Teaching resources in our school science class can explain how fossil fuels are produced during  biology, geography and physics lessons. This abundant natural production facility has just one flaw. It cannot keep up with demand. Thus we won’t run out totally but there’s a catch. There will be a slight delay of several million years whilst the next batch of oil is produced.

Whether you agree with the greenhouse effect;  pollution from fossil fuel emissions, political unrest or corruption from third world suppliers, the effect of oil on our lives is colossal. But there is a key feature which should accelerate the swing to renewable energy education. The cost of oil will rise. How much  depends on many factors, dwindling accessible stocks, currency exchange rates, inflation, profitability of oil suppliers, political unrest,  supply route interruptions, cross border transport – all have their two penny worth in the end user price. And and lets leave taxes out on this one because as oil disappears governments would find an alternative source of tax income.

The International Energy Agency’s  World Energy Outlook Report said in 2008 that estimates of remaining proven reserves of oil and natural gas lie between 1.2 to 1.3 trillion barrels, enough to last 40 years at the current consumption rates. Half a lifetime away maybe but  a desperately short period to complete a universal switch over to other energy sources in time. A couple of changes in government, natural human complacency and reluctance to change, and 15 years could easily slip by.  Then with only 25 years left panic measures could set in. Protectionism, hoarding and price hikes that would even outshine banker’s bonuses would emerge. Significant investment is required in university research programmes to assess viable alternatives.

Children in school need to understand the implications  to motivate a progressive swing into science and technology. It will inevitably be up to them to develop the future generations of efficient renewable energy technology. But research should not stop at producing green energy but equally how we use it. Sustainability is equally crucial. Recycling, reuse and upgradability need consideration. We should not be dumping PC and laptops to gain greater performance but be able to pay for component upgrade exchange. Maybe we should be forced to keep electronic goods for 10 years before being able to replace them  or pay a thumping great levy.

Keen 2 Learn is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Big news today as we launch our major new FREE booklet – The Modern Life Survival Guide.  Just click this link to visit our website to download it.www.lifesquared.org.uk check out our other free guides, courses and resources!www.lifesquared.org.uk
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The guide is a beautiful 48 page booklet that examines some of the problems and pressures of modern life – including consumerism, stress and our fast pace of life – and sets out some of the practical steps we can take to flourish within these conditions, including how to be more resilient, how to simplify the world, how to live in line with your values and how to live at your own pace.

We need your help to spread the word about this guide, so please forward this email to anyone who you think might be interested in it.  Many thanks!

We hope you enjoy the guide – whilst at

All the best,
 
Richard Docwra
Director
Life²

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IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN!

It’s a bit of a conundrum this environment malarkey. We know that we are harming the environment as a race but find it so difficult to change our behaviour as individuals.

I think that the majority of us can agree that we humans are contributing to the decline of our natural environment. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is in no doubt that man has been and is a major causal effect of Global Warming. And they ought to know – they consult some of the brainiest boffins from around the globe.

We are consuming finite resources at an ever increasing rate and clearly don’t balance the books in terms of the energy we use now and the energy that is available in the long term to support us. It’s like we are withdrawing money from the bank faster than we are putting it in. Eventually the money runs out and it has to stop. Spot any similarities with another major global crisis of the moment?

As with any emotive and important issue, there are extremes of opinion. In terms of the Environment debate you have got one extreme extolling the virtues of the motor car and poo-pooing the “environmentalists” and their arguments. At the other end of the scale are those who are so concerned that they break onto airfields and chain themselves to aeroplanes. That said, the vast majority of us I believe (and that includes me) take a more rounded view.

Yes we can see we are harming the environment. We burn fuel virtually every time we travel, whether it’s the car, bus, train or plane. We burn fuel to heat our water and homes. We burn fuel every time we turn on a light, watch the TV or use a PC. It is very easy to use up energy  – whether it’s electricity, gas, oil or petrol. And it’s not just us as individuals. Business and industry burn fuel as well; just on a much bigger scale!

The problem is it is so easy to use energy, and in today’s society it’s virtually impossible to avoid using it. I am sitting at a PC now that is using electricity. I have got an electric heater on in the office (although a coat as well to be honest – 1 eco-browny point to me then). You will be reading this on your PC screen, probably in a heated house or office, with a light on, and a brew on the go and maybe with the TV still on even though you’re not really watching it. I know it’s true, because I still do it. It’s just too easy and energy is not so expensive (yet) that we have to save every last drop of it.

At the end of the day I don’t believe that the vast majority of us are going to take major steps to change our behaviour and help the environment unless it there is a real benefit to us. Saving energy either has to have a tangible financial benefit or at the very least make us feel good about ourselves.

Maybe the best we can hope for, until finance or imminent disaster forces us to do otherwise, is that each of us “non-extremists” does what we can to save energy. The simple stuff. The stuff that can make us feel good and lower our bills a bit.

The Hard Sell (not) 

To help you do “the simple stuff”, I just happen to sell a few great energy saving products at http://www.ecofreak.co.uk/ my online shop. If  you want to save energy and money and you buy just one thing from us, buy a wireless energy monitor such as the Efergy Elite. It is this that I believe will help to encourage you to start moving towards a greener way of living by making you think about the energy you use on a daily basis. It’s actually very satisfying finding where energy is being wasted and taking steps to reduce it. If you get the bug and want to do more take a look at our information page on how to reduce your energy bills or just browse our eco products.

Save some energy, have some fun, save some money – it feels good!

Ecofreak is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more