This was because the 10-15 years it would take to build a replacement would be too long to wait to save the jobs and the facility, which is regarded as crucial to the local economy.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Wales | North West Wales | Power station 'deal to save jobs'

Ten Thousand Villages aims to build long-term relationships with its suppliers and has worked with the majority of them for 12 years or more.

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The International Air Transport Association ( IATA) last year set itself a long-term, yet ambitious, goal to build a zero emissions aircraft in the next 50 years.

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Since those what-if scenarios were never considered, and especially since it took so long for BP to identify a way to stop the leak, the green reputation BP tried to build over the years cracked and sunk along with the rig.

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Even Mr Esrey, who at 59 is as much the technology visionary today as he was when he set out to build America's most advanced fibre network more than 15 years ago, seems resigned to letting go, so long as the price is right.

ECONOMIST: The telecoms end-game