Global News

UK subsidies – Should we do more to promote EV’s and Hybrids

2012-01-04T04:57:00.000-08:00

UK subsidies – Should we do more to promote EV’s and Hybrids

On the 1st of January 2011 the Guardian newspaper published an article that said 2011 was to be the year of the electric car. This is because the UK government had launched a fund, known as the ‘plug-in car grant’ to provide a £5,000 subsidy to those buying an electric car. In October 2011 the Guardian published another article saying that electric car sales had been poor and the scheme was a failure. So what is the plug-in car grant and why do some people consider it a failure? And is there anything that can be done to better promote electric vehicles and hybrids?

What is the UK electric car subsidy?

The grant was conceived by the Labour government to help subsidise the cost of electric cars, which can cost a third more than their fossil-burning rivals. Getting more electric cars on our roads is one of the ways the government intends to reduce UK carbon levels to the agreed limit for 2020. When the Conservative/LibDem coalition took over they agreed to maintain the subsidy, which wasn’t due to start until January 2011, but only for a year, after which it was to be reviewed.

Under the scheme, anyone looking to purchase one of several pre-approved models of electric car could apply for a grant of £5,000 towards the cost of the car.

Why is the subsidy considered a failure?

The main reason that the electric car grant has been considered a failure is that the uptake of electric cars has been very small, the very thing the subsidy was meant to help boost. In quarter one of 2011 465 electric cars were registered through the scheme, with 215 in Q2, and only 106 in Q3. Those numbers are well below what was expected, but still far higher than the numbers of electric cars bought in 2010.

However, the slow uptake does not necessarily mean the grant has been a failure. Electric cars are expensive – all those on the approved list for the grant would cost more than £20,000, so even with the full grant a buyer must have at least £15,000 to purchase a car. Not many people have that amount of money to spend on a car, and in such unsure economic times they are less likely to want to pay out that much, especially on a relatively new technology that has received its fair share of bad press.

What bad press?

Many people will at first be put off by the upfront cost, but this has to be considered with the fact that electric cars are road tax free, could have cheaper car insurance, and are also cheaper to fuel.

Then there is the limited range of the electric motor when compared with a petrol or diesel engine, along with the substantially longer refuelling time – even at a rare fast-charge point a Nissan Leaf takes 30 minutes for a full charge. A hybrid engine does not suffer this problem, but they are not included in the subsidy unless they can be plugged in.

And then there is the British weather. The range of an electric motor drops when you use the electrics for other functions in the car, such as wind screen wipers, lights, air conditioning, etc. All of which could be used a lot in Britain, especially in the winter months.

Finally there is the battery (or batteries) itself: After only a few years the capacity of the battery drops considerably by such an extent that it has to be replaced, and the cost a new one is four figures at the moment. The green credentials of the cars have also been called into question because of all the chemicals and processing that has to go into building the battery. Plus, when you plug them in the
electricity is being provided by a power plant that is getting its energy from where?

Will the subsidy continue?

The government is due to review the plug-in car grant in January so we won’t officially know until then, but there are plenty of people who want it to continue, including environmental groups and those with a vested interest in the electric vehicle industry. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Is there anything else that can be done to improve the uptake of electric cars?

Addressing the negative points already listed will help. Most electric cars now look like ‘normal’ ones, and plenty handle and drive like their fossil-burning brethren as well, so those issues are, arguably,
taken care of.

All new technology is expensive when it first comes out – just think of the cost of DVD players and DVD’s now compared to when they first became available. As manufacturers get better at building the cars and start producing them in greater numbers, the cost will come down. Plus, there are more and more car makers entering the electric field (pun intended) so competition could drive the cost down too.

Providing more fast-recharge points will help, but let’s not forget that recharge stations will be needed everywhere, and that means in the middle of the countryside as well as in the middle of urban areas, otherwise the B-roads of Britain will be littered with Nissan Leafs and Peugeot iOns having run out of juice.

But perhaps the biggest issue is the battery, because it is this that dictates the power, range and recharge time of the car. Improving the battery can help but there are other ways of storing energy in a car, such as super-capacitors which store energy in an electric field rather than electrochemically.

Whatever the answer, it’s clear that electric cars are here to stay. 2011 may not have been the noisy revolution that many had expected, but that’s the thing about electric cars: they’re quiet, so you can’t hear them sneaking up on you.

Amazing photography by Mr.kinar

2011-12-27T01:37:00.000-08:00

Bank Customers Embracing Mobile Banking

2011-12-22T22:15:00.000-08:00

Bank Customers Embracing Mobile Banking

The Financial Brand today reports that we are embracing the digital age and utilising mobile banking:-

Tablets, smartphones and mobile devices will increasingly become the primary tools used to access online banking services, and young adults are the most likely to carry their bank in their pockets — but a growing number of other age groups are likely to join them in the very near future.

Those are among the findings of Intuit Financial Services Fourth Annual Financial Management Survey, a study fielded in October 2011 involving 1,000 participants across the United States.

Where the US starts, others follow, so I guess the UK would show a similar trend if surveyed. This comes as a boost to the banks looking to increase the number of people utilising internet banking.

The article continues:-

Two out of every five participants in the study said they own a smartphone, but only one in five said they use it to check balances, transactions, make payments, etc. 17% said they plan to try it in 2012.

Gen-Y is a different story. They live — and bank — on mobile devices. 70% of Gen-Y respondents said they own a smartphone, and half use it for banking compared to only 23% of the general population. The research revealed that 18-32 year olds are three times more likely to adopt mobile banking than Gen-X, baby boomers and seniors.

More than half of Gen-Y uses more than one device per week to access their online banking information, while nearly everyone else sticks with just one. Another Intuit study encompassing more than 50,000 mobile banking customers showed that people tend to interact, on average, 45% more often with their financial institutions when using online and mobile solutions in combination, as opposed to online alone.

This trend has also led to people who are online more to have more bank accounts than people who do not use digital devices. The main reason for people not using mobile banking services, apart from not owning a device capable of utilising this technology, is that they simply prefer to use their laptop/ desktop pc.

Despite the increasing use of online banking services, 45% of people still do not use online services at the moment, which is surprising, but the number is bound to decrease as time goes on.

We think this is useful for Everyone !!!!

2011-12-18T01:53:00.000-08:00

We think this is useful for Everyone !!!!

Common Text Abbreviations
AFK	Away From Keyboard	BBL	Be Back Later
AFAIK	As Far As I Know	BRB	Be Right Back
ASL	Age, Sex & Location	BRT	Be Right There

CFN	Ciao For Now	DIKU	Do I Know You
CID	Consider It Done	DK	Don't Know
CM	Call Me	DWL	Dying With Laughter
CU	See You

EG	Evil Grin	FFS	For F**ks Sake
EL	Evil Laugh	FWIW	For What It’s Worth
EM?	Excuse Me?	FYEO	For Your Eyes Only
EOD	End Of Discussion	FYI	For Your Information

G2G/GTG	Got To Go	HAGD	Have A Great Day
GAL	Get A Life	HAGN	Have A Good Night
GBH	Great Big Hug	HAGO	Have A Good One
GBTW	Get Back To Work	HAK	Hugs And Kisses
GF	Girl Friend	HAND	Have A Nice Day
GFC	Going For Coffee	HB	Hurry Back
GFETE	Grinning From Ear To Ear
GL	Good Luck

IAC	In Any Case	JAS	Just A Second
IBTD	I Beg To Differ	JK	Joke
IC	I See	JM2C	Just My 2 Cents
ICBW	I Could Be Wrong	JT	Just Teasing
IDC	I Don't Care
IDK	I Don't Know	KK	OK (Bizarrely!)
IMCO	In My Considered Opinion	KWIM	Know What I Mean
IMHO	In My Humble Opinion
IMI	I Mean It
IRL	In Real Life

L8R	Later	M8	Mate
LMAO	Laugh My Ass Off	MIHAP	May I Have Your Attention Please
LOL	Laugh Out Loud	MKOP	My Kind Of Place
		MMS	Multimedia Messaging System
		MSG	Message
		MYOB	Mind Your Own Business

N1	Nice One	OIC	Oh, I See
N2M	Not To Mention	OMG	Oh My God
NALOPKT	Not A Lot Of People Know That	OOC	Out Of Character
NAP/NP/NPS	Not A Problem	OTOH	On The Other Hand
NBD	No Big Deal
NBIF	No Basis In Fact	PAW	Parents Are Watching
NC	No Comment	PCM	Please Call Me
NE1	Anyone	PLS	Please
NM	Never Mind	PM	Personal/Private Message
NRN	No Reply Necessary	PML	Pee Myself Laughing
NSFW	Not Safe For Work	PPL	People
NTK	Nice To Know
NTYMI	Now That You Mention It	QQ	Crying
NW	No Way	QT	Cutie

RBAY	Right Back At Ya	SH	Stuff Happens
RLF	Real Life Friend	SMAIM	Send Me An Instant Message
ROFL	Rolling On The Floor Laughing!	SMEM	Send Me E-Mail
ROFLMAO	Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Ass Off!	SRY	Sorry
ROFLOL	Roll On Floor Laughing Out Loud!	STFU	Shut The F**k Up
ROTFL	Rolling On The Floor Laughing!	SYS	See You Soon

TAFN	That's All For Now	UR	You Are
TB	Text Back	URW	You Are Welcome
TDTM	Talk Dirty To Me
TFN	Thanks For Nothing	VBG	Very Big Grin
THX	Thanks	VFM	Value For Money
TIC	Tongue In Cheek	VM	Voice Mail
TM	Trust Me
TTYL	Talk To You Later
TXT	Text
TYVM	Thank You Very Much

W8	Wait	X	Kiss
WFM	Works For Me	XME	Excuse Me
WG	Wicked Grin	XOXO	Hugs And Kisses
WKND	Weekend
WRK	Work	YKW?	You Know What?
WTB	Want To Buy	YNK	You Never Know
WTF	What The F**k	YPI	Your Point Is
WTG	Way To Go!	YW	You're Welcome
WYP	What's Your Problem?
WYS	Whatever You Say	ZZZ	Sleeping, Bored, Tired
WYT	Whatever You Think
WYWH	Wish You Were Here

Not every abbreviation you’ll ever come across there, but certainly enough to get the flavour of the language, and probably enough to work out what anything other than this might mean if you do get sent it.

Don’t forget, there’s countless variations along a theme with texting as people add individual flourishes to differentiate their texts from others. Nowhere is this more nobly exemplified in the embellishment of the simple abbreviation for laughing. LOL after several flourishes becomes ROTFLMAO, and much, much longer.

So TAFN, GL and TYVM for reading. SYS.

Etihad Airways Plants 200 Trees for UAE National Day Celebrations

2011-12-14T23:31:00.000-08:00

Etihad staff planting trees as part of the 'Greener Together Campaign'

Staff at Etihad Airways‘ UAE headquarters planted around 200 trees as a part of the airline’s ‘Greener Together’ campaign, helping to celebrate the UAE’s 40th national day.

The campaign was in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Municipality and also supported by the Abu Dhabi police.

Etihad staff along with Abu Dhabi Police and Hasan Saleh Al Hammadi, Etihad’s Senior Vice President Chief Executive Affairs and Corporate Security

Khaled Al Al Mehairbi, Etihad’s Senior Vice President Government Affairs said “Etihad is committed to preserving the environment and this event was a good opportunity to get our staff directly engaged in the local community and environment.”

This is just one of several events that have been held to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the unification of the seven states, WheelsofLux, a Dubai supercar spotter, captured footage of the Ferrari parade.

Lease Cars More Environmentally Friendly than Hire Cars

2011-12-14T23:27:00.000-08:00

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) recently comissioned research, which was carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) on whether or not rented cars were safer and cleaner than privately owned ones. The Green Car website has the full story:-

Commissioned by the industry body, British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) and conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), the new study found that the average CO2 emissions were 12 per cent lower in rental cars than the average for the UK car fleet.

What’s more rental cars were also found to be safer, newer and better maintained than the average private owned car as well as more likely to be fitted with the latest safety technology.

Because they are used more often than the average privately-owned car, rental vehicles are also more cost efficient and can help reduce the parking congestion seen in urban areas too.

The article goes on to suggest that with the rising cost of motoring, having a business lease car or rental car may be a cheaper option than owning your own vehicle. Norman Baker, Minister for Transport also said:-

“For too long the rented car has seemed like a poor relation to its private counterpart. Yet this report from the vehicle rental industry shows that, in environmental terms, rental cars often represent the cheaper, more efficient and less carbon intensive option.

“What’s more they have real potential to encourage the take-up of new low-carbon vehicle technologies. The Government wants people to travel in more sustainable ways, choosing the low-carbon alternatives that suit them best – whether that means working from home, working more flexibly or sharing a car. As this report demonstrates, it’s high time renting a car was added to that menu of options.”

This could be good news for the mobile businessman as it gives them extra added weight to their case for an audi business package. Not only will it look impressive to a client, but is proven to be more economical and safer to boot.

Many facebook status in a single page .PART 1

2011-12-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

Assorted Funny Facebook Status Updates

YOUR NAME...

has performed extensive experiments in the shed and can scientifically conclude that a cat has only one life.
says Hey Timex, if I end up 660ft under water I won't need a watch.
is hosting a little family dinner party tomorrow. Do you think 2 boxes of Cheerios will be enough for 12 people?
says If it takes you more than an hour to get ready, then you aren't as cute as you think you are
bought my daughter an Iphone she was happy… I bought my son an Ipad he was ecstatic… I bought my wife an Iron she threw it at me.
doesn't want to know the Daily Recommended Value.
forgot to buy candy for the kids this Halloween but will offer them a bite of my sandwich.
hates those ambulances that drive really slow with with their sirens on. There's one behind me now. So annoying
has thrown games of "Hangman" to intentionally kill that guy.
keeps having this dream I'm being carried off by a giant squirrel...Does that make me nuts?
keeps seeing studies finding fecal matter on just about anything and everything. Has anyone considered that perhaps it's the scientists that aren't washing their hands?
likes being Next,, You can let somebody go in front of you and still be Next. People know who you are. " Who is that"? ... " Oh him he is Next".
likes to go to the coinstar machine at shopright and drop in 74 cents. Then go to the desk and cash it in just to see the look on their face.....
rear-ended a car this morning. Slowly the other driver got out of his car. And he was a DWARF!!! He stormed over to my car, looked up at me, and shouted, "I AM NOT HAPPY!" So, I looked down at him and said, "Well then, which one are you?"
thinks sharks eat people just to get on tv.
wants to be buried in a spring loaded casket with loads of confetti. Why you ask? Because then in the future some archaeologist is going to have an awesome day at work!!
wants to know the Daily Maximum Value that I can consume before I get either fat or diabetes.
was bored so I went to a weight watchers meeting last night and threw a box of malted milkballs all over the floor. It was the best game of hungy hungry hippos i've ever seen.
was sitting in church and there was this elderly couple in front of me. the husband passed his wife a note that said 'I just let out a silent fart, what should I do?" , she said "get a new battery for your hearing aid"
was so worried about the effects of daylight savings time. But it turned out fine, and I didn't lose any sleep over it!!!!

Funny Facebook Warning Status Updates

YOUR NAME...

ALERT!! Facebook tried to keep this quiet! As of tomorrow, Facebook will creep into your bathroom when you're in the shower and smack your ass! To change this option, go to Privacy / Personal / Smack Your Ass and uncheck the "You Betcha" box.
just got kicked out of the Zoo! How was I supposed to know that "real" hippos don't actually eat marbles?
is thinking that with all the technology out there, that someone must have figured out how to create a mirror that actually shows where objects are?
says if wasn't for me, it would just be aweso
thinks it's wrong that only one company makes the game Monopoly.
has got the moves like Jagger
to find your cool robot name, take the first 16 digits of your credit card and combine with the start/expiry dates and security code. What’s yours?
Hey my vegetarian friends, just a reminder that my food poops on your food... Enjoy that salad!
Some interesting stats... 3,190,374 people are having sex right now, 2,212,130 are kissing, and 1 poor person is reading this post. Sucks to be you!
Warning: Facebook may contain traces of Nuts!

Music Referenced Facebook Status Updates.

NAME is...

pretty fly for a white guy
in a gadda da vida baby
psycho,-somatic addict, insane
wasting away down in Margaritaville
cruising the seas for American gold. we'd fire no guns. shed no tears. now i am a broken man on a Halifax pier. the last of Barrett's Privateers
selling Peace but who's buying?
stomping his feet because he's happy and he knows it and he really wants to show it
a picker, a grinner, a lover and a sinner, play'n his music in the sun
tragically hip
doing the HUSTLE! doo du doo du doo du doo doo...
a well thought out twinkle
so sick from the drink I need home for a rest
bringing sexy back
bringing sexy back... to the store for a refund
rock n rolling all night long and partying every day
more human than human
tubthumping
bananas. B - A - N -A -N -A - S
elegantly wasted
dazed and confused for so long it's not true
afraid of Americans
so vain. He probably thinks this status is about him.

Funny Dos Equis inspired Funny Facebook Status Updates

NAME...

lives vicariously... through himself.

once had an awkward moment just to see how it feels.

's reputation is expanding faster than the universe.

is the most interesting man in the world.

can speak French in Russian..

, my friends, is indeed.... THAT man.

's charm is so contagious that a vaccine was created for it.

's legend precedes him, like lightning precedes thunder.

was asked by Alien abductors to have him probe them

is a lover not a fighter, but he's also a fighter so don't get any ideas.

Just plain strange but funny facebook status updates

NAME...

says, "This too shall pass gas."

doesn't want you to die before he gets the chance to kill you himself.

is hoping that he doesn't have to Bitch Slap anybody on the bus tonight.

thinks nothing is better than pooing at work...you're getting paid to poo!

dodge-duck-dip-dive & dodge.

is worried about the Asian market: Origami Bank folded; Bonsai Bank's cutting back it's branches; Kamikaze Bank nose dived; 500 staff at Karate Bank got chopped.

tastes purple.

is boxing in the Smart Car parked in his spot. Not so smart now are you!? Mr. Smarty smart car!

thinks if monkeys stopped flinging around so much poop, that more people would eat them.

should be president! My name is NAME and I approve this message

Etihad’s Bid to Cut Fuel Consumption

2011-11-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

In a bid to boost efficiency, Etihad Airways is planning to upgrade over half of of its A330 engines in the next two years.

The airline is also experiencing delays to its order of thirty five Boeing 787 Dreamliners. It is planning to upgrade fifteen of its fleet to Trent 700 engines, which will reduce its carbon footprint by over 10,000 tonnes per year and save more than one million gallons of fuel. Chief Operations Officer Richard Hill said in an email statement:

“This means less fuel burn which at current fuel prices should equate to fuel savings of approximately $170,000 per aircraft equivalent to $2.6m per annum for the retrofitted A330 fleet,”

Fuel costs continue to rise and airlines are also facing fines if they exceed EU carbon emissions, and this announcement by Etihad could be an indication that they are taking steps to minimise these effects on their business. They are on track to be in profit next year, despite the current financial situation.

The true cost of CFL’s

2011-11-13T21:40:00.000-08:00

Say Goodbye to the 60-Watt Bulb

Now most of you probably have social lives and things to get on with, so you may not be aware that as of September the 1st, the production and commercial distribution of 60-Watt light-bulbs throughout the EU will cease – Astonishing news, I know!

The idea of a ban was first bandied around during the early 90’s, but legislation regarding energy efficiency and the transformation to using CFL’s only became EU policy in 2007/2008. Since then a step-by-step process starting with 100-Watt bulbs and frosted bulbs has been enacted by the EU, with the final step of the plan being the removal of the common 60-Watt bulb. The idea of the scheme was to drive energy efficiency and help households reduce their annual gas and electricity bills.

However, in recent years a number of prominent scientists and environmentalists have raised concerns over whether CFL’s are actually more energy efficient compared to 60-Watt bulbs. The straightforward analysis of electricity consumption would tend to suggest yes; studies by the UK electricity and gas giant npower indicate that one CFL could end up saving the average household up to £100 over the life of a bulb, but recent studies conducted in Denmark suggest that the carbon footprint of a CFL is much, much higher than ordinary light-bulbs.

What are the real cost of CFL’s?

According to the International Association for Energy-Efficient Lighting it takes 1.8Kwh of electricity to assemble a CFL, compared to just 0.11Kwh to create a normal bulb. In addition to this CFL bulbs are heavier and more dangerous to handle, increasing costs to packaging and shipping. CFL’s also pose additional environmental hazards, as each bulb contains sources of mercury which can accumulate in water sources and food chains after the bulb’s disposal.

The environmental factors surrounding the construction of light-bulbs is even more distressing when you consider that most CFL’s and LED’s now contain precious rare-earths which can only be found in remote locations. According to trade statistics, China controls 97% of the world’s rare-earth market, many of which are used to create modern lighting. Ina recent report printed by The Times, medical inspectors discovered that “in Jinzhou, in central China, 121 out of 123 employees had excessive mercury levels” and “35% of workers (in a fluorescent light-bulb factory) suffered mercury poisoning, and industrial discharge containing the toxin went straight into the water supply.”

With such a high cost in both human and environmental factors the question of whether or not CFL’s are more energy efficient, compared to alternatives, must now be asked by governments of the developing world. Thorough investigation into the full cost of CFL’s must now be conducted, otherwise we risk doing more harm to the environment than we intended. To ensure the modern world’s quest for carbon emission reductions, it now appears that we have jumped straight down the barrel of a gun, and as always, our good intentions can often create perilous and long reaching side-effects.

MLTR to rock Nepal.

2011-11-10T23:11:00.000-08:00

"We are happy to announce that Michael Learns To Rock will do a concert in Nepal in November.", as stated on their official website. Yes!! You read it correct. After successful concert by Bryan Adams, now its time for Michael Learns to Rock aka MLTR to rock Nepal.

Venue : Tudikhel,kathmandu
Date: November 19
Ticket :Rs 1500-6000

The band are also set to visit Bangladesh for the first time ever to perform 2 concerts there. The band is also set to perform here in Nepal for the first time.

The baths at Bath under ‘fracking’ threat…

2011-11-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

Concerns were raised this week at one of England’s most important and well preserved historical sites, as the Bath and North East Somerset Council argued that a new licence granted to Eden Energy and UK Methane Ltd to begin test drilling in the area could cause contamination to the natural hot springs which feed the nearby Roman Baths.

A spokesperson for the local council suggested: “Bath and North East Somerset Council has obtained the very best expert advice on this matter and there is little to suggest that any thought has been given to the potential for damage to the deep water sources that supply the springs in Bath. Given the fact the hot springs are a crucial part of the tourist attraction that sustains thousands of jobs in the city, the Council must stand-up against these drilling proposals in the strongest possible terms”

The baths themselves have been an integral part of the town since their construction in 60-70AD. During the Roman occupation of Britain, the baths were built-up over a period of 300 years and may have originally been commissioned by the Emperor Claudius. In 1591 Queen Elizabeth I charged the town with preserving the natural hot springs; the royal charter has now been passed on to the Bath and North East Somerset Council.

The centre of the dispute revolves around a process known as ‘fracking’ – a technique used to investigate underground sources of methane gas, which involves drilling a bore hole and using either explosives or pumping water into the ground to obtain relevant data. Local planning permission must first be approved before the DECC will consent to further tests and drilling.

Should the United Kingdom switch to using Nuclear power?

2011-11-06T21:37:00.001-08:00

Would switching to nuclear power be the right choice for the UK?

In recent months the UK government announced that it would go ahead and invest heavily in a new wave of nuclear power stations. As part of the coalitions’ UK energy roadmap, the government stated that it had confirmed a list of eight sites around the country which are deemed suitable for the construction of new power plants. The government and UK energy suppliers

.have suggested that the majority of the sites would be operational by 2025

In a statement, RWE the corporate owner of npower, one of the UK’s leading electricty and gas suppliers, said: “As part of these ambitions, a joint venture between RWE and E.ON UK – called Horizon Nuclear Power – has secured land at Wylfa, on Anglesey, and Oldbury-on-Severn, in Gloucestershire, which was sold for nuclear development by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). Our objective through – the joint venture – is to deliver around 6GW of new nuclear build, with the first station coming online at around the end of the next decade.”

The recent events in France and Japan have caused concern over the building of new power plants, but in reality the debate over nuclear power has been waged for many years and the issue is not an easy one to untangle, as there are many ethical and political concerns involved. There are many advantages to using nuclear power, but there are also serious disadvantages to be considered. It is important to know the entire story and gather as much information as possible before making a decision, as it is a very complicated subject.

Here are the major arguments for and against nuclear power:

Advantages of Nuclear Power

Here are some the advantages of nuclear power that are argued by those who are in support of establishing nuclear power plants in the UK:

• Nuclear power produces almost no greenhouse gas emissions, making it very easy on the environment.

• The nuclear power plants can be situated almost everywhere, unlike other resources such as oil.

• The technology to build and run these plants is already available.

• A single nuclear power plant can generate a huge amount of electrical energy which can be used all throughout the UK.

• Nuclear power has the possibility for long term production because new reactors can be made when the old reactors wear down and need to be replaced. Oil reserves and other fossil fuels will not be replaceable in this way.

• An aircraft carrier running on nuclear fuel can circle the earth for 30 years without having to refuel. Compare this to a diesel fueled carrier which can only travel for 3000 miles before having to refuel.

Disadvantages of Nuclear Power

Here are some of the dangers of nuclear power that those who are opposed to the UK going nuclear state in their arguments

• Nuclear power generates a dangerous form of radiation, which can cause illness and even death in those who are infected with it.

• If a nuclear power plant experienced a spill, it would be very expensive and dangerous to clean up afterwards.

• A nuclear meltdown, such as the one recently witnessed at Fukushima Power Plant after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, could possibly release an enormous amount of radiation into the atmosphere.

• Nuclear power plants produce a waste by-product which is very toxic to humans, and nuclear waste dumps have been known to explode without warning.

• Nuclear reactors also product plutonium which can be used to create incredibly destructive nuclear weapons.

• Nuclear power uses the natural resource of Uranium, which is estimated to only last for the next 3-6 decades.

• Nuclear power stations are very expensive to build and to safely dismantle afterwards.

Now that you have heard both sides of the story, what do you think? What is your opinion on whether the UK should go nuclear or not?

Death of Gaddafi avoids awkward, embarrassing trial for Libya

2011-10-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

Muammar Gaddafi's apparent death from wounds received during the fall of Sirte means a long and complex trial that could have divided Libya and embarrassed Western governments and oil firms will be avoided.

A senior National Transitional Council (NTC) military official said the former Libyan leader died after capture having earlier been injured in a NATO airstrike on a convoy fleeing the town. Earlier reports and rumours of his capture had sparked celebrations across Libya and helped oil prices lower.

Had he been taken alive, there would have been potentially acrimonious debate over whether he should be tried in Libya or extradited to the International Criminal Court, which issued a warrant for his arrest along with his oldest son and spy chief earlier this year.

Any trial might have given the flamboyant, often idiosyncratic Gaddafi a podium from which to harang both Libya's new rulers and Western powers, as well as potentially try to embarrass them on issues they would rather forget. As Libya was nudged back from international isolation in the last decade, international oil companies signed deals worth billions.

But worse still for the transitional government and NATO, analysts say, would have been for Gaddafi to have remained at large, perhaps simply disappearing into the Sahara to form new militias and destabilise Libya and its neighbours.

"It is hugely symbolically important," Alan Fraser, Middle East analyst for risk consultancy AKE, said of the killing.

"It helps the NTC move on. If Gaddafi has been killed instead of captured, that means they will also avoid a long drawnout trial that could have been very divisive and revealed awkward secrets."

Human rights groups had long said it was important for the Libyan leader to be held to account and any local trial would have offered Libya's new government a chance to showcase its improved accountability.

Mixed result
But critics complained many international and locally organised warcrimes trials can sometimes turn into long, drawnout legalistic events or even drift towards becoming show trials. Former leaders such as Saddam Hussein and Slobodan Milosevic often either refused to acknowledge their jurisdiction or use them to berate their new captors.

The ousted leader might well have used the opportunity to open old political wounds and inflict as much new political damage as he could.

"Colonel Gaddafi's death is a mixed event for the new Libyan authorities," said Daniel Korski, senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and a long-term supporter of NATO intervention.

"They avoid a drawn-out judicial drama a la Slobodan Milosevic, which could have rallied people in the ex-dictator's support, but his death also robs the new Libyan government of the opportunity of showing themselves better than he was.... His death, in such violent circumstances, also risks creating a martyr figure out of a man whose deeds in life would never have merited such acclaim."

International media would have jumped on any juicy details on how Western states wooed Gaddafi, helped bank his billions and rebuild his oil industry. Many large firms struck deals with Tripoli including Italy's ENI , France's Total, Britain's BP and others.

That risk has not entirely gone away. Some of Gaddafi's sons may still be at large and could potentially stand trial themselves.

Too much killing?
If Libya's NTC had wanted to try Gaddafi locally, they would have had to swiftly build an entire legal system within which to do so. Gaddafi's Libya had little in the way of credible legal infrastructure and there might have been serious questions over the legitimacy of any process.

With Osama bin Laden killed in a U.S. special forces raid earlier this year and al Qaeda and Taliban leaders also increasingly targeted through drone strikes, some worry assassination or "accidental" killing of foes -- rather than messy trials or imprisonment in places like Guantanemo Bay -- has become an all too attractive option.

"To say that it is better for everyone that he be killed rather than captured is to say that the legal approach has disadvantages, and that is to surrender to cynicism," said Rosemary Hollis, head of the Middle East studies program at London's City University. "It's hard to see that as a good thing. In Gaddafi's case, on previous form had he been put on trial he would simply have rambled endlessly and would have ended up undermining his own credibility."

With his death, she said, there was a risk the death might further incense some of his more diehard supporters and other radicals, particularly if it emerged he was killed by the NATO strike or executed after capture. Other analysts warn Gaddafi's death may be far from the end of Libya's troubles.

"If you look at Iraq, Saddam Hussein's capture did not stop the insurgency," says Anthony Skinner, Middle East director of risk consultancy Maplecroft. "They are both very different countries, but Libya also has ethnic divisions and whatever happens there are a lot of issues to solve."