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Letter to Scotland on Sunday |
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Written by Steuart Campbell
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Sunday, 18 February 2007 |
Brian Wilson thinks we must reduce demand for energy. Unfortunately,
for complex reasons, this is impossible while civilisation lasts.
Increased efficiency in the use of energy always leads to an increase
in demand (the energy gets cheaper). For example, increasing the
insulation of a house results in about half the benefit being taken in
higher temperatures and about half in monetary saving. But what do the
occupants do with the money saved? They reinvest it in goods or
services which themselves consume energy; the result is an overall
increase in energy use. Likewise with low-energy lamps, which cost a
great deal more in energy to make than they save in use.
In any case, energy, especially electricity, is essential for our
modern lifestyle. Cut it back and standards of living will fall. The
only way forward is to employ energy sources that do not result in
environmental damage. So stop building wind farms and build nuclear
power stations instead.
Steuart Campbell |
