Natural gas prices in the US have dropped by almost two thirds since they started ‘fracking’ for shale gas. Could we see a similar boost to the UK economy any time soon? Shale Gas – probably the only hope we have of producing a significant amount of useful, home-grown energy in the next decade or two. Some say it is … Read More
2012 Energy Bill Omits 2030 Carbon Target
Details of the government’s new energy bill have now been released, with plans to keep the lights on and keep carbon emissions down. Labour are calling it a “humiliating failure” for the Lib Dems and Greenpeace say David Cameron has given in to “militant tendencies” in his own party. However you look at it, the lack of a binding ‘decarbonisation’ … Read More
Minister: “Wind farms; enough is enough”
Conservative MP John Hayes has been in hot water recently for commenting on the vast number of onshore wind farms “peppered” across the UK. Mr Hayes has been publicly ‘slapped down’ by Lib Dem boss Ed Davey over comments he made in an interview with the Daily Mail. He was discussing a speech he was due to make the next … Read More
Ofgem report warns of blackouts by 2015
A lack of excess electricity generation has led the energy regulator to admit there could be shortfalls in supply in the near future. A report recently published by Ofgem predicts that the UK’s spare generation capacity will drop from its currently level of 14% to 4% by 2015. Under special terms in business electricity contracts, it would be companies that … Read More
London 2012: The ‘greenest’ games ever
The day after the 30th Olympiad ended, the London 2012 Olympics has been hailed as the “greenest games ever”. The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 has hailed recycling and regeneration as a major success. However, they also noted that improvements can still be made for the next Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Shaun McCarthy, the Commision’s … Read More
Wind subsidies to be cut by 10%
Wind subsidy reduction hailed by Department of Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey as a “victory”. The government wanted to reduce it to 75% of current levels, but it has now been agreed that it will be reduced to only 90% of the current subsidy. The coalition announced its plans for the future of Britain’s energy security in its … Read More
Rio+20 calls for action on key global issues
Overpopulation, Overconsumption and Mass Extinction top the agenda at the ongoing environmental summit in Rio de Janeiro, but where are Cameron and Obama? Today is the second day of the Rio+20 Summit, formerly known as the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. It is 20 years since the original Rio Earth Summit in 1992, but unlike 1992 (where no less than … Read More
Sustainable development is ‘meaningless drivel’
James Lovelock, long-time environmental guru and the inventor of the Gaia Hypothesis says environmentalism is taking over from Christianity, and thinks we should ‘go mad on’ shale gas. In an interview in the Guardian, the celebrated environmental scientist also declares that he is not worried about sea-level rises, Germany is crazy for ditching nuclear power, how wind turbines are “ugly … Read More
Bribe residents to accept wind farms – Tim Yeo
Residents objecting to the construction of wind farms in their communities should be ‘bribed’ in order to get them to stop protesting, a Conservative MP has said. Tim Yeo, a senior Conservative MP and chairman of the Commons energy and climate change committee has caused a bit of a stir by using the word “bribe” when discussing how to push … Read More
Video – Draft Energy Bill
Are we setting ourselves up for another ‘dash for gas’ and should we be investing more in renewables? Watch this short video about the future of Britain’s energy security.