Green candidate wants energy revolution
Saturday 17th April 2010, 11:13AM BST.
South Shropshire’s parliamentary candidate for the Green Party is calling for residents to produce their own energy and invest in mini power plants to provide electricity for their own homes.
Green campaigner Jacqui Morrish wants investment in renewable energy – including wind turbines – so that communities do not have to rely on power stations that pump out greenhouse gas emissions from burning coal. Coal also causes direct damage to the environment through open-cast mining, like the mine near Much Wenlock.
Ms Morrish said: “We need to move towards an era where we have a number of community-owned renewable energy projects.”
“In an ideal world, these would be like small islands, generating electricity for the local area. We’d encourage people to be able to invest in them, so that there was a sense of ownership.”
“If the community is involved, it will be much more likely to do its bit to ensure these schemes are successful. Community energy is viable and will give people a good return for their investment.”
She added: “Renewable energy systems are an environmentally-responsible solution to problems caused by polluting coal-fired power stations and hugely preferable to expensive and dangerous nuclear power.
“ Also there are many thousands more jobs required in the manufacture and installation of solar, wind, hydro, wave etc, than in nuclear.”
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The Greens have a fully-costed JOB-creation plan in our manifesto, centred around a Green New Deal.
This shows how Britain could pay for a £44 billion investment package to create a MILLION NEW JOBS in the UK.
By contrast the Lib Dems are proposing investment of just £3 billion in green jobs.
The Green Party proposes free insulation for every home that needs it, which could create 80,000 new jobs and will result in homes that are warm and cheaper to run, as well as much lower energy costs for businesses.
The Green workforce training and environmental community programme includes grant-funded training for jobs in energy conservation and renewable energy, and conversion courses for skilled engineers from other industries.
£5bn would be spent on creating 350,000 training places, offering opportunities to 700,000 unemployed people, in particular the young unemployed.
All these jobs will not only provide employment solutions, but will also provide the country with the vital 21st century infrastructure it needs, including an efficient public transport system, homes that are warm and cheaper to run, and much lower energy costs for businesses.
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