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David Attenborough backs huge Apollo-style clean energy research plan

“An Apollo-style research programme to make renewable energy cheaper than fossil fuels has won the backing of Sir David Attend borough, who says this alone would be enough to halt climate change.”

McC comment – a globally funded and supported search, with no commercial barriers for alternative affordable fuel sources is the only logical answer, if we are to avoid changes to the oceans that may be very unpalatable if not ultimately terminal for many species including humans – there will be large but not insurmountable short term economic impacts; but the alternative is an increasingly inhospitable planet – no mention of ocean acidification – sadly

The Guardian

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Naturalist says 10-year public research and development programme, that would emulate race to put men on the moon, could halt climate change

An Apollo-style research programme to make renewable energy cheaper than fossil fuels has won the backing of Sir David Attend borough, who says this alone would be enough to halt climate change.

The renowned naturalist joins a group of eminent scientists, business executives and politicians backing a 10-year public research and development plan to cut the costs of clean energy and deliver affordable technologies to store and transport solar and wind power.

In a letter to the Guardian, the group argue that the approach, mirroring the intense Apollo programme that put men on the moon, “will not only pay for itself but provide economic benefits to the nations of the world”.

Letter

We, the undersigned, believe that global warming can be addressed without adding significant economic costs or burdening taxpayers with more debt. A sensible approach to tackling climate change will not only pay for itself but provide economic benefits to the nations of the world.

The aspiration of the Global Apollo Programmed is to make renewable energy cheaper than coal within 10 years. We urge the leading nations of the world to commit to this positive, practical initiative by the Paris climate conference in December.

The plan requires leading governments to invest a total of $15bn a year in research, development and demonstration of clean energy. That compares to the $100bn currently invested in deference research and development globally each year.

Public investment now will save governments huge sums in the future. What is more, a coordinated R&D plan can help bring energy bills down for billions of consumers. Renewable energy gets less than 2% of publicly funded R&D. The private sector spends relatively small sums on clean energy research and development.

Just as with the Apollo space missions of the 1960s, great scientific minds must now be assembled to find a solution to one of the biggest challenges we face.

Please support the Global Apollo Programme – the world’s 10-year plan for cheaper, cleaner energy.

David Attenborough
Professor Brian Cox

  • Paul Polman CEO, Unilever
  • Arunabha Ghosh CEO, Council on Energy Environment and Water
  • Ed Davey Former UK energy secretary
  • Nicholas Stern IG Patel professor of economics and government, LSE
  • Bill Hare Founder and CEO, Climate Analytics
  • Nilesh Y Jadhav Programme director, Energy Research Institute @NTU, Singapore
  • Niall Dunne Chief sustainability officer, BT
  • Carlo Carraro Director, International Centre for Climate Governance
  • Professor Brian Hoskins Chair, Grantham Institute
  • Mark Kenber CEO, The Climate Group
  • Ben Goldsmith Founder, Menhaden Capital
  • Sabina Ratti Executive director, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM)
  • John Browne Chairman, L1 Energy
  • Zac Goldsmith MP
  • Professor Martin Siegert Co-director, Grantham Institute
  • Professor Joanna Haigh Co-director, Grantham Institute, and vice-president of Royal Meteorological Society
  • Peter Bakker President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
  • Dr Fatima Denton African Climate Policy Center
  • Denys Shortt CEO, DCS Group
  • Adair Turner Former chairman, Financial Services Authority
  • Gus O’Donnell Former cabinet secretary
  • Richard Layard London School of Economics
  • Professor John Shepherd
  • Martin Rees Astronomer royal
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