Steven Morris
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 July 2009 19.05 BST
The government's green credentials were called into question today by workers staging a sit-in at a wind turbine factory that is due to close this month.
Around 30 workers facing redundancy took over the management suite at the Vestas factory on the Isle of Wight. Police reinforcements were brought in but workers claimed they would not leave until the government stepped in to save the factory and more than 500 jobs.
One of those barricaded in with sleeping bags and enough food to last days, gave his name as Michael. He argued that it was "crazy" for environment secretary Ed Miliband to be making "statement after statement" about green energy but standing by as the factory closed down. "It would be a tiny step financially to keep this factory open, but it would be a huge statement about the government's commitment to the green economy," he said.
The Newport factory is due to close at the end of the month. The Danish company that owns it has refused to comment on the protest, but when the cuts were announced it cited a "lack of political initiatives" and an obstructive planning system.
The protest comes soon after Miliband claimed the green revolution will create 1.2 million jobs by 2020. A spokeswoman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change said: "The UK has a strong future in wind energy. In our renewable energy strategy we earmarked up to £120m to support investment in the development of the offshore wind industry."
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Swedes swoop on EcoSecurities
Peter Stiff: Smaller companies
Shares in EcoSecurities rose by nearly 5 per cent yesterday after a Swedish company entered the international bidding war for the carbon credits group.
Tricorona, Eco’s Scandinavian rival, revealed that it was considering a bid only a week after the British company rejected an improved 77p-a-share indication from Guanabara, a Dutch company backed by BTG, the Brazilian investment group, and chaired by Pedro Moura Costa, one of Eco’s founders.
EDF Trading, a unit of the French utilities group, recently indicated an interest in Eco, which sources green projects, develops them so that they are eligible for carbon credits and sells them on. However, EDF dropped its interest in Eco and agreed to buy credits from Guanabara, should its bid be successful. Eco’s shares rose 4p to 88p.
Evolve Capital, the investment group that recently took a majority stake in Astaire, the small-cap broker formerly known as Blue Oar, moved to consolidate the sector further. The group, unchanged at 4½p, is buying Whim Gully Capital, which is controlled by Edward Vandyk and Oliver Vaughan, who lead Evolve. The deal is conditional on WGC’s acquisition of St Helen’s Capital, another AIM and Plus-focused broker.
Speedy Hire rose 1¾p to 30p after the tool hire group signed a deal to provide construction equipment to Carillion in the Middle East. An update on trading in the UK, with first-quarter revenue down by 30 per cent, was no worse than feared and many in the City believe that the group is past the worst.
Shares in Aukett Fitzroy Robinson fell 0.80p to 3.70p after the architect that said the suspension of work on the Moscow River project in Russia would significantly hit full-year results.
Shares in EcoSecurities rose by nearly 5 per cent yesterday after a Swedish company entered the international bidding war for the carbon credits group.
Tricorona, Eco’s Scandinavian rival, revealed that it was considering a bid only a week after the British company rejected an improved 77p-a-share indication from Guanabara, a Dutch company backed by BTG, the Brazilian investment group, and chaired by Pedro Moura Costa, one of Eco’s founders.
EDF Trading, a unit of the French utilities group, recently indicated an interest in Eco, which sources green projects, develops them so that they are eligible for carbon credits and sells them on. However, EDF dropped its interest in Eco and agreed to buy credits from Guanabara, should its bid be successful. Eco’s shares rose 4p to 88p.
Evolve Capital, the investment group that recently took a majority stake in Astaire, the small-cap broker formerly known as Blue Oar, moved to consolidate the sector further. The group, unchanged at 4½p, is buying Whim Gully Capital, which is controlled by Edward Vandyk and Oliver Vaughan, who lead Evolve. The deal is conditional on WGC’s acquisition of St Helen’s Capital, another AIM and Plus-focused broker.
Speedy Hire rose 1¾p to 30p after the tool hire group signed a deal to provide construction equipment to Carillion in the Middle East. An update on trading in the UK, with first-quarter revenue down by 30 per cent, was no worse than feared and many in the City believe that the group is past the worst.
Shares in Aukett Fitzroy Robinson fell 0.80p to 3.70p after the architect that said the suspension of work on the Moscow River project in Russia would significantly hit full-year results.
Report on decline in salmon and trout stocks ‘is a whitewash’
Salmon and sea trout fishermen condemned as a whitewash a Scottish government report yesterday that concluded that the reasons for the decline in wild salmon stocks was undefined and that there was nothing that can be done to restore them.
The fishermen believe that the scientists who produced the report have been compromised by pressure from ministers. Fish farming, which enjoys government support, is blamed by fishing interests for causing much of the decline in wild salmon.
Jon Gibb, the clerk to the Lohaber District Salmon fishery board, told The Times that it was “an appalling situation” that damage to wild fish was being ignored in order to protect the fish farming industry. He said: “This is quite clearly a whitewash by the government. We find it quite extraordinary that a whole natural resource, an iconic species, is being destroyed on the back of a few jobs.
“We are seeing devastation on the west coast in our salmon stock and the report is a retrograde step. We can’t prove there has been political pressure on the scientists but it won’t be the first time that it has happened and I think this is another instance.”
The lengthy report, entitled Restoration Guidance for West Coast Salmon and Sea Trout Fisheries, comes from the Tripartite Working Group, which was set up and chaired by the Scottish Government to address issues between fish farms and wild fisheries.
The report acknowledged the “substantial” decline in stocks of Atlantic salmon and sea trout in Scotland’s west coast rivers but says that fishery restoration will require “complex multidisciplinary endeavour” and there is a need for scientific assessment of factors affecting marine survival.
It states: “Various potential causes of the fishery declines — both historical and contemporary — can be identified but the nature of the actual cause(s) remain unclear and contentious.”
There was evidence that decline in quality of the marine environment was to blame, and some evidence that salmon farming was implicated in this. However, catch records indicated that the broader scale fishery declines started before salmon farming became established, and were a feature in areas where aquaculture did not exist.
The Association of Salmon Fishery Boards (ASFB), the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS) and Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST) are disassociating themselves from the document.
Andrew Wallace, managing director of ASFB and RAFTS, said: “This report conspicuously and inexplicably fails to identify the impact of sea lice, originating from salmon farms, as a primary factor in the decline of west coast salmon and sea trout stocks. This is simply not credible and it flies in the face of the wealth of exhaustive research from Scotland, Norway, Ireland and Canada which is unequivocal in pointing the finger of blame at sea lice.”
Tony Andrews, AST director, of the Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST), said: “We support the main body of the report and the conclusion that restoration of salmon and sea trout stocks will not be achieved through freshwater management measures.
“We are however most disappointed that, whilst the report acknowledges that low marine survival is the single outstanding issue affecting the production of many populations of salmon and sea trout, it does not go on to tackle the question of the impact of sea lice infestation which has been widely recognised as the key factor responsible for the decline stocks of migratory fish in the west Highlands and Islands.”
The fishermen believe that the scientists who produced the report have been compromised by pressure from ministers. Fish farming, which enjoys government support, is blamed by fishing interests for causing much of the decline in wild salmon.
Jon Gibb, the clerk to the Lohaber District Salmon fishery board, told The Times that it was “an appalling situation” that damage to wild fish was being ignored in order to protect the fish farming industry. He said: “This is quite clearly a whitewash by the government. We find it quite extraordinary that a whole natural resource, an iconic species, is being destroyed on the back of a few jobs.
“We are seeing devastation on the west coast in our salmon stock and the report is a retrograde step. We can’t prove there has been political pressure on the scientists but it won’t be the first time that it has happened and I think this is another instance.”
The lengthy report, entitled Restoration Guidance for West Coast Salmon and Sea Trout Fisheries, comes from the Tripartite Working Group, which was set up and chaired by the Scottish Government to address issues between fish farms and wild fisheries.
The report acknowledged the “substantial” decline in stocks of Atlantic salmon and sea trout in Scotland’s west coast rivers but says that fishery restoration will require “complex multidisciplinary endeavour” and there is a need for scientific assessment of factors affecting marine survival.
It states: “Various potential causes of the fishery declines — both historical and contemporary — can be identified but the nature of the actual cause(s) remain unclear and contentious.”
There was evidence that decline in quality of the marine environment was to blame, and some evidence that salmon farming was implicated in this. However, catch records indicated that the broader scale fishery declines started before salmon farming became established, and were a feature in areas where aquaculture did not exist.
The Association of Salmon Fishery Boards (ASFB), the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS) and Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST) are disassociating themselves from the document.
Andrew Wallace, managing director of ASFB and RAFTS, said: “This report conspicuously and inexplicably fails to identify the impact of sea lice, originating from salmon farms, as a primary factor in the decline of west coast salmon and sea trout stocks. This is simply not credible and it flies in the face of the wealth of exhaustive research from Scotland, Norway, Ireland and Canada which is unequivocal in pointing the finger of blame at sea lice.”
Tony Andrews, AST director, of the Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST), said: “We support the main body of the report and the conclusion that restoration of salmon and sea trout stocks will not be achieved through freshwater management measures.
“We are however most disappointed that, whilst the report acknowledges that low marine survival is the single outstanding issue affecting the production of many populations of salmon and sea trout, it does not go on to tackle the question of the impact of sea lice infestation which has been widely recognised as the key factor responsible for the decline stocks of migratory fish in the west Highlands and Islands.”
Secret 'safe havens' to save British crayfish from extinction
Breeding programme begins in south-west of England to save white-clawed crayfish from being wiped out by American signal crayfish
Press Association
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 July 2009 11.04 BST
A breeding programme has begun to save Britain's native crayfish from being wiped out by foreign species.
The rare white-clawed crayfish will be transported into secret safe havens in an attempt to halt the takeover by the more aggressive, disease-carrying American signal crayfish.
The American signal crayfish were introduced in the UK 20 years ago and have wiped out almost 95% of the native species.
Conservationists have warned that the white-clawed crayfish faces extinction from UK waters within 30 years unless new populations can be created in safe, uncontaminated waters.
The South West White Clawed Crayfish Conservation Group has begun trapping British crayfish and transferring them to "safe haven" breeding sanctuaries.
These so-called "ark sites" are freshwater pools at locations in the south-west, where the population has been hardest hit.
The £210,000 project will run for two years and is funded by Natural England. It is led by the Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation in partnership with the Avon Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency.
Jen Nightingale, the UK conservation officer for the foundation, said: "White-clawed crayfish were abundant and easy to find until the American signal crayfish species was introduced to UK waters in recent years.
"The American species not only out-competes native crayfish for resources, it also carries a disease, the crayfish plague, which is fatal to UK crayfish.
"We now believe that three quarters of native crayfish populations in the Bristol Avon catchment area have been wiped out.
The team is moving the native crayfish to two isolated water bodies that have little chance of being affected by the American species. "We want to keep these locations secret to prevent people visiting the areas and risk spreading crayfish plague – which can be carried on damp equipment and boots as well as in water.
"People who visit rivers, ponds and lakes can help prevent the spread of disease by washing and drying equipment after use." Nightingale would also like members of the public to report crayfish sightings to the Environment Agency.
The first relocation day involved staff and volunteers from Bristol zoo, the Avon Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency, who moved a number of crayfish in chilled containers from south Gloucestershire to two new sites in Somerset and north Somerset. Similar schemes are also planned for sites in Wiltshire, Devon and Bristol. The most successful breeding programme for the species was begun in 2003 in the Yorkshire Dales.
Pete Sibley, from the Environment Agency, said: "It was important not to harm the resident ecology when transferring the crayfish to new sites and exhaustive tests had been undertaken to assess the new habitat and ensure that there was a high water quality, tree cover with leaf litter, and rocks and boulders for refuge.
"This type of rescue mitigates the threat from signal crayfish by actively conserving natives through seeking out safe refuge sites.
Press Association
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 July 2009 11.04 BST
A breeding programme has begun to save Britain's native crayfish from being wiped out by foreign species.
The rare white-clawed crayfish will be transported into secret safe havens in an attempt to halt the takeover by the more aggressive, disease-carrying American signal crayfish.
The American signal crayfish were introduced in the UK 20 years ago and have wiped out almost 95% of the native species.
Conservationists have warned that the white-clawed crayfish faces extinction from UK waters within 30 years unless new populations can be created in safe, uncontaminated waters.
The South West White Clawed Crayfish Conservation Group has begun trapping British crayfish and transferring them to "safe haven" breeding sanctuaries.
These so-called "ark sites" are freshwater pools at locations in the south-west, where the population has been hardest hit.
The £210,000 project will run for two years and is funded by Natural England. It is led by the Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation in partnership with the Avon Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency.
Jen Nightingale, the UK conservation officer for the foundation, said: "White-clawed crayfish were abundant and easy to find until the American signal crayfish species was introduced to UK waters in recent years.
"The American species not only out-competes native crayfish for resources, it also carries a disease, the crayfish plague, which is fatal to UK crayfish.
"We now believe that three quarters of native crayfish populations in the Bristol Avon catchment area have been wiped out.
The team is moving the native crayfish to two isolated water bodies that have little chance of being affected by the American species. "We want to keep these locations secret to prevent people visiting the areas and risk spreading crayfish plague – which can be carried on damp equipment and boots as well as in water.
"People who visit rivers, ponds and lakes can help prevent the spread of disease by washing and drying equipment after use." Nightingale would also like members of the public to report crayfish sightings to the Environment Agency.
The first relocation day involved staff and volunteers from Bristol zoo, the Avon Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency, who moved a number of crayfish in chilled containers from south Gloucestershire to two new sites in Somerset and north Somerset. Similar schemes are also planned for sites in Wiltshire, Devon and Bristol. The most successful breeding programme for the species was begun in 2003 in the Yorkshire Dales.
Pete Sibley, from the Environment Agency, said: "It was important not to harm the resident ecology when transferring the crayfish to new sites and exhaustive tests had been undertaken to assess the new habitat and ensure that there was a high water quality, tree cover with leaf litter, and rocks and boulders for refuge.
"This type of rescue mitigates the threat from signal crayfish by actively conserving natives through seeking out safe refuge sites.
Giant Chinese dustball circles the Earth
A giant Chinese dustball weighing hundreds of thousands of tons circled the world at high altitude in under two weeks, scientists have shown.
By Malcolm Moore in Shanghai Published: 11:48AM BST 21 Jul 2009
A group of Chinese and Japanese scientists claimed that the dustball, which weighed 800,000 tons, was kicked up during a storm in 2007 in the Taklamakan desert.
The desert, which is roughly the size of France, lies in China's far-Western Xinjiang province, and is fringed by mountains on three sides, including the Pamir mountains on the border with Afghanistan and the Karakoram range, an extension of the Himalayas.
The dust ball was formed when a wind storm ripped across the desert, kicking up the dust, and trapping it against the mountains of the Tibetan plateau.
The scientists said the dust was forced higher and higher into the air, until it reached an altitude of around 16,250ft. A warm convection flow then lofted it further to between 26,000 ft and 32,500 ft, well above cloud level.
The dust was then trapped in the polar jetstream, a fast-flowing air current that lies just under the stratosphere, and began its "journey around the world" according to the Nature Geoscience journal.
The team of scientists tracked the progress of the cloud using tools aboard the Nasa observation satellite Calypso. After 13 days, the plume of dust passed back over the Taklamakan desert, having completed a full circuit of the globe. The scientists noted that even after such a long journey, the dust remained "tightly confined in latitude".
It only fell back down to earth after crossing half the globe again when the cloud encountered a ridge of low pressure and fell into the Pacific ocean. Some of the dust managed to reach North America and then fall into the Atlantic.
"The Taklamakan desert is a major source of dust transported and deposited around the globe," the scientists noted, adding that dust from the desert has turned up in ice cores in Greenland and in the French Alps. They also suggested that micro-nutrients from the dust could have a beneficial effect on the oceans, helping to feed plankton.
By Malcolm Moore in Shanghai Published: 11:48AM BST 21 Jul 2009
A group of Chinese and Japanese scientists claimed that the dustball, which weighed 800,000 tons, was kicked up during a storm in 2007 in the Taklamakan desert.
The desert, which is roughly the size of France, lies in China's far-Western Xinjiang province, and is fringed by mountains on three sides, including the Pamir mountains on the border with Afghanistan and the Karakoram range, an extension of the Himalayas.
The dust ball was formed when a wind storm ripped across the desert, kicking up the dust, and trapping it against the mountains of the Tibetan plateau.
The scientists said the dust was forced higher and higher into the air, until it reached an altitude of around 16,250ft. A warm convection flow then lofted it further to between 26,000 ft and 32,500 ft, well above cloud level.
The dust was then trapped in the polar jetstream, a fast-flowing air current that lies just under the stratosphere, and began its "journey around the world" according to the Nature Geoscience journal.
The team of scientists tracked the progress of the cloud using tools aboard the Nasa observation satellite Calypso. After 13 days, the plume of dust passed back over the Taklamakan desert, having completed a full circuit of the globe. The scientists noted that even after such a long journey, the dust remained "tightly confined in latitude".
It only fell back down to earth after crossing half the globe again when the cloud encountered a ridge of low pressure and fell into the Pacific ocean. Some of the dust managed to reach North America and then fall into the Atlantic.
"The Taklamakan desert is a major source of dust transported and deposited around the globe," the scientists noted, adding that dust from the desert has turned up in ice cores in Greenland and in the French Alps. They also suggested that micro-nutrients from the dust could have a beneficial effect on the oceans, helping to feed plankton.
Is Britain going to be at the centre of the 'green car' revolution?
By Sean O'Grady
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Why are we asking this now?
Because Nissan has said that production of electric car batteries will begin at its Sunderland plant, with the creation of 350 jobs. Some £200m will be invested over the next five years. Through the Regional Development Agency, millions more of taxpayers' money will be spent on all manner of green infrastructure projects to boost the North East as a "low-carbon economic area", including electricity charging points, a test track, an R&D facility linked to local universities, and a training centre for electric cars. It looks as if the British motor industry is just refusing to lie down and die.
Doesn't the UK make too many gas guzzlers?
Yes and no. Given that there will always be some demand for the sort of luxury cars and SUVs that Britain excels in, it is probably a good thing that so many of these Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Jaguar and Land Rover products are made here, especially as they are less prey to low-cost competition from Korea, China and India. However, there are also strong environmental and short-term economic pressures that mean the current trend towards greener, more economical cars will also help secure the future of the British industry. This is why the latest developments are such good news...
So what else is happening?
Only last week Toyota said that it would produce a petrol/electric hybrid version of the Auris hatchback at its Derbyshire factory as part of a drive to persuade European motorists to switch from economical and increasingly clean diesels to more low-emission technology. Vauxhall, meanwhile, may yet win the contract to produce General Motors's new electric car, the Chevrolet Volt, a version of which has been previewed as the Vauxhall/Opel Ampera. Much, however, depends on GM Europe's new owners, the Russian-financed Magna consortium or the US-backed private equity group RHJ. However, the signs are promising. The Government has also given a £27m grant to Land Rover to help them produce a new hybrid SUV, codenamed LRX, which ought to help the Jaguar Land Rover group reduce its overall emissions and win over a new breed of ecologically-aware driver. Not to be left behind, Mini is also proudly showing off its Mini E, an electric version of the Oxford-built hatch that is being trialled in the US market. Finally, Lotus has helped develop the new Tesla electric sports car in America, a "proper" performance coupe that dispels some of the myths about electric cars. They have also unveiled an attractive "baby Lotus" electric hatch, though it remains only a "concept".
Is electric the future?
Probably. The definitive King Review on low-carbon cars last year makes a pretty strong case for the electric car as the most environmentally friendly form of personal transportation. But the technological barriers remain and, even in a decade or two, it is unlikely that the internal combustion engine will entirely disappear. In a few years, we will probably see a much more diverse range of different technologies in cars. Ferraris and Porsches will probably still run on old-fashioned petrol, but small city cars might well be predominantly electric. Family saloons could be hybrids, with executive cars potentially running as ultra-clean diesels.
The hydrogen fuel cell, which creates its own electricity "on board", might even make an appearance in larger SUVs and people carriers, though at the moment its fortunes seem to be waning. Honda's FCX Clarity, which uses this very advanced technology, seems set to go into production. Biofuels, pioneered by Saab, could also play a part if their unfortunate effects on the price of food can be resolved: so-called third generation, algae-based biofuels won't compete with food for arable land and ought to be very green indeed. In other words, a thousand automotive flowers may blossom.
What about emissions at the power station?
Even electricity generated by the dirtiest coal would arguably still be cleaner than the cleanest petrol models. That claim is still disputed by some, but what is clear is that electricity generated from renewables and, again arguably, nuclear power, is far more clean than anything the internal combustion engine can yet match, though the margins may not be quite as large as people think.
What's the snag with electric cars?
Range, practicality and power. A car like a G-Wiz, the most popular model at the moment, costs about £8,500, for which you could buy a much better, small electric- or diesel-powered runaround, such as a Citroen C1 or a Nissan Micra, both of which are safer, faster, roomier and nicer to drive. Even the best of the current crop of electric cars have severe limitations in day to day running.
The latest Smart electric vehicle, for example, will do 70mph and has a range of 70 miles, which sounds fine for commuting and most journeys. However, it won't do 70 miles at 70 mph. It only has a range of 70 miles if you drive it very slowly; if you max it out at 70mph, you'll see the battery flattened within 20 miles. The Chevrolet Volt/Vauxhall Ampera is promising, as it looks and drives more like a conventional vehicle – but again it only has a range of 40 miles. There is also the small matter of a shortage of recharging points.
There are very few outside London and, even in such electric hotspots as Westminster, relatively few concessions are made to the electric lobby. There is some free parking, but it is often only for a few hours – so not much chance of consumers using their parking bays to commute to work. Tax breaks for electric cars are there but, for most families, they cannot make up for the lack of practicality and many also don't like their safety record. And if you happen to live in a flat, then charging becomes nearly impossible. That said, if you can find a spot to recharge, it will only cost you about 20p to "fill up" overnight.
Any other action?
Lots. Carlos Ghosn, the charismatic chief executive of Renault-Nissan is "betting the ranch" on the future of the electric car, piling millions into development and sponsoring schemes in Denmark and Israel to create national networks of electric charging points – both countries are compact and relatively flat, a bit like the North East. Almost every other manufacturer has, or nearly has, an electric vehicle armlet, including Mercedes-Benz (the Smart), BMW (Mini E). Mitsubishi (their impressive i-MiEV), Peugeot-Citroën, Ford and GM.
Remember the brick?
Yes, indeed. Optimists point to the size and weight of the first brick-like "portable" phones in the late 1980s, an almost comical sight today. Much the same technology (lithium-ion batteries) and challenges prevail in the electric car as exist in mobiles and laptops, so the argument runs, and the progress that has been made in miniaturising and developing these has been phenomenal. With sufficient money behind it, there is no reason why the electric car could not also overcome some of its current drawbacks in a relatively short time. And there seems no reason either why Britain, especially with the ever-fertile mind of the Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson, behind it, shouldn't grab a significant slice of the action.
Will the UK become a hub for green cars?
Yes
*Many manufacturers in the UK are already investing in the new technologies
*The Government is putting plenty of money into it
*As with mobile phones, advances in technology can, in principle, overcome the problems
No
*Electric cars cost too much and are nowhere near as practical as petrol-driven vehicles
*Other, more interventionist, countries are bound to spend more public money
*We are always subject to the whims of foreign car groups
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Why are we asking this now?
Because Nissan has said that production of electric car batteries will begin at its Sunderland plant, with the creation of 350 jobs. Some £200m will be invested over the next five years. Through the Regional Development Agency, millions more of taxpayers' money will be spent on all manner of green infrastructure projects to boost the North East as a "low-carbon economic area", including electricity charging points, a test track, an R&D facility linked to local universities, and a training centre for electric cars. It looks as if the British motor industry is just refusing to lie down and die.
Doesn't the UK make too many gas guzzlers?
Yes and no. Given that there will always be some demand for the sort of luxury cars and SUVs that Britain excels in, it is probably a good thing that so many of these Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Jaguar and Land Rover products are made here, especially as they are less prey to low-cost competition from Korea, China and India. However, there are also strong environmental and short-term economic pressures that mean the current trend towards greener, more economical cars will also help secure the future of the British industry. This is why the latest developments are such good news...
So what else is happening?
Only last week Toyota said that it would produce a petrol/electric hybrid version of the Auris hatchback at its Derbyshire factory as part of a drive to persuade European motorists to switch from economical and increasingly clean diesels to more low-emission technology. Vauxhall, meanwhile, may yet win the contract to produce General Motors's new electric car, the Chevrolet Volt, a version of which has been previewed as the Vauxhall/Opel Ampera. Much, however, depends on GM Europe's new owners, the Russian-financed Magna consortium or the US-backed private equity group RHJ. However, the signs are promising. The Government has also given a £27m grant to Land Rover to help them produce a new hybrid SUV, codenamed LRX, which ought to help the Jaguar Land Rover group reduce its overall emissions and win over a new breed of ecologically-aware driver. Not to be left behind, Mini is also proudly showing off its Mini E, an electric version of the Oxford-built hatch that is being trialled in the US market. Finally, Lotus has helped develop the new Tesla electric sports car in America, a "proper" performance coupe that dispels some of the myths about electric cars. They have also unveiled an attractive "baby Lotus" electric hatch, though it remains only a "concept".
Is electric the future?
Probably. The definitive King Review on low-carbon cars last year makes a pretty strong case for the electric car as the most environmentally friendly form of personal transportation. But the technological barriers remain and, even in a decade or two, it is unlikely that the internal combustion engine will entirely disappear. In a few years, we will probably see a much more diverse range of different technologies in cars. Ferraris and Porsches will probably still run on old-fashioned petrol, but small city cars might well be predominantly electric. Family saloons could be hybrids, with executive cars potentially running as ultra-clean diesels.
The hydrogen fuel cell, which creates its own electricity "on board", might even make an appearance in larger SUVs and people carriers, though at the moment its fortunes seem to be waning. Honda's FCX Clarity, which uses this very advanced technology, seems set to go into production. Biofuels, pioneered by Saab, could also play a part if their unfortunate effects on the price of food can be resolved: so-called third generation, algae-based biofuels won't compete with food for arable land and ought to be very green indeed. In other words, a thousand automotive flowers may blossom.
What about emissions at the power station?
Even electricity generated by the dirtiest coal would arguably still be cleaner than the cleanest petrol models. That claim is still disputed by some, but what is clear is that electricity generated from renewables and, again arguably, nuclear power, is far more clean than anything the internal combustion engine can yet match, though the margins may not be quite as large as people think.
What's the snag with electric cars?
Range, practicality and power. A car like a G-Wiz, the most popular model at the moment, costs about £8,500, for which you could buy a much better, small electric- or diesel-powered runaround, such as a Citroen C1 or a Nissan Micra, both of which are safer, faster, roomier and nicer to drive. Even the best of the current crop of electric cars have severe limitations in day to day running.
The latest Smart electric vehicle, for example, will do 70mph and has a range of 70 miles, which sounds fine for commuting and most journeys. However, it won't do 70 miles at 70 mph. It only has a range of 70 miles if you drive it very slowly; if you max it out at 70mph, you'll see the battery flattened within 20 miles. The Chevrolet Volt/Vauxhall Ampera is promising, as it looks and drives more like a conventional vehicle – but again it only has a range of 40 miles. There is also the small matter of a shortage of recharging points.
There are very few outside London and, even in such electric hotspots as Westminster, relatively few concessions are made to the electric lobby. There is some free parking, but it is often only for a few hours – so not much chance of consumers using their parking bays to commute to work. Tax breaks for electric cars are there but, for most families, they cannot make up for the lack of practicality and many also don't like their safety record. And if you happen to live in a flat, then charging becomes nearly impossible. That said, if you can find a spot to recharge, it will only cost you about 20p to "fill up" overnight.
Any other action?
Lots. Carlos Ghosn, the charismatic chief executive of Renault-Nissan is "betting the ranch" on the future of the electric car, piling millions into development and sponsoring schemes in Denmark and Israel to create national networks of electric charging points – both countries are compact and relatively flat, a bit like the North East. Almost every other manufacturer has, or nearly has, an electric vehicle armlet, including Mercedes-Benz (the Smart), BMW (Mini E). Mitsubishi (their impressive i-MiEV), Peugeot-Citroën, Ford and GM.
Remember the brick?
Yes, indeed. Optimists point to the size and weight of the first brick-like "portable" phones in the late 1980s, an almost comical sight today. Much the same technology (lithium-ion batteries) and challenges prevail in the electric car as exist in mobiles and laptops, so the argument runs, and the progress that has been made in miniaturising and developing these has been phenomenal. With sufficient money behind it, there is no reason why the electric car could not also overcome some of its current drawbacks in a relatively short time. And there seems no reason either why Britain, especially with the ever-fertile mind of the Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson, behind it, shouldn't grab a significant slice of the action.
Will the UK become a hub for green cars?
Yes
*Many manufacturers in the UK are already investing in the new technologies
*The Government is putting plenty of money into it
*As with mobile phones, advances in technology can, in principle, overcome the problems
No
*Electric cars cost too much and are nowhere near as practical as petrol-driven vehicles
*Other, more interventionist, countries are bound to spend more public money
*We are always subject to the whims of foreign car groups
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Nissan's plug-free electric car
The Japanese carmaker's wireless system employs the same electromagnetic field technology used to charge an electric toothbrush
Bibi van der Zee and Adam Vaughan
guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 July 2009 16.44 BST
Nissan has developed a revolutionary plug-free technology that it claims will make charging electric cars easier and faster. The wireless charging system is based on the concept of inductive charging, the same electromagnetic field technology used to charge an electric toothbrush. Nissan has scaled it up for use in their Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) electric car, which can charge in a compatible parking bay without the need for wires. Today's electric car owners, by contrast, have to carry a mains plug aboard to recharge.
David Bott, director of innovation programmes at the Technology Strategy Board, said: "If you look at handheld gadgets, inductive charging is a proven technology - the fundamental science says that it will work. I suspect you'll end up plugging electric cars in at night for efficiency, and by day using inductive for on-the-go recharging."
Nissan has ambitions beyond mere wireless charging bays. It hopes to scale the technology up even further as a series of plates laid into the surface of designated electric vehicle lanes on our roads and motorways, theoretically enabling motorists to charge as they drive. However, Nissan admits that it still has no idea on how much it would cost, how long the designated lane would have to be, or how fast the battery could be recharged.
Bott said he was sceptical that such charging lanes would be practical: "It's scientifically feasible, but it's whether it's scalable and feasible is another matter."
Nissan is grappling with its recent consumer research, which revealed that 61% of potential electric car customers were most worried about the inconvenience of recharging. As well as inductive charging, its technological solutions include developing fast-charging facilities, which they hope to see in place in shopping car parks and motorway service stations. "So while you're shopping, or having a cup of tea, the battery will refill to 80% of its capacity, in about 25 minutes," explained Larry Haddad, general manager of product strategy and planning at Nissan Europe.
In addition to these charging innovations, Nissan believes the ZEV has what it takes to compete against established electric models such as the TH!NK City and G-Wiz. Nissan claims it will be the first "dedicated" electric car on the market, arguing that most rival cars have been rehashes of existing models.
The ZEV is a five-seater family-sized car with a top speed of 90mph, a battery range of around 100 miles and surprisingly impressive acceleration. Redmer van der Meer, Nissan's European electric vehicle product manager, said that he is confident the range will be significantly extended in the next few years, and that cars will be built so new, improved batteries can be retro-fitted. Van der Meer said the car is deliberately conventional in style: "We don't want to make a shock in the market, an egg-shaped car or something. We want to make a transition. You could do mad things but we really don't want to."
Nissan's electric car is set to go on sale in the US and Japan next year, before arriving in the UK and rest of Europe by 2012. Pricing is yet to be announced.
Bibi van der Zee and Adam Vaughan
guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 July 2009 16.44 BST
Nissan has developed a revolutionary plug-free technology that it claims will make charging electric cars easier and faster. The wireless charging system is based on the concept of inductive charging, the same electromagnetic field technology used to charge an electric toothbrush. Nissan has scaled it up for use in their Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) electric car, which can charge in a compatible parking bay without the need for wires. Today's electric car owners, by contrast, have to carry a mains plug aboard to recharge.
David Bott, director of innovation programmes at the Technology Strategy Board, said: "If you look at handheld gadgets, inductive charging is a proven technology - the fundamental science says that it will work. I suspect you'll end up plugging electric cars in at night for efficiency, and by day using inductive for on-the-go recharging."
Nissan has ambitions beyond mere wireless charging bays. It hopes to scale the technology up even further as a series of plates laid into the surface of designated electric vehicle lanes on our roads and motorways, theoretically enabling motorists to charge as they drive. However, Nissan admits that it still has no idea on how much it would cost, how long the designated lane would have to be, or how fast the battery could be recharged.
Bott said he was sceptical that such charging lanes would be practical: "It's scientifically feasible, but it's whether it's scalable and feasible is another matter."
Nissan is grappling with its recent consumer research, which revealed that 61% of potential electric car customers were most worried about the inconvenience of recharging. As well as inductive charging, its technological solutions include developing fast-charging facilities, which they hope to see in place in shopping car parks and motorway service stations. "So while you're shopping, or having a cup of tea, the battery will refill to 80% of its capacity, in about 25 minutes," explained Larry Haddad, general manager of product strategy and planning at Nissan Europe.
In addition to these charging innovations, Nissan believes the ZEV has what it takes to compete against established electric models such as the TH!NK City and G-Wiz. Nissan claims it will be the first "dedicated" electric car on the market, arguing that most rival cars have been rehashes of existing models.
The ZEV is a five-seater family-sized car with a top speed of 90mph, a battery range of around 100 miles and surprisingly impressive acceleration. Redmer van der Meer, Nissan's European electric vehicle product manager, said that he is confident the range will be significantly extended in the next few years, and that cars will be built so new, improved batteries can be retro-fitted. Van der Meer said the car is deliberately conventional in style: "We don't want to make a shock in the market, an egg-shaped car or something. We want to make a transition. You could do mad things but we really don't want to."
Nissan's electric car is set to go on sale in the US and Japan next year, before arriving in the UK and rest of Europe by 2012. Pricing is yet to be announced.
Brown and Mandelson welcome Nissan factory and jobs
Sunderland visit comes as government names north-east as Britain's second low-carbon economic area
Katie Allen
guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 July 2009 20.07 BST
Carmaker Nissan has pledged to invest more than £200m in a new rechargeable battery factory in Sunderland boosting the north-east of England's drive to become a leading centre for green technology.
The region hopes to swap a legacy of shipbuilding, steam engines and coalmining for a pioneering role in the manufacture of electric cars and lorries.
Nissan's announcement of plans for a rechargeable lithium-ion battery plant was accompanied by Gordon Brown's confirmation that the government is making the north-east the UK's Low Carbon Economic Area specialising in "ultra-low carbon vehicles."
Against a backdrop of job losses and unrelenting uncertainty for workers at UK car factories, the prime minister hailed Nissan's new battery plant as a step towards economic recovery.
He sought to raise hopes the Japanese company could choose its north-east base for a new European green car operation over a rival facility in Spain.
"Nissan's investment in a new battery plant and its hope to start producing electric vehicles here in Sunderland is great news for the local economy, creating up to 350 direct jobs and creating and safeguarding hundreds more in the associated supply chain," said Brown.
"Sunderland could now be a strong contender to produce electric vehicles for Nissan in Europe, and we will continue to work with Nissan to ensure this happens."
Visiting Nissan's Sunderland plant, Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said the north-east was already a specialised region for green cars.
The region's designation as a Low Carbon Economic Area will mean establishing a training centre to teach the manufacture and repair of green cars, creating a research and development hub which collates work from five universities on using low carbon cars and opening a test track to try out new vehicles.
The north-east is the second such "economic area" to be created by the government after the South West of England - a centre of marine and tidal energy schemes.
Mandelson hopes the north-east green cars project will attract foreign investment and secure the UK's place as "a global leader in high-tech manufacturing and automotive industries."
Local government officials hailed the Low Carbon initiative as potentially creating 10,000 jobs over five years – a huge morale boost to an area hit by the rapid decline of its manufacturing industry and wider economic turmoil.
Margaret Fay, chairman of the One North East regional development agency drew parallels with the north-east's industrial heyday.
"The first steam engines came from the north-east, we are good at firsts. We were the centre of excellence all those years ago with Stephenson and the Rocket. It's like history repeating itself for the next generation."
"We see this as the next iteration of the north-east economy. We have been through the very heavy industries of shipbuilding, steel, coalmining etc... Clearly manufacturing is at the heart of what we have always done in the region and this takes us back into what really are our core competencies. But this is manufacturing for the future."
The agency has aspirations to turn the north-east into Britain's green car training centre as demand rises for mechanics able to fix a new breed of electric vehicles.
"The training centre will go right from basic training, through apprenticeships, right up to masters and PhD's," said Fay.
The planned research and development centre will look into aspects of electric cars such as how far they can travel between charges.
AA president Edmund King says his group will feed its research into both the training and research centres.
"It was important to get a motoring organisation involved because electric vehicles will only be successful if consumers use them, understand them and trust them," said King.
He quotes AA research suggesting almost two-thirds of drivers would consider buying a more fuel efficient car. Drivers in the North East and Northern Ireland were most likely to consider buying a green car.
But others are more sceptical that electric cars are worthy of such "green" government investment. Stephen Glaister director of the RAC Foundation points out the power to charge batteries will most likely be generated from coal or gas. "I think it is entirely unclear whether electric cars have anything to offer."
"This may be about being seen to do something, it may be about creating new jobs, but I imagine it's very risky in terms of the particular technology they are going into. There's a long history of governments supporting different bits of the motor industry and having them fail."
North-eastern company Smith Electric Vehicles, the world's largest manufacturer of electric commercial vehicles, has questions about the government's green car plans for other reasons.
Managing director Geoff Allison was puzzled as to why the government was not looking at manufacturers' more urgent needs.
"Here today, now, we need investment. We have got electric vehicles, we need volume orders, we need subsidies. We need incentive from the government to help us get commercial vehicles on the road quicker. "In Europe they are all way ahead of us in terms of acceptability of electric vehicles."
If we aren't given support, the French will overtake us. You won't be buying a British built electric vehicle, you'll be buying a French one," he says
Katie Allen
guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 July 2009 20.07 BST
Carmaker Nissan has pledged to invest more than £200m in a new rechargeable battery factory in Sunderland boosting the north-east of England's drive to become a leading centre for green technology.
The region hopes to swap a legacy of shipbuilding, steam engines and coalmining for a pioneering role in the manufacture of electric cars and lorries.
Nissan's announcement of plans for a rechargeable lithium-ion battery plant was accompanied by Gordon Brown's confirmation that the government is making the north-east the UK's Low Carbon Economic Area specialising in "ultra-low carbon vehicles."
Against a backdrop of job losses and unrelenting uncertainty for workers at UK car factories, the prime minister hailed Nissan's new battery plant as a step towards economic recovery.
He sought to raise hopes the Japanese company could choose its north-east base for a new European green car operation over a rival facility in Spain.
"Nissan's investment in a new battery plant and its hope to start producing electric vehicles here in Sunderland is great news for the local economy, creating up to 350 direct jobs and creating and safeguarding hundreds more in the associated supply chain," said Brown.
"Sunderland could now be a strong contender to produce electric vehicles for Nissan in Europe, and we will continue to work with Nissan to ensure this happens."
Visiting Nissan's Sunderland plant, Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said the north-east was already a specialised region for green cars.
The region's designation as a Low Carbon Economic Area will mean establishing a training centre to teach the manufacture and repair of green cars, creating a research and development hub which collates work from five universities on using low carbon cars and opening a test track to try out new vehicles.
The north-east is the second such "economic area" to be created by the government after the South West of England - a centre of marine and tidal energy schemes.
Mandelson hopes the north-east green cars project will attract foreign investment and secure the UK's place as "a global leader in high-tech manufacturing and automotive industries."
Local government officials hailed the Low Carbon initiative as potentially creating 10,000 jobs over five years – a huge morale boost to an area hit by the rapid decline of its manufacturing industry and wider economic turmoil.
Margaret Fay, chairman of the One North East regional development agency drew parallels with the north-east's industrial heyday.
"The first steam engines came from the north-east, we are good at firsts. We were the centre of excellence all those years ago with Stephenson and the Rocket. It's like history repeating itself for the next generation."
"We see this as the next iteration of the north-east economy. We have been through the very heavy industries of shipbuilding, steel, coalmining etc... Clearly manufacturing is at the heart of what we have always done in the region and this takes us back into what really are our core competencies. But this is manufacturing for the future."
The agency has aspirations to turn the north-east into Britain's green car training centre as demand rises for mechanics able to fix a new breed of electric vehicles.
"The training centre will go right from basic training, through apprenticeships, right up to masters and PhD's," said Fay.
The planned research and development centre will look into aspects of electric cars such as how far they can travel between charges.
AA president Edmund King says his group will feed its research into both the training and research centres.
"It was important to get a motoring organisation involved because electric vehicles will only be successful if consumers use them, understand them and trust them," said King.
He quotes AA research suggesting almost two-thirds of drivers would consider buying a more fuel efficient car. Drivers in the North East and Northern Ireland were most likely to consider buying a green car.
But others are more sceptical that electric cars are worthy of such "green" government investment. Stephen Glaister director of the RAC Foundation points out the power to charge batteries will most likely be generated from coal or gas. "I think it is entirely unclear whether electric cars have anything to offer."
"This may be about being seen to do something, it may be about creating new jobs, but I imagine it's very risky in terms of the particular technology they are going into. There's a long history of governments supporting different bits of the motor industry and having them fail."
North-eastern company Smith Electric Vehicles, the world's largest manufacturer of electric commercial vehicles, has questions about the government's green car plans for other reasons.
Managing director Geoff Allison was puzzled as to why the government was not looking at manufacturers' more urgent needs.
"Here today, now, we need investment. We have got electric vehicles, we need volume orders, we need subsidies. We need incentive from the government to help us get commercial vehicles on the road quicker. "In Europe they are all way ahead of us in terms of acceptability of electric vehicles."
If we aren't given support, the French will overtake us. You won't be buying a British built electric vehicle, you'll be buying a French one," he says
Prius takes a ride to the US aboard solar-powered container ship
Green freighter makes maiden Japan-US voyage to deliver Toyota hybrids. From BusinessGreen.com, part of the Guardian Environment Network
From BusinessGreen.com, part of the Guardian Environment Network
guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 July 2009 17.36 BST
As the manufacturer of the world's most famous hybrid car, it seems only fitting that Toyota has now begun shipping its Prius cars to the US using a container ship that could also qualify as a hybrid.
The Auriga Leader, the world's first freighter to be partly powered using solar energy, has made its maiden voyage to the US from Japan, arriving at California's Port of Long Beach earlier this month with a consignment of Prius cars and other Toyota vehicles.
Launched in December, the ship is equipped with 328 solar panels on its car carrier which can generate up to 40kW of energy.
The Auriga Leader's solar array provides a supplementary source of clean energy to the ship, helping to reduce the load on its auxiliary engines. They also serve a double duty by helping to protect the vehicles from salt water, wind pressure and vibrations while at sea.
The freighter is a joint project from Japanese companies Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Nippon Oil Corp – which invested $1.68m (£1m) in the solar panel system – and is contracted exclusively to Toyota.
The Japanese automaker will use the Auriga Leader, which can carry up to 6,400 vehicles, to make bi-weekly trips between Japan and California.
In addition to having a green mode of overseas delivery, most Prius cars are produced in a solar-powered factory in Tsutsumi, located in central Japan. Its rooftop array produces 2MW of electricity per hour, meeting about half the plant's energy requirements.
The latest version of the iconic car, which was launched in Japan in May and is expected in the UK this summer, also features a rooftop solar panel designed to provide power for the car's cooling systems.
• This article was shared by our content partner BusinessGreen.com, part of the Guardian Environment Network
From BusinessGreen.com, part of the Guardian Environment Network
guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 July 2009 17.36 BST
As the manufacturer of the world's most famous hybrid car, it seems only fitting that Toyota has now begun shipping its Prius cars to the US using a container ship that could also qualify as a hybrid.
The Auriga Leader, the world's first freighter to be partly powered using solar energy, has made its maiden voyage to the US from Japan, arriving at California's Port of Long Beach earlier this month with a consignment of Prius cars and other Toyota vehicles.
Launched in December, the ship is equipped with 328 solar panels on its car carrier which can generate up to 40kW of energy.
The Auriga Leader's solar array provides a supplementary source of clean energy to the ship, helping to reduce the load on its auxiliary engines. They also serve a double duty by helping to protect the vehicles from salt water, wind pressure and vibrations while at sea.
The freighter is a joint project from Japanese companies Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Nippon Oil Corp – which invested $1.68m (£1m) in the solar panel system – and is contracted exclusively to Toyota.
The Japanese automaker will use the Auriga Leader, which can carry up to 6,400 vehicles, to make bi-weekly trips between Japan and California.
In addition to having a green mode of overseas delivery, most Prius cars are produced in a solar-powered factory in Tsutsumi, located in central Japan. Its rooftop array produces 2MW of electricity per hour, meeting about half the plant's energy requirements.
The latest version of the iconic car, which was launched in Japan in May and is expected in the UK this summer, also features a rooftop solar panel designed to provide power for the car's cooling systems.
• This article was shared by our content partner BusinessGreen.com, part of the Guardian Environment Network
Staff occupy Isle of Wight wind turbine plant in protest against closure
Matthew Weaver
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 July 2009 00.31 BST
Workers staged an occupation of one of Britain's only wind turbine factories last night to protest against the imminent closure of the plant and the loss of hundreds of jobs.
About 25 workers entered the administration block of the Vestas Wind Systems factory in Newport, Isle of Wight, at around 7.30pm and vowed to remain there until the government discusses their proposal to save it from closure by nationalising the plant.
In April the Danish firm announced that the factory, which employs 525 people, as well as another in Southampton, employing 100 people, would close because of a lack of demand.
Vestas, which is the world's biggest wind energy group and recently reported a quarterly sales rise of 59%, up to €1.1bn (£0.95bn), cited a slowdown in demand when it announced the closure of the factory. It blamed a number of factors including the weakness of the pound and "a lack of political initiatives".
Vestas chief executive Ditlev Engel said that building wind turbines in Britain was "extremely time-consuming and extremely complicated". He added: "In the UK nimbyism is a huge challenge."
A worker inside the factory, who gave his name only as Michael, hit out at what he claimed were double standards in the government's approach to low-carbon industries.
He said: "It's crazy for Ed Miliband [the environment secretary] to be making statement after statement about green energy and green jobs and at the same time this factory is being closed."
"It would be tiny step financially to keep this factory open, but it would be a huge statement about the government's commitment to the green economy. Just as they could not afford to let the banks fail, they can't afford to let this fail. It's about the history of humanity."
Several police officers gathered outside the factory last night but told the protesters they do not intend to force them out. "This is a peaceful protest," Michael said. "We got enough supplies to last a while ... as long as you like crisps."
A spokesman for the Campaign Against Climate Change pressure group said: "We give the workers our full support. The government should take over the plant and restart production and if there currently is not enough demand for wind turbines, then it should build more wind farms itself."
No one from Vestas management was available for comment last night.
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 July 2009 00.31 BST
Workers staged an occupation of one of Britain's only wind turbine factories last night to protest against the imminent closure of the plant and the loss of hundreds of jobs.
About 25 workers entered the administration block of the Vestas Wind Systems factory in Newport, Isle of Wight, at around 7.30pm and vowed to remain there until the government discusses their proposal to save it from closure by nationalising the plant.
In April the Danish firm announced that the factory, which employs 525 people, as well as another in Southampton, employing 100 people, would close because of a lack of demand.
Vestas, which is the world's biggest wind energy group and recently reported a quarterly sales rise of 59%, up to €1.1bn (£0.95bn), cited a slowdown in demand when it announced the closure of the factory. It blamed a number of factors including the weakness of the pound and "a lack of political initiatives".
Vestas chief executive Ditlev Engel said that building wind turbines in Britain was "extremely time-consuming and extremely complicated". He added: "In the UK nimbyism is a huge challenge."
A worker inside the factory, who gave his name only as Michael, hit out at what he claimed were double standards in the government's approach to low-carbon industries.
He said: "It's crazy for Ed Miliband [the environment secretary] to be making statement after statement about green energy and green jobs and at the same time this factory is being closed."
"It would be tiny step financially to keep this factory open, but it would be a huge statement about the government's commitment to the green economy. Just as they could not afford to let the banks fail, they can't afford to let this fail. It's about the history of humanity."
Several police officers gathered outside the factory last night but told the protesters they do not intend to force them out. "This is a peaceful protest," Michael said. "We got enough supplies to last a while ... as long as you like crisps."
A spokesman for the Campaign Against Climate Change pressure group said: "We give the workers our full support. The government should take over the plant and restart production and if there currently is not enough demand for wind turbines, then it should build more wind farms itself."
No one from Vestas management was available for comment last night.
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