LOW ENERGY STREET LIGHTING SPREADS

A few months ago I talked with several local and County Councillors about low energy street lighting. The reasons were fairly obvious. not only does the Sodium glare rob us of the glory of the Night Sky its public money down the drain and a major component of CO2 emissions which helps to fuel climate change.
I put the case for low energy lighting, not the types using the traditional mercury filled orange bulbs so common on British Streets, but the even newer and lower energy LED lights we are so familiar with in our electronics in the home. LED lights have become much more efficient in producing light of virtually any colour and higher intensity. A standard lighting unit as seen on your street would probably be using 40 or 50 watts of energy but the new LED units being developed use as little as ten watts, a considerable saving for the council and our council tax bills. They also last up to ten years, Illuminate the street or pathway rather than your house or nearby fields and the blue white colour is much less strain on the eye and is more aesthetically pleasing.
The really good news is that work has been going on behind the scenes to help meet the UKs energy and CO2 emissions reduction plans. Here in Pendle i have already noticed some of the new lights appearing on our lanes and when i contacted Lancashire County Council for more details i was told there is now a plan to roll out 30,000 of these new lights ASAP. I also discovered that there is a similar plan being hatched in West Yorkshire.
Its nice to get a bit of good news for a change and it could get better. As newer and higher intensity bulbs are developed we could see them spreading to our major dual carriageways or motorways and as the technology developes, truly interactive lighting which turns itself off when there is no traffic or people on the roads. If security lighting can work this way then why not the majority of our unneeded lighting. Who knows, we may soon be able to see the stars again. I for one look forward to that.

DANDELION RADIO

Thanks to the On the Wire Blog for the following information about Dandelion Radio. Its an Internet Radio Station for those who like me stayed a loyal listener to John Peel and his shows no matter where or when the BBC suits dumped him.

His programs were and still are unique, he inspired and encouraged thousands of new bands and artists and played music which just could not be found anywhere else on the BBC schedules. The most notable and honourable exception being On the Wire itself, which John Peel himself listened to and enjoyed.


He even gave his name to the campaign to save On the Wire when the Birtistas at the BBC parachuted in a new manager to destroy the stations individuality. On the Wire listeners wont forget Johns help, energy and enthusiasm and it therefore gives us great pleasure to honour him and Dandelion Radio which is a part of his legacy.

As Andrew Morrison says on the Dandelion web site....
"Dandelion Radio marks the 5th anniversary of John Peel's death with "Peel Legends" month in October. Andy's 3-hour show features brand new sessions from past session guests on John's BBC Radio 1 show. You'll hear exclusive material from Eat Static, Davey MacManus (of The Crimea), The Aphrodisiacs, Decoration and Martin Carr, as well as some classic tracks from Extreme Noise Terror. On top of all this is a "New Legends" session from Atomizer, whom Andy feels John would've approved of. You'll also hear a New Order jukebox track from their 1998 Peel session; Teresa and Scott's monthly selections; and details of the 2009 Festive Fifty."