ENK脰PING, Sweden, is the only town in Europe powered by biofuels (快猫短视频, 8 January, p 6). I asked Margaret Beckett, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, whether the UK government intends to follow the Enk枚ping path.
She replied that the 2003 energy white paper set out the government鈥檚 intention to source 20 per cent of electricity from renewables by 2020. The renewables innovation review of 2003 carried out by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Carbon Trust concluded it would be feasible, taking account of land availability and other constraints, for renewable willow coppice and waste vegetable matter to contribute about 6 per cent of the UK鈥檚 electricity supply by 2020. The government is working closely with a range of interested parties to develop markets and promote uptake, Beckett said.
She pointed out that there are a number of initiatives and considerable funds to support the growing supply and use of biofuels to supply heat and electricity. Energy crops can be grown on both set-aside and non-set-aside land. Aid of 鈧�45 per hectare is available for energy crops grown on non-set-aside land, and 拢66 million has been allocated to develop markets for biofuels in the heat, combined heat and power, and electricity generation sectors. Recent changes to the rules on co-firing of biomass with fossil fuels in conventional power stations make co-firing a more attractive option for both farmers and power generators.
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A biomass study team led by Ben Gill, former president of the National Farmers Union, is looking at the barriers to developing biomass energy and will recommend ways to overcome them, Beckett said.
WHEN large numbers of squid carcasses washed ashore in Spain last year, oil geologists found themselves blamed (快猫短视频, 2 October 2004, p 15). It seems that giant squid, like whales, can be killed by loud underwater noises. Offshore seismic surveying at the time involved firing 200-decibel low-frequency pulses. I asked Ivor Caplin, the minister responsible for seismic surveys and naval sonar systems at the Ministry of Defence (MOD), for his view.
He said the MOD鈥檚 Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) does not use seismic surveying per se; for seabed research, it uses passive acoustics. Clearly the UK must be able to protect important lines of communication at sea, participate in vital operations, and investigate any potential threats from mines and submarines. To ensure the UK鈥檚 military capability in these areas, the DSTL needs active sonar. This is essential to protect UK waters and safeguard navigation, but it cannot be used without careful regard for the environment.
Caplin said the MOD needs to be closely involved in research in the UK and with the US, NATO and other international forums on the possible effects of sonar noise on marine life. If there is any hint that the sonar used is having a detrimental effect on marine life, the MOD must consider what measures are needed, he said.
