Field Trip #3: Renewable Energy in Wales

The snow is gone in Oxford....only to be replaced with flooding. Oxford lies in the Thames Valley so flooding is actually quite common. Unfortunately for me it means that my rowing team from Linacre College is unable to get out on the water for practice as the river levels are too dangerous for us to be out. So as a consequence we have to battle with the erg machines in the gym - not an entirely pleasant experience, but worthwhile for training purposes. Our next major race is at the end of the month (assuming that the flood waters recede) and our crew is looking quite fit. For some reason I've been nominated to be a vice-captain of the men's team. Which doesn't actually say anything about my ability as an oarsman, and says more about my penchant for attending meetings. My first duty as VP was to organise a dinner and film night. For anybody interested in seeing what life is like in Oxford, watch the 1996 film "True Blue". It's a classic film about the famous annual 'Boat Race' between Oxford and Cambridge University. Many of the places where I study, hang out, train, etc.. are featured in the film.


A couple weeks ago our class took a field trip to Wales to visit some sites involved in renewable power generation and alternative energy education. We visited a hydro power station, a wind farm, and stayed overnight at an education centre that operates using a combination of solar, hydro, and other green technologies (see the photos). The idea behind the centre is to allow guests to experience 'low-carbon' living, essentially living with a lower environmental footprint via various conservation strategies and technologies. Our group thought the experience was worthwhile, but the site (which showcased cutting edge technologies when it was founded in the 70's) could have used a little bit of updating.

I think the wind farm was the most interesting part of the trip for me. Before visiting I didn't have a full appreciation for how large some wind farms are and how much (relatively) clean energy they can produce. Wind power isn't without controversy however, some people find them beautiful, while others think they are an eyesore that damages the value of the landscape. Standing underneath the spinning blades was quite interesting, unexpectedly the turbine wasn't very loud (some people complain about the noise from the blades). I've attached a video, hopefully it works out ok.....




Oh, and as an aside...here is a link to the funniest thing I've read in a long while....it's a complaint letter regarding airline food written to Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin (of Virgin Airlines, Virgin Records, Virgin Mobile, etc...), one of the most prominent entrepreneurs in the UK. Melina is coming to visit during her reading week (arriving today!), hopefully she's served something better than this!

http://www.realbusiness.co.uk/business-comment/5530271/richard-branson-the-best-virgin-atlantic-complaint-letter-ever.thtml

Also, here is a link to my latest blog on Canadian climate change policy for Climatico:

http://www.climaticoanalysis.org/post/canada-verifiable-emissions-reductions-from-government-programs-hard-to-find/

Back to blog: snow in Oxford

Hello? Anybody there?

I hope I haven't lost all interest in this space by my lack of posting recently. I have been meaning to write/post for sometime now, but...well no excuses really, just haven't gotten around to it.

As you might have guessed it's been a very busy time for me since my last entry. Since I last left this space in Decemeber I've bounced from Oxford to Poland (for the UN climate change conference) to Canada (for a wonderful holiday with family and friends) and back to Oxford for the start of the winter semester - which is now in its 3rd week. In Oxford the time is measured by weeks, not days. For example, "when is your paper due?" ....."Thursday of 5th week". The winter term is named 'Hilary' (not sure why...) and each term has 8 weeks - significantly shorter than the 12 week semesters I was accustomed to at Guelph.

Weather is always a popular topic in the UK, and this week has been no exception....in fact, this week the weather has been virtually THE only topic in the UK. Why? Well because it has been snowing and this apparently doesn't happen in significant quantities that often anymore in the UK. Large parts of the country are currently blanketed in the whitestuff, causing mayhem on the roads and mass closures of schools across the nation. On Monday we had a several milimeters in Oxford, yesterday we had a couple centimeters, and there is a forecast for a couple more tomorrow. It's a snowfall small comparable to those at home, but none-the-less enough to cripple parts of the UK. Estimates are that businesses have lost over a billion pounds this week, which probably isn't helping the financial crisis recovery much. The Heathrow airport and others around London have cancelled many flights and apparently England is running out of grit (sand/salt) to put down on the roads. The UK just isn't equipped to cope with this kind of weather.

Either way, aside from making for hazardous and slushy commutes for students & faculty, life at Oxford continues....albeit with more snowball fights, winter photographers, and international students outside enjoying their first touch of snow. Snow doesn't last very long on the ground in Oxford and I'm sure it will be gone by the weekend. A short winter indeed. Missing winter at home a little bit (certainly the skiing), but the snow does make the Oxford spires even more beautiful.