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Community It should be illegal On both sides of the Atlantic political positions seem to be getting more partisan and extreme, with each side showing little comprehension for the other's point of view. The proliferation of news channels means people's natural confirmation bias leads them to sources that tell them only what they want to hear. Disconnector was struck by this on reading about Donald Trump getting a standing ovation at a campaign-style rally in Iowa last week when he promised to get tough on new immigrants by banning them from receiving welfare benefits until they'd been in the country for five years. As it turns out, that's the law as it stands anyway, and has been so for more than 20 years, thanks to legislation introduced by Bill Clinton. At the same rally, Trump repeated his promise to build a wall between the US and Mexico (all 3,000km of it) to keep illegals out, but with the added flourish that it would have solar panels attached to generate money. "Think about it: the higher it goes, the more valuable it is," he told the crowd in Iowa. "Pretty good imagination, right? Good? My idea!" It would also mean that "Mexico would have to pay much less money", he said. How much it would cost to deck out the wall with solar panels, or how efficient it would be to pipe the electricity to where it was needed… well, Donald's a big picture sort of a guy. Those details can be le to someone lower down the food chain. It's not what you know… William C Bradford is a senior official in the US Energy Department, appointed by the Trump administration. Mr Bradford is a man of forthright views and used to be a keen Twitter user. Among his (since deleted) tweets are that Barack Obama is a "Kenyan creampuff ", Mark Zuckerberg is an "arrogant, self-hating Jew", and climate scientists are "cultists" and "nuts". He has since apologised for the insult to Zuckerberg (Bradford is himself Jewish), but not for persistently questioning whether the former US president was born in the US. This would be the so-called birther conspiracy championed at one time by none other than Donald Trump. In case readers are thinking Bradford is a complete nut, Disconnector should point out he was previously an attorney general, although his copybook was blotted somewhat in 2015 when he had to resign as an assistant professor at the West Point military academy for claiming that some academics who criticised US foreign policy were Islamist fih columnists who could be treated as "unlawful combatants" and subjected to "coercive interrogation, trial and imprisonment". Dissenting voices at the Energy Department, take note. Used toilet paper for sale Dutch company Cirtec is claiming a world's first with the opening of a production facility on a "representative demo scale" that extracts cellulose (the main ingredient of toilet paper) from sewage and delivers it "cleaned, hygienised and ready for use in high- quality products". The company's plant in Purmerend, 20km north of Amsterdam, can turn out 400kg a day of the stuff. It's an impressive technical achievement, no doubt, but when it comes to recycling the vast tonnage of waste that the world produces every day, Disconnector reckons that we can probably leave toilet paper to last. Disconnector Editor, Utility Week, and content director, Utilities: Ellen Bennett, t: 01342 332084, e: ellenbennett@fav-house.com; Deputy editor: Jane Gray, t: 01342 332087, e: janegray@ fav-house.com; Insights editor: Mathew Beech, t: 01342 332082, e: mathewbeech@fav-house. com; Features editor: Lois Vallely, t: 01342 332080, e: loisvallely@fav-house.com; Senior reporter: Tom Grimwood, t: 01342 332061, e: tomgrimwood@fav-house.com; Reporter: Josh Downes, t: 01342 332102, e: joshdownes@fav-house.com; Policy correspondent: David Blackman, e: davidblackman@fav-house.com; Business development manager: Kevin Pearce, t: 01342 332116, e; kevinpearce@fav-house.com; Conference sponsorship manager: Sophie Abbott, t: 01342 332062, e; sophieabbott@fav-house.com; Publisher: Amanda Barnes, e: amandabarnes@ fav-house.com. General enquiries: 01342 332000; Membership enquiries: Peter Bissell, t: 01342 332057, e: peterbissell@fav-house.com. ISSN: 1356-5532. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. Printed by: Buxton Press, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6AE. Published by: Faversham House Ltd, Windsor Court, Wood Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 1UZ 3,580 Average circulation Jan–Dec 2015 Membership subscriptions: UK £669 per year. Overseas £781 per year. Contact Peter Bissell on: 01342 332057 Utility Week is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK's magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors' Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint please contact the editor, Ellen Bennett, at ellenbennett@fav-house.com. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors' Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk Jim Watson @watsonjim2 @NAOorguk right to criticise govt on #hinkley value for money. Costs need to fall if nuclear is to play major role in UK energy future Tom Steward @Steward_T NAO suggests Hinkley Point C is a bad deal. If only there were a low-carbon alternative getting cheaper every day... #renewables William Marchant @richonlyinname NAO: under an alternative financing model, #Hinkley construction cd overrun by 600% & it still wouldn't be more expensive than signed deal Thomas Edwards @TomHenryEdwards PeakGen power has raised a BSC modification for a 'BM lite' arrangement to allow unlicensed generators access to the balancing mechanism Dustin Benton @dustin_benton Gov't right to require common standards for EV smart charging. It means EV batteries can be used to stop blackouts. Smart Natalie Bennett @natalieben Thameswater: £1.6bn dividends, £10.6bn debt, £260m pension deficit, no UK corporation tax. Huge #privatisationfail Gareth Miller @garethmillerCE What's missing from Queen's speech: clean growth plan, energy cost review, carbon price etc. Ok, so it deals with primary leg but no signals at all Ann Robinson @AnnRobinson8 Oil and gas prices likely to fall further. Will we see cut in most people's energy bills or will we have to wait for govt/Ofgem action? Nick Molho @NickMolho Good 2 hear @claire4devizes confirming @ beisgovuk clean growth plan to be published this autumn – clarity much needed by industry #BEISorals Top Tweets UTILITY WEEK | 30TH JUNE - 6TH JULY 2017 | 31