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Climate crisis demands energy revolution

The growing crisis of climate change requires a major shift in energy policy in Wales, according to a leading environmental organisation. In its response to the Welsh Assembly Government's energy consultation document, Friend of the Earth Cymru is calling for significant improvements in energy efficiency, further developments of renewable energy systems, such as wind and tidal power, and the introduction of more efficient coal technologies.

The Assembly Government is also being urged to promote the use of hydrogen fuel, to give greater support to the extremely efficient combined heat and power systems, and to look into the possibility of capturing and storing the carbon dioxide produced by power stations.

Neil Crumpton of Friends of the Earth Cymru said:

"There are a number of aspects of the proposed energy policy that we welcome but far more has to be done in other areas. We support plans for a climate change awareness raising programme and the setting up of a forum, that ought to include non-governmental organisations, to advise on clean energy developments in Wales. We are, though, extremely disappointed at the lack of financial support for energy efficiency programmes. Some of these are the most cost effective ways of reducing energy use and carbon dioxide emissions yet the timescales for implementing such programmes is absent. This is entirely unacceptable."

The group is broadly supportive of the Assembly Government's renewable energy target up to 2010, which will largely be met by onshore wind energy, and is calling for large offshore windfarms, such as the Gwynt-y-Mor scheme off north Wales, to be developed. They estimate that the plans for onshore wind along with three proposed offshore windfarms could supply the annual electricity needs of around a third of the Welsh population, or around a million people, within ten years.

Support is also given to plans to develop a biomass strategy for Wales with the recommendation that biomass could provide fuel for Aberthaw and Uskmouth power stations. Strong criticism, though, is reserved for the Assembly Government's failure to support tidal lagoons off the Welsh coast.

Neil Crumpton continued:

"The failure to even mention support for tidal lagoon systems while keeping options open for the environmentally damaging Severn barrage is deplorable. This is totally at odds with stated aims of supporting tidal energy."

Although existing coal stations are major emitters of carbon dioxide, Friends of the Earth Cymru believes that new more efficient coal technologies, which could be retrofitted to existing power stations, could give the fuel a future in Wales. They retain, though, their strong opposition to opencast mining.

The proposals for two large LNG power stations on the shores of Milford Haven are opposed as they would be too wasteful of energy, unless all the waste heat were used at the LNG terminals and possibly the neighbouring oil refineries.

Friends of the Earth Cymru's Assembly Campaigner, Gordon James, said:

"Almost daily we hear of more scientific evidence pointing to the gravity of the climatic changes that are now taking place and will multiply in the future if we fail to slash emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. We are calling on the UK government to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least three per cent each year up to 2050. We are also urging the Welsh Assembly Government to accept a similar target for carbon dioxide reductions in Wales. There should be no more delays. Strong effective action is necessary now. Nothing short of an energy revolution is needed to help tackle the biggest threat we face this century"