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Written by Paul Spare
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Monday, 18 December 2006 |
Our Prime Minister implores us to embrace the knowledge-based
employment as the key to our future success, but two developments today
illustrate the emptiness of this exhortation. The government approves
the construction of hundreds of off-shore windmills – a technology that
has hardly changed in 300 years. On the same day, Westinghouse Nuclear,
that the government via BNFL, sold to Toshiba because we demur being
associated with any civil nuclear technology, announces the sale of
four large pressurised water reactors to China worth almost £3 billion
pounds. Each reactor will produce as much electricity as 4000 giant
wind mills and will last for 60 years.
What message does this give to the science and engineering students at
our universities? They must find it almost impossible to believe that
George Stephenson, Isambard Brunel and Frank Whittle, found the UK an
excellent place to apply their knowledge in advanced engineering
projects.
I remain Sir, the UK was once fertile ground for pioneers such as
Yours truly,
Paul Spare |
