…it could be good for you, good for jobs and good for Britain…

Some of you may have seen the blog entitled what happens when the oil runs out but there is a broader issue of what happens when we have used all the fossil fuels available to us, and what we have or have not done to our environment in the process of using all theses fossil fuels, we call it global warming but it looks like it could be much more than just a bit of warming.

Everyone seems to be using more and more ‘essential’ gadgets all of which are powered by electricity, just count how many chargers there are around your house. What is going to happen when all our oil/gas and coal fired power stations run out of their raw material, fossil fuels. and what are we doing to our environment in the process of consuming these ever larger quantities of electricity.

This is a very complex question, but one thing is for sure, the can of worms is well and truly open and there is no chance of getting the worms back in and closing it again. We all travel more, use more electrical goods, eat more exotic foods from far away places, and if you check the labels on the things you buy from kids toys through to the latest high tech gadgets, you will almost inevitably see made in China on the label. Our all consuming life style is contributing to the changing of our planet and its ability to sustain us in ways that I certainly did not know until recently. I hesitate to call this global warming, or climate change as this is just a part of it, it is ultimately about the planet earth’s ability to sustain life as we know it.

The oceans, the forests, winds, currents, the ice caps and the land we live on all form part of a complex eco system which works toward maintaining the conditions for life on earth. We all talk, rather glibly at times, about our carbon foot prints, but the amount of carbon we are pumping into the air through our current life style is starting to affect this eco system, one of its byproducts is global warming, but what we are doing is starting to affect the essential components for sustaining life on this planet of ours.

Its a massive problem that needs to be tackled by the whole world, by international and national governments, big and small business, local governments and ultimately you and me. We can do our bit by buying local stuff, by stuff I mean, food, goods and services, a good old buy British campaign if you like, it will be good for local people, good for the economy and good for the planet. Local government and business need to look at their purchasing policies and their green credentials to ensure they are doing their but to cut carbon emissions, and working responsibly on this planet on which we live. National and international governments, along with big business need to look at how we are generating and using power, and what we will be using in 20 years time to power our homes all our forms of transport and run our industries, not only to be able to sustain our life styles but also to begin to redress the balance in our planets delicate eco system for our children and children’s children.

For our main power needs it looks like nuclear power is the only viable way forward at the moment, we use so much power, that wind farms and other forms of ‘green’ energy production just could not provide the quantities of power needed without serious damage being caused to the landscape we live in. Nuclear power has had a bad press over the years mainly due the the nuclear arms race(s) and the dropping of the nuclear bombs in Japan. As a source of future power generation it is still the safest and most efficient form of mass power generation we currently have. Perhaps it needs re-branding to something like fusion power to loose some of its stigma.

So why has this normal bloke, with a pretty large carbon foot print of his own, gone all green on us. If we step back and look at the bigger picture I am becoming more and more convinced we all need to do something to curb our appetites for power, in the generating sense. This means not only looking after ourselves, but also what is probably the most important thing in most of our lives, our children and our grand children and their quality of life, we owe it to them to make sure the planet is in as good a condition for them as it was for us and our parents.

We have to make a start now probably by making small adjustments in all areas of our lives, such as walking a little more and leaving the car at home, buying British first, and in our jobs making sure all forms are government and business really know the impact to the planet tomorrow of decisions we and they are making today. Strangely enough looking after the planet could be good for ourselves and our families, good for jobs, good Britain and good for the planet, now where have I heard that before…..

If you want to know more James Lovelock and his theories on Gaia as the planets eco-system as it is called is a very interesting, if a bit heavy, read.

A controversial blog yes… but as Richard Branson and others are pointing out time has not run out yet to do something, but to borrow another metaphor Rome has started to burn.

I’m now going to put my tin hat on and see what you lot have to say….

Darren Porter