REV PETER'S THOUGHTS
I occasionally get asked if there is any good environmental news, and the most certainly is. I'm writing this on the 14th of January, on my phone I have one of those clever little apps that shows the National Grid live. As I write this 59.8% about energy is provided by renewables, that is solar, wind, and hydroelectric. Only 7.4% of our energy is from fossil fuels, that is coal, and gas, the 16.3% of other sources comes from nuclear and biomass. The figures for the last week are almost the same. The fact is that according to the International Energy Agency, renewable energy will represent the majority of power generation globally by 2025. Considering the present war in the Ukraine, and often Europe’s reliance on Russian gas for energy, these figures are certainly very good news.
France banned short-haul flights between Paris and Nantes, Lyon, and Bordeaux in favour of train travel. France also plans to cover every parking lot in the country with solar panels. Short private jet flights are also subject to the ban. In the UK, a Welsh Hospital, Morriston Hospital in Swansea now has its own Solar Farm. Hospital Officials had originally hoped the farm serving the Hospital would save about £480,000 in energy costs. But the rise in the electricity price mean that is now closer to £1m. Welsh NHS chief executive Judith Paget said more hospitals across Wales were "exploring the possibility of solar power". And across the E.U., countries have agreed to cut their heat-trapping gas emissions by at least 55% in the next eight years.
Single-use plastic plates, cutlery and a host of other items are set to be banned in England from October. The Department for the Environment said the ban will also cover single-use plastic bowls, trays as well as certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers, as the Government seeks to curb the “devastating” impact of plastic on the environment. England uses around 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery per year, with only 10% recycled. The change will mean that from this October the public will not be able to buy the banned items from retailers, takeaways and food vendors. Although the Fast Food and takeaway outlets are complaining about increases in prices due to the cost of the items that must be recyclable or compostable, the fact is that single use plastics are cheap at the supply but extremely expensive for us all to clean up after their use.