Chair's Briefing in Summer 2018 Challenge Magazine
We've been busier than usual here at the Green Liberal Democrats, and this copy of Challenge is testament to all that hard work.
3 Jul 2018
Wera Hobhouse MP urges government to incentivise solar power
29 Feb 2024
Whither now? Keith Melton's article in Summer 2018 Challenge Magazine
Keith Melton on a rigorous afternoon debate at GLD conference
3 Jul 2018
EU Transport article in Summer 2018 Challenge Magazine
Safe Clean & Connected Mobility COP23
3 Jul 2018
Traffic Surveys article in Summer 2018 Challenge Magazine
TRAFFIC SURVEYS ...... and how to campaign on environmental issues It was great to get elected to Southwark Council in May and thanks to all the Green Lib-Dems who helped. I feel the biggest single environmental issue in Saint George's Ward is air quality, but it hardly registered with the voters. The ward is between the Elephant and Castle and Waterloo in central London. Car ownership is low, nearly 70% of households don't have a car. The area is well served with buses, trains and a number of London underground stations.
3 Jul 2018
Shampoo article in Summer 2018 Challenge Magazine
How many plastic bottles are there in your bathroom? I have three daughters. Two have moved out but they still keep their favourite shampoos in the bathroom! A couple of months ago, between the five members of the family, we had 57 plastic bottles in the family bathroom. Yes, I counted. Shower gels, mouthwash, bubble baths, conditioners, and shampoos ... For greasy hair, straight hair, problem hair, frizzy hair, fly away hair, coloured hair, dandruff ... There's even one for ... dirty hair. A dozen different flavours: apple, mango, raspberry, fraise (for those who don't like the sound of strawberries), henna, jojoba and lime ... It was doing my nut. How can we reduce our use of plastic when there is no alternative to shampoo bottles? But there is. I took the plunge. Solid shampoo bars. You mean like soap? Well, yes and no. You buy it like a bar of soap but it lathers like shampoo. The minute you use it and it lathers up in your hand you realise that a humdrum corner of Plasticland has disappeared forever. Hur
3 Jul 2018
Sea Power article in Summer 2018 Challenge Magazine
Julian Hawkins urges us to rethink Britain's sea power Proposals for a barrage across the River Severn to generate electricity are regularly in the news, and tidal stream generation is also being trialled. So what is the potential of tidal power in the UK?
3 Jul 2018
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, called on the government to provide incentives for energy providers to develop solar power in the UK.
Mrs Hobhouse slammed the government for falling behind on meeting the UK’s renewable targets for solar energy capacity. The government plans to deploy 70 GW of solar power across the country by 2035. However, as of 2022, the UK had only installed 14.3 GW of solar pv.
Following a visit to a rooftop solar system installed by Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) at Beechen Cliff School last year, Wera Hobhouse is keen to encourage the development of similar solar projects across Bath. The solar system is predicted to significantly cut the school’s fuel costs and reduce their carbon emissions by 52 tonnes a year.
In the House of Commons on the 27th February, the Bath MP noted that the UK is lagging behind the rest of the world in renewable energy investment, she urged the government to offer incentives to energy providers to improve solar capacity.
However, Andrew Bowie, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero, ignored Hobhouse’s proposals, failing to describe the ways in which the government could incentivise solar energy. Instead, Bowie said that the government’s Solar Taskforce would publish recommendations for solar power and reiterated the government’s target to deploy 70 GW by 2035.
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, commented:
“The Conservatives are falling dangerously behind on meeting our targets for renewable energy production. It is no good the government setting an ambitious 70 GW solar target if they are nowhere near reaching it.
“It is clear that they have no plan to get us back on track to reach Net Zero. Evidently, they are more than happy to dismiss perfectly good proposals like incentivising solar power. That is why I am so proud that Bath is home to many community energy projects like the solar system at Beechen Cliff School, so that we can lead the way in renewables.”
“It is not just our climate targets harmed by the Conservatives’ delay. Families in Bath and across the country are struggling to pay soaring energy bills which investment in renewables could curb. That is why we Liberal Democrats would build significantly more renewable energy, aiming to generate 80% of our electricity from renewables by 2030.”
Peter Capener, Managing Director of Bath & West Community Energy said:
“Our work with schools is really demonstrating the value of community energy in both addressing the climate crisis and reducing fuel bills. Rooftop solar installed last year has already saved local schools a combined total of £134,209 and has reduced carbon emissions by 224.3 tonnes, which is equivalent to 12,173 journeys from Bath to Edinburgh by train!”
