Be a part of the clean energy future.
I recently went back to the council estate where I grew up and whilst driving around, my eyes were attracted to some nice shiny roofs. Easy to spot with their mirrored reflection of the sky, I was surprised to see not one, but many solar panel installations dotted around the estate.
Since an international framework to tackle climate change was agreed at the Paris COP21 climate conference in December, the transition from polluting fossil fuels to clean energy solutions seems to be a real possibility. With natural energy solutions including the sun, wind and water readily available, and the cost of renewable energy falling dramatically, it is an obvious switch that needs to be made.
One hour of sunlight striking the earth’s surface is enough energy to power the world’s economy for one year – if harnessed - and yet we are still using polluting fossil fuels that are putting lives in danger right now (over seven million people are estimated to die early every year due to exposure to air pollution from fossil fuel burning), and putting our whole planet in danger due to their warming effect on our climate.
As with anything new to work, consumers create demand and it takes people from all levels to implement the changes for shifts to occur. We all need to play our part in shifting to clean, safe, renewable energy.
Evidently some good solar panel salespersons are working it on the estates, but I hadn’t spotted any solar panels in London and was beginning to research a piece on solar energy. My friend Iris at Here Now invited me to a talk at Shoreditch house, entitled: London calling: be part of a clean energy future for our city. The invite stated:
“We made history this December. In an airport hangar outside Paris, 196 countries agreed an international framework to tackle dangerous climate change; an agreement which could signal the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era and a shift to a cleaner, safer world. It came not a moment too soon. 2015 was the hottest year on record, and we are already feeling the effects even here in the UK: from communities devastated by flooding to the shocking 9,500 deaths a year now attributable to air pollution in London.
We need to make good on the promises of the Paris agreement, and get off fossil fuels – fast. And we must play our part here in London. The good news is that this transition is not only possible, it can mean a better city for all of us. We know Londoners are ready for change, and together we can help our city lead the charge towards a cleaner, safer world.”
The talk was very inspiring. Here Now showed several studies that demonstrate that 100% renewable energy is possible in cities like London by the year 2050. Cities including Sydney and San Francisco are already committed to going 100% renewable and are well on their way, as are major companies including Apple, Nike, Walmart and Unilever. They are showing that switching to clean energy is possible, and it is much easier than you think.
Renewable energy solutions like wind and solar power are already in place in the UK, putting clean power straight into the grid every day. There doesn’t need to be a huge expenditure or annual plan to set up solar panels on your home (although they do look nice, and, people who install solar panels on their homes can potentially feed their unused energy back into the grid for others to use, who don’t have solar panels installed, it is a great cycle), it is as easy as switching your energy provider to a clean renewable option.
Companies like Good Energy and Ecotricity can take as little as five minutes to switch you to clean energy. And you won’t have to pay any more – in fact clean energy deals are generally cheaper than the “Big Six” providers.
You can also check here for group switches that can save you even more: http://clean-switch.org/
More about renewable energy solutions: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/domestic/content/renewables
To see more on the work of Here Now, check: http://www.weareherenow.com
If you would like to install your own solar panels, check here
*This post was made with UK people in mind, but feel free to research what is happening in your own city and be a part of the shift happening.
This post was written by Kim Booth (with help from Iris Andrews)