Going green: ​Wind farms may fulfill urgent UK energy needs

The overwhelming majority of people in the UK support more renewable energy, not less. The wind is free, so the cost of electricity will reduce as we rely less on globally-traded, expensive fossil fuels.

Wind turbines work by harvesting the wind and very cleverly turn to face into the direction of the wind.

The higher the tower, the faster the wind, and the longer the blades, the more power they generate, which is why offshore wind turbines are so impressive. As the blades rotate, electricity is generated, like a reverse fan.

Cables then transfer the ‘green’ electrons down the turbine to a transformer. From the substation, the electricity is connected into the network and the energy flows into our homes to keep the lights on and power our economy. As an island,

the British Isles has some of the best wind resources in Europe, especially in winter when demand is greatest, which is why offshore wind farms are booming, creating jobs and boosting our economy.

Crucially, as a renewable energy source, no politician can stop the wind, as Putin did to gas supplies when Russia invaded Ukraine, nor does the wind run out, unlike North Sea gas and oil reserves.

So wind power is good for UK PLC, strengthens energy security and are excellent for the environment. When gas is burnt in power stations it produces carbon dioxide.

This is the main pollution responsible for global warming, so every unit of electricity from wind, is less pollution put into the atmosphere.

So the quicker we get off gas, the better for all of us and for protecting future generations.

Visit https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/28/are-trump-claims-about-wind-power-correct website.

The clean energy transition is happening all over the world, including in China as it is a fabulous new industry that the UK is embracing.

We have decreased our greenhouse gas emissions by over 50 per cent, which is incredible so the UK is not only world leading but with the right policies, we still have a chance to hit our legally-binding, net zero targets according to Prof Piers Forster the chairman of the Climate Change Committee.

Donald Trump makes strong but wrong statements: For energy security and climate, the cost of inaction is huge, which is why the UK, along with rest of the world is going green.

Extreme weather has a huge cost to our wealth and our health and sadly the polluters, the big oil and gas companies do not pay for this damage. The Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates a £200 billion cost to our economy, equivalent to eight per cent of GDP, if global temperatures continue to rise by an average of 3°C.

We’ve all witnessed the drought and heatwaves this summer, and wildfires across southern Europe. No one wins in a warming world. Our moderate climate is sadly gone forever but we can prevent things getting far worse.

We simply can’t afford to stop progress and the transition to clean, British energy. It really is a win win from wind.

Celebrity spot

The Prime Minister Kier Starmer said the government was “doubling down” on Britain’s clean energy strengths, spending billions to make homes more energy efficient and funding climate adaptation for millions of people around the world.

He said: “Together, these actions reflect our unwavering commitment to climate action, energy security and social justice.”

Visit https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/09/thousands-meet-their-mps-to-show-huge-demand-for-climate-action website.

Green swap

Swap using your hose pipe to a watering can using ‘grey’ water from washing up or the bath.

This will save you money if you have a water meter and mean the soil around the plants can be watered directly.

​How to stay cool during long hot sticky nights

One of the main impacts felt during hot spells in Britain is struggling to sleep.

Our homes aren’t designed for this hot weather so feeling uncomfortable, especially for children and elderly people can be quite dangerous.

For our health and wellbeing, we need a good night’s sleep to feel refreshed and function properly so here are a few suggestions to help keep your home cool and hopefully avoid heat stress.

Put your pyjamas, socks or sheets in the freezer shortly before bed or fill a hot water bottle with cold water and get rid of the duvet.

Around 5pm, when the hottest part of the day has passed, open up all your windows and doors to let a breeze through your home.

If safe to do so, leave your windows open at night or add safety restrictors so they can be slightly open.

Take a cool but not freezing shower and drink little sips of cold water.

Avoiding big meals in the evening, especially spicy food, as well as caffeine and alcoholic drinks.

Also, if you are used to exercising in the evening, switch around your routine to early morning, as this will also help you sleep better.

As heat rises, during heat waves, you may find sleeping downstairs is the best option.

It’s possible to make it a fun adventure, which helps remove the frustration of not being able to sleep.

Several friends take their kids to sleep on the trampoline outside at night – so long as not due to rain!

Fans work to create a gentle breeze and you can safely place a bowl of ice in front of them to cool the air as well.

There are timer plugs if you don’t want the fan running all night but they generally don’t use too much electricity so worth turning on when needed.

If it’s not too humid, using a water spray bottle or flannel to dab your skin increases

evaporation and therefore cooling of the body.

Crucially, global warming is here to stay with the top ten hottest years recorded by the Met Office have all been since 2002.

Therefore, we need to make our buildings as safe for the sun as possible. If you have a sun parasol, move it in front of south-facing windows.

If you can add shutters or awnings then that will be a much better investment than expensive and energy-intensive air conditioning.

During the peak temperatures between 11am and 3pm, keep blinds, curtains and windows closed to stop your home feeling like an oven.

Finally, insulation will keep the heat in during the winter and in the summer keep the heat out so worth contacting energy suppliers to see what grants you could be eligible for.

Fact or fiction

​Just 21 per cent of people in England, Scotland and Wales would find new pylons and substations in their local area “unacceptable”. FACT. 68 per cent are fine with new electricity network infrastructure and the rest, 11 per cent, don’t know.