The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Every home in Europe could be powered by clean green offshore wind energy, according to a new report released by international energy experts. Researchers at the respected Garrad Hassan group examined wind speeds, sea depths, economic infrastructure and advancements in offshore wind technology. They concluded that as many as 50,000 turbines could be built in European seas, generating the equivalent of 720 billion domestic units of electricity Ð enough to power well over 150 million homes. The report Ð entitled 'Sea Wind Europe' Ð predicts the European wind industry is about to expand hugely, with major construction projects off countries including Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, France and Spain. It says wind could supply almost a third of all Europe's electricity needs including industry, service sector and domestic needs Ð a comparable amount to that currently supplied by the entire EU nuclear industry. The researchers go on to say that by 2020 wind power could: - create up to 3 million jobs across Europe - rejuvenate declining industries and depressed industrial areas - create a multi-million euro renewable energy market - set Europe on the road to a completely clean energy supply system that is safe, secure and environmentally sustainable - provide cheaper electricity than both coal and nuclear power. "Canada holds the bulk of North American wind potential and yet we're lagging behind in terms of both wind production and investment," said Steven Guilbeault from Greenpeace. "The Canadian government is missing a great opportunity to be a leader in the field of renewable energy, instead of which it continues to favor polluting fossil fuels and nuclear energy." "World leaders are facing the massive twin problems of energy security and climate change. This report shows that wind farms at sea, and on land, can be the backbone of the world's clean energy future, putting an end to the lie that renewable energy can't deliver on a large scale," Guilbeault added.
