This is a political debate, but I think the suggestions are things we can do simultaneously. Some are quite realistic proposals too, like the nationwide home insulation programme, which was already in effect until David “get rid of all the green crap” Cameron came along. It’d not only reduce emissions, by cutting waste energy, but quickly help people lower their bills.
A programme hugely expanding our nuclear energy industry like France did.
I don’t think it should prioritise one thing, rather keep investing and supporting a number of schemes that reduce emissions.
I would personally like to see more punitive import tariffs on goods manufactured in countries with high CO2 emissions/inefficient industry and poor environmental standards (i.e. China, India). Benefits workers here and forces companies to abide by standards rather than outsourcing the problem.
This is obviously problematic in a time of high inflation.
No new oil and gas investment. Nuclear power. Solar and wind. Storage technology. R&D for future technologies (fusion etc).
In roughly that order.
Place sanctions/economic war against china, because they contriubte to more than 30% of all pollution, while the UK contributes to less than 1%.
Why should WE suffer, when we are one of the greenest countriest on the planet, while others don’t have to suffer?
Nuclear power has to be the big one. The anti-nuclear movement has wreaked untold damage on climate action.
Mandatory passivhaus standard for all new builds, all new builds to be have solar, heat pumps, electric only, and battery storage. Force national grid to triple resources for grid connection backlog
. Reintroduce insulation discounts for existng stocks.
Remove planning restrictions for onshore wind.
Repurpose long term gas storage for hydrogen, massively ramp up electrolysers for large scale hydrogen production. Subsidize steel and chemical production to use hydrogen as feedstock. Pilot plant converting cghp gas power stations for same.
Carbon tax on imported goods that are produced using Fossil fuels.
Carbon tax on repeat flyers.
Build at least 3 new reservoirs, sewage levy on water companies to pay for them until they sort their literal shit out.
Reforestation of moorlands.
I could go on…..
Aggressive Carbon tax. According to many studies the single most effective climate policy
Finding ways to get most other countries to even attempt to meet their COP pledges.
Do you want real solutions or ones that rely on upholding the system that brought us to this point?
I can give you answers that will make you feel like something is being done but won’t solve anything at all, or you can have the truth. The truth is that if we changed to sustainable forms of energy in the late c20th like solar, wind, tidal and even nuclear we would have to give up some things we take for granted but the impact would be relatively mild. We didn’t do that so now if people really want to avoid the end of modern society they will have to accept a huge reduction in living standards now. Not in ten years or twenty but immediately.
They won’t though and any discussion about this is essentially a waste of time now. You have maybe ten years left, maybe. Enjoy it while you can.
Anything that doesn’t cripple people’s quality of life.
We will not be returning to mother Gaia worshipping or birkenstocks wearing thank you very much.
The People’s Plan for Nature was developed by a people’s assembly drawn from all over the UK. Check it out.
Stopping mass consumerism and making it so that wealth is no longer hoarded by a few individuals. If they have more money than anyone could need in a thousand lifetimes lying around doing nothing then that should be put to better use.
Abandon all national sovereignty and make Klaus Schwab world dictator already, I’m bored of this in-between bit now.
1) Removing barriers to onshore wind
2) Pushing New Nuclear including SMRs
3) Ramping up new national grid connections/overseas interconnectors
4) Backing tidal power in South Wales & Liverpool
5) Incentives for Green industry along the lines of the IRA in America
6) Increasing heat pumps & solar
At 2% of the world’s CO2 emissions, we could go back to horse and cart tomorrow and it would make no difference apart from make everything more expensive and life more difficult. What we should do is explore alternative energies like hydrogen and not put unrealistic targets in legal timeframes. Oh, and not using our own gas and oil reserves, preferring to import these from overseas is just madness – bigger CO2 footprint, more expensive and less energy security.
Upgrade infrastructure for intermittency. Storage. Interconnectors.
It’s ridiculous having to stop wind turbines because there’s excess electricity being generated that can neither be stored or redirected to where it’s needed at the time.
making nuclear generation a minimum of 85% of all british energy use its the only policy that makes real sense
Onshore wind, solar and storage to mitigate the overloaded grid, create power where its needed.
Building regs to include better insulation, mandatory solar PV and heating tubes on roofs for industrial and domestic builds.
Reduce fossil fuel tax subsidies and move them to renewables and insulation.
Buy back electricity generating plants and use gas plants as a base load backup to renewables so they can be switched off without still paying the operator for power they don’t produce.
Allow competition within the generation industry so renewables are actually more competitive.
Encourage heavy industries to operate according to power availability, where possible
They need to get the plastic and glass recycling scheme in as soon as possible.
20 comments
This is a political debate, but I think the suggestions are things we can do simultaneously. Some are quite realistic proposals too, like the nationwide home insulation programme, which was already in effect until David “get rid of all the green crap” Cameron came along. It’d not only reduce emissions, by cutting waste energy, but quickly help people lower their bills.
A programme hugely expanding our nuclear energy industry like France did.
I don’t think it should prioritise one thing, rather keep investing and supporting a number of schemes that reduce emissions.
I would personally like to see more punitive import tariffs on goods manufactured in countries with high CO2 emissions/inefficient industry and poor environmental standards (i.e. China, India). Benefits workers here and forces companies to abide by standards rather than outsourcing the problem.
This is obviously problematic in a time of high inflation.
No new oil and gas investment. Nuclear power. Solar and wind. Storage technology. R&D for future technologies (fusion etc).
In roughly that order.
Place sanctions/economic war against china, because they contriubte to more than 30% of all pollution, while the UK contributes to less than 1%.
Why should WE suffer, when we are one of the greenest countriest on the planet, while others don’t have to suffer?
Nuclear power has to be the big one. The anti-nuclear movement has wreaked untold damage on climate action.
Mandatory passivhaus standard for all new builds, all new builds to be have solar, heat pumps, electric only, and battery storage. Force national grid to triple resources for grid connection backlog
. Reintroduce insulation discounts for existng stocks.
Remove planning restrictions for onshore wind.
Repurpose long term gas storage for hydrogen, massively ramp up electrolysers for large scale hydrogen production. Subsidize steel and chemical production to use hydrogen as feedstock. Pilot plant converting cghp gas power stations for same.
Carbon tax on imported goods that are produced using Fossil fuels.
Carbon tax on repeat flyers.
Build at least 3 new reservoirs, sewage levy on water companies to pay for them until they sort their literal shit out.
Reforestation of moorlands.
I could go on…..
Aggressive Carbon tax. According to many studies the single most effective climate policy
Finding ways to get most other countries to even attempt to meet their COP pledges.
Do you want real solutions or ones that rely on upholding the system that brought us to this point?
I can give you answers that will make you feel like something is being done but won’t solve anything at all, or you can have the truth. The truth is that if we changed to sustainable forms of energy in the late c20th like solar, wind, tidal and even nuclear we would have to give up some things we take for granted but the impact would be relatively mild. We didn’t do that so now if people really want to avoid the end of modern society they will have to accept a huge reduction in living standards now. Not in ten years or twenty but immediately.
They won’t though and any discussion about this is essentially a waste of time now. You have maybe ten years left, maybe. Enjoy it while you can.
Anything that doesn’t cripple people’s quality of life.
We will not be returning to mother Gaia worshipping or birkenstocks wearing thank you very much.
https://newecosocialworld.com/the-peoples-charter-for-an-eco-social-world/
Developed by a conference of people from around the world.
https://peoplesplanfornature.org
The People’s Plan for Nature was developed by a people’s assembly drawn from all over the UK. Check it out.
Stopping mass consumerism and making it so that wealth is no longer hoarded by a few individuals. If they have more money than anyone could need in a thousand lifetimes lying around doing nothing then that should be put to better use.
Abandon all national sovereignty and make Klaus Schwab world dictator already, I’m bored of this in-between bit now.
1) Removing barriers to onshore wind
2) Pushing New Nuclear including SMRs
3) Ramping up new national grid connections/overseas interconnectors
4) Backing tidal power in South Wales & Liverpool
5) Incentives for Green industry along the lines of the IRA in America
6) Increasing heat pumps & solar
At 2% of the world’s CO2 emissions, we could go back to horse and cart tomorrow and it would make no difference apart from make everything more expensive and life more difficult. What we should do is explore alternative energies like hydrogen and not put unrealistic targets in legal timeframes. Oh, and not using our own gas and oil reserves, preferring to import these from overseas is just madness – bigger CO2 footprint, more expensive and less energy security.
Upgrade infrastructure for intermittency. Storage. Interconnectors.
It’s ridiculous having to stop wind turbines because there’s excess electricity being generated that can neither be stored or redirected to where it’s needed at the time.
making nuclear generation a minimum of 85% of all british energy use its the only policy that makes real sense
Onshore wind, solar and storage to mitigate the overloaded grid, create power where its needed.
Building regs to include better insulation, mandatory solar PV and heating tubes on roofs for industrial and domestic builds.
Reduce fossil fuel tax subsidies and move them to renewables and insulation.
Buy back electricity generating plants and use gas plants as a base load backup to renewables so they can be switched off without still paying the operator for power they don’t produce.
Allow competition within the generation industry so renewables are actually more competitive.
Encourage heavy industries to operate according to power availability, where possible
They need to get the plastic and glass recycling scheme in as soon as possible.