Choices to be made now for electric power

Like all modern homes, mine operates on electricity. I press buttons and machines whirr into action: water boils, cooker cooks, rooms light-up, crockery is washed, laundry is dried.

All of this was unknown to my farming grandmother, who did not live long enough to witness the introduction of rural electricity. My mother only experienced it post War when gas from the Corporation’s Gas Works was gradually replaced by the installation of electricity in the home.

Even then it was some years before she acquired a very simple washing machine, by which time Monday (laundering day) had been engraved in my memory as a hated day. The kitchen was filled with steaming water. A tub of sudsy water was balanced on two chairs. My mother, her arms bare up to the elbows, scrubbed sheets on a thing called a washing board. We children were fed on cold mutton and the leftovers from Sunday. And though things improved considerably with the acquisition of the electric washing machine, I still know why I hate Mondays - and cold mutton.

But neither my mother nor grandmother did what I am now doing. They did not pollute the atmosphere, nor threaten life on earth, as I now do when I switch switches and press buttons, and thus release carbon into the atmosphere, because much of the electricity which I use is generated in an  Ireland from sources which, we are told by experts, is contributing to the destruction of our natural environment.

It seems that our only environmentally-friendly electricity power, at present available to us in Ireland, is that generated by hydro (water) power. The remainder derived from coal, gas, oil, turf all significantly contribute to the deterioration of our atmosphere. This is especially so in the case of turf because our bogs, which once were so common in our landscape, are very efficient in the storing of carbon.

It is an inescapable fact, however, that electric power has become a vital necessity in our personal lives. And it is absolutely essential for our economy and industry. Adequate and guaranteed supplies of electric power and water are now prerequisites for the establishment of any industry, large or small. But the fact is we are now producing enough power, and that a significant proportion of our production is from sources which are harming our environment. And to meet demands we are now buying electricity from Britain, including nuclear generated power.

The immediate suggestions to try to remedy this imbalance is that we personally should conserve: switch-off, insulate our homes, instal solar panels, or there is the expensive potential that if we live close to a stream and have legal riparian rights, we could instal our own personal source of supply, preferably co-operating with neighbours who have the same rights. All of that is small-scale but its potential aggregate would make some difference.

On a commercial level, generating power from Biomass is proposed as another source. This involves the commercial growing of substantial amounts of quick-growing small trees such as sallows or willows. It appears that we have not yet considered this on sufficiently wide a scale to make it viable in Ireland and that we would have to import raw materials, thus negating any possible contribution to carbon sequestration.

The matter has now become very urgent because a developing Ireland needs more and more power and this coincides with the fact that we are being punished by the imposition of very heavy fines because of our failure to meet international imperatives to reduce our carbon emissions. Yet, the government seems extraordinarily bereft of policies on how to do this.

The most recent, and indeed the only official suggestion, came last week from Minister Bruton. He says that Ireland is about to embark on a major scheme of developing wind turbines, and that these will contribute 30 percent of our electricity within the next three decades. Much of this development will be sited on high ground and within Coillte woodland. The latter location is bewildering since to do so would involve the massive removal of trees, and trees, like peat, are the natural storers of carbon.

Many experts also question the ultimate effectiveness of wind and wave turbines. They say that the physical construction of the turbines, the nature of the materials used, the clearing and paving of installation sites, the disturbance of the terrain, all release huge amounts of carbon. In addition, the structures have a lifetime of only 21-25 years, when they will have to be replaced.

A recent contributor to The Economist wrote that wind energy has a “small carbon footprint” in use, but that a “cradle-to-the-grave footprint is high.” It has been calculated that the ultimate contribution of wind turbines to sequestration is something like two percent.

We are told, on a daily basis, that our modern way of living is contributing to serious changes in our climate. And that many of our comfortable conveniences, which we now see as absolute necessities, are rapidly propelling the world into changes where extremes in temperature and high seas will impinge on the lives of our grandchildren, and certainly our great-grandchildren.

And we are told that to slow-down the propulsion we now need to make choices, especially on how we produce and use energy. But, it seems to me, that most of us hope that something will turn up, that humankind will find a solution, that we personally do not need to immediately make choices. After all, tomorrow is another day - and we’ll think about it tomorrow.