The Burning Question: Priorities for Climate Change

Inspired by those who are not singing from the hymn sheets being handed out.

If we start with around 70% of carbon emissions being produced from burning fossil fuels:
  • electricity generation
  • heating & cooling buildings
  • vehicles.
Despite what governments have done, are doing, say they are doing or say they are going to do, it is happening anyway.

Electricity Generation

Renewables like solar and wind, together with hydroelectric and tidal or wave where appropriate, are an obvious choice. The elements that are really needed as well though are electricity storage (for when the sun doesn't shine, or the wind doesn't blow) and a smart grid, to take power from where it is generated to where it is needed, with minimal loss.

Without storage, electricity is currently not normally generated for obvious reasons, and also makes a case for a false justification for on demand fossil based electricity generation from coal, gas, nuclear and biomass.

Building Heating & Cooling

The main problem is older housing stock, assuming that new stock is built to near passivhaus standards where the building envelope is of sufficient standard to not need much heat. For older stock, windows and insulation would normally be the priority, followed by air or ground source heat pumps to supply low levels of steady warmth.

Vehicles

Moving to electric vehicles and rapid transit systems for public transport would be the main priorities here, allowing the phasing out of fossil fuel powered transport.

And naturally, we want to support and encourage travel by walking, cycling, etc by making streets safer.

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