Energy Solutions?

The solutions proposed in the UK today over the problem of the escalating cost of energy is to encourage consumers to check for the best deals and to insulate their homes.

This is common sense, but the benefits for struggling bill-payers will be limited, and they may be disappointed that no substantial help by government or the power companies was offered to help them.

These issues associated with energy are not confined to the UK, and neither are the related but bigger challenges deriving from questions of supply and independence. Prices are rising because demand worldwide for power is increasing rapidly while the sources of energy are not, and creating new sources, whether from renewables, nuclear plants or fossil fuels is expensive and lengthy. It could well be that there is a gap in time between the usual ongoing provision of energy and the ways to provide it: we may run out of power.

Few countries now are self-sufficient in energy – even oil-rich Libya was not and is not. We depend on external suppliers to keep us empowered, which leaves us vulnerable politically and physically, but few people acknowledge the implications of our dependency, certainly not our leaders. How long can this continue, a situation of dwindling supply, ever higher prices and reliance on others who may not always be our friends?

The day of reckoning may be nearer than we think, but given will and good intent by the people and their governments, we could be more resilient, less acquiescent and able to create what we need for our empowerment, however it may manifest. It is not, yet, too late.