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The need for democratic countries to rapidly wean themselves off the fossil fuels that fund Putin’s war machine has led further sharp increases and calls for the UK to start producing more of its own oil and gas.
It remains true that the world must abandon fossil fuels or face an even greater enemy than Russia’s despot, despite the fact that he has nuclear weapons.
Global warming is the addition of energy equivalent to many Hiroshima-sized bombs being detonated every second to our atmosphere.
This extra energy will eventually endanger humanity and the planet. Scientists have identified 1.5 degrees Celsius as the threshold at which our climate can become dangerous.
We are already at 1.1C. However, if carbon emissions are reduced by 50% by 2030, we have a chance of staying within 1.5C. The problem is that emissions are projected to rise by 14%.
Antonio Guterres (UN Secretary-General) recently stated that the rush for more fossil fuels has been a result of the crisis. Ukraine crisis is “madness”. “Addiction to fossil fuels is mutually assured destruction,” he added, referencing a phrase normally used to describe nuclear war.
With this in mind, the UK GovernmentShell’s renewed efforts to drill the Cambo oil and gas field off Shetland should be considered. The Cambo field, which was expected to go on-line in 2024, and last for 25 more years, was previously shelved.
If this and other fields are approved, it means that large amounts of carbon will be released into the atmosphere over a long time. The government must also take steps to reduce other greenhouse gases by a comparable amount.
A package of measures to address the energy crisis would be more effective. This includes lowering fuel duty, providing incentives to people to produce their own power using solar panels and helping to improve insulation. These measures are designed to reduce energy prices.
This would have a quicker impact on the current crisis that opening up new oil fields. It would also not delay the problem by making it worse.