How to best power the UK: what with the government's endless energy reviews, its current nuclear consultation and the rapidly growing interest in low carbon energy sources, it's the question every greenie worth their salt is talking about at the moment.
And it's not just greenies. Businesses and local authorities across the country are taking all sorts of steps to decentralise their energy systems - from zero carbon communities and large scale offshore renewables to community heating schemes and micro-generation.
So, after our successful evening of discussion in Manchester last week, we're holding another one in Bristol this Thursday to talk about how the South West and Bristol Channel can achieve the massive emissions cuts we so urgently need and how it can feed into national energy policy (details below).
It's a timely event; yesterday, the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) released a report on UK tidal power, which took an in-depth look at the controversial plans for a barrage across the river Severn, which could provide a sizable chunk of the UK's energy needs (5–10 per cent). The SDC largely endorses plans for the barrage - as long as it meets "tough" environmental conditions.
But severe doubts remain about the barrage's potential impacts on local habitats. "Europe's most dynamic estuary," it says, "will be destroyed by the construction of a barrage across the Severn while other less striking measures would cost less and could do more to cut carbon emissions". In a film responding to the SDC's report, the RSPB's conservation director said: "The SDC's report is not a green light for the barrage but something between red and amber."
Our position at Greenpeace is that tidal power, generally, is A Very Good Thing: a constant, indigenous energy source that uses no fuel and will never run out, and extremely suited to our island nation whose inlets, firths and channels have some of the highest tidal ranges and strongest currents in the world. But, as far as the Severn Barrage goes, the jury's still out on the best way to reap the river's tidal power without having huge environmental impacts on wading birds.
As the SDC puts it: "How do we balance our need for large quantities of secure, low carbon electricity with the impact on biodiversity and local communities?"
If you're interested in talking about this and other energy issues affecting the South West, come along to the event in Bristol (if the Manchester evening was anything to go by, there’ll be a formidable pool of knowledge in the room and some pretty lively debate).
The speakers on Thursday will be from Arup, the South West Regional Development Agency, the British Wind Energy Association and Warwick Business School - as well as our own chief scientist, Doug Parr. We'll also be screening our new film on energy and climate change, The Convenient Solution.
It starts at 6pm on Thursday 4th at the Arup building, 63 St Thomas Street, Bristol, BS1 6JZ (see the map below). If you’d like to come along, please drop a line to Darren Shirley.
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