Climate change: United States' wrong-headed short-termism presents the United Kingdom with an opportunity
They say that if opportunity doesn’t knock, you should build a door. That is: unless someone builds one for you and leaves it invitingly ajar, which is precisely what US President Donald Trump has done when it comes to scientific research, particularly in the space where engineers and technologists are racing to bring to market green energy solutions.
Billions of US dollars previously earmarked for investment in these fields have been withdrawn by Mr Trump’s administration, with proposed offshore windfarms halted and tax credits for new green hydrogen projects vetoed.
The rationale for such short-termist thinking on the part of the Republicans does not appear to be supported by the science, science which in South Yorkshire in particular we are fortunate to have a surfeit thereof.
Professor Dame Julia King ranks amongst the most well-informed on the matter; she is the United Kingdom’s Low Carbon Business Ambassador. She has been quick to issue a rallying cry to those at the cutting edge of research and development in low carbon energy production to carpe diem. Reassuringly, it is clear that South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has heard that encouragement and is clearly supporting the seizing of the opportunity.
For, alongside the well-established Advanced Manufacturing Park ‘twixt Sheffield and Rotherham, is coming Holtec, a small modular reactor parts maker whose arrival represents a £1.5bn investment, bringing together a research cluster for the energy sector that will be the envy of the world.
There is no downside to clean, renewable energy, the production of which is kinder to the environment and to life itself; the upsides are myriad, and here lies the opportunity for this region and indeed this country to make hay while the sunshines ever hotter, it seems.