![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
wwo_mitchtrix's journalLog in Create a LiveJournal Account Learn more
| You are viewing wwo_mitchtrix's journal Log in Create a LiveJournal Account Learn more | Explore LJ: Life Entertainment Music Culture News & Politics Technology |
 | |||||
|
I've been thinking about how the government has reacted to this situation. It's ALWAYS been on the horizon that one day oil, being the finite resource that it is, will run out. Well now it is happening and what provisions has the British Government put in place. Well from what I see, very little. Looking at some figures throw around on the internet I found these figures: "Between 2002 and 2008 the Government is spending over £500 million on supporting renewable energy projects including wind, biomass, photovoltaic and marine energy." The page has since been removed but it was found on a GOVERNMENT website http://www.ukinvest.gov.uk/2/d/10338/en/G Does this mean they're proud of spending just £83.33million pounds a year on RENEWABLE energy? The energy that will fuel us in the future, in fact the energy that may very well be powering our present if a solution to this crisis is found! It then got me thinking on how much the government spends on other projects. It got me thinking about the extension of the M1 that currently causes delays for anyone traveling into London, They're changing it from a 3 lane motorway into a 4 lane, meaning more OIL eating cars can pump MORE emissions into our atmosphere, below are some of the frankly SHOCKING figures I found: " * Widening of the M1 through the East Midlands. Multi-Modal Study estimate: £700 million. Cost when entered the roads programme (Targeted Programme of Improvements or TPI): £1.9 billion. Cost escalation: 171 per cent. * The A14, Cambridgeshire (Ellington to Fen Ditton Improvement). Multi-Modal Study cost estimate: £192 million. Cost when entered the TPI: £490 million. Cost escalation: 155 per cent. * The A453 M1-Nottingham. Multi-Modal Study cost: £62 million. Cost when entered the TPI: £90 million (May 2004). Cost escalation: nearly 50 per cent. * Upgrading of the A30/A303 (London-South-West). Multi-Modal Study costs: £167 million. Cost after further Highways Agency study: £431 million minimum. Cost escalation: 158 per cent." Source: http://www.transport2000.org.uk/news/mai That's nearly £3BILLION pounds of expenditure on roads which will be obsolete in weeks if the prices keep increasing as they are, Where would we be if they had used this money to invest in renewable, green energy. Surely 6 times the investment would have lead to a massive development, but alas it wasn't and we're left with these dark days ahead. I was watching "ararejul"'s vox about public transport and that got me thinking yet again (Sorry I've been doing a lot of thinking and if you've read this far I commend you) about the UK transport system. It's awful, our rail network is falling to pieces, in the summer the tracks expand under the heat and this causes tracks to bend and massive delays on major services running into and out of our capital. And in the winter the tracks get too cold and contract leaving some track un-usable because of dangerous gaps in the line. When the trains are running, especially in peak hours (early morning 7-9 and early evening 5-7) there are issues of overcrowding which the Rail Network hope to resolve by 2014! See attached article for details of this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6448327.st It's stupid, 7 years to bring it level with demand now, PRE-CRISIS!! What will happen when the demand, doubles, trebles, or more when driving becomes too expensive. This country does not have the expenditure NOR the infrastructure to deal with this, If the government doesn't change it's attitudes to spending QUICKLY it will be very grey days ahead for the UK. From a worried UK, Michael
|
|||||
gloomy