The fight for civilisation is won; the challenge of keeping it has just begun!
“In 2004 I first coined this phrase, as a way of explaining to people that the modern world in which we all live is by no means permanent. The achievements which have enabled our modern life had to be fought and died for, but now we are at the pinnacle of our modern civilisation, we [...]
The UK is at risk of a energy crisis, engineers warn
The UK’s competitiveness and future security will come under threat if the Government fails to act on energy policy, the Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF) will warn today. The UK faces an unprecedented combination of energy challenges over the next decade and needs to invest billions of pounds in infrastructure, manage the risks associated with growing [...]
Global demand for solar panels is causing UK shortages
The introduction of ‘Feed-in Tariffs’, that pay homeowners for electricity fed into the grid, has led to a rise in demand for solar panels, But householders who have installed the expensive technology are unable to start generating electricity because of a shortage of “inverters”. Solar panel manufacturers say the shortage is a “blip” that will [...]
Has BP changed how you think about oil?
The world confronts a stark choice. Consumers can keep making bargains with oil and gas giants, minimizing regulations in exchange for low prices, allowing those who profit from declining fossil fuels to poison oceans and air shared by all. Or consumers can make sacrifices – imposing regulations and carbon taxes, requiring disaster preparation and development [...]
5 Good reasons why it’s a good time to install solar panels
With solar panels brought into the public and media spotlight recently, many questions are asked about this green and energy saving technology. 1. One such issue, is pricing and if installations are likely to be reduced over the coming years. This view is supported by other technologies which have come down in price as uptake [...]
UK business fears over the looming energy crunch
Over 80 per cent of UK firms expect energy and fuel prices to rise sharply with nearly half expressing fears that the UK could face serious energy supply shortages within five years. That is the conclusion of a new survey of over 210 UK executives carried out by the Economist Intelligence Unit, which revealed growing interest [...]
Obama’s speech asks people to unite over cleaner energy
After the disaster which was the Florida Gulf coast oil spill, president Obama today asked all Americans to unite and push for a greener cleaner future. Such a future can only occur from public demand, and in a country which is still coming to terms with it’s unsustainable oil addiction, this plea has come at [...]
If you thought solar panels were a bad idea, peak oil will change your mind
Cheap, abundant, politically secure oil is no longer available. If you have ever thought your lifestyle whether you are rich or poor was comfortable long term, then please think again. Of late, there have been disparate predictions for our oil reserves, with some claiming that oil will last us for decades. In fact, the question [...]
Top scientist says politicians have ‘heads in the sand’ over energy crunch
Global oil supplies are dwindling and governments need to act now to introduce low-carbon transport, says Sir David King Britain’s former chief scientist has attacked politicians and industry experts who have their “heads in the sand” over dwindling oil supplies. Sir David King said governments, including the UK’s, were too eager to believe the optimistic predictions [...]
A bright future for the pv solar panels industry
The UK’s PV solar panels market could grow five fold in 2010 as a result of feed in tariffs according to new analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers into the prospects for the UK solar PV market. Five fold increase in solar photovoltaic (PV) installations expected in 2010 Britain currently lagging a decade behind other leading European countries [...]
The basics on feed in tariffs
In China it is illegal to be without a solar panel on a certain-sized home. It’s the type of policy that works better in a totalitarian state, so here in Britain we are to be enticed to turn houses into energy-generating hubs courtesy of the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) system. For every watt you generate you [...]
Why I had solar panels installed to my home?
The initial investment in PV solar panels is not a small one. However, in my case, my newly acquired pension lump sum was struggling to make me any money in a ‘safe’ bank account, so I looked into pv solar with great interest. It seemed that to get a decent return on investment, you needed [...]
Mr Cameron – Time to get real over our looming energy crunch
David Cameron, Britain’s new prime minister, may have succeeded in bridging his country’s political power gap, but another looms that could very quickly short-circuit the Tory leader’s grip on national power, unless his coalition government gets real – and quickly – over energy and environment. For one thing, the sale of two-thirds of the nation’s [...]
Oil drilling in the Arctic must never be allowed
Shell yesterday pushed ahead with plans to drill in the Arctic Sea this summer, defying calls for a moratorium on offshore exploration in the pristine wilderness following the Gulf of Mexico disaster. California’s governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, this month scrapped plans to allow offshore drilling in the state for the first time in more than 40 [...]
The global popularity of solar panels
PV solar panels are expected to provide almost a quarter of the globes electricity supplies by 2050, according to a report published by the International Energy Agency (IEA). With the right policies in place, the IEA says that Photovoltaic solar panels on domestic and commercial buildings could compete with fossil fuel electricity supplies by 2020. [...]
