Don’t delay transition to renewable energy

Replying to Joe Goodin’s letter (Daily News, April 22), I commend Joe’s company for installing renewable energy.

As to the apparent lack of government interest in the wave energy project, Joe’s question could be addressed by Venture

Taranaki, a lead agency in our energy transition.

As to my carbon footprint – no-one is perfect, but for the record my family does not have a gas barbecue or use gas in cooking or heating. We drive a secondhand electric vehicle and buy electricity from a renewable energy provider.

Also, with the large number of trees here, including hundreds we’ve planted, we are in so-called draw-down (Carbon Neutral NZ Trust).

Joe accused me of being ill-informed and not offering solutions. Yet the final paragraph of my letter recommended community-scale renewable energy projects with innovative smart grids, providing sustained employment and empowering communities.

Such solutions are available and are being considered by the Government (the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Smart Grid Forum).

As to my other statements: Gas is not a ‘‘bridge’’ or transition fuel, despite industry spin and political claims to the contrary. Terrence Loomis provides a New Zealand perspective. I did not say ‘‘turn off New Zealand’s gas supplies tomorrow’’. There’s still 11 years’ worth, according to Pepanz, enough time to transition consistent with recommendations from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and all credible science agencies globally.

Yet this challenge is made more difficult by our sense of entitlement and by industry dissembling (see Merchants of Doubt). If we delay further, gas barbecues and heated swimming pools may be the least of our children’s concerns.

Lyndon DeVantier,

Okato