Reducing mass productionis a huge problem to tackle because the culture of supply and demand is so prevalent in so called developed countries. The imbalance that exists may take a series of catastrophes before truly local production becomes the norm.
However, whilst like a supertanker, public desires for increasingly diverse products will take a long time to turn, local energy production is already within our reach.
'Green' electricity in the UK is expanding and there is a market for it. Suppliers are now able to provide sustainable energy at the same price we currently buy 'brown'. Small energy suppliers have led the way, but big power companies are also buying into the renewables rush, to meet government targets and to make money.
The UK has excellent wind harvesting potential - the best in Europe in fact, but wind power is not the only possibility.
The planet has such potential energy that we have not really begun to tap into: energy that is benevolent, that we can use in local small scale projects that do not harm the planet yet would provide us with a large part of the energy that we need to sustain our current levels of demand.
A range of local renewables could include:
photovoltaics on business and domestic roofs - the UK govt has just released funds to allow householders to install PV's through a 50% grant
solar hot water heating - 40,000 households in the UK already have it (including me!) but this means of passive heating is very, very underexploited. If used pan UK, up to 50% of all domestic hot water needs in the UK could be met by passive needs.
Small scale hydro electric schemes - not big dams, but small units to provide power to more remote areas
Geothermic - where a core is sunk and the warmer temperatures below the surface are used to heat air for homes and business
Wind - both large scale in wind farms and smalle scale to power homes and businesses, plus smaller turbines to mount on buildings to provide really local power.
Bio diesel - becoming increasingly of interest because it produces very little in the way of pollution and can still be used in ordinary vehicles (minor adjustments may be needed).
These are just a few ideas!!
Regards
Penney
ecoteams coordinator
Rushcliffe
Nottingham
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