Greens promote renewable technology as part of Energy Savings Week
23 October 2005
Green Party Principal Speaker Keith Taylor commented: "Climate change iscurrently the gravest threat to our environment and our economic security.Extreme storms, flooding, damage to agricultural land and other climatechange-related disasters are costing billions in damages and lost economicactivity, particularly in the more vulnerable developing world.
"To contain and reduce global warming we must drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. That is possible if we reduce our energy consumptionand invest heavily in renewable energy. This isn't a question of choicebut necessity - the Government needs to show courage and environmentalleadership.
"Thanks to our climate and rugged coastline the UK is uniquely placed togenerate energy from renewable sources - such as wind, wave and solarpower. In his pursuit of new nuclear power stations Tony Blair isconsigning coming generations to a dirty, dangerous and expensive future.
"Nuclear is both astronomically expensive and dangerous - the DTI's figuresthemselves show that the cost per unit of nuclear energy production isgreater than off-shore wind power (1), and current estimates suggest thatthe UK'sliability for nuclear waste stands at around £1000 per person andrising.(2) Nuclear power stations also threaten the UK's health and futuresecurity - routine discharges from nuclear power plants increase the riskof cancers and leukaemia amongst nearby residents.
"The Green Party would massively invest into renewables - a safe,sustainable energy supply. We would connect the onshore /offshore grid,creating thousands of jobs and allowing us to switch from carbon-based to arenewables economy. Money from the publicly funded nuclear programme wouldbe diverted into the research and development of renewables. By 2020 we aimto provide 40% of the UK's energy from renewable sources.(3)
"Micro - renewables would play a key role in this. We would use currentsupport frameworks to assist less affluent households to fit solar panelsand micro-turbines.
"The technology is there, what's needed is courage and political will."
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
(1) The Performance and Innovation Unit's Energy Review (2002) estimatesoff-shore wind power at 2-3p/kWh, compared to 2-5.4p/kWh for nuclear
