Chapter 12
Introduction | Discussion of Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Conclusion | Appendix
Chapter 12 – Epilogue
Etherington explains that this chapter has the title ‘Epilogue’ because his publishing editor asked that he be more positive* in his opinions of future electricity generation than just wanting ‘no wind’. Thus Etherington is forced to say where he wants his electricity to come from, an exercise that most NIMBY objectors refuse to face. He considers four policy ‘options’ and analyses these with various arguments, some contrary to his earlier opinions in previous chapters. His arguments are:
Option 1 ‘Wind’– dismissed because (i) wind requires gas turbine and coal-fired backup which would be a failure to tackle climate change** and would make the UK dependent on Russian gas with reduced energy security;
Option 2. Coal with carbon capture and storage (CCS) – dismissed because the technology is not proven at large scale and ‘the prospect of many billions of tonnes of liquid CO2 corroding its way out of a geological tomb is a disturbing thought’***.
Option 3 Other renewables - dismissed because he says, without wind, other UK renewable options are not sufficient or sufficiently developed. [It is interesting that Etherington inadvertently acknowledges here that wind is ‘in sufficient quantity and developed enough’****]
Option 4 Nuclear– accepted because, he says, nuclear ‘could give secure supply of very large amounts of electricity’***** and which ‘satisfies every demand of a power system and also tackles climate change’******. He neglects to say that nuclear power cannot be varied to match load demand and that it does not produce fuels.
He concludes that future generation must be nuclear rather than from ‘twitching crucifixions of landscape’*******.
It is extraordinary that when made to become realistic about electricity supply by his publisher, Etherington is forced to admit within this last chapter that (i) wind power is a proven resource and could be a major electricity supply for the UK, but he does not want this, and (ii) that carbon emissions should be reduced because of climate change concerns. Such admissions are akin to a whispered deathbed confession!
**His words, page 188 Option 1.
****His words, page 189, Option 3