Patrick Harvie, Columnist
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but
expecting different results. So goes the saying, attributed to Einstein.
Given the human impact of the job losses in the offshore oil industry due
to the volatility of the resource, and the Scottish Government’s failure
for four years in a row to meet climate change targets, we must challenge
those who want to repeat previous approaches. Now is the time for a change
of direction.
Oil and Gas UK says the number of jobs in the sector and its supply chain
has fallen from 440,000 to 375,000, a 15 per cent cut since the start of
2014. Chief executive Deirdre Michie has spoken of the need for a
“transformation in the way business is done” to “become more resilient”.
This misses the opportunity we have to create a genuinely resilient economy
that will outlast oil and gas.
For many, it’s hard to see a future for our country without the sector. The
Herald has reminded readers that it supports what it calls a “balanced”
energy policy and further tax breaks for oil and gas firms. “Balanced” is
used by those who favour a mix of energy sources, such as nuclear and
fracking. A better balance would rule out finite, risky options and instead
involve a mix of renewable sources, which by their very definition can
sustain us indefinitely.
On oil, the SNP’s energy minister, Fergus Ewing, recently said it was
“imperative” that oil multinationals don’t have to pay more tax, ignoring
the fact that we already subsidise these companies’ profits by £1 billion a
year. The same minister poured scorn on the idea of public ownership of the
sector, a statement which lays bare the Scottish Government’s cautious
approach at a time when boldness is called for.
“There’s still plenty to come from the North Sea,” Mr Ewing said. I agree
but, whereas he means oil, I mean decommissioning, not exploration. I also
mean renewables, from offshore wind and wave to tidal and undersea
interconnectors. The minister spoke of “premature decommissioning”, begging
the question: how soon is too soon? The international consensus is that
most of the world’s fossil fuel reserves will need to stay in the ground if
climate change is to be constrained. More than 50 per cent of gas and 30
per cent of existing oil reserves are unburnable if we want to limit the
global temperature rise to 2C.
Research carried out for the Scottish Greens shows how we can create far
more employment than will be lost over the next 20 years. By focusing on
alternative industries such as renewables, retrofitting housing, district
heating and reforesting, we can enhance skills, encourage innovation and
increase supply chain opportunities for small to medium enterprises. We
could retool Grangemouth to focus on synthetic gas and position Aberdeen as
a world centre of expertise in decommissioning, something countries around
the globe know they have to tackle soon. We should start to see more focus
on retrofitting housing stock after my colleague Alison Johnstone got
Finance Secretary John Swinney to commit to making it a national
infrastructure priority.
On fracking, hundreds of Scottish communities remain uncertain about their
fate. Following pressure from community groups and the Scottish Greens,
ministers announced a temporary and partial moratorium in January. A public
consultation was promised. Almost nine months on, we’re still waiting. The
First Minister says a timetable for evidence-gathering will be presented to
parliament in the next few weeks but voters deserve to know what they’d get
if the SNP were re-elected in May. Kicking this issue into the long grass
isn’t credible.
Several parliamentary questions on the issue remain unanswered by ministers
after seven months. As ministers maintain their silence, fobbing off the
public with bland, unchanging statements, developers such as Ineos and
Cluff are getting organised.
Labour MSPs are on record describing fracking as an opportunity, saying it
will bring down fuel bills. Labour, like the SNP, the Conservatives and the
Liberal Democrats, voted against the ban we proposed last year.
It’s perhaps no surprise that a recent Ipsos Mori poll stated that the
Scottish Greens are the party most trusted with Scotland’s environment. The
connection between a healthy environment and a healthy economy is clear to
see. The choice we face is: do we repeat the mistakes of the past, and
chase after yet more unburnable fuel? Or do we seize the opportunity and
change direction?
Patrick Harvie MSP is co-convener of the Scottish Greens and is a member of
the Scottish Parliament’s economy, energy and tourism committee.
http://www.scottishgreens.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2015/08/Jobs_in_Scotland_New_Economy.pdf
0 Comments