Clean energy is the future. That much has become pretty obvious over the past few years as more nature shows have featured sad looking polar bears lying on scraps of ice and our ‘summer’ months have been marred by cold, rain, and misery. We all know that the changing climate is bad, but we might not all know exactly how to tackle it. This is where Liverpool City Council comes in.
The council has revealed plans for a brand-new tidal barrier, which would ‘generate a plentiful, reliable supply of clean, green energy for generations to come.’ Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotherham, who is spearheading the campaign, says that climate change is ‘a global challenge that we can no longer afford to ignore,’ and that he wants Liverpool to be at the forefront of ‘embracing new opportunities and technologies’ in sustainable energy.
So what would this thing actually be? In its simplest terms it would look like a dam across the river Mersey connecting Liverpool with the Wirral. If Steve’s dream is realised, pedestrians and cyclists would also be able to use it as a bridge, making it multifunctional. Pretty cool, right?
However, not everyone is so convinced. Bill Woolfall, a local councillor, told the BBC that he was concerned about the cost of the project, and if the long-term benefits really outweigh the initial investment: ‘I am not opposed to this scheme – we just need to know more. Although it has been tried in other parts of the world, it has proved to be very expensive.’
The barrier is currently still in the planning phase, with public consultations beginning on October 1. Across 10 dates, locals will be able to voice their concerns and find out more about what this would actually mean for them. If you live nearby and want to have your say, you can find out more details about those events here.
Steve Rotherham believes that the project could be underway by the end of the decade, and that it will be central in helping Liverpool become net-zero by 2040. We hope he’s right – for those sad little polar bears, if nothing else.
In other UK news on Time Out...
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