Can Harry Potter solve our energy woes? 18 January 06

I’d want to see them. I remember driving in California years ago, straining to see the wind generators on the hills, and feeling very happy when I saw them. I’d like to go see the wind generators that are powering my home—once I get my plug-in hybrid, so I won’t have to emit GHGs to do so.

You know what’s really really ugly. SUVs and pick-up trucks. 24% of personal vehicles in Texas are pick-ups (the worst polluters), but only 1% actually need them. It’s just a revolting fad. I feel disgusted at the ubiquitous sight of SUVs & pick-ups. Like I live in a dirty, death-mongering world. Billowing smokestacks are very ugly too. And nuclear gives me the willies. I’d hate to live near a nuclear power plant.

Wind generators give me a sense of cleanliness and hope, a sense of a beautiful world full of caring people. Same with PV solar panels. I want to see them. The more, the better.

i’ve updated mysql and apache and various other bits of machinery on this server, and I need to check that everything is working. I mean, that it’s only broken where I expect it to be broken. This is a step towards uploading the new site, so muted rejoicing is appropriate if this works.

When I discussed energy policy with somebody from Greenpeace UK head office some time ago, I said I really hoped their aim of shutting down both nuclear and coal fired power stations extremely quickly was achievable, but I would really like to see some evidence before I could campaign on this. What I was told at the time was the Greenpeace had a well-researched energy policy which showed it was possible, and which was based on two premises: Firstly, an understanding that peak oil was unlikely to happen in the next 30 years, and secondly a belief that it was possible to vastly and quickly increase our dependence on natural gas (which would fill the gap between a growing renewables sector and a still vast need to meet unmet demand, even if demand was to be reduced considerably). Now, this made sense to me. Looking at rising oil prices, reports that now both the world’s largest oil fields have peaked, and the gas crisis, I suspect the premises were wrong.

I must say, that I am speaking from my own memory of one conversation – I am sorry if I am misrepresenting the Greenpeace view.

I read a good letter from the President of the Centre for Alternative Technology in Resurgence a while ago. He said that he does not like wind farms, but whenever he sees one he reminds himself of the hundreds of millions to be killed by the ‘alternawtive’. Interestingly, he argues that CAT research show that dramatic cuts in CO2 emissions could be made fast enough to stabilise the climate, with a massive expansion of all renewables (wind power being the only mature market technology just now) and the gap being filled by … nuclear. Then he says that because nuclear is unpopular, his centre will only advocate renewables.

By the way, has anybody else read Wormwood Forest by Maria Mycia? I haven’t seen any reviews or background reports about the author, but the picture that emerges from her book about the most heavily radiated area around Chernobyl is both very sad for many people (though she says most deaths could have been easily prevented if people had been given iodine tablets and powdered milk and strict warnings about not digesting local meat and milk during the weeks), but nowhere near the total devastation climate change has already caused over much larger areas. It’s not a book that makes one ‘like’ nuclear power (I can’t like a technology that kills anybody), but it certainly makes it look like the lesser evil.

Almuth

We all need a bit of a boost now and again. Here is cause for hope. The last item on today’s BBC Radio 4 Today programme focussed on a new novel by Susannah Waters. Here is the BBC website’s summary of the piece.

“Some of our brightest young writers are basing their novels on the theme of global warming. One of them is Susannah Waters, whose book Cold Comfort is just out, and she joins the programme with Ian Jack, the editor of the literary magazine Granta.” Listen to the piece via the listen again facility here http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/index.shtml

Susannah Waters was alerted to AGW and inspired to write her novel by the Guardian featuring extracts from Mark’s book “High Tide” back in 2004. This is exactly what happened to me. A very vague awareness of GW was suddenly transformed into a very definite appreciation of the nature of the problem we face. I wonder how many others there are out there who have been similarly influenced. I went on to read a pile of books – she has done something similar and written a novel. This is very good news. We cannot expect all to grapple with the science and the politics but many will read a novel I’m sure.

I think it is quite realistic to expect a Gladwell type tipping point where all the little balls which have been set rolling combine to generate an unstoppable momentum and we get serious action before it is too late.

You play a significant part in that process Mark and for that I thank you very much.

Onwards and upwards

Douglas Coker

PS Oh – and they managed not to crash the pips. You won’t all get that but never mind.

He or the Indy must have heard you Mark. This link http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article339928.ece takes you to Leggatt’s lengthy piece in today’s Indy. For those who don’t have time to read his “The Carbon War” or “Half Gone” this is a good substitute.

Leggett seriously “gets it” on AGW as well as writing about the end of oil and he has put his money where his mouth is in setting up Solar Century.

BTW “The Carbon War” is (apparently) not available from bookshops or Amazon but call Amita Vaux at Solar Century on 020 7803 0100 and a copy can be yours for a fiver. Bargain!

Douglas Coker

Whatever might be said about the americans, you couldn’t accuse them of not putting their money where their mouth is.

Take a look at the fututregen initiative:

Target: 60% electrical efficiency from coal fired generation, including at least 90% CO2 capture (aiming for 100%)and at and at an electricity cost no more than 10% higher than at present.

Being in the industry, I know this is something of a tall order, and that is said with not a little British understatement. BUT the US government is putting $1 Bn dollars towards it to make it happen. Yes – you read that correctly BILLION.

”.....technologies that can eliminate common air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides and convert them to useable by-products such as fertilizers and soil enhancers. Mercury pollutants will also be removed.”

http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/futuregen/index.html

Furthermore, this should be seen as augmenting renewables rather than detracting, since this type of generation should be able to match the varying output of renewables in a way that nuclear cannot do.

All the best and keep optimistic

Martin

Funnily enough I was actually listening at that exact moment over breakfast, and almost choked on my muesli. It’s an amazing feeling that my work might have helped inspire others – makes things doubly worthwhile. And thanks Douglas for the kind words :-)

Almuth,

I think I know the greenpeace research you are talking about.

Essentially, it went through almost all generating technologies in very impressive and well researched detail – with the exception of natural gas fuelled plant, which it paid lip service to.

It then advocated something like 70% of electricity generation in the UK from gas firing.

Compare that and the british government’s last energy white paper. It bore an uncanny similarity. Though to be fair, the government did at least begin to address where all this gas was going to come from.

I understand the next energy white paper is in the process of being drawn up already because the last one was so flawed.

Can the goverment ever again trust the advice of the environmental NGO’s ???

It is not just the ‘Bushites’ who are living in cloud cuckoo land. How can we expect to make progress if nobody looks at the facts – not even those we look to to guide us.

All the best Martin

If only the US government weren’t vetoing any economic mechanisms that could ever allow their own ‘carbon-clean coal’ to compete with dirty coal…

Almuth