Where's the Coal at?

Sorry for not posting last week. There was too much going on in the world. So much in the news, so much fear, so much scrutiny. Our world just seemed so disjointed.

But never fear, today I bring you good news!
Live: Energy Consumption via the National Grid
http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/
Notice anything fishy about this photo?

Take a close look at the coal dial.

This is no phoney photograph. Yes, the UK's National Grid, as I type the blog, has no coal powered electricity running through it.

Today is a fume free Friday as the National Grid are aiming to run for an entire 24 hours without coal - the first time since Britain's Industrial Revolution! It's not even a particularly sunny day so this is quite amazing.

Textile Factory Industrial Revolution The industrial revolution
The British Industrial Revolution
http://galleryhip.com/textile-factory-industrial-revolution.html
The statement is astounding but, if we look a little more into what is fuelling today's electricity, we see nuclear and biomass topping the list. Controversial sources here. We know from history just how catastrophic nuclear disasters can be and certain sources of biomass, I believe, can bring about more destruction than their 'environmentally friendly' status is worth: palm oil plantations demand deforestation on land belonging to tropical rainforests, for example. Nevertheless, biomass can come readily in the form of waste, giving our abundance of waste materials a second life.
Using 'biomass' today could bring net benefits or negatives in regards to our climate, depending upon their origin

I would also like to point out that this information does not specify any gas usage, yet our government predicts that gas sources are set to increase beyond 2030 and we will become quite reliant on such sources. Don't be fooled into thinking that the end of coal means the end of fossil fuels.

This day highlights the evolution of our knowledge on population health, technology and, most of all, climate change. In less than 200 years since the Industrial Revolution, just think how much we've achieved by sharing our energy needs and knowledge throughout the whole nation. Beyond it. Today we all know that dirty fuels emit pollution that harms us. Now we know which precautions to take on local and global scales. Our knowledge just keeps on growing and developing.

What better timing could there be for this day than just 2 days into the UK's political party campaigns.
Who will lead us into a more clean, more clever and even more equal country than before?

That is down to you.

H _ M
    :)

Bibliography:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/21/britain-set-for-first-coal-free-day-since-the-industrial-revolution?CMP=twt_gu
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-coal-power-national-grid-energy-control-room-no-energy-without-industrial-revolution-a7694896.html#gallery
https://www.fastcompany.com/1760900/five-predictions-future-energy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-39628713

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