Subsidies for the nuclear energy industry

The United Kingdom Government has pledged that any new nuclear power plants will be built without public subsidy. If their pledge holds good it will be a relief to those of us running solar thermal businesses; traditional energy companies enjoy advantages that those in the renewable industry have never received.

The United Kingdom’s Emission Savings Transition Plan

It is extremely easy to criticise Governments for not doing enough about climate change. They have to balance the various competing demands of voters and wealthy industries and commerce against the prospect of people and businesses suffering real damage, but perhaps in many years time. Inaction is always easier than taking action when the action to be taken will be generally unwelcome and will cause inconvenience and perhaps loss of short term quality of life. Governments also have to cope with another trait of humanity; they generally do not like change.

The energy policy vacuum

The Confederation of British Industry has called the United Kingdom’s energy policy “disjointed” by claiming that there is too much investment in wind energy and not enough investment in nuclear energy and “clean coal” energy. I think that the Confederation of British Industry is wrong on every count.

Why such a long wait for smart meters?

I remember watching Joanne Carr of the charity National Energy Action explain (it must be more than eight or nine years ago) the benefits of smart meters to a group of the National Energy Action’s business supporters. I should explain that national Energy Action is one of those curious British institutions – a charity supported by the government and energy companies and other related businesses to lobby the government to abolish what is called “fuel poverty”. National Energy Action is in effect paid by the government to push the government to do more for those in fuel poverty.

The resignation of the Speaker does not draw a line under MPs expenses scandal

The Speaker of the House of Commons has advised everyone that he will resign on 21^st June. It is clear that he has performed inadequately in bringing the issue of MPs expenses under control. He has fought to preserve the independence of the House of Commons without realising that its independence is not supposed to be self serving, but serving the purpose of democracy. We need the House of Commons to be fearless and independent of outside forces and it has to be this way in order to uphold the democracy that we cherish, not the privileges of members we elect to serve us.

Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink

I have written much about fossil fuel created energy, in terms of the climate change problems that it creates. These are now well known and becoming less controversial, scientifically, with virtually every piece of new research published. We see their consequences in the melting ice, rising sea levels and climate warming, but there is another problem of electrical energy generation by burning, which is much less publicised and in fact may well become in the shorter term a greater problem than warming the planet – the impact of generating energy on water supplies.

We will face a bad encounter with the two degrees of climate change

In 2007 despite all the talking, targets and emission trading schemes, the emissions of industrialised countries rose by 1%. This may not sound much but those emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, will be around for a very long time. The fact that 2008 might see is small drop in emissions does not bring us any hope. It is simply that we have turned the tap down a very small amount, but the atmosphere continues to fill with long lasting greenhouse gases.

Carbon Capture and Storage and Aberthaw power station

You may have heard politicians, energy companies and those with vested interests in coal mining ( mine operators and trade unions) talk about “carbon capture and storage” (CCS) as though it actually exists. It does not exist in any viable form, and you should not be fooled when you hear politicans and power generators talk about CCS. It is a concept, not a consummation, devoutly to be wished.

Taking the long view, for banking and the environment

For the past few weeks the main problem that has been exercising governments has been dealing with the crisis of confidence and trust in the world wide banking system. It has been an immediate problem and one that had to be dealt with as a matter of urgency. It looks as though, now that the various governments around the world have put in place measures that will lead to a bettered ordered safer banking system.

Fighting nature- what will happen when the fossil fuel and uranium runs out?

What will we do when the fossil fuel runs out? We seem to have no strategy for this. Obviously energy is the essential enabler for the way we now live. It provides heat and power for ourselves and our work, our homes our industries. Can anyone working in an office today imagine doing so without the electricity to power their computer or without what we have become used to as sufficient heating. Who now washes in cold water?