The Global/national context
UK and whole world moving towards a greener, more carbon efficient culture/society/environment which is having an impact on the way business is done globally, nationally and locally.
Why?
We are running out of natural resources for lighting and heating our homes, fuelling our cars/vehicles and the amount of waste we produce is becoming unmanageable and damaging the environment.
The world is warming largely because of emission of greenhouse gases, particularly CO2. The burning of coal, oil and gas for energy causes high levels of CO2 to be emitted.
Governments are increasing the level of legislation within which business operates to help reduce carbon emissions, increase business management of waste by efficient recycling and to develop sustainable construction techniques that incorporate energy conservation and use of renewable energies. The sub- stitution of traditional fuels with biofuels is underway, which also helps to deliver carbon savings.
Increasingly business (and us as individuals) need to conserve/reduce/renew, recycle and sustain.
This is leading to huge developments and investment in renewable energies; most frequently seen are wind farms but other renewable energies are sun, rain, tides and geothermal heat (Renewable because it can be naturally replenished).
What are Biofuels?
The fuels that we traditionally use in our cars can be substituted by biofuels: biodiesel instead of diesel and bioethanol instead of petrol. Biodiesel can be made from crops that produce suitable oils such as oilseed rape, palm, and soya. It can also be made by recycling oil that has already been used for cooking, or from tallow.
Bioethanol is an alcohol, produced in a similar way to other alcohols such as spirits. However, it’s not recommended for drinking! Like these products it requires crops such as wheat, maize, sugar beet, and sugar cane that contain starch or sugar which can be converted into alcohol.
The UK biofuels industry has developed world-leading sustainability standards which ensure that the pro- duction of biofuels in the UK does not have a detrimental effect on the environment. UK biofuels compa- nies can therefore deliver sustainable biofuels which deliver carbon savings. By law, all fuel on UK forecourts must have a percentage of biofuels. It is up to individual fuel companies to decide where they buy the biofuels to include with their fuel - it may come from the UK, or from a variety of overseas sources.
A variety of new technologies are in the process of being developed for the production of biofuels. How- ever, these are some years off being a commercial reality. Without the introduction of current technologies, it will take even longer and possibly even prevent bringing advanced technologies to commercial use.
For more information go to: Source: http://www.therenewableenergycentre.co.uk
http://www.windpower.org/en/tour/wtrb/comp/index.htm - Danish Wind Industry Association gives a clear and comprehensive description of the internal workings of a wind turbine.
Currently there are 106 businesses focused on this sector operational in the Humber with 37 projects in development with 12 in operation. Approximately 2,245 people are employed in this sector so far.
