Climate action now on agenda (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Climate action now on agenda

1:28pm Thursday 11th December 2008

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This week government representatives from around the world are meeting in Poland to discuss the latest step to take on the journey to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and how to limit global temperature rises to a manageable two degrees Centigrade rather than a catastrophic four degrees or more that we are currently heading for.

But with Barack Obama joining the debate, the emphasis now is more on what will be done rather than what can be done. The world is at last focused on doing and agreeing things and not just talking about it.

Britain is leading the way with the Climate Change Act now law and the Government’s advisory committee has proposed a cut in emissions by 30 per cent in a decade and an 80 per cent cut by 2050.

Now the country - everyone one of us, every business and every public body - has to take action to put that into practice.

We cannot afford to take a risk on climate change. The predictions are horrendous if we carry on as we are and the precautionary principle is paramount - we spent (and still do spend) billions on nuclear weapons just in case.

Let’s do the same on energy and transport and more just in case too rather than one day regret not doing so as billions die or are forced to flee rising sea levels, drought or floods.

Almost every day there is good news for the future of the planet and all the wonderful plants and animals that live on it as solutions are found to the basic problem of switching our carbon-based industry and lifestyle to a renewable and sustainable one.

Big new offshore windfarms are announced, solar power stations are built in Spain, using algae to absorb the CO2 from power stations is investigated, businesses are looking at the possibility of using old mines in Cornwall to produce geo-thermal energy and, closer to home, micro-generation plants on Dales rivers are close to becoming a reality.

Although I think wind turbines are beautiful, I’ve always been against big windfarms in beautiful areas of the country and, in those cases, there are a lot more technologies out there that could wean us off our addiction to the black stuff.

The windfarm at Gargrave was turned down recently and another development near Draughton is opposed. But I just wish all the energy galvanised by the fight for and against those proposals could instead be put behind forcing the installation of solar hot water panels, undersoil heating, biogas generators and water turbines to meet the district’s renewable energy obligations.

For example, the Grassington hydro-electric scheme that is using old buildings used for that purpose from the early 1900s has taken two years to come to fruition despite the fact that all the relevant bodies were in favour and not one objection was received.

The similar scheme at Settle is mired in controversy over its possible effect on migrating fish. Yet there could be dozens of sites across the area that could house a generator and produce electricity - just think of all those mills beside and weirs on becks and rivers dotted along our valleys.

If we are to tackle climate change then we will have to take action swiftly but, rather like a super tanker, turning around the economy and the Government’s way of thinking takes a while.

That is why it is beholden of all of us to do our bit to help. We can’t wait for Government, Councils and multi-nationals to take the lead, we have to pick up the gauntlet ourselves by planning what to do to counter rising prices and declining reserves of fossil fuels.

Green or Obscene - the mileage counter

Miles by car: -246

Miles being driven: -39

Miles by train: +563

Miles on foot: +115

Miles by bike: +0

Miles by bus: +28

Miles by ferry: +0

Total: +421 (running total: -1541)