One reason for us to become fossil free, is because it saves money. Another reason has always been that you stop supporting ethically doubtful states like Saudi Arabia, Russia, Libya, and more. It is geopolitics on micro level.
How we did this on ‘Ya’ was mainly to look into the mirror of our own consumption. Yes, that hurts, but we had to. Because, with our normal consumption level we had to build some 5 windmills and about 5 times more solar panels on the ‘Ya’. That is simply too much work, and we should build a bigger boat just to get all that equipment on it. Which would raise our consumption again…. We can’t afford such detours.
So, we used our common sense and discovered that we were on a detour. We took a shortcut and checked our own consumption and what we spilled.
That was a short cut! It proved to reduce our energy consumption with about 70-80%. The main trick is that we only use what we need. That is rather simple. An example:
We cook on an induction cooker, instead of combusting gas on a gas stove. This saves about 55% of energy. We use a pressure cooker, saving another 15%. The moment it cooks, we take it from the induction into an insulation box till it is cooked, and we saved another 15-20%. So, on cooking we reduce our energy use by 80-90%. And we cook and live in more comfort (less stress, no moist atmosphere).
Another example is a flexible mind in the planning of our trips. That reduces the engine use with about 80%.
(About flexible planning on your side: how much fossil fuel did you save in the COVID time, when you stepped in your car 1 time a week instead of 5 times?)
So, it is common sense: the short cut is to first check your consumption before you start supplying your consumption (or ‘demand’, as the Dutch government calls it.).
Zero use of fossil fuels makes our childrens future better, and we save money, and we micro-contribute to better geopolitics.
Geopolitics and fossil fuels
Now the Ukraine war broke out. Even here in Surinam everyone notices this, for example on the petrol and gas prices. Surinam has its own petrol and gas production, so in theory they don’t depend on petrol from abroad. Although nearly autarkic, the prices on the pump have risen seriously. Simply because also Suriname is part of the world economy. The relation with the USA is close. The USA stopped taking gas and oil from Russia and uses their own oil fields instead. This is just a tiny change, but enough to raise the price sharply because everywhere else in the world the oil prices rise sharply.
The EU is directly dependent of Russian gas and oil. The EU leaders themselves must feel the irony that on one hand they take measures to boycott Russia, while on the other hand Russia could squeeze the gas supply a bit and states like Bulgaria and the Baltics (near100% dependent), Germany (50%), Poland (40%) and many more countries, will be in serious trouble.
Geopolitics is a serious thing.
Dutch detours
Let us focus on the Netherlands. This country has a small dependency on Russian gas (14% in 2021), so that is easy to reduce.
Immediately after the EU’s first boycott measures, the Dutch government decided to develop an extra wind park at sea costing 1.2 billion Euros. Does it help? Mwah, In about 3 years. But not now. And contributes only a few percents to our energy use. And it costs a lot.
Although Holland is a small and crowded country, they also speeded up procedures for solar energy fields. Will that work against Putin’s power? Mwah. In about 2 or 3 years. on its fastest. What will all these parks cost? Billions on direct costs, but the real costs will be the many billions caused by the rise of the square meter price of the scarce Dutch soil.
Blue energy, and all kinds of other brand-new alternative energy sources are too undeveloped. Also, the research and development of near-sustainable nuclear power like thorium-based power plants, has been neglected for decades. This will take another 10 years.
So, all sustainable energy supply can’t help us against Putin’s threat. So then what?
Using coal power plants is a terrible solution, especially for the Netherlands with its vulnerable low sea level. And with a prime minister speeching in Glasgow for the international forum: “Now we need action! Action! Action! On the climate change actions, Holland is mediocre, but the Dutchmen should be the front runner, the example, the leader. Restarting coal power plants, would make itself doubtful.
Sofar in an outline: we are spending all money we have, and more, we work our ass off, would throw away our image, and still mister Putin has his hand on the gas valve, able to close it anytime.
We Dutchmen are cornered. With our back against the wall.
So, what now?
If all detours fail, then take the shortcut
Now the Dutch Association for Sustainable Energy has made a recommendation for the Dutch government. The question is how to save the 5 to 8 bcm (billion cubic metres) of Russian gas? The answer starts with the common sense measures to prevent and reduce the energy:
“The Netherlands can save almost 5 billion cubic metres of gas in one year.
In four years, potentially 10 billion cubic metres of gas can be saved.”
A miracle? No.
Did they get mad in these respected institute? No.
They continue:
“Positive side-effect is a CO2 emission reduction of roughly 10 percentage points of our Climate Goals (55% in the National Climate Act)”
But that is great! It has always been a skin of their teeth thing to their targets on the climate change actions.
Let us have a look on what actions have to be taken.
So finally, after all expensive detours failed, even the government has to see that the simple solutions work. These solutions don’t cost much, that they are mostly common sense, many people can understand them, they are never high tech (sorry to all engineers and tech universities), they are even pretty boring, and are all easy to implement. And they are not sexy. So plenty reasons for the government why they are never focused on these short cuts.
But, they help.
Check on fossil free ‘Ya’ if you doubt about it.
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