Renewable Energy Debate
Posted: Thursday, 20 May 2004 |
Comments
No need to be too parochial Blog Blog. If you really want Scotland to make a value for money contribution to the global energy issue we should put our green money into helping China to build cleaner power stations. We could get a far more for our money there rather than squandering money here on windfarms. A cynic may suggest this may not suit the shareholders who have interests in the wind energy gold rush. China is building one coal fired power station every month. I was told by a friend in the power industry that China is even buying up our old ones and re building them. ( I looked at the D.T.I. web site but could find no information about exports of decommissioned power stations to China so I cannot back up my friends statement)
You may not be happy with the idea of subsidising China's energy industry because you feel Scotland should be attending to our own energy program. If we are looking after Scottish interests it may seem funny that Scotland should be so keen to be covered in wind turbines to supply England's renewable energy deficit. Why is it so unacceptable that Scotland should value its largest industry, tourism and demand a more focused approach to our contribution? Besides energy conservation, we need a lot more predictable forms of renewable energy not huge numbers of unstable wind farms. At the moment its a mystery why any capitalist put their money into the development of appropriate solutions such as wave, hydro or tidal energy when wind turbines are so highly subsidised. How surprised will Duncan McLaren of Friends of the Earth be if he finds wind turbines do not prevent Longannet and Cockenzie being replaced with more of the same or some French solution which dare not speak its name. If reducing CO2 emissions is so important, an over dependence on Wind farms makes Scotland even more likely to turn to French solutions in the future.
pondhead from Mull
Hi Pondhead,
just to point out that this was an extract from a Friends of the Earth conference that included: Martin O'Neill MP, Chair Trade & Industry Select Committee; Catherine Mitchell, Principal Research Fellow, Warwick Business School; Dr Boaz Moselle, Managing Director - Corporate Strategy, Ofgem; Generation & Technology Opportunities; Chris Bronsdon, Director, Scottish Energy Environment Foundation; John Murray, Small Business Advisor, Scottish Energy Efficiency Office; Andrew Warren, Director, Association for the Conservation of Energy.
Hardly a hotbed of radicalism?
But I鈥檓 surprised by your latest comment - it's unlike you to be coy - if you want to argue the case for 'the solution that dare not speak its name' you should go for it.
Mike from Glasgow
Hi Mike from Glasgow. Ok, I won't be coy. Do you remember Mike from Inverness? He used to cut and past stuff in just to start a conversation on blogging. I never really understood what was the point of putting up a quote without stating what relevance it had. So to quote your quote: "We cannot just sit around until the lights go out, the debate and discussion needs to start now". You then reply to my debate by paste a list of people who attended that conference. What does that mean? I didn't quite hear what they suggested as a solution to our problem? I thought you were looking for debate so I was suggesting we appear to be misguided if we expect wind generation to make up for the decommissioning of our larger power stations. It is difficult to understand why we are not being much clearer about what we actually need or wish to spend huge amounts of our money on. We need technologies which offer dependable energy production rather than blowing too much of our money on wind turbines because lots of people think there is money to be made. Do you believe I am being unfair about the reasons why so many people are interested in wind turbines? You have the information to hand so what was the suggested strategy that Friends of the Earth conference came up with rather than sitting around waiting for the lights to go out?
pondhead from mull
I totally agree about the need to help developing countries develop sustainable technolgies. At the same time we can hardly do that whilst not addressing our own emissions can we?
Blog Blog from Glasgow
Hi Pondhead you asked 'What was the suggested strategy that Friends of the Earth conference came up with rather than sitting around waiting for the lights to go out?'
I wasnt at the conference but from the papers I saw it was a mixture of energy conservation and renewables. I think they were starting from the premise that simply continuing our present consumption isnt credible.
While we 're on the subject of who's making money from energy its got to be the privatised energy companies who encourage us all to waste energy for their bankroll.
Blog Blog from Glasgow
P.S.
Hi Blog Blog - I have just found this which seems relivant to the debate:
<a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/enterprise/inquiries/rei/ec04-reis-etherington,drj.htm">here</a>
pondhead from mull
Check out this introduction article on Energy conservation: http://www.articleworld.org/Energy_conservation 1.Some easy ways to save 2.Energy Saving Tips *2.1 Water Heater *2.2 Clothes Dryer *2.3 Cooking *2.4 Heating
Energy conservation from Glasgow
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