Uploaded on 2015-11-29 by SimonObendorf

From the IEA Sankey Diagram, the dominant fossil fuels in the UK are oil, coal and natural gas. 2. Dominant use of fossil fuels Again, referring to the IEA Sankey Diagrams the dominant sectors using fossil fuels in Britain are the residential (heating presumably) and road transport sectors, with a significant portion also going to electricity generation. 3. Environmental Policies This requires a balancing between altering the kinds of energy inputs being made to the British energy system and altering the amount and nature of consumption of energy (especially for transportation, heating and electricity generation). On the first side, investments in renewable energy while laudable are currently not at sufficient scale. The expansion of the UK nuclear energy electricity generation programme is significant here and given the efficiency of nuclear power generation should be explored further. There are significant losses (42.6 Mtoe) associated with power plants generating electricity from coal that should lead us to want to reduce dependence on coal in the future for both environmental and financial reasons. Coal and Oil are also often sourced a long way from where they are consumed or used in power plants, requiring them to be transported long distances (see below for examples from Lincoln). ![https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Imported_Coal_from_Immingham_at_Melton_Ross_-_geograph.org.uk_-_749170.jpg][1] Image source: Wikipedia See also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e_JPKS6ENE On the consumption side, widespread private vehicle ownership and dependence as well as the fuel efficiency of the UK car/commercial vehicle fleet is something that needs to be examined. Public transport alternatives within and between cities would, if more socially desirable and financially affordable for riders, go a long way to reducing the high fossil fuel consumption within the transport sector. Greater attention to walking, bicycling, public transport alternatives and sensible urban design would also have an impact here. Similarly, greater attention to things like ceiling and wall cavity insulation, better energy principles in housing stock design are significant. There is also a cultural aspect here, with Britons, like many Europeans, overheating their homes during winter "to be cosy", rather than dressing sensibly indoors. For instance, I live in a small 2 bedroom apartment which has an electric storage heater in every room! [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14488297532186773.jpg