THE BACK PAGE
Notes from Selsdon
B
ristol’s recently regenerat-
ed waterfront area was the
pleasantly surprising host
for the recent Regen South West
conference on feed-in-tariffs
(FIT). It’s a subject we’ve covered
before in these pages: the UK
Government has finally caught
up with the rest of Europe in
promoting the take-up of small-
scale renewable energy equip-
ment among households, com-
munity groups, schools, hospitals
and businesses – and the law
changes in April next year. By
guaranteeing a price for the ener-
gy made on site and sold back to
the grid, investing in renewable
power technology hopefully
won’t be as daunting.
Sustainable Business hit the
road to meet a group of business-
es excited by how the new legisla-
tion will drive their market. A
gaggle of wind turbine manufac-
turers, solar panel providers,
ground source heat pump
installers and microgeneration “Climate change [is] an elite scam, an excuse to
consultants huddled together
tax and control us and impose internationalist
inside the oddly-chosen chil-
dren’s science exhibition centre to dogma and global government at the expense
listen to the Government’s plans
for the scheme.
of the nation state.”
These are always interesting
affairs. Like any consulation peri- DECC’s renewable incentives change here in the UK. His ideas
od, interested parties unsubtly guy. “That would be like being set out in the book are full-bodied
hustle and bustle over the details allowed to fill in your tax return and sensible. If he wins the
Quote of
in a bid to mould regulations to based on your income from five Richmond seat, it will be interest-
suit their agenda and huff and years ago.” I couldn’t have said it ing to see how much of his policy
the month
puff like small children if they better myself. proposals are taken up by David Leader of the British National
don’t get their way. (Maybe the Cameron, or whether he’ll be Party, Nick Griffin in a speech
venue was apt after all). forced to toe a conservative line. I given to the European
One delegate bemoaned the wish him luck. You can read the Parliament. He also says that
fact that early adopters of things B
etween promoting his new
book, The Constant
Economy and gearing him- full interview in next month’s SB. unlike the “fake Greens”, the
like solar panels and small wind self up to become a local MP in BNP is “the only party to
turbines will get no financial Richmond next May on a Tory
recognition for having installed ticket, Zac Goldsmith found time
renewables prior to the FIT for a cup of tea with me at his I
f you spot any mistakes in this recognise that overpopulation
issue then I’m putting it down is the cause of the destruction
to the fact that I’m tired. You of our environment”.
scheme coming in. “There’s London base. He used to be edi- see, I’ve started training for next
no free lunch,” said tor of The Ecologist, the magazine year’s inaugural Brighton
Stephen de established by his uncle Edward Marathon and I’m hurting. I’m
Souza, back in the 1970s, which has now doing it because I like a challenge
stopped its print edition and and I want to raise some money
gone online. He shares the values for Cistic Fibrosis. I’ll be having a
of this magazine; keen to drive whip round for sponsorship in YOUR NEXT ISSUE OF
the environmental debate for- the New Year, but in the mean- SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
ward, hold politicians to time, you can track my progress WILL HIT YOUR DESK ON
account and effect real at twitter.com/tomidle. 8 JANUARY 2010
Sustainable Business ❘ November/December 2009 39
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