Comments on: What should the Environment Agency do with too much rainwater? http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/07/23/what-should-the-environment-agency-do-with-too-much-rainwater/ Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Wokingham Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:28:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Dr Dan H. http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/07/23/what-should-the-environment-agency-do-with-too-much-rainwater/#comment-4129 Dr Dan H. Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:49:37 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=384#comment-4129 Another trick is to pay the local farmers to use tractors and trailers as rescue vehicles, instead of calling out the RAF to do the same job much more slowly and more expensively. Tractors are very tall machines, and it takes much more than two or three feet of water to stall one. Farm flatbed trailers are similarly far off the ground, and whilst it may be much less glamorous to get a ride on the local farmer's haycart, there're an awful lot more farm tractors than RAF seakings. Another trick is to pay the local farmers to use tractors and trailers as rescue vehicles, instead of calling out the RAF to do the same job much more slowly and more expensively.

Tractors are very tall machines, and it takes much more than two or three feet of water to stall one. Farm flatbed trailers are similarly far off the ground, and whilst it may be much less glamorous to get a ride on the local farmer’s haycart, there’re an awful lot more farm tractors than RAF seakings.

]]> By: Steven_L http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/07/23/what-should-the-environment-agency-do-with-too-much-rainwater/#comment-4126 Steven_L Tue, 24 Jul 2007 00:54:57 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=384#comment-4126 'He was very keen to lecture us on climate change...' That's exactly it, professional policy wonks like Miliband get bored with bread and butter stuff like flood defences, instead they want to dream up madcap schemes for 'tradable personal carbon credits' and the like that will not make the slightest bit of difference to the weather. ‘He was very keen to lecture us on climate change…’

That’s exactly it, professional policy wonks like Miliband get bored with bread and butter stuff like flood defences, instead they want to dream up madcap schemes for ‘tradable personal carbon credits’ and the like that will not make the slightest bit of difference to the weather.

]]> By: AndyW http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/07/23/what-should-the-environment-agency-do-with-too-much-rainwater/#comment-4122 AndyW Mon, 23 Jul 2007 10:26:05 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=384#comment-4122 John, There are other measures that should be undertaken, particularly maintain drains properly, I can't remember the last time I saw a drain being cleaned. Secondly keep rivers dredged properly to maximise water flow. Thirdly store temporary flood defences close to where they will be used rather than miles away. While the emergency services have been, as ever, exceptional the Department of the Environment is a joke. Yours from Upton in Severn John,

There are other measures that should be undertaken, particularly maintain drains properly, I can’t remember the last time I saw a drain being cleaned. Secondly keep rivers dredged properly to maximise water flow. Thirdly store temporary flood defences close to where they will be used rather than miles away.
While the emergency services have been, as ever, exceptional the Department of the Environment is a joke.

Yours from Upton in Severn

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