Tide, Wind, Sun...
Join the energy revolution
Community support: See a list of local groups, organisations and businesses who have joined the energy revolution.
The revolution needs you!
We need to revolutionise the way we power the UK. Find out more about the Energy Revolution below and find out what you can do now to join the Energy Revolution.
TIME TO ACT
The government plans to publish a renewable energy strategy in Spring 2009. As a first step to delivering an energy revolution, this strategy needs two important things.
- Delivering at least 15 per cent of our energy from UK renewables by 2020.
- Making sure the energy regulator's main job is to cut climate change emissions by prioritising renewables and energy efficiency.
Climate change is a problem we all need to tackle together. For the government to act, they need to know that people all over the country want them to act.
We are targeting our local communities groups in a bid to get the message across. We want community groups, businesses and organisations from all walks of life to back the campaign for an energy revolution.
Are you part of a community group who would like to join the energy revolution? Contact us for more information.
Community support: See a list of local groups, organisations and businesses who have joined the energy revolution.
It's time to start a revolution!
Energy from the sun, wind, tides and waves can generate a clean and long lasting energy supply. The Government is discussing a European agreement on renewable energy - known as The Renewables Directive - Draft Renewable Energy Directive
This Directive commits the UK to getting 15% of our energy from renewable sources by 2020.
Unfortunately our government is making suggestions for loopholes that could seriously undermine commitment to developing renewable energy. We feel the Government is trying to wriggle out of its commitments. It's pushing for compromises which could weaken the Directive including:
- Energy certificates
Countries buying credits from outside the EU. - Extra concessions
For unfinished large-scale projects. - National Grid rules
Not giving renewable electricity priority access.
Renewable energy can help to tackle the twin challenges of:
- Spiralling energy bills.
- Dangerous climate change.
A thriving renewable energy industry could generate billions of pounds and hundreds of thousands of jobs in the UK. The Governments record to date has been poor. Bar Malta and Luxembourg we have the lowest proportion of renewable energy in Europe. Despite improvements in recent months we are not doing anywhere hear enough!
Did you know?
The UK generates less than 2% of its energy from renewable power - Sweden generates around 40%.
What can you do to join the energy revolution?
Get your community group, business or organisation to show their support for an energy revolution. Contact us for more information.
Wind of change at the Day of Action - Sunday 26th October
The FOE York and Ryedale Renewables Day of Action took place on Sunday 26th October. We had a lot of support and interest from the people of York who we encouraged to support the renewable energy campaign by signing postcards to send to their MP to try to stop the government from weakening the proposed target for 15% of our energy to come from renewable resources by 2020.
We are also meeting with Hugh Bayley MP in November to talk about the campaign. Watch this space!
Ask your MP to help build a home grown UK energy industry
We can revolutionise the way we power the UK. We have the know-how and some of the biggest renewable energy potential in Europe. All we need is our Government to deliver on its promises.
Contact your MP and ask them to help build a home grown UK energy industry
Create a demand for renewable energy
Change your electricity to a green tariff, it's best to go with a 100% renewable energy supplier like Good Energy, although you can also ask your current supplier if you can change to their Green Tariff!
Good Energy and Friends of the Earth are celebrating the launch of a new partnership, to drive the growth of renewable energy in the UK. September marks the start of this powerful partnership between Friends of the Earth and Good Energy. Good Energy will donate £30 to Friends of the Earth for every new customer sign up coming through Friends of the Earth. Find out more about Good Energy...
Invest in your own renewable energy at home
It might seem like an expensive option now, but in the long run as gas and oil prices rocket it will save you money.
The Energy Trust has useful information on the different technologies and grants, and also on other aspects of cutting your carbon footprint. Find out more about the home renewable energy...
A new wave of renewable energy?
The government recently carried out a consultation on its renewable energy plans for the UK. The consultation is an excellent source of information about the current renewable energy situation in the UK. We held a meeting to discuss the plans and submitted a response. In a nutshell, we called on the government to greatly accelerate the installation of renewable forms of energy generation and the accompanying electricity distribution system. We called on the government to invest much more money in the development of renewable forms of energy such as solar, tidal power and wave power.
We noted that a new device to utilize wave power had been developed in the UK but was installed in Portugal before being used here.
A report in an October edition of the Observer "UK wind farms on the brink of failure" describes how wind farm development in the UK is well behind schedule and faces many obstacles to achieving the necessary targets