TL: The struggle for power....will it be clean?
SO: GREENPEACE UK, (GP)
DT: JUNE, 1997

 The struggle for clean power

 There is demand for more fossil fuels than the world's ecosystem can
 support. Current oil and gas reserves contain some 1200 million tonnes
 of carbon. Emitting just half of this would double carbon dioxide
 concentrations in the atmosphere and take us past the danger threshold
 for climatic disruption. Yet oil prices continue to externalise it's
 main cost - the damage caused by fossil fuel pollution. Renewable
 technologies could provide massive amounts of clean energy, but, without
 intervention to create a market for clean energy, they cannot substitute
 for polluting fuels. Doing so would require action to limit the supply
 of fossil fuels at the same time as taking action to dramatically expand
 renewable energy capacity.

 The response so far

 Five years after the UNCED Earth Summit, where governments committed to
 the principles of sustainable development, the UK have decided to
 approve massive expansion of the oil industry into the Atlantic
 Frontier. Whilst Mr. Gummer berates other industrialised countries for
 subsidising fossil fuels, the Treasury approves billion pound tax breaks
 for oil exploration. The DTI grant new licenses for these new oil fields
 whilst failing to develop renewable energy to the point where it can
 displace fossil fuels.

 In the first ten years of the Government's renewable energy programme
 renewable capacity will only have risen from 1.5% to 3% of electricity
 generation. During the same period, up to the year 2000, total final
 energy demand is expected to rise by over 10%. There has been no net
 substitution of renewable energy for fossil fuel generation.

 It has failed to create competition for energy efficiency for the
 consumer. Government figures show that current energy consumption is 20%
 above levels which would be most economically efficient, which
 effectively puts £10 billion on the nation's energy bill.

 As a symbol of its lack of vision for renewables, it continues to
 exclude solar electric from consumer support despite massive market
 potential and genuine public enthusiasm. The Government spend twice as
 much on publicity for the offshore oil industry than on promoting solar
 photovoltaics.

 There are solutions

 Government should begin by

    * refusing permission for all new frontier oil exploration

    * continuing the current 10% Fossil Fuel Levy and using all revenues
      for the commercialisation of solar, wind, water and biomass
      technologies

    * ensuring that the energy regulators establish a competitive market
      for energy efficiency

    * switching all nuclear fusion research support to demonstration
      programmes for solar technologies

    * setting an example, and solarising all new and refurbished
      government buildings.