ENERGY IS ALL AROUND US
September 21, 2006 12:00 AM
Spot the energy source on Brighton's seafront
The Liberal Democrat party conference in Brighton this week, sees Sir Menzies Campbell MP moving his party forward with radical plans to combat climate change including a target of 20% of UK electricity being generated by a range of renewable sources by 2020.
Fiona Hall, Euro MP for the North East and Energy Spokesperson in the European Parliament said:
"Liberal Democrats are getting down to the core of the climate change problem. We see micro solutions as the key, rather than macro solutions, such as a new generation of nuclear power stations.
"Making use of the natural power of the sun, sea and wind allows us to develop clean and long-lasting solutions to energy shortages.
"Wind power is available now, particularly in the North East. So is the power of the sun through photovoltaics and biomass and biofuels from plants. But wave and tidal power, which have great potential, need further technological development to be commercial. We need to make sure that research and innovation funding is available to get them onstream."
Ms Hall believes the North East can lead the rest of the country on this:
"Renewable technologies create jobs - real jobs for farmers and local businesses. Up to 500 rural jobs and 80 industrial processing jobs are created per 100,000 tonnes of biofuel produced. North East England is particularly well placed to develop biofuels because we have a top oil seed rape growing area next to an established petrochemical industry."
Alan Beith MP for Berwick Upon Tweed added:
"We need to make use of a range of renewable energy sources to avoid over-dependence on any one sector, and to reduce our dependency on gas and oil from overseas."
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