Latest news with #KeithBaker
The National
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The National
‘Steady as she goes' approach of the SNP just won't cut it
Sadly, under the direction of our main political party, our movement has been stalled since 2014. Steady as she goes – and areas under our devolved administration being less bad than other UK areas – just won't cut it against the economic and international problems facing us. Recent opinion polls are encouraging but are fickle, and motivated by dissatisfaction with Tory and now Labour governments. Unless a much more radical approach is adopted by the SNP, a rise for Reform UK is sadly much more likely than our self-government. Examples of such radical policies are contained within Sunday's Seven Days, with excellent articles by Prof Keith Baker on industrial strategy and Lesley Riddoch on the control of 'our' energy. READ MORE: Point-scoring 'debates' at Westminster dodge the important issues I regard myself as rock-solid Yes for independence but would reject it if the price was being governed by Nigel Farage. I would go for it on constitutional grounds but without great enthusiasm if control of our economy remained in the same multinational hands with continued wealth-gathering and extraction. Many of those we need to convert would not. Why risk it if our living condition will stay the same, they say, and yet we fail to offer an alternative! Regardless of how we demonstrate our desire for independence, we must gather a strong hand with plenty of good cards to play (to misquote a partial descendent of us). This will require a substantially larger and more stable support than we currently have. 50%+1 on a given day will never cut it. Like it or not, unless we plan to leave the UK by declaring UDI and risk international isolation, we need to negotiate an exit agreement with Westminster. This will require a strength of resolve to overcome an onslaught to undermine us. READ MORE: Scottish First Minister reaffirms support for trans people To grow this support, we need to follow the advice of the excellent articles of Gerry Hassan, also in Sunday's Seven Days, and that of Robin McAlpine from about two weeks ago. There is no easy quick fix. Gerry on Sunday and Robin in his short book Direction detail the strategy we must follow. We must convene all the pro-indy groups and involve a wide range of the public in assemblies to determine the manifesto for the way forward. Suggest a better strategy if you can, but no excuses for the status quo please. That would result in not only me never seeing independence, but all our grandchildren not seeing it either. Campbell Anderson Edinburgh AMID all the current arguments about our future, the question of why, almost uniquely among the nations, Scotland has repeatedly allowed another country to rule us is worth asking. Our centuries-old willing (mostly) subservience has carried on into modern times and is still going strong. Anyone interested in the roots of this mindset could do worse than explore Calvin's theory of double predestination – teaching that regardless of any good we might do, our fate has already been decided before our birth. This fatalistic, grim argument was enthusiastically adopted by our established church, and seems to have influenced Scots thinking. Pessimism, lack of confidence, cultural cringe and an obsequious attitude towards a foreign monarchy might in part be a spin-off from a joyless, powerful theology. If I'm wrong, there has to be some other explanation for our national shortcomings when so many are perversely opposed to running our own affairs. The rest of humanity sees independence as the natural order. Jim Butchart via email WITH the death of Pope Francis we extend condolences to Catholics worldwide, but even as they compose his obituary as a 'progressive' let us remember some facts. The Vatican still teaches an exorcism course. Priests are told that they 'must not hesitate' to refer parishioners to exorcists if they suffer from 'genuine spiritual disturbances'. However, we should not fear that neurodivergent brain wiring such as autism will be mistaken for 'genuine' demonic possession. The exorcists have a team of psychologists ready to make that call, all of whom are of course practicing Catholics. READ MORE: How is snapping photographs of the Pope's tomb 'paying respects'? Remember Mr Bergoglio's response to the Charlie Hebdo murders was to explain that he would readily punch someone who insulted his mother? Despite his professed contrition over child abuse cover-ups, many survivors have said this seldom translated into action. He always opposed women's control of their own fertility and, despite his begrudging allowing of gay 'blessings', maintained that homosexuality was 'intrinsically disordered'. The views of the leader of a private religious group are his own business, but don't forget the Catholic Church receives taxpayers' money to run schools. Neil Barber Edinburgh Secular Society
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ENVIRONMENTALLY BENEFICIAL: City Council hears proposal for hydropower on Illinois River
A proposal for a hydropower plant on the Illinois River outlines how a new way of generating energy can benefit the environment, and cause less harm to the river. During Monday night's Tahlequah City Council meeting, Ward 2 City Councilor Keith Baker introduced, via Zoom, Dr. Reza Saeed Kandezy, a professor of electronics and computer engineering at the University of Oklahoma. The presentation shared the new technology, and the costs and benefits of building a plant on the river. The vision presented by Kandezy is Tahlequah Hydropower – clustered vortex generators and an integrated renewable model. "It not only brings the high-tech technology into our community, and green sustainable energy sources, but also creates a very sustainable and beneficial, eco-friendly environment for our Illinois River," Kandezy said. The project prioritizes a low-impact, modular approach that circumvents the technical, environmental, and political limitations of conventional infrastructure, stated one of Kandezy's slides in his presentation. Goals of the project include transforming the health of the river through eco-safe engineering, habitat regeneration, erosion mitigation, and integrated water-quality innovation, Kandezy said. The project overview and core technologies include modular vortex turbines, microscale pumped storage, solar photovoltaic integration, and education. "By putting these technologies and science into our project, we are basically creating a living laboratory that will create a strong initiative for research and learning opportunity for all K-12 students, universities and colleges," Kandezy said. An investment of $1.1 million for the proposed pilot project includes: $195,000 for three vortex turbine units; $220,000 for the pumped hydro components; $330,000 for the photovoltaic array and inverters; $90,000 for site work and grid integration; and $120,000 for engineering, permitting and contingency costs, Kandezy said. He said this investment could create an annual revenue of $110,000, and the break-even point is eight-10 years. "We are creating a leap in hydropower within this vision," Kandezy said. "Our first goal was to not only keep our environment from the hazards of pollution, but actually use this project to help enhance the situation we have currently." He said the project is totally eco-friendly; the turbines and generators are passive and would not interfere with the life-cycle or ecosystem within the river. The construction would create some disturbance to the river and surrounding area. "We could actually create a filtering system for the river itself," Kandezy said. "That filtration not only helps our technology to have a longer life, but also helps enhance the environment of the river, because we are filtering out the pollution." The reason for the presentation was to get feedback from all stakeholders, Kandezy said. The pilot project is needed because this is new technology, and there is a nee to control the financial risk. Councilors discussed various means of paying for the project, such as grants and other capital investments. The research value is "phenomenal," Baker said. Kandezy said this is the only project of this type and the clustered vortex generators are not found anywhere else in the world. "Not only do [we] have to think about that today, [we] have to think about tomorrow and the next 20 years," Baker said. He said everyone needs to be more environmentally conscious, and at least try to stop the erosion along the river. "There is a symbiosis of not only improving our environment, but by harnessing it for green sustainable energy," Baker said. Baker wants to involve not just the city, but Tahlequah Public Works Authority and the Cherokee Nation, and other stakeholders in the community. The timeline presented by Kandezy showed a feasibility study conducted within the first three quarters of 2025, and an energy yield and cost analysis and the development of a scale-up plan by 2027. In other business, Daniel Murphy with Kimley-Horn, an engineering, planning and design consultancy, presented the completed Tahlequah Transportation Safety Action Plan. Titled "Vision Zero," the name reflects the goal of zero deaths due to traffic accidents. The plan was approved. After a brief presentation by Planning and Development Director Paige Harjo, the agenda item to hire HSE Architects to design a parking garage on Spring Street, retaining wall on Downing Street, a pedestrian bridge over Downing Street, and sidewalks for downtown, was approved. The majority of funding for the project is from an Economic Development Administration grant of just under $2 million, and the match from the city is a little over $400,000, said City Administrator Taylor Tannehill. The money for the match are American Rescue Plan Act funds that had to be obligated in December. If this project was not approved, the city would have to negotiate with the government on using the funds for another similar parking project, Tannehill said. "We have a limited time to use the funds, and I think HSE was the most qualified and eager to do the project for us," Tannehill said. What's next The next City Council meeting is May 5, 5:30 p.m., in Council Chambers in the City Administration Building.
