Ian Draisey on transitioning to a low-carbon world - in 60 seconds!

We have asked some of our past award-winners to share their views on what we need to address to transition to a low-carbon world – and we’ve given them just 60 seconds to do it in! This week, Ian Draisey, Director of Dulas Ltd gave us some insight on three challenging topics.

Do you think getting cash back from the government for generating your own energy through feed-in tariffs is going to revolutionise the domestic energy landscape?

Yes - it has brought this part of the energy equation down to a grass roots level for many. There has been a limited choice between energy suppliers - whose principle interest is 'churn' of customers. The feed-in tariffs have given both the incentive for the public to be proactive in reducing their energy bills, and it offers a new way for the utility sector providers to compete for new business.

Most people in the UK have heard of climate change and the need to act, but are in fact doing very little. What do you think is the biggest thing hindering a change in our behaviour?

I think for the majority it’s still a lack of understanding the issue – there’s a prevailing sense of doubt about the collective impact of small sacrifices and behaviour changes that many people are starting to make. The biggest hinderance is simply the ranking climate change receives in most people’s lives - compared to competing issues like supermarket prices and the housing market. People still see climate change as a statistic or as a problem suffered by far flung countries. Few people in the UK have experienced the impacts of climate change directly, unless it rains all through the school holidays that is! I still believe in the short term, financial incentives are the only real method of promoting effective change.

The new government says it will be the ‘greenest government in history’ - quite a bar to set! What would have David Cameron have to put first on his agenda to give you faith in the future of a sustainable energy in the UK?

We need a step change in policy to encourage community based initiatives, which elevate energy projects at local authority level to sit alongside regeneration initiatives.

Click here to read the rest of this post.

BIOTECH installs ninth biogas waste treatment plant in South India

Update: BIOTECH Have installed their first biogas waste treatment plant in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. More on our news page.

Ashden award-winners BIOTECH are installing clean and efficient waste to electricity plants in India at an amazing rate. Last Friday the 21st May, a waste treatment plant was opened in Narikkuni Grama Panchayat in Kerala, India – this is their ninth installation in the past twelve months! Led by the Hon. Minister for Devaswom, Mr. Ramachandran Kadannappally, this was a proud moment for the community and, judging by the pictures, a successful and welcomed event.

BIOTECH have installed a total of fifty plants so far in the state of Kerala. In a situation of highly dense populations, the treatment of solid waste has become a matter critical to public health. In Sabarimala, a centre close by, forty million devotees visit for worship each year. The huge problem created around waste management has triggered a response in legislation and initiative - BIOTECH’s work installing plants across the state with the support of local and central authorities is a significant step in addressing the issue. The recently installed plant, for instance, can treat up to 300kg of solid matter in an ecologically sustainable way. The biogas made from this waste then generates around 5KV of electricity, more than enough to run the plant and fifty lights across the site.

Fundamental to the success of the plant is achieving the cooperation and understanding of the general public. Local authorities have worked hard to engage, rally and educate local communities around the use and benefits of the new system. The plant has even been designed to enable the waste treatment process and electricity generation to be viewed by visitors.

Take a look at our website for more information on biogas and our past award-winners. To hear about our 2010 winners using biogas, register for our free conference here: ashdenawardsconference2010.eventbrite.com

Click here to read the rest of this post.

Transitioning to a low-carbon world in 60 seconds

We have asked some of our past award-winners to share their views on what we need to address for a transition to a low-carbon world – and we’ve given them just 60 seconds to do it in! This week, Richard Dunne, Head teacher of Ashley Primary School gave us some quickfire answers on three hot topics.

Do you think getting cash back from the government for generating your own energy using feed-in tariffs is going to revolutionise the domestic energy landscape?

Feed-in tariffs are a good idea, but currently there is no proper publicity of them to make people aware of them. There needs to be a major education programme about feed-in tariffs and energy. In addition to that, the payback period for feed-in tariffs is still too long and the initial outlay too high to make it a realistic option for most people. More than anything, I am not sure there is enough will amongst the public to take up them up.

Most people in the UK have heard of climate change and the need to act, but are in fact doing very little, what do you think is the biggest thing hindering a change in our behaviour?

I think the biggest thing hindering behaviour change is change itself and the fact that the majority of people still do not want to or don’t think they need to change their lifestyles. We need to incentivise change to the extent that people see it as something they want to do and we must publicise the incentives in ways that engage the wider public again and again and again so that the culture starts to shift. It is happening, but we need to really build the momentum now.

The new government says it will be the ‘greenest government in history’ - quite a bar to set! What would David Cameron have to put first on his agenda to give you faith in the future of sustainable energy in the UK?

The key for David Cameron has to be to reward those who conserve energy and to penalise those who consume too much. We need clear targets for all organisations to meet along the lines of the Carbon Reduction Commitment as there is still too much poor practice. We especially need to address aviation and tax aviation fuel properly. We need to make sustainable energy best practice very, very high profile. Ultimately we need to join up the thinking and have individual carbon allocations so that we are all consciously aware of the impact of our lifestyles on climate change.

More views from past winners to come in the coming weeks...visit our website for more information on their projects.

Click here to read the rest of this post.