Labour’s election pledge for a big investment in energy-saving and green energy production is a vote winner with younger voters – and with me (see here and here).
If there is a climate crisis (and there is) then we need to invest in this type of thing. The investment in insulation, which is always at the bottom of the list of comment, is very important. Better insulation of our old housing stock is just the type of thing in which it is wise for government to invest. It creates jobs, it reduces energy bills (sometimes for the poorest in society) and it is a longish term fix which pays off in the end but has a high upfront cost for individuals.
But yes, let’s use all that viable roof space on commercial buildings to generate solar power. And let’s not give planning permission for new build without that being included.
I like it.
In constrast, I had a leaflet through the door asking my views on the NHS from the Tory Party this weekend – my view is that it is not safe in your hands and I wouldn’t trust you with it.
[registration_form]
Yes indeed, save before generate. And home energy use is supposed to be the one of the big three for ordinary people like us, with transport use and food consumption. Must more than other items on your gas/electric bill. Just hope it’s viable without driving the country into even more debt.
Installing insulation is one of the most cost effective ways of creating employment as well. It along with things such as Passiv House design dramatically reduces fuel needs in the first place, so was a far better option than pushing wood stoves (because wood is ‘renewable’ and not a fossil fuel…blah, blah) and, as some ‘conservation’ groups have done promote community involvement in woodlands by pushing them as a source of fuel – rather than wildlife, wonder and beauty. I wonder how many homes are ‘green’ because they have a wood stove, but whose insulation is shitty?
This is music to my ears as I used to work in this field and have become really frustrated at how environmental groups never seem to mention un-sexy things like boring old fuel conservation and energy efficiency anymore – when was the last time any of them waved the flag for better insulation or for that matter asked the public to drive smaller cars? Very well done indeed Labour, but still need to get your act together re going beyond sound bites on how bad grouse moors are.
Yes to helping residential houses insulate and get solar if the latter is viable.. not every house can.. those were the first 2 things we did (well, solar was only water but still a massive step in the 1990s) to our house when we bought it almost 30 years ago, much to the bemusement of our neighbours.. our energy bills are a fraction of theirs. And a yes to all farm barns, offices and industrial units having solar panels and as many other energy-saving things as possible, as soon as possible, and ANY new-builds as energy efficient and generating, compulsory, with sparrow, starling and swift holes built in, too… and whilst we are putting solar on rooves, we can get boxes up on houses, flats and offices for those 3 species…………
But we also need to persuade people that they DO not need to have homes/offices heated to a temperature of 20-plus degrees.. just put a jumper on over shirt and 17 or 18 degrees is perfectly fine……or even a second jumper………
This is a fantastic initiative by Labour – saving should always come first, but as Les says never gets mentioned – probably because there’s less money in it for big business. It’s a double whammy for Labour because it will help some of the poorest in the country who live in the worst of our antiquated housing stock, and all of us because it will reduce emissions without the need for lots more energy production. To put it in perspective, it is nearly as much as our entire transport emissions which get massively higher coverage – and most heat doesn’t come from electricity, which many seem to think is the same as energy.
Les is absolutely right that insulation comes first, and also that for modern, well designed eco-designs you’ll find a woodburning stove far too hot ! I think there will need to be limits on wood burning in cities – which is why when I wrote the Government Woodfuel Strategy the focus was on medium size (30-500kw) boilers which burn cleaner than a domestic stove, with a strong nudge towards rural rather than urban. But cutting wood for fuel does work for conservation – by far the biggest problem for woodland wildlife is lack of management, with nearly 500,000 hectares of woodland getting darker and unsuitable for a wide range of flora, birds and insects.
As well as too many woods having no ground flora they have a massive deficit of dead wood too. Best option cut wood then leave it in situ so it’s a double conservation gain more light and more habitat for hundreds of dead wood specialists. Of course beavers are good at this! It tears at my soul to see genuine waste wood in skips – broken pallets, old flooring, offcuts – going to landfill when it could have at least went in a wood stove.
What a cheek the Tories have to ask about the NHS when they have virtually destroyed it. In most cases it is now heaven knows how many weeks before one can see one’s own doctor.. “Safe in their hands” if you believe that you believe anything.
Alan, During the last 4 years my wife has been treated for cancer and I have had a minor hernia operation. Both treated locally by the NHS in a vey professional and timely manner. Our local medical centre offers a reliable, efficient service for our day to day aches and pains. Last week I got a doctors appointment in two days. So the NHS has not been destroyed in my local area. I find it hard to believe the NHS has been ‘virtually destroyed’ as you state. Based on my own experience over the last few years, I have nothing but praise for the system.
Anyone who has to sign an NHS consent form for any form of surgery should require the Surgeon to sign a confirmation that at no time will He the Surgeon allow You the Patient be reliant for the Quantity and Quality of Life on any equipment that is powered by wind or solar elecatricity generation. Make sure you do this before you Cease to Care under the influence of pre-meds.