Integrated policies for energy and the environment: Options for the UK in a World Context

A sustainable global strategy for energy and the environment should be based on two fundamental precepts: the effective harnessing of ambient energy (that originating from either incident insolation or gravitational forces between the Earth and the Moon); the employment of processes that ensure the harnessed energy is used efficiently, for example, via CHP plant or fuel cells, and in general through well designed and operated, and usually thermally insulated systems. If present trends persist, the world may experience by the middle of the twenty-first century severe difficulties in meeting from fossil fuels its requirements for energy. Thus the UK needs to avoid acting exclusively for the short term, and to devise and soon implement a long-term strategy for energy and environmental. This report identifies the constraints on British energy policy and assesses future prospects for various energy sources, including their environmental impacts.