Britain’s Last Coal-Fired Power Station Closes
Reflect with us on trying to take better care of our environment and upcoming projects as Dr Hak Ja Han Moon urges us to have responsibility for the future of the planet…
I was intrigued to see an article on the BBC earlier this week about the closure of the last coal-fired power station in Great Britain, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottingham. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y35qz73n8o
I suddenly realized that I recognized the power station quite well without even knowing its name. Once a month on average I go up to visit my mother who lives in Sheffield, and the train passes by in the shadow of the eight gigantic cooling towers that dominate the landscape for miles around. Up close, I always felt there was something almost alien about the whole plant. It started generating power back in the 1960s when environmental concerns were few, and the term “climate change” hadn’t even been heard.
On one of those train journeys, just days after the last election, I had a chance to exchange a few words with Ed Miliband, long term MP for Doncaster North. He had just been appointed as the Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, and one of his first actions was to review the granting of new licenses for offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration. I told him I was encouraged to hear his commitment to keep Britain’s climate promises, which have seemed shaky in recent times.
But real change must involve all of us. The big scale projects may grab the headlines, but it takes a commitment from all of us to reduce our own footprint on this planet, the only one we have. Our Founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon has often spoken to issue of personal and public responsibility for our planet’s future. “We are dependent on our environment, yet through pollution and exploitation we are destroying it,” she says. “From families to nations, we must let go of self-centeredness and greed and resist the temptation to divide ourselves from our fellow humans. If the resources that countries pour into weapons were instead used for social, environmental, and technological investments,” she concluded “so much could be accomplished so quickly.”’
Written by Michael B. (UK National Director)
We are excited to share ideas about the small changes our community is already making to reduce or eliminate disposables and plastics, promote the use of public transport, and make other informed choices.
One initiative we have is the YSP UK autumn clothing swap in London. This event invites you to breathe new life into your spare clothes, helping others find new items while minimizing environmental impact. Any leftover clothing will be donated to charity!
This follows the success of the YSP UK Community Swap in River South earlier this year, which was very popular and resulted in a car full of donations to Cancer Research! Stay tuned for more information and dates!
