There is a choice in the Severn Estuary
02-04-09

The Stop the Barrage NOW campaign is pleased that the Government has finally released the £500k to help develop innovative technological schemes that can help to generate electricity from the Severn's Estuary's tidal power.

While the campaign is against any proposed Barrage across the Severn we are in favour of renewable energy and realise that the River Severn has a role to play. However, this can not come at the expense of the local and regional environment /biodiversity, at a cost to the maritime community, or the archeological heritage that surrounds the estuary, to name but a few reasons.

We are pleased that these funds have been released, though we are disappointed that it has taken so long. The public consultation began in January and with only a couple of weeks to go before the final submission date, it leaves little time for organisations working on new alternative technologies to provide the evidence required to illustrate to the Government that continuing with Barrage proposals is not the right course of action.

We do not have to build a Barrage to save us from climate change, there is a choice. We can create renewable energy through alternative means that will help us combat climate change while conserving the birds, the fishes, all manner of wildlife and the ecology of the estuary. A proposed Barrage is not the future, renewable energy alternatives such as tidal stream technologies are.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our many supporters and ask those who have not signed the petition or written to their MP to do so before the consultation ends on Thursday 23 April 2009.