Hull Daily Mail
the UK’s new industrial revolution
Andrew Morton describes how renewable energy – which by definition is dependable, predictable and sustainable – can be the driving force behind future economic growth.
A
s a country, the UK can claim to have seen it before. Rising unemployment, the threat of widespread government cuts and a crippling recession – all set against the worrying backdrop of an energy crisis.
As many economists, historians and politicians have pointed out, the scenario faced by the country in the 1970s is very similar to the problems we are battling both as businesses and individuals in 2012. But there is, thankfully, a critical difference between then and now, which could help fuel an economic recovery and also shape a cleaner, greener, future. Forty years ago, reducing fossil fuel use and living more sustainably was only a storyline on episodes of The Good Life. Whereas, today’s financial woes come at a time when corporations, communities and countries are agreed on the need to move towards a lowcarbon existence. This outlook is coupled with the genuine need to slash energy costs. Collectively, this unique situation presents the chance for a new industrial revolution. And the good news is that it is a
transformation many of us can join and even benefit from. Moreover, the UK’s expanding renewable energy industry, and the wider environmental sector, is big business and we should not be afraid to talk about it in this sense. The issue of powering our workplaces and homes in the decades to come is not going to disappear. The challenge is considerable – with equally considerable investment needed to overcome the hurdle. So, in switching to greener fuel, we can potentially improve our balance sheet at the same time. When you think the offshore wind power sector alone could be employing nearly 100,000 people in the UK by 2020 – according to a report released in June by the Centre for Economics and Business Research – you begin to realise the scale of this economic opportunity.
T h e G u i d e t o L i m i tl e s s C l e a n E n e r g y
Renewables:
JULY
2012
11 ©Blue & Green Communications 2012