of evidence for a pro-fossil-fuel lobby. Let me just point out, I'm not too concerned about Nature in all this. The fossil record shows it can take care of itself. Nature won't take care of humanity though. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

So are wind turbines. China was the biggest market for wind turbines in 2013, surprising almost all energy industry analysts. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

An agency are a company who find staff for other companies. Temp agency, employment agency, recruitment agency. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

Of all the ministers the transport guy should now where Sheffield and Manchester are. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

It seems to be set out badly for all road users. All those 'lazy' pedestrians and cyclists have to give way four times to go from Penistone Road S/b into Leppings Lane. Cars only have one set of lights to do. Congrats SCC highways, you've managed yet another four stage staggered toucan to re-inforce the car's superiority in Sheffield. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

Well the Tap is some consolation..... Not that it improves rail services at all. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

Wish people would stop moaning about the Moor Market. It's self fulfilling prophecy-moan about it enough and it'll never succeed. I cannot believe people seem to actively want the Moor Market to fail and seemingly will take delight in its doing so. Some people need to have a serious think about their attitude. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

I'm glad we've kept up with Manchester Central and Liverpool Exchange in terms of rail stations. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

I have also done the consultation. Just as new houses are being planned in Stannington, making Malin Bridge traffic worse, someone decides to cancel the SL2. Not a great idea. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

Getting back to the OP's question about risk of bike theft in an urban area, I can only speak from experience. In 18 years of urban cycling, the only thefts committed to/from my bike have been bar ends taken off at Preston railway station, light pinched off bike whilst locked at UEA Norwich. Everyone's getting a bit daily fail about the risk of getting your bike nicked. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

Sounds good. Is it true that the Uni are demolishing the Uni arms? If so then glad there'll be a sort of replacement venue. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

Yes there are plenty of stands in side streets off Moor. Nothing under cover though. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

Has this been approved or turned down? I cannot see scrapping the SL2 bus is going to improve the Malin Bridge traffic. Sure build houses, but improve infrastructure too. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

The cycle path network is confusing and poorly thought out but not impossible to use. I'd recommend 38mm tyres as they don't get stuck in tram tracks. Never had a problem with leaving bike locked up in public. Not as many cycle racks as in other cities though. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

£30bn for Crossrail? Oh hang on, that's London so money's no object. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

Leeds! Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

All the roadworks made next to no difference to traffic round there once they were finished. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

I am glad that someone else pointed out that your use of the horn might have broken highway code... Sounds like cyclist was being a right one though. How is your camera project funded and who is running it? Sounds interesting, is it linked to TRL? Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

The cyclist shouldn't have thumped your car. There are much worse things happen in the world than that. Why did you feel the need to beep your horn as they went through a red light? If you feel so strongly about minor misdemeanours and want to go round telling people what to do, join the police! Did it make your journey any longer as someone else went through a red light? Beeping your horn and getting a fist thumped on your car roof by a troglodyte is a predictable outcome. The majority of cyclists don't act like that so no-one notices them. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

Dear Adamskiec, The 9790 deaths annually due to poor air quality in London alone obviously pale into insignificance in relation to a scratch on your car roof. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

I go Malin Bridge to London Road or Beauchief every morning. I go through Kelham Island and through the staggered Toucans to Pond St. I cut up onto Flat St. and go past the Interchange, past the Howard and Showroom. Chicane installed to bring cyclists into conflict with buses. I go along Brown St., carry on onto Sidney St, across road onto Sylvester St and come out at Decathlon. Cross at staggered Toucan, go up funny cycle path that ends at a zebra crossing by Sharp Fruits nightclub. Turn left and come out at St. Mary's Gate lights. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

Why are you so bothered by an activity that causes one death every one or two years? The latest research from King's College London estimates poor air quality causes 9790 premature deaths in London alone. A fair amount of that is down to vehicle exhaust. If you want to pick on something that's killing pedestrians, I suggest you look somewhere else than cyclists on pavements. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

Well I reckon it should be 're-developed as is, rather than demolished. It's surrounded by posh nimbys though who'll object to that. Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android