Molly Scott-Cato, our Green Party MEP, was the lead speaker at the Town Hall last Friday. She had commissioned the report, 'The Power to Transform the South West', that shows in detail how the West Country could produce more than enough energy to supply all its energy needs - including transport. The main point made was that to follow such a plan would not just be creating a 'green' ideal, it would make economic sense in conventional terms.
The southwest in particular has enormous potential energy resources, including sun, wind and tides; it would do very well from the enthusiastic development of a renewable energy industry. In the end, this is inevitably 'the future' - what is lacking at the moment is the political will. The reason for this seems to be financial backing received by the Conservative Party from the fossil fuel industry.
The question of 'so what can we do about it?' was answered in part, and certainly very practically, by Avalon Community Energy's 'pioneer' share launch. Our local community energy company has been set up to deliver community ownership of renewable energy generation. It is raising money to carry out necessary feasibility studies and to follow that up with, initially, solar installations. The prospect is exciting and I have every intention of making a small investment of my own in this enterprise.
I heard today that recent articles in a couple of prestigious scientific journals have said that global warming equivalent to a twenty foot rise in sea level is already inevitable - only the time scale is unclear. A twenty foot rise in sea level would result in our mean sea level in this part of Somerset coming up to Pomparles Bridge; high tide could reach Baltonsborough. I think relating this to local landmarks like this helps to bring the message home. It seems hard to believe that a sensible energy policy will not prevail before long.
The southwest in particular has enormous potential energy resources, including sun, wind and tides; it would do very well from the enthusiastic development of a renewable energy industry. In the end, this is inevitably 'the future' - what is lacking at the moment is the political will. The reason for this seems to be financial backing received by the Conservative Party from the fossil fuel industry.
The question of 'so what can we do about it?' was answered in part, and certainly very practically, by Avalon Community Energy's 'pioneer' share launch. Our local community energy company has been set up to deliver community ownership of renewable energy generation. It is raising money to carry out necessary feasibility studies and to follow that up with, initially, solar installations. The prospect is exciting and I have every intention of making a small investment of my own in this enterprise.
I heard today that recent articles in a couple of prestigious scientific journals have said that global warming equivalent to a twenty foot rise in sea level is already inevitable - only the time scale is unclear. A twenty foot rise in sea level would result in our mean sea level in this part of Somerset coming up to Pomparles Bridge; high tide could reach Baltonsborough. I think relating this to local landmarks like this helps to bring the message home. It seems hard to believe that a sensible energy policy will not prevail before long.
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