Those backing the ill-conceived Severn barrage are in for a shock when they find they are not the leaders in tidal power technology. The Severn Tidal Power Group, the group of developers and engineers pushing for a barrage are trumpeting how they are pioneering the development of tidal power whilst dragging the same old antiquated schemes to the table. Mean while, Canada is forging ahead. Experience has shown the Canadian Governmant that tidal barrages just don’t work in silt laden estuaries and the environmental destruction and increased flooding is just too high a price to pay for so called ‘green energy’. STPG have had a march stolen on them by the Bristol based company, Marine Current Turbines. They have been steadily developing and proving cutting edge technology which has now been adopted by the Canadians for the Bay of Fundy. We should learn from this and demand that our estuary, river and adjoining country side be spared from the greed of the developers, spared from environmental disaster and our countryside and houses be spared from increased flooding. Tidal stream turbines are the solution to the question of tidal power from the Severn a barrage is not.