[author title=”” image=”https://www.dgwgo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/berry-consulting-dumfries-galloway.jpg”] Written by Paula Gilfillan of Berry Environmental
Berry Environmental offers advice and training on environmental risk to consultants, businesses and organisations. They are based just outside of Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway [/author]
Public perception and popularity for different forms of renewable energy has apparently reached an all-time high, says Edie.net in their latest article taken from the Department for Energy and Climate Change’s Tracking Survey (published on the 28th April 2016).
With 70% of respondents stating that they are concerned about the effects of climate change, it goes onto reveal that wave/tidal, offshore wind and solar are cited as the most popular sources of “green” energy and 56% stated that they would welcome a large-scale renewable development in the own area; perhaps this could be the demise of the “Not in my back yard” attitude?
There is also growing public concern as to the sustainability of fossil fuel and a lack of confidence in the current government to support, and fund research and development into renewable sources, particularly for the domestic market. The report also contains data on the public’s views on fracking and nuclear fuel; both historically contentious sources of energy for the UK public. An interesting 49% believe that “While nuclear fuel is not necessarily safe, nuclear does provide a reliable source of energy”. For fracking, the count is still out, with only 31% stating outright opposition and 46% in the “don’t know” category.
Public opinion on the use of electric cars, however, is still a staggering 47% of “No thought to purchase” with less than 1% of the UK population owning an electric car.
So, what has caused this swing? With the rise in access to social media and perhaps greater intelligence in journalistic reporting, has the public been able to make a more informed decision and develop greater confidence as to how they can contribute to climate change? Cost and reliability still play a significant decision breaker when embracing renewable energy and electric cars into the domestic market, but with the current government back tracking on their previous aspiration to be “The Greenest Government Ever”, there seems to be a growing divergence between public interest and government investment in renewable energy.
