Sandy Dobbie: Science can turn tide in favour of renewables

Published on Friday 20 January 2012 00:00

RECENT images of wind turbine towers being blown over or catching fire during the storms may have alarmed advocates of wind energy. Scotland has ambitious climate change targets, but we should look beyond wind and waves for answers.

Science has a key role to play in aiding our transition to a low carbon economy. Chemistry helps us use resources more efficiently, whether through better insulation, lighter vehicles, renewable fuels, or better batteries. Thus for every tonne of carbon dioxide emitted by the chemical industry, three tonnes is saved by industries that use its products.

For example, scientists at Edinburgh University are leading a UK research project called The Solar Spark which could revolutionise the way we harness solar power by improving the efficiency and cost of solar cells. These low cost cells can work in even the gloomiest of Scottish conditions and could one day help out the 1.6 billion people in the developing world currently without electricity.

Another area of development is in biofuels where Scottish companies have the potential to transform the fuel we use for air, road and seaborne travel. We could see biodiesel coming from inexpensive feedstocks. In addition, more fuel efficient tyres using advanced synthetic rubber are being developed by Polimeri Europa here in Scotland. The new Centre for Continuous Manufacturing and Crystallisation, which works with industrial partners such as GlaxoSmithKline, is also looking to produce higher-quality chemicals at lower costs, through changes to manufacturing processes.

In short, chemistry tackles climate change issues at source by increasing efficiency. For example over 42 million tonnes of CO2 are saved in Europe every year thanks to lightweight food packaging. We already have some of the biggest global players in the chemical sciences sector based in Scotland, which is why it is our second top exporter (behind whisky) worth £2.7 billion every year for our economy. So we need not be daunted by the environment challenges we face but instead should put science at the forefront of the fight.

• Dr Sandy Dobbie is chairman of Chemical Sciences Scotland.

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Irritatingly Intelligent Chauvinist

Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 11:09 AM

First it was called "global warming" but it is now referred to as "climate change". I wonder why? Of course the earth's climate changes. Always has and always will. And if people think building wind mills or charging drivers of 4*4s more for road tax is going to make one iota of a difference then I'm sorry to say but you are wrong.

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nabodican

Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:17 PM

#4 The answer to you question would seem to be "more than you". As for the article, unimpressed one is correct, the article does have some merit without the CO2 climate bit. The real issue is that real science has been greatly downvalued because of an unholy alliance between certain sectors of the scientific community and politics. You need look no further than wee fat Eck and Fergus Ewing to see plenty examples of this.

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bridgetthecat

Friday, January 20, 2012 at 10:51 AM

3, Again what do you know about climate change?

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unimpressedone

Friday, January 20, 2012 at 08:57 AM

We could have had this article with any reference to the myth of climate change. Then again, would the Scotsman have published it without the eco-religious overtones?

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Back To The Future

Friday, January 20, 2012 at 08:31 AM

A lot of wishful thinking here perhaps but at least the concept is sound. Forget about subsidising ancient, intermittent and inefficient technologies and head Back To The Future.

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antiparasite

Friday, January 20, 2012 at 01:46 AM

Hemp for safe plastics, paper, fuel, clothing etc...

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