Days of cheap energy over

I RECENTLY came across a book with a stark message for us all: “The Uninhabitable Earth - A Story Of The Future” by David Wallace-Wells. It outlines the consequences of climate change, highlighting the damaging effects which can be prevented and which can’t. Not recommended for those of a nervous disposition.

The section which seemed most relevant to current UK politics centred on a historical study of industrial development. Since the Second World War, in advanced economies we have enjoyed fairly consistent economic growth. Thus succeeding generations have lived richer, more comfortable lives than those of their parents.

It is tempting to think this is nothing more than the natural order of things. But history teaches us otherwise. A variety of factors determine how well a country performs, but one of the crucial ones is the abundance of cheap energy resources. Exploitation of fossil fuels, for example, facilitated the industrial revolution.

A similar correlation today explains the growth of the Russian economy. Punitive sanctions and a costly, unpopular war are offset by plentiful supplies of cheap energy. And that’s really bad news for those of us hoping for a future in which

global warming might be held down to a survivable level.

The implications for us are stark. Without cheap energy the Labour promise to pay for improved public services by “growth” is little more than hot air. It’s fiction ... just like the juvenile economic model proposed by Liz Truss – remember her?

An honest progressive politician would admit that the days of cheap energy and substantial economic growth are over for the foreseeable future. And that improved public services will need to be paid for by higher taxes on those most able to pay.

Not exactly the most positive message perhaps, but I’d vote for it.

John Hodgkins, Seaton Sluice