Self-Sufficiency in Branscombe

Spearheaded by Sir Kelvin Spencer Branscombe attempts self-sufficiency 

Villagers in Branscombe near Seaton on East Devon’s Jurassic Coast attempt to become self-sufficient. TV reporter David Rodgers interviews former Chief Scientist for the Ministry of Power, Sir Kelvin Spencer. Kelvin Spencer discusses climate change, the need to grow and feed the world’s populations and the positive aspect of striving for self-sufficiency. Sir Kelvin makes the point that self-sufficiency is in our recent past. 

A scientist and public servant Sir Kelvin was an authority on the civil nuclear programme but in retirement concluded that investing in the nuclear power industry was wrong. Admired by a generation of anti-nuclear campaigners for raising concerns over the safety of nuclear power and wary that Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace speech was an excuse for nuclear proliferation, he was ostracised by government but befriended by Tony Benn MP.