When we combine efficiency and technology we can lower greenhouse gas emissions, provide cheaper electricity and heating, and create a more secure energy supply.
Decentralised
energy
The city centres of
tomorrow’s networked world will produce power and heat as well as
consume it. The roofs and facades of public buildings are ideal for
harvesting solar energy. Efficient energy use will become the
standard for all buildings. We will have a diversity of energy
sources that are well suited to the needs of the area and in some
cases, particularly in developing countries, independent from the
national network.
Britain is already committed to a 34 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. This is a big leap from where we are now, but in reality it's unlikely to be a big enough step to stop temperatures rising to levels that result in extreme weather events and droughts. Developed countries like the UK will need to go further.
Possibly the most useful - and least understood - step we could take is to reduce our overall energy demand.
This doesn't have to mean a drop in our living standards - wastefulness is built right into the system we use. Many of our power plants (whatever the fuel type) waste around two-thirds of the energy that goes into them; our homes and offices are poorly insulated; our appliances keep using energy even on standby; our cars use only a fraction of the energy in petrol and diesel... the list is goes on.
Posted by jossc — 28 May 2009 at 11:50am
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Comments
If saving our climate was a game of poker and all the various
stakeholders - our heads of state, the energy industry,
environmentalists, etc - were players, there would be one player at the
table who hasn't yet shown their cards. The hold-out in this particular
game is the Information Technology (IT) Industry, a player who is
sitting on a lot of chips in a high stakes game, despite holding a
winning hand.
Posted by jossc — 4 December 2007 at 3:27pm
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Comments
Question: switching from a computer running on Windows to one running on Linux could slash computer-generated e-waste levels by 50 per cent. True or false?
And the
answer is (cue long drawn-out tension building drumroll): TRUE!
Posted by bex — 15 October 2007 at 4:19pm
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Comments
You might be looking forward to the European launch of Apple's iPhone in November (we were certainly looking forward to the possibility that the iPhone would prove Steve Jobs' newfound commitment to the environment).
Unfortunately, the iPhone's beauty only runs skin deep. A team of scientists got hold of one, dismantled it and uncovered nasty stuff that other phone makers have already stopped using, including two types of hazardous substances:
Our international office has the full story - including a report (pdf) and a slideshow of high quality images.
An innovative new solar powered refrigeration unit developed by Greenpeace International and six other international organizations, won the Environmental Pioneer in Refrigeration award in the 2006 Cooling Industry Awards. The SolarChill Vaccine Cooler & Refrigerator Project will enable vaccines to be stored in areas around the world without an adequate electricity supply.
