DALE VINCE

Even before the Ukraine war, wholesale gas prices had skyrocketed due to a raft of factors. As most consumers were on fixed price contracts, gas companies were being forced to sell gas to them at less than the wholesale price, meaning they were losing money. As a consequence, many smaller companies went bust. Ecotricty wasn ’t one of them and its CEO, Dale Vince, explains why we need energy independence and how we can achieve it.

It was 20 years ago that I first heard the phrase energy independence – the idea of powering the entire country from our own renewable energy sources –wind, sun and sea – creating vast new industries, truly sustainable jobs and economic strength. Now everyone’s talking about it, even our government.

It’s been prompted, of course, by the energy crisis which began last September and has now been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. Although prices have remained within the new normal (aka crazy) levels since September, the war has brought an added focus –and the realisation that we depend on some dodgy people and volatile global markets for our energy supplies. Europe teeters on the edge of simply not having what it needs for life as we know it.

This was always going to happen at some point in the future if we didn’t transition to renewable energy, as one day, fossil fuels will run out.

Bizarrely, energy independence has been hijacked by some to call for yet further reliance on fossil fuels – a return to fracking, squeezing the last drops out of the North Sea and even a return to coal mining. Forgetting the climate crisis for a minute, it makes no sense for many other reasons.

Firstly, it doesn’t matter how much oil and gas we produce here in the UK, it doesn’t help us financially. Fifty per cent of our gas still comes from the North Sea but that hasn’t saved us a penny during this energy crisis as we’ ve been paying up to 10 times the normal price for it. Producers have made approaching £50 billion in windfall profits as a result, money that came from the retail energy sector (you and I) where tens of millions of Briton’s face energy bills they just can’t pay. The government should take that money from fossil fuel producers via a windfall tax and put it back where it came from – but that’s a digression.

It also makes no sense because it’s not a long-term solution. The Oil and Gas Authority says the North Sea will be depleted by 2030 – just eight years from now. And if fracking were up and running, it too would be gone by 2030. Doubling down on fossil fuels is kicking the can down the road – but not very far.

It will take a decade to get fracking up and running and the average time between exploration and production in the North Sea is 28 years, even if there are new finds.

Nuclear has got Boris Johnson’s support but it can take 10 years to plan a nuclear power station and ten more to build it and another 10 before it becomes carbon neutral… oh, and it’s the most expensive electricity ever devised.

Wind and sun projects, by contrast, can be built within 12 to 24 months; they harness an energy source that will never run out and produce no pollution. In carbon terms, they break even within months and are the cheapest way to make electricity bar none.

We have an abundance of potential renewable energy, enough to power Britain 20 times over, create vast new industries, truly sustainable jobs and real economic strength.

Before this crisis, we were spending £50 billion a year to bring fossil fuels here just to burn them. Fossil fuel and global commodity markets set the price and right now that figure has exploded closer to £200 billion and that’s what we have to free ourselves from!

If we were to spend that pre-crisis figure of £50 billion on renewable energy equipment, we could make all the energy we need. It would take two or three years at that costing but spread over about 10 years of development time to build it all. We have the technology, we have the money, we have the need and the benefits are pretty staggering. Once built, the renewables infrastructure would keep £50 billion a year kept in our economy (£200 billion at today ’s costings), end the scourge of constantly rising energy bills and end energy poverty.

Yes, there are challenges, the main one being keeping the lights on as renewable energy is famously intermittent. But it can be done as the ‘smart grid’ is coming and we could run on 100 per cent green electricity – and it’s not just me saying that but the national grid that runs the system.

We mostly use gas to heat our homes and that is a bigger challenge and conventional wisdom (my favourite oxymoron) has it that we need to switch this heating load from gas to electricity – using heat pumps. The government talks of a national heat pump programme and banning new gas boilers but they can’t have crunched the numbers – £300 billion to replace gas with heat pumps and energy bills that will be £500 a year higher per home (£15 billion nationally).

There is an answer though – grass! Comparatively simple, cheaper, faster and more sustainable! We can make all the gas we need, keep the domestic appliances we have and retain our national grid – simply by harnessing grass to make green gas. The cost is around £30 billion, one-tenth the cost of heat pumps and nobody has to change their boilers, radiators – anything.

This solution would create 100 thousand jobs in the rural economy and save the burning of £9 billion a year on single use fossil fuels. Green gas made with grass is carbon neutral over a six-month lifecycle and is renewable.

Energy Independence is about making the energy we need from indigenous renewable energy sources –electricity from the wind, sun and sea; gas from grass. Creating vast new industries, sustainable jobs, incredible economic strength – keeping our bill for energy in our economy. We need to take back control from fossil fuels, commodity markets and autocratic producer nations.

The best part is that every nation in the world has access to enough renewable energy to do this – it’s globally available and not concentrated in the hands of a few countries and geographies. We can democratise energy and with it the world, free ourselves from the grip of dictators, cartels, commodity markets and the daily burning of foreign currencies.

“I was always that person who said ‘no, I need fish, I need protein. ’ I would laugh at people and say: ‘You ’re an idiot, you need to eat a fucking steak’ . Little did I know that when my wife challenged me to be plantbased, I would change so quickly, ” he says.

“It was hard for the first couple of months, because I had to get used to a new diet and cooking. But I bought new cookbooks, and really got into it. I found five to 10 things that I really liked and ate all the time because it made me feel comfortable. ”

Phil admits there are motivators for veganism other than diet. “My love for animals is a pure passionate love and it has grown. I live near dairy farms and I’m surrounded by animals. I sing to them and they run towards me – it’s so cute. But it breaks my heart because they ’re dairy cows and I know what happens to them. It’s sad but I try to make them happy by singing to them which sounds really silly, but they need compassion too. ”

The conversation turns to how much more compassionate people would be if they understood the cruelties that animals face before they reach our plates. Phil says everyone has the capacity to understand that but they don’t make the connection.

“I was driving through Texas in a van and I will never forget the smell of passing spots where cows are slaughtered. It smelled disgusting. ”

Phil believes that meat-eaters enjoy the taste of meat but dislike harming animals. “Being handed a knife and told to kill something, clean it and eat it; that’s terrifying for people. Humans are no longer hunter-gatherers and we choose to make decisions that don’t make sense in today ’s society.

This meat paradox is a form of cognitive dissonance in which there’s an emotional or intellectual disassociation between meat and its animal origin. Something Phil believes can be overcome with better education.

“I hope that everyone in the world gets the dietary re-education that actually benefits their body and ignores what the mainstream tells them to eat, ” he states. “Maybe you start by eating meat only once a week as you ’re adapting to something new. When that works, go fully vegan – being vegan is more meaningful and impactful than most people realise, ” he considers.

Phil is a huge advocate for veganism. For those fans looking to him as their guitar virtuoso, there’s potential to get a whole generation of people thinking about their choices and the world around them.

“I’ ve learned you can’t slam this message aggressively into people’s faces, it is baby step by step. When I see athletes go plant-based, it’s like ‘there you go’! That's the right education and I can’t wait for more people to join this movement which I am proud to be a part of.

My new favourite brand, Sculpd, is a crafty brand that sells clay kits for you to make at home –no special equipment needed! Perfect if you ’ re crafty by nature and love making things! All products are vegan and cruelty-free.

I love the candle-making kit as you can create your own candle pot and then make the soya candle to fit in it! Choose from Peony Rose, Ginger & Orange or Basil & Citrus scents. You can make any shape or design you want and the kit provides you with everything you need – just use your imagination (or the manual) for inspiration! And you can refill your candle pot forever!

If candles aren ’t for you, however, their pot-making kit is excellent, with everything you need to be creative – clay, tools, brushes, paint and smoothing sponge. Or there ’ s the Macrame Plant

Hanger Kit – and everything comes with directions and video tutorials. Great to exercise your creative side or as gifts for others. £29 sculpd.co.uk Hairy people, candle makers and no-waste clothing

BY EMILY COSTER, RETAIL MANAGER

Our Teemill shop is the perfect place to pick up our new exciting designs which are being added all the time! We have designs from Clare McIvor and Holly Bushnell, whose creations are really cool and inspiring!

Teemill’ s factory is based in the Isle of Wight, where they print on tshirts just seconds after they ’ re ordered, making only what people need, when they need it. All their clothing has been ethically made and is vegan – similar to Viva!’ s range but with an added little bonus –anything you buy can be sent back to Teemill once it’ s reached the end of its life, to be remade into new products! Nothing goes to waste in this circular supply chain. We have women ’ s, men ’ s and children ’ s clothing as well as some accessories too! Sizes range from; Women ’ s UK 8-18; Men ’ s XS-XXL; Kid’ s 3-4y, 5-6y, 7-8y, 9-10y and 11-12y. These are just a few of our designs but we have more on our new website, so please check them out at: viva.teemill.com Some of the Viva! team went to an event held at the Lucy & Yak pop up store here in Bristol where amazing artists from We Are Hairy People taught us how to paint wildlife creatures on our clothes! The class was relaxing and fun! I painted foxes on my old Lucy & Yak dungarees and now I love them even more!

I’ m not much of a painter but Sarah and Naomi (from We Are Hairy People) were so helpful and provided stencils and advice. They also have their own shop in Bristol where they sell custom pet portraits, hand icedyed clothing and custom requests, so you can ask for anything to be painted on your clothing!

They also hold workshops where they will teach you how to paint on your clothes too! Prices start from £20 wearehairypeople.co.uk