David: The government target for the percentage of renewables by then is over 20%. At current rate of progress we are going to get nowhere close to that. I think by 2003 we should have had 10% and it was nearer 4. In parallel with this failure, we are now in the process of decommissioning our nuclear power stations - the consequence being that we are going to burn more fossil fuels, not less. This is why the government has refused to set targets for the reduction of carbon and why we are falling behind our Kyoto Commitments. It is also a policy area with which we differ from the Liberal Democrats. In order to have a practical solution to lower fossil fuels we do need a much better record on renewables, we do need to focus hard on conservation, but we also need to accept that part of the mix will be nuclear power. I feel a party that rules this out is not a party that ever expects to be in government.
Jo: Well, David is right, we aren't for building new nuclear power stations, but this is becuase of the cost and also ensuring safety and containing environmental problems that arise from nuclear power. However the solution to our long term energy needs is not just about conservation - which is, of course very important - double glazing, insulation and reducing our consumption of energy is important alongside the development of renewable energy but the government and it would seem, the Tories have an 'either - or' solution. It's either nuclear or not, but there are other more creative solutions, such as the use of fuel cell technology and there are two companies - 1 in the North West, attempting to develop this technology and if the government is serious about our long term energy needs, investment into these types of technologies will also be necessary.
David: Of course fuel cells are part of the solution, and in my previous professional life, I worked in the energy industry with fuel cell organisations and also in the medium term hydrogen power is part of the solution. THe only point that divides Jo and I on this is that I believe that nuclear power needs to be part of the solution as it has been for the last 30 years and any serious review of the numbers would validate this. Global Warming is an issue which won't be solved by gestures and I understand that there are drawbacks in nuclear, but these are solvable. Some of the global warming scenarios that exist may not be. We have to get serious.
Jo:If we're moving the question to climate change, then this is a global problem and the solution is in thinking about our own energy generation and energy needs but it's also about being a world leader in this area and bringing other countries on board to cut their own greenhouse emmissions.