RENEWABLE ENERGY

( File 5)

We would like to promote a debate on how the UK and other countries can best achieve the reductions in CO2 necessary to control global warming. If you would like to contribute to the debate or comment on the proposals on this site then please use the online form below and let us know your views. You may decide to submit your own plan for an integrated energy system ( for the parameters to be met please click here ) ( link to File 6 )

If you would like your comments published here then please state that you agree to publication of your contribution. Please state the contact details that you would like published with your comments.

If you do not agree with our proposals then please put forward your proposed amendments. For example we take the view that nuclear power will not have a market opportunity until 2020 or later. If you can see a way that nuclear power could economically contribute to CO2 reductions earlier than 2020 then this is the sort of information we need to consider to improve the validity and quality of the proposals and to avoid personal prejudices having too much influence.

We would also welcome contributions dealing with sequestration of CO2. If a cheap method of capturing CO2 from fossil fuel emissions could be devised then this could be used to sustain the continuing use of cheap fossil fuels. Sequestration by tree planting is not a long term solution because each tree has to be maintained and then replaced for ever or the carbon sequestered will return to the atmosphere.

If you would like to try to devise an alternative integrated energy supply plan to reduce TOTAL UK emissions to 40% of 1990 CO2 (i.e. a reduction of 60%), then the parameters we have worked to are as follows (click here link to File 6)

If anyone can devise a different integrated energy system for the UK that works and meets our parameters and achieves the required 60% CO2 reduction then we will be pleased to publish it here on the site for review.

Sometimes officialdom won't publish all the facts and window dresses what is happening to look good when what is required is more openness and honesty. In the UK there is also a tendency to leave these problems for the market to resolve rather than plan for things to happen in a progressive way.

There is also a tendency to overcomplicate the issues by illustrating all the possible permutations with complex graphs and charts. For our plan here we have tried to cut out the variables over which we actually have no choice. For example we are still dependent on coal now and into the future to ensure that we can always meet peak electricity demand. You can't develop wind power in the UK without coal fired backup if you don't want to increase dependency on gas, but the combination of wind power and coal will produce less CO2 in the long run.

What is required is to focus on what is possible given that we have to start with what we have now and try to reduce unwanted effects.

Please email us your comments to: renewables@hydrogen.co.uk

or fill in the online feedback form

LINKS TO FULL TEXT