Local Energy for the 21st Century

I was recently asked by a national newspaper to sum up what I thought were the most important two things the Government had done in less than ten words. My response was instant. When I was first elected to Parliament in 1987 I successfully introduced into the Commons my "Statutory Minimum Wage Bill". Unfortunately, the Conservative Government refused to give it time to be debated in detail - so it fell by default. Even MPs on my own side back then told me I was a naïve idealist. Yet the measure that has effectively made the most impact on at least 18,000 of the people of Armley, Bramley, Kirkstall and Wortley, that I have the privilege to represent has been the introduction of a statutory basic minimum wage - recently uprated in the Budget beyond expectations.

Secondly, I would go for the banning of 'white' asbestos, the substance that did such damage and caused so many unnecessary deaths in Armley. For ten years I campaigned for the victims to bring the owners of the J W Roberts factory to justice - and we did in the end and then I petitioned hard for our new Labour Government in 1997 to help pay for the clean up on the homes in the Armley Lodge area. Now that asbestos is banned and what's more, in the future companies and not local residents and local councils will pay for the clean up under strengthened 'make the polluter pay ' laws. For ten years in opposition it was a hard slog - speaking out but rebuffed - but in four years of Government real progress on the minimum wage and getting rid of asbestos pollution.

But if I could be allowed a third "important thing done" I believe it will prove of much longer term impact and significance namely increasing investment in renewable energy resources such as wind power, wave power, biomass energy and solar power. As our Governments' first Energy Minister I argued for and won increased investment in renewable energy sources three years ago. I've always argued that climate change sometimes called global warming will not mean that we will be able to grow oranges and grapes in Leeds. Leeds will not be a wine-growing region of the future. Rather climate change as the result of fossil fuel burning - oil and gas - could actually switch off our warm Gulf Stream Current. The result will be a climate much closer to that of Newfoundland with much colder winters. That's why programmes - especially at the local level to introduce renewable energy sources are vital.

My vision is that local communities, our 'urban villages' will in the future generate energy locally from a range of renewable resources. Why, for example, transport away in dustbin trucks waste that could be used as 'energy from waste' in our neighbourhoods? In Kirkstall we have a national pioneering recycling plant, Leeds City Council have championed recycling of resources - the next stage is to develop local renewable energy projects, so that our power comes from within our neighbourhoods. Increased investment in renewable energy resources is a real boost - the real challenge is to see it delivered in our local communities. Not only will we be protecting the environment it might also prove long lasting, sustainable and cheaper."

© John Battle 30th March 2001

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