If the promises made by governments at the Rio Earth Summit are to mean anything, society must set itself on a new energy path. It is technically

The sun delivers 140 times as much energy to the UK, in a typical year, as all the oil platforms in UK waters

feasible now to begin the phaseout of fossil fuels by switching to solar electricity as well as other renewable sources: wind and wave power.

Solar Electricity

One indicator that the UK Government is failing to take its Rio commitments seriously is its neglect of solar electricity.

The sun delivers 140 times as much energy to the UK, in a typical year, as all the oil platforms in UK waters.

The potential for solar electricity in the UK is vast. The Government's own research shows that a wholesale application of solar PV could generate up to two-thirds of the nation's electricity.

Yet in the whole of the UK there are only two grid-connected solar homes in operation. The Government refused to install solar on either the new Department of the Environment or Department of Trade and Industry buildings.

The Japanese Government invests 133 times as much as Britain in solar power, and it is undertaking the world's largest ever deployment of solar PV technology with a 70,000 solar roofs programme. The US Government invests 76 times as much as Britain in solar technology.

Greenpeace's Solar Challenge

Greenpeace is challenging the UK Government to create a programme for a minimum of 50,000 homes powered by solar electric by 2010. By encouraging the birth of a world-class solar industry here, this would lead Britain onto a genuinely sane energy path.

Solar electricity is produced by photovoltaic technology - or solar PV - which converts sunlight directly into clean electricity. Solar PV panels are fitted onto the roof of the house or building where the electricity is used. The technology is simple, reliable, safe and available now

The solar programme could be partially funded by redirecting the taxpayers' money currently spent by the Government on supporting the fossil fuel industries (£17.5 million in 1995/6).

Using Energy Rationally

Energy saving is not only technically feasible: it saves money for consumers, industry, retailers - in fact for everyone except the fossil fuel industry.

There is enormous scope for energy savings in transport, by reprioritising public transport, cycling and walking. The car itself could be twice as fuel efficient as it is. Greenpeace showed exactly how this can be done, by launching the Twingo SmILE (Small, Intelligent, Light, Efficient) in 1996. An adapted Renault Twingo (one of the best selling cars in Europe), the SmILE's fuel consumption is 75-88mpg - whereas the original achieved only 42 mpg.