We need to invest in energy and urban tech

NOW that the effects of global warming are undeniable – spontaneous wildfires on farmlands and in the countryside; unbearable temperatures for longer periods during the summer resulting in more deaths of people and animals – we can no longer ignore the risk to habitats at up to four months of the year.

Reading University Professor Rein says: “Absolutely every expert is saying that in a matter of five, 10 or 15 years the bigger fires are arriving in the UK.”

We cannot afford to wait because the fire service knows that it will be unable to deal with a wildfire season the size of those in Gironde, France or Southern Spain.

So, any talk of returning to coal, gas or even nuclear is fanciful. It takes at least 10 years to commission a nuclear plant. Hinckley Point will cost the economy billions with a promise of eye wateringly expensive electricity in the future – the entire nuclear strategy only gives us 25 percent of our power by 2030.

Oil, gas and natural gas (fracking) should be left out of the equation since our pledge to reach 1.5 C global warming at CoP26. There are so many new forms of energy coming onstream.

So the government should be bold and invest in new renewables for example, solar cars, hydrogen for heavy vehicles like trains and buses, decarbonising the carbon emitted to make and install things – like solar collectors and batteries in buildings and transport.

House batteries start at about £2,500, and they can also be charged up with economy 7 electric at night.

Solar collectors allow around 20 percent of home energy to be used to heat water raising water temperature reducing the energy needed to get it to the required temperature.

It may be that external insulation and solar collectors are a relatively easy win.

Most houses in the UK are “leaky” because they are uninsulated and they have timber floor boards with lots of air (and cables) under them which do not retain heat.

Not only do we need “passivhaus” design, we also need passiv urban design to conserve energy or maintain cooler temperatures in the summer. This will be a start to cutting the high cost of heating our homes and reducing the amount of energy used.

Marguerita Morton By email