Will the UK get aid?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by liliana, Feb 5, 2014.

  1. Scrungee

    Scrungee Well known for it

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    • Giesabrekk

      Giesabrekk Gardener

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      Where do you start with this nonsense?
      Let's give money away to other parts of the world to stop the rain in the UK... Then he apologises to the people whose houses have been flooded, claiming that he, and the Government, were poorly advised by people he thought to be experts.
      Who told you to spend money abroad then Mr Pickles? Experts again was it?
      Thanks for the link Scrungee:)
       
    • Fat Controller

      Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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      £10 million isn't going to go far in Somerset - I read earlier that there is 170,000 acres affected by floodwater, all of which are presumably going to need some sort of remedial work after everything drains. By my very rough maths, that works out to be just over £58 per acre.
       
    • HarryS

      HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

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      If/when they dredge the Somerset rivers , would the river silt not be a rich form of topsoil to spread on the fields ? Or is it no use for that ?
       
    • Fat Controller

      Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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      What really beats me is the fact that we seem to be suddenly incapable of planning and building in this country. Lets wind the clock back to the start of 2012 - by the end of March or beginning of April, we had hosepipe bans imposed upon us as we were running out of water. For the rest of the year, we were inundated with rain and there was flooding galore that we couldn't cope with because it was 'extreme' weather.

      Last year, after a drawn out cold winter, we had a reasonably nice summer, and thankfully not as hot as some of those that we had ten or so years ago; summer seemed to give way to winter almost overnight (anyone else noticed how spring and autumn seem to have disappeared?) and then the rain started and we are deluged once again.

      Now, that tells me (and I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer) that we have a two water related problems - we get a whole load of it all at once and we can't cope with it, and we then find ourselves at a later date with not enough. Now, if only we knew how to build large areas that we could pump the water to, and store it..... lets call it a reserve, or maybe a reservoir..... Hmmmmm.....

      Take a look at this Street View - this is quite close to my house. To the left of the view linked, you will see a bank, and to the right you will see another - they are ruddy great reservoirs that serve a pretty substantial chunk of London. No leaks, no streams running down the banks, nothing - that tells me we DO know how to build somewhere to store water.

      Now, I am not for one second suggesting that reservoirs are the only solution, but surely they have to be a part of the bigger picture? Even taking into account that the demand for water in the South East is far greater than that of the South West - why can't it be temporarily stored in reservoirs in the South West and then pumped around as needed? Helps cure flooding in the SW, and helps water supply in the SE?

      And how about this for an idea? What you are looking at on that map is Loch Awe and Cruachan Reservoir above it - in the rock of the mountain in between is one of the first reversible turbine power stations to be built. Water surges down from the reservoir to produce electricity when it is needed, and the water discharges into Loch Awe - when there is slack in the grid, it draws power back to pump it back up again. More info here

      I appreciate that the whole thing with the Somerset Levels is that they are, well, level - but surely it is not beyond the wit of man to build a drainage system where water can be pumped to a reservoir somewhere, and build a similar power generating facility at a lower level?

      Flood relief, power generation, water supply - and guess what, there would be loads of jobs created building and maintaining them, and all those workers would be paying tax instead of claiming benefits!
       
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      • Fat Controller

        Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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        I'm sure that I read somewhere that the floodwater is teeming with bacteria, way above the levels that would be classed as normal or acceptable - surely they will be present in the silt at the bottom of the rivers?
         
      • Giesabrekk

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        It all depends what has come up with the floodwater, Harry.
        During the last Danube floods (caused due to straightening the River Danube and a few tributaries) there were thousands of tons of various oils (heating, petrol, diesel, lubricating) and an array of chemicals which turned the river into a poisonous brew, and was good for nothing except killing the environment. This scum had to be washed out of the houses, cleaned off all outside walls, roads, etc. in a few of the towns on the banks.
        If there is no oil etc, mixed with the water, then silt from the rivers is not too bad, but it doesn't always made a good fertilizer.
         
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        • longk

          longk Total Gardener

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          Don't forget untreated sewage:eeew:
           
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          • Jack McHammocklashing

            Jack McHammocklashing Sludgemariner

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            When the water drains away the whole of the levels will be covered with untreated sewage anyway, so may as well use the silt to heighten the river banks whilst they are at it, cheaper than taking it miles out to sea to dump

            Jack McH
             
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            • Scrungee

              Scrungee Well known for it

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              It'll be gone in 6 years if it's used for dredging alone, £5 million now and another £5 million in 2019 as it needs doing every five years.


              First time I read that I thought you were talking about politicians and bankers.
               
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              • clueless1

                clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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                It was on the news earlier that parts of Surrey and Berkshire are now flooding. That seems to be being taken a lot more seriously than the Somerset flooding.

                I wonder if Surrey and Berkshire might be traditional tory strongholds, whereas Somerset maybe not?
                 
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                • HarryS

                  HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

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                  I think the flood reaction response will move up through several gears now the home counties are effected :biggrin:
                   
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                  • Fat Controller

                    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                    Isn't it amazing how they barely gave two hoots, but now its getting closer to London........

                    Absolute shower of S**** (rhymes with white)

                    Besides, they should be taking it seriously - - its getting close to me now :heehee:

                    Floods.png
                    From the left, Dachet - Wraysbury - Staines - Fat Controllers house; Shepperton is just off the bottom of the map, Chertsey is similarly close, and Lower Sunbury/Hampton/Hampton Court is just along the road...... and there is more rain to come.
                     
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                    • longk

                      longk Total Gardener

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                      That is a last resort. Oxford is allowed to be flooded first (They close the locks on the Thames to save Surrey and Berks first).

                      http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-26119625

                      That is very cynical!:lunapic 130165696578242 5: Oh yes, I forgot - they are!
                       
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                      • JWK

                        JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                        Guildford has already been flooded at Christmas, some of the shops haven't re-opened yet due to the damage, ironically one of them being Superdry.


                        I've got my staff on full alert and my ocean going yacht readied in the duckpond just in case.
                         
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