Debates on UK energy policy focus almost exclusively on
energy generation/production and often neglect even to mention
energy saving and energy efficiency. It’s always going to be cheaper to save
energy and be efficient than it is to generate it - not only does it cut
household bills and increase the profitability of businesses by reducing their
outgoings, it also cuts pollution rapidly, is a very good job creator, can
increase comfort, cut noise levels, and can sometimes be done using materials
normally thrown away...So whilst we are so wasteful of energy why consider
building large numbers of new power stations of any kind? Why is our primary
focus not on creating a lower energy, energy thrifty culture? Basic, already
existing technologies can be used but the challenge is to combine these with
thrifty attitudes and behaviours.
The energy generation debate at present often
zooms in on nuclear and wind. Nuclear power is low carbon emission in
operation but we’ve had it since the 1950s and it has done nothing to stop
climate change. The UK currently has nuclear 16 reactors in
operation at 9 different sites - and it’s had more in the past. We've come to
rely on fossil fuels and population has increased as has our level and
intensity of consumption but expanding nuclear power for decades - and
expanding power generation by all methods - has been part of unsustainable
plans for industrial and economic expansion. This attitude still prevails.
Until we change from unsustainable economic expansion to properly and fully
applying sustainable development - including an energy policy with energy
saving and efficiency as its primary focus - then we won’t tackle economic,
social and environmental problems such as climate change.
The scale at which we waste energy is vast, so the scope for
energy saving is huge. For example the Energy Saving Trust said that UK
households waste £1.3 billion by just leaving TVs and other electronic devices
switched on... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/household-bills/9355870/Energy-Saving-Trust-households-waste-1.3bn-for-leaving-gadget-switched-on.html#
. In hard economic times and with energy
prices rising you'd think people would be more careful with their consumption
but apparently they aren't, so we’ve made little progress towards a energy
thrifty culture. Research in 2006 found the UK was top of the European energy
waster league. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6075794.stm
Part of the problems is the fact that my local paper can’t
even write a balanced and correct piece about nuclear power, let alone cover
energy issues in the round as it should do. People are often ill-informed as a
result. Here's my case against nuclear
power: http://tinyurl.com/c75rvbg
.Here's a post arguing for energy efficiency, combined
heat and power and decentralised energy: http://tinyurl.com/cxagb4o.
Some thoughts on local renewable energy
developments here: http://tinyurl.com/bm5m764.
