Recently the highly authoritative IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) gave dire warnings that we have to make radical changes NOW to avert absolutely catastrophic climate change. Now the government has given the go ahead for fracking to start in the UK, which will make climate change worse more quickly. This is deplorable and shows a complete disregard for the future of us all.
However, there are important things that everyone needs to do as individuals.
Firstly: Southampton and District Green Party are calling for everyone in Southampton and the surrounding area to switch their energy supplier to one that generates their own 100% green energy from renewables. Wind power and solar are becoming the cheapest energy sources around so it now also makes financial sense for those on low incomes.
CitizEn Energy, the new energy provider set up by Southampton City Council have recently started to claim that they only provide ‘green’ energy, which Southampton Green Party applauds. However, this means that CitizEn Energy buy from the 29% of energy in the UK now generated from renewables but it does not mean that any extra renewable energy will be generated. For a tariff to be advertised as truly green it also needs to do something else to go above and beyond for the environment.
CitizEn Energy need to do better and start to procure energy from locally owned and community energy generation schemes, or start to generate their own renewable energy (e.g. solar panels on Council owned properties?). Then they would be something that Southampton Green Party could recommend. So, until CitizEn Energy improve their ‘green’ credentials Southampton Green Party do not recommend CitizEn Energy on ecological grounds and we ask people to switch to a truly ‘green’ supplier. There are several good choices, such as Ecotricity, Good Energy and Bulb, amongst others.
Secondly: we must have political change if we are to implement the changes the IPCC identified as being desperately and urgently needed. The Green Party is the only political party committed to do what must be done.
John Spottiswoode, Southampton and District Green Party spokesman and founder of The Green Resistance said; “CitizEn Energy have recently taken a good first step to becoming a Green supplier of electricity and as such they are now worth considering. However, there are good value truly ‘green’ companies out there with better green credentials. I have checked prices and will be switching to a truly ‘green’ energy supplier whose quote price is also, incidentally, cheaper than CitizEn Energy. Everyone with an environmental conscience needs to do similarly as energy is such a massive contributor to climate change.”
“As the IPCC said, this is urgent. Everyone needs to get truly ‘green’ and clean energy now. Everyone also needs to switch their vote to the only true Green Party. Our planet is in danger and action must not be delayed.”
Ends.
Notes for editors:
* The IPCC report: https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/session48/pr_181008_P48_spm_en.pdf [1]
* Solar and Wind are now the cheapest sources of energy: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/onshore-wind-solar-cheaper-energy [2]
For more information please contact:
John Spottiswoode, Southampton and District Green Party
14 Evelyn Crescent, Southampton, SO15 5JE
Email: spottiswoodej@gmail.com or telephone 02380 789230, mobile: 07794 382673
Links:
[1] https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/session48/pr_181008_P48_spm_en.pdf
[2] https://www.wired.co.uk/article/onshore-wind-solar-cheaper-energy
