UK Energy Review: Haven't I Seen that Energy System Before?

The UK Govornment has just released it's energy review, the latest in a series of reviews to have been published in the last few years in the wake of the 2002 energy white paper--widely seen as one of the most important documents on UK climate policy of the last 10 years.

If you would like to read about the approach the UK govronment is taking on climate change then the document can be downloaded. I havent had a chance to read it yet but as with many of these reports the preface by Tony Blair tells us some important things about govornment direction.

Their are two sections in Tony's preface that are in bold. The first one is...

"But we now face two immense challenges as a country – energy security
and climate change."

Environmentalists are increasingly aware of govornment doublespeak. Although energy security may be addressed synergistically with climate change through the development of distributed energy systems this is NEVER, but NEVER what is ment by the term. Energy security is the way in which a fossil fuel addict talks about the nessecity of getting his next fix.

As with the G8 talks, energy security is being set up in opposition to climate change mitigation, in the UK context things are even clearer, enrgy security means access to russian natural gas.

The clearest statement of Tony's misguided assesment on things is the following line.

"This document ... makes clear that wind, wave or solar power, let alone less established technologies, are not yet enough by themselves."

Some environmentalists would not be supprised by this claim, but research on the topic is unanimous, he is wrong. Energy efficiency, increased building standards and distributed energy can provide for our energy needs using technology that we have today-- in an affordable manner and without a radioactive lagacy.

I almost forgot point out the real news headline behind all this talk about renewables not being enough...Tony has a thing for nuclear, an unsavory relationship that is no good for anyone but his lover, the nuclear industry, role on the subsidies!

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