I Need an Intervention...

I am an addict. I go on the internet too much, I have far too much red wine, I want things I cannot afford so I put it on my credit card. I am also addicted to energy. Without it I can barely get out of bed (the flat would be too cold), I can't see who went through to the quarter-finals in MasterChef, I can't drive to Sainsbury's to get the coconut milk I need for making a curry later. I rely on energy for almost everything I will do today, but I am using too much and I know it.

In England, over 8.5 million people still smoke. There are warnings on the packet, the science has been widely accepted (by all but the cigarette companies themselves) for decades, there are adverts on the TV pleading with you to stop. People either can't or don't want to stop, change is difficult.It is in our nature to be a little bit selfish, to think about only ourselves and our closest kin. It is because of this, it could be argued, that as a race we find ourselves with energy supply and pollution problems. Even in the face of overwhelming evidence, we care only enough to do very little.

I'll just go and make myself a cup of South American Coffee whilst being careful not to overfill the kettle and I'll be right back to discuss what a hypocrite I am...


We need speed limits and drug laws enforced just to ensure our own safety and income tax to ensure that less well off people are looked after. In an ideal world, this isn't necessary, but in reality we cannot be trusted to this ourselves. We're selfish and lazy, I get it. But what has this got to do with energy?

Carbon Capture and Storage, Nuclear Power. These are stop gaps, a way of reducing emissions and saving resources by only small amounts. Brilliant technologies but both flawed, requiring finite resources to run and costing, depending on who you listen to, either a large fortune or several large fortunes. These technologies are the equivalent of a bag for life. It doesn't actually solve many problems, just delays things a bit and makes everyone feel better. Let someone else sort it out at some point.

How we will power our country has been put off by generations of governments that are merely representative of the people, self-interest has seen delays and stop-gaps force rushed decisions made with short-term views. There is a part of us, however, that knows we should be doing the right thing, the small voice in your head that tells you to quit smoking or use less shopping bags. It is this instinct that we must expand on and hope exists too in the minds of our legislators and the body politic as a whole. Change is difficult, but it is possible. Interventionist policies promoting truly renewable energy sources, subsidies of new technologies and penalties on waste, may be difficult to stomach in the short-term but will both raise funds and influence behaviour.

There is a thread of hope that such policies might be enacted. With feed-in tariffs starting on April 1st, more people and communities will be able to take charge of their energy supply, receiving greater reward for their positive actions. Some have said these steps should not be taken, whilst others say the measures do not go far enough. My view is that this is a good starting point, but we need to beg our politicians to do more to ensure the energy we use is as clean as possible, as soon as possible. As for our addiction to using quite so much energy, well, maybe I'll tackle that at a later point or leave it to someone else. I'm feeling lazy and I want a curry.

I have an interview on Wednesday for an internship position, wish me luck.