UK greenhouse gas emissions down 3.4% in 2015 on less coal use - govt estimates (click here)
March 31, 2016
The UK’s greenhouse gas output dropped by 3.4% in 2015 mainly due to less coal being used by the energy sector, according to provisional estimates published by the government on Thursday.
The country emitted 497.2 million tonnes of CO2e last year, down from 514.4 million in 2014, with the energy supply sector leading the way lower with a 13% reduction to 136 million tonnes.
“Since 2014, emissions from power stations have decreased by 17%, largely due to changes in the fuel mix,” the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said in a report, adding that with output of 101.5 million tonnes, power plants accounted for just over a quarter of the total figure.
“In particular there was a 24% decrease in coal use for generation, resulting from the conversion of a unit at the Drax plant from coal to biomass and the temporary closure of some plants due to market conditions, in addition to an increase in the carbon floor price from Apr. 2015. There was increased use of nuclear and renewables for electricity generation (10% and 29% increases respectively).”...
The idea of reducing the greenhouse gas load in Earth's troposphere has to be stated as a promise to future generations. Current leadership has to promise to bring alternative energies to any growth in need by a growing population and economy.
In other words, there needs to be a reality check that everyday on Earth there are more and more people. The planning for population growth has to be definitive in that these additional consumers of energy will receive it from environmentally responsible sources.
It isn't enough to simply reduce old energy sources, it means Earth's future will be untainted by old fossil fuel usage. In addition, as energy sources become outdated and aged, they have to be replaced with alternative sources because that is the future. The future has to be defined as safe, renewable energy that has zero greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuels will be phased out.
The problem in asking any government to end the use of fossil fuels was the fact long term spending dictated energy sources. Once a coal fired plant was built is usually had a life of at least 30 years. Ending that dependence on fossil fuel for cheap energy was very difficult. Today, alternative energies are economical because they are being perfected along with new electrical grids.
The beautiful thing about alternative energies is that consumers can produce their own solar and wind energy. The more independent a consumer can be the less and less cost energy becomes after initial construction and occasional maintenance.
The future is taking shape, but, it is only the beginning.
