Dependency on overseas energy supplies, volatile fossil fuel prices and the need for a low-carbon economy make the challenge of generating enough energy to keep the UK’s lights on one of the biggest facing our country – and one a Hay audience confronted with vigour. Libby Purves and Marcus Brigstocke led a lively discussion exploring the UK’s sustainable energy options, with expert insight provided by Richard Smith of the National Grid and David MacKay of the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Based on audience majority opinion - ‘Switch to hydrogen cars or more reliance on nuclear? - the panel used the 2050 calculator (which enables us to experiment with different ways of meeting the UK’s target to reduce emissions 80% by 2050) to show the consequences of our choices. Purves questioned the current “obsession” with appliances being digital, noting that by 2020 the energy consumption of the servers supporting our content streaming will exceed that of airlines. “What I’d like to see is the science and technology to make them less hungry,” she declared, with Brigstocke adding it would help if gadgets were simply easier to switch off – without having to re-programme everything every time. The audience voted for a 40 per cent decrease in appliance energy consumption. Brigstocke decreed solar panels to be a “cool bit of kit” but made the crucial point that “These things should not only be the preserve of people who can afford to care,” which was met with approval from the crowd. Meanwhile, despite Libby Purves’ opposition, the Hay audience was largely supportive of wind turbines, voting for a considerable increase in their numbers.
Posted on: Thu, 29 May 2014 10:25:49 +0000
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