Zero-carbon homes

These don't appear to be doing too well at the moment according to this from EDIE.

Just 15 new homes that meet the Gov's definition of zero-carbon have been built in the last 12 months, despite the backing of £15 Million of taxpayers money.

Hmmm, perhaps they need to think about redefining just what zero-carbon actually means?

Meanwhile, there are those (see this piece from AlterNet.org) who think that total decarbonisation is the only possible way forward. Sounds rather overtly radical to me, but what do I know?

So why, oh why, can't our lot do it?

Yet another example of a country's sensible government issuing tax incentives for the adoption of energy saving measures as reported by EDIE. Well done Ireland!

Our lot seem so stuck with their heads in the sand (or should that be Northern Rock?), talking 'til they're blue in the face, but at the end of the day, achieving, and incentivising, absolutely nothing.

Plus ca change.

Riding the waves

The UK government has granted planning permission for what is being billed as the world's first large scale wave farm. As reported by EDIE, the wave farm, 15 miles off the coast, should generate some 20MegaWatts, thereby providing up to 3% of Cornwall's domestic electricity needs once operational in 2009.

If this works well, perhaps, in another couple of decades or so, we'll see these all around the UK's coast, probably alongside a forest of offshore wind farms.