The future is here, and it’s electric

AN Asda in Barry opened around two years ago with one notable addition to its car park - two charging points for electric vehicles.

While at first glance you would be forgiven for thinking it was a gimmick, you quickly realise the supermarket’s thought process.

It’s one of only a handful of public charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) in the immediate area. So where might it be a good idea to go and shop (and spend lots of money) if you have an EV?

It’s a sign of future proofing. And, as acting director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, Bleddyn Lake points out on page seven, the future is electric.

It’s why so many people in Wales became very frustrated at the UK Government’s decision to scrap planned, and promised, railway electrification between Cardiff and Swansea.

The move to complete electrification of all of our modes of transport will happen, and have to happen soon – there is absolutely no doubt among the pioneers of the movement, including Elon Musk, CEO of electric manufacturer Tesla.

Delaying the transition puts the UK and Wales further behind the major players across Europe, including front-runners Norway, who have had EV initiatives in place as early as 1990.

Outside of the EV revolution, this edition looks at the promising green impact some organisations have recently undertaken (page six) and the small changes we could all do to make a positive impact of our own (pages four and five).