Energy is crucial to life. From the most basic food to fuels for heat, light, transport etc.
Most energy is currently derived from fossil fuels. Most food relies on oil for tractors, fertiliser, transport to supermarkets etc.
It is widely recognised that significant changes will have to be made in the fairly near future – both because of the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions because of climate change and also due to the inevitability of scarcer and more expensive oil.
There is no magic solution. Lower demand will help – better insulated houses, less travel, more local grown food etc. The key output from a Transition initiative is an Energy Descent Action Plan. So every sub-group must take an interest in energy. However, during the early stages of the Edinburgh initiative, it was decided to have an Energy sub-group, to ensure a focus on energy and to support other sub-groups.
More localised power production will also be desirable. There is already at least one community energy initiative in Edinburgh progressing renewable energy production.
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