Climate Change and Energy PolicyGlobal warming and climate change are spiralling out of control. It could soon be too late to reverse the trend. A sustainable energy policy must be framed in this context. A disastrous rise in sea levels is under way as the polar ice caps melt, posing catastrophic threats to low-lying countries such as Bangladesh.
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more severe. Agricultural production and biodiversity are under threat as the deserts extend and fresh water becomes even scarcer.
This situation is created predominantly by human activity, in particular by a reliance on fossil fuels, resulting in the release of huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Transport, industry and domestic use, are the main producers of greenhouse gas. If this goes unchecked carbon dioxide concentrations are likely to rise above 550ppm by 2050. This, it is generally agreed, would make life on the planet intolerable.
Unfortunately, government and corporate responses to this challenge have been woefully inadequate. Energy policy remains fossil fuel based. Even the modest provisions of the Kyoto Protocol (which would not of themselves resolve the problem) are flouted, most notably by the oil-dominated Bush administration.
Only a serious challenge to corporate interests and government inaction can tackle this problem and bring about a big change to sustainable ways of living.
Renewable forms of energy – wind, wave, solar, bio-mass – have an important role to play in this and must be central to an energy policy for this country. But they have to go alongside a big reduction in fossil fuel usage – at least 60 percent by 2050. The nuclear power option is unacceptable. It is expensive, remains dangerous for thousands of years, and can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.
As part of a planned reduction in fossil fuel usage Respect would take back into public ownership the North Sea oil and gas industry and what remains of the North Sea reserves. We would put massive investment into energy conservation and alternative transport systems to replace the car. We would end the tax breaks to the airlines and stop runway expansion.
We would put big investment into sustainable housing, the localisation of food
production, and the sustainable design of towns and cities.
New Labour’s “green” policies have been largely cosmetic. It levies massive taxes on petrol, but like the Tories, has not invested in public transport in order to create a viable alternative to car use.
The oil companies make vast profits. New Labour’s embrace of the big corporations – including agribusiness – along with capitalist globalisation has compounded the environmental crisis.
RESPECT CALLS FOR:
- Emergency steps to reduce the use of fossil fuels – 60 percent by 2050 – alongside massively increased investment in sustainable energy – including solar, biological, and wind and wave power.
- An international treaty which goes way beyond Kyoto.
- A cheap and integrated transport system to provide an alternative to car use, making the current road building programme unnecessary.
- Localised food production with a big reduction in food miles.
- Sustainable city planning.
- Tough action against corporate polluters.
- Halt airport expansion and end the £9 billion tax-break to the airlines.
- No return to nuclear energy, close all nuclear plants.
- Increased public investment to make homes energy efficient.
- High quality facilities to maximise recycling. No to incinerators. The aim should be the full recycling of waste.
- Support for campaigns against climate change and the initiatives they call. Emergency steps to reduce the use of fossil fuels – 60 percent by 2050 – alongside massively increased investment in sustainable energy – including solar, biological, and wind and wave power.
- An international treaty which goes way beyond Kyoto.
- A cheap and integrated transport system to provide an alternative to car use, making the current road building programme unnecessary.
- Localised food production with a big reduction in food miles.
- Sustainable city planning.
- Tough action against corporate polluters.
- Halt airport expansion and end the £9 billion tax-break to the airlines.
- No return to nuclear energy, close all nuclear plants.
- Increased public investment to make homes energy efficient.
- High quality facilities to maximise recycling. No to incinerators. The aim should be the full recycling of waste.
- Support for campaigns against climate change and the initiatives they call.
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