So what is the answer?
This came down to a more informed approach to energy by everyone. This involves political will, for example with transport policies and with design of housing; making use of renewable energy resources wherever practicable and with alternative technological approaches to uses of fossil fuels.
However, the most obvious and informed approach is seen to be in the ongoing development of nuclear energy production, the disposal of waste being explained as being completely viable. The over-riding driving premise to this realistic approach to energy being to explode the myth that economic growth is the major building platform for a sustainable future!
Such 'growth' is such a strain on the natural fabric of a God centred society in which we are called to honour our neighbour and serve God, not mammon, that the platform itself becomes a decaying 'rubbish heap' in itself unable to sustain life as we know it.
If I were to summarize the presentation by Martin in a simple way, it would be to say that Martin challenged us to think in an informed way about all our futures and just maybe, that inner energy will translate itself to becoming involved in helping folk to live in the reality of a God given future.
Cumbrian Energy - ' A wind of change to renew our thinking'
Following an introduction in our first session of the conference, to the area of Cumbria, we were then treated to a thought provoking insight into 'Cumbrian Energy' by Martin Dodds, a man of some inner energy of thought expressing a clearly understandable scenario of pragmatic energy policy to power our collected intellect! So writes Mike Coley as he reflects on our second conference session.
Martin challenged the mindset of many in UK churches to have a more open mind to energy production; a mindset which currently promotes fossil fuels as needing to be scrapped - too much pollution; and nuclear fuel as being unsafe - dangerous even!
Perhaps I should add that I write this article as someone in favour of nuclear energy production as both a physicist by education and pragmatic realist as a Christian!
The thesis Martin advanced was as simple and elegant in its composition as a windfarm is in its obvious application. To the nation's cry of 'use renewable forms of energy production' came the stark reality of needing '60,000 - times - probably 3' separate turbines to produce UK energy needs with the additional 'minor' concern of what happens when it’s not very windy, plus of course the additional distribution losses associated with relatively low power?
Never mind, the Government has decreed in yet another 'target' that renewable energy resources will jump from 2% to producing 20% of the nation's energy by 2020, so that's all okay! The one snag is that despite efforts that can and will be made in production of fuels from agriculture, windfarms, and maybe tidal power, no-one really believes it!
Is there an answer and why are there concerns over energy production anyway?
Concerns were explained as being real with not only the need to have a responsible approach to global pollution with the consumption of fossil fuels and, of course, the 'legacy' of nuclear waste; but also vitally the UK as a nation facing a dramatic shortfall in available energy resources in the next 5-20 years due to dwindling stocks globally of fossil fuels - with the attendant scenario of a national dependence on Russian and Iranian gas reserves to supply a 20% shortfall in UK energy needs.
