[Graeme]

Britain could be zero carbon by 2030, says report

A report out today from the UK’s Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) shows how the country could be zero carbon by 2030.

The “visionary” report, Zero Carbon Britain 2030, would see all cars be electric or use biofuels, increased use of public transport and very occasional long-haul flights.

A mass insulation programme of homes and businesses would have to be undertaken to improve energy efficiency on a major scale in tandem with a significant expansion of renewable electricity and heat generation.

Offshore wind and wave energy would replace fossil fuels, with no reliance on new nuclear capacity.

energyefficiencynews

[efarmer]

In case you don't hear it much Graeme, kudos to you for being a perennial optimist and finding the posts to push the viewpoint on a regular basis. May you continue in your pursuit of hopeful and uplifting threads and may the Dragon King grace you with a flyover and belch fire on something you either loathe or like to eat toasted.
Best,
Efarmer

P.S. If you find out what a Dragon King is and it has an energy progressive aspect in spite of the fire belching, regal lizard of doom name it's mother picked for it, by all means give us a post on that too.

[Plantagenet]

Offshore wind and wave energy would replace fossil fuels, with no reliance on new nuclear capacity.

Whats wrong with putting a few nukes with giant friendly happy faces painted on them into the post-carbon energy grid? There will be times when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine and the wave energy isn't sufficient---- thats when having some nukes around to provide dependable baseline power will be necessary to make the system work.

[Graeme]

Thanks for your comments guys. You know, posting "positive" news helps me cope with my own personal tradegies. Sometimes I think I'm living in a lunatic asylum because of accidents and the imperfect decisions that humans make including my own. Yes I sometimes shoot myself in the foot even on this Board.

The Dragon Kings rule the four oceans so it is very appropriate that you mention them because, in the case of Britain, they will be needed to oversee the development of off-shore wind and tidal power. Not sure that humans can manage them alone.

Nuclear power was not considered because the authors thought that the following issues ruled them out, namely waste, potential for catastrophic accidents, insecurity, and cost. Baseload power would be provided by upgrading electricity grids [micro-, national and European (Desertec)].

I quickly read through the report. You should know that peak oil is mentioned in several places. They conclude that PO will occur before 2031 with strong possibility before 2020. Have a look.

[americandream]

Coldy and objectively analysing capitalism's propensities and its ability or lack of to overcome said propensities in a sustainable and closed loop devoid of the leakage I spoke of in an earlier thread is probably more intellectually honest Graeme.