Last Updated on July 17, 2019 by Karl Thompson
The UK is generating more energy from zero carbon sources than from fossil fuels for the first time since the industrial revolution, the National Grid announced recently.
Gas and coal generated 46.7% of Britain’s power in the year to the end of May, while zero carbon sources generated 47.9%. The rest came from biomass.
A decade ago coal plants generated almost a third of the UK’s electricity. Now there are only 7 left, two of which are going to close in the near future.
Energy from renewables has risen from 2% in 2009 to almost 25% with most coming from wind (18.8%).
What’s the relevance of this to A-level sociology?
For anyone studying the module in Global Development, this is a great counter trend to the doom and gloom of the ‘environmental decline’ we see in so many parts of the world.
It might also be a sign of a new value consensus emerging about the ‘right way’ to generate energy? At least at the level of the UK.
However, I guess we shouldn’t overstate the importance of this, the UK is only home to >1% of the global population after all!
Sources
The Week, 6th July 2019
