ABSTRACT
The expression ‘renewable energy’ sounds like magic, as if the energy that you consume is then somehow renewed and available to be used again. In reality, of course, it is rather more prosaic and implies merely that the material from which the energy has been generated is renewable. This may be either because it is derived from a naturally recurring phenomenon such as wind or sun, or from something that can be replaced as in the case when timber or arable crops are replanted after harvesting. This is not a new concept, but it has recently taken on a new perspective and impetus. Wind and water have been used for centuries as a source of power for milling flour and then for industrial processing, as well as for irrigation. For centuries too, coppice was harvested as a fuel, for both domestic purposes and processing. In time, coal and then oil and gas replaced these traditional resources, in the industrialised nations, coupled also in due course with the harnessing of nuclear power. Recently, however, this ‘balance of power’ has changed due to concerns about energy supplies and security and about the way in which the use of fossil fuels is impacting upon the climate. As is well known, it is now widely accepted that the emissions from these fuels are contributing to an acceleration of change in the earth’s climate and a series of international agreements have been embraced across much of the world setting targets for reducing these emissions. Not everyone is convinced that the science behind this has been properly proven and there is a growing debate between these ‘sceptics’ and the political establishment. That involves some serious and largely unprecedented concepts upon which most people hold strong views, but for now the need to reduce emissions has become official policy across much of the world, including the EU and notably the UK.
