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Ashton
Windmill at Chappel Allerton on the Isle of Wedmore lies in an exposed
spot. There are great views of Cheddar Gorge, Brent knoll and much
of the Somerset Levels from up there. Being so exposed, it is certainly
a windy spot.
The
mill dates from the eighteenth century but milling has gone on here
since the fourteenth century. Our ancestors realised that the energy
of the weather - in the form of wind - could be harnessed and turned
to their advantage.
We probably get more sunshine than you think. But even if we
had as much sunshine as California, we'd need to cover about
one fifth of the West Country with solar panels in order to
meet all our energy needs. |
| Richard
Angwin |
The
ultimate source of most of our energy is the Sun - it's what
drives all our weather. And when you're talking about the Sun,
you're talking about a lot of energy.
Meteorologists
tend to focus on the destructive effects of that energy.
The
West Country is frequently battered by gales of 60 to 70 mph; a
big raincloud can dump millions of litres of water in just a few
hours; and an electrical storm can release as much energy as 10
Hiroshimas and tornadoes - even here in the West Country - are quite
capable of flinging motor cars and even cattle into the air.
But
if we are to take the threat of global warming seriously then we
need to take a leaf out of the book of the millers of Wedmore.
Wind
energy doesn't produce any greenhouse gases and the hills and
coasts of the West Country are certainly windy enough.
The
downside is that to generate as much energy as, say, Hinkley Point,
we'd need thousands of medium-sized turbines across the West
Country.
While
some of us would argue that turbines are aesthetically pleasing
- moving sculptures if you will - others see them as eyesores and
there were plenty of objectors to proposals for a wind turbine at
Nympsfield in Gloucestershire in 1999.
If
not wind powers, then how about energy from the sun? We probably
get more sunshine than you think. But even if we had as much sunshine
as California, we'd need to cover about one fifth of the West
Country with solar panels in order to meet all our energy needs.
The
Sun delivers an average of 400 watts of energy over every square
metre of the Earth's surface. Some of that energy is uncontrollable
- thunderstorms, downpours and gales we just have to endure.
The
challenge is to make the most of that energy when it comes in a
more benign and friendly form - a challenge that was first met on
the Somerset hills more than 600 years ago.
by
Richard Angwin
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