Britain can become a zero-carbon economy within two decades by shifting to renewable power generation, overhauling public transportation, and relying more on locally produced food, according to a new study. That shift does not have to drastically alter lifestyles, said Rob Hopkins, founder of Britain’s Transition Towns movement and author of the study by the UK’s Centre for Alternative Technology. The report suggests that shifting to electric or battery-powered vehicles would help cut transportation energy demand by 63 percent; insulation of every building and use of natural construction materials would reduce heat and electricity requirements by 50 percent; and an 80 percent cut in consumption of beef and livestock products would drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions. The blueprint also calls for a 50 percent reduction of food imports, the replacement of short flights with rail and buses, and greater reliance on renewable power supplies. According to the report, such a shift could occur through strict penalties on carbon emissions and incentives for use of clean technologies. Such an overhaul would cut 90 percent of carbon emissions, according to the report, while the other 10 percent could be offset through carbon capture efforts.
Read the report
Read the report