I blogged some time ago about David MacKay’s excellent book on the energyThe ability to perform work, mainly kinetic, potential, thermal energy, but also in forms of gravitational, sound, elastic and electromagnetic energy. choices facing the UK – Sustainable Energy without the Hot Air. Well, Professor MacKay is now advising the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and they have produced an interactive website based on those hard choices given the stated target of reducing CO2 emissionsCarbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted in several ways. Naturally through the carbon cycle and through human activities like the burning of fossil fuels. These human activities have increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere since the beginning of the industrial revolution and these high ... to 20% of 1990 levels.

At My2050 you are given control of various aspects of energy supply and demand through simple sliders, with your changes registering instantly on bar graphs above to show whether you’re producing sufficient energy to cover demand, and the impact on CO2Carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted in several ways. Naturally through the carbon cycle and through human activities like the burning of fossil fuels. These human activities have increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere since the beginning of the industrial revolution and these high ... emissionsEmissions of greenhouse gases, greenhouse gas precursors, and aerosols associated with human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, land-use changes, livestock, fertilisation, etc. (IPCC). For example, you can move the Onshore Wind PowerWind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form, such as electricity, using wind turbines. By 2010, a single wind turbine can produce several MW of electric power. slider up to ’20,000 onshore wind turbinesA wind turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from the flow of wind. The simplest turbines have one moving part, a rotor assembly, which is a shaft with blades attached. Wind energy acts on the blades, or the blades react to wind, so that they rotate and impart energy to the rotor. ... by 2050′ – you are given the comparative figure of 3,000 in 2010 – and the CO2 chart drops from 100% to 93% of 1990 levels. Wow, that’s a lot of windWind occurs due to different temperature levels in the atmosphere (troposphere) which are heated up by the sun. A typical example are the trade winds at the equator where the sun is most powerful.. turbinesA turbine transforms kinetic energy into mechanical energy and provides the generator with rotation. to build and still such a long way to go to hit that target of 20%.

OK, let’s look at the demand side and see if we can make some major savings there. Let’s try moving the TransportTransport includes all kinds of mobility, like cars, buses and airplanes. Fuel slider up from ‘Most cars are like those you see today, but more efficient’ all the way up to ‘All cars are electric or run on hydrogen. All trains and most buses are electric.’ That ought to help… except it doesn’t! My CO2 meter has gone up to 94% and my electricityA form of energy having magnetic, radiant and chemical effects. Electric current is created by a flow of electrons. demand bar is flashing red to show I’m not producing enough to cover it. Of course, I’ve still got the Oil, Gas & Coal PowerUseful energy can be mechanical energy, for example powering a fan. slider all the way up (default position) so I’m producing electricity for all those vehicles using fossil fuelsConventional energy from fossil sources, such as natural gas and oil. This type of energy contributes to climate change and because of its finite nature it is not a permanent resource.. Blimey, this is tricky.

But it is possible – you can balance supply and demand and hit the 20% CO2 target. What the website makes clear is just how much we need to change the way we live, work and travel, as well as our energy sources. There are hard choices to be made.

The urgency of making those hard choices is further highlighted if we believe the statement in the latest IEA World Energy Outlook (2010), which tells us that Peak Oil was in 2006: “Crude oil output reaches an undulating plateau of around 68-69 mb/d by 2020, but never regains its all-time peak of 70 mb/d reached in 2006”. We will have to play the My2050 game for real – radically changing how we produce and consume energy – since these choices will be forced on us in coming years, whether we like it or not.