No sense in government policy that backs fossil fuels yet cuts support for renewables

12 August 2015


So
public support for fracking (the extraction of shale gas from rocks)is at its lowest level ever at just 21%. In contrast, support for renewables is at a massive 75% with only 4% of the public opposed. These are the findings from the Department of Energy and Climate Change in its latest tracker of public opinion. 

 

But in spite of public opinion, this government(elected don’t forgetbyjust 25% ofthose eligible to vote)remains totally committed to fracking. Indeed, only last week it said it would introduce new guidance for local authorities to speed up planning applications for shale gas exploration.

 

But even if the problems associated with fracking such as the large quantities of water needed, the potential risk of earthquakes, the possibility of contamination, leakage of methane from well heads (a gas 20 times more potent in global warming than CO2), and the damage to our countryside caused by drilling equipment, storage facilities and pipelines. Even if all these could be overcome, fracking is surely still the wrong choice.  

 

It is after all a fossil fuel, and burning it will contribute towards climate change. What’s more, it will run out. Estimates of a 25 year supply may or may not be accurate, but it remains a finite source (as illustrated by the ever closer demise of fracking in the US).What will we do when shale gas is gone if we’ve allowed our renewable energy sector to flounder and stagnate? 

 

For that is what they are doing. Renewables, despite their popularity, are having a tough time thanks to this government.  Not content with its manifesto commitment to stop further onshore wind energy, the government has introduced some additional measures, not even mentioned during the election campaign. These include putting a climate change levy on renewables, slashing  subsidies for solar energy (but not those for oil and gas), scrapping the long-established plan for zero-carbon homes, and killing energy efficiency projects (the “Green Deal”) without any form of  replacement,  

 

Darren Woodiwiss, a spokesperson for Harborough Green Party said, “The number of green measures that have been torn up or watered down is frankly astonishing, coming from a prime minister who once described his government as the ‘greenest’ ever.  

 

“What’s more, their policies make no sense. No modern economy can run on fossil fuels indefinitely, even if you could manage to offset or cut carbon emissions. Oil, shale, coal and gas will run out. So we should be building up our renewable sector, not cutting it down.” 

 

While the ultimate effect of these measures are not currently clear it is obvious that there will be impacts to the projects currently being worked on by Harborough Energy, our local community renewable energy enterprise. These proposed changes might stop some community renewables projects dead in the water, leaving the future of energy generation in the hands of the big six.

 

This post was written by : David Green

 

To find out more about renewables in Harborough follow the progress of Harborough Energy

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www.harboroughenergy.co.uk






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