There is a growing backlash against Cambridge professor and Guardian columnist George Monbiot’s unprecedented attack on solar PV. Monbiot’s attack from the left blindsided renewable advocates who frequently find themselves fending off un-informed attacks from the right.
Monbiot’s column was particularly troubling coming as it did on the even of Britain launching, for the first time, a real program to develop solar energy. The comments and repostes came in fast and furious. Here are a few.
- In defence of feed-in tariffs: Friends of the Earth response to George Monbiot by Dave Timms
- The war of words over home-produced electricity feed-in tariffs could cost dearly by Jonathon Porritt
- Renewable Energy World: FITs, PV and the UK: The Bigger Picture by Miguel Mendonça
- The case for solar, and the impact of the solar revolution by Jeremy Leggett, Solar Revolution–an expanded version of Leggett’s response to Monbiot
- FITs, PV and the UK: The Bigger Picture by Miguel Mendonça, World Future Council, and the author of Powering the green economy: the feed-in tariff handbook
- Monbiot wants solar FITs out of UK – part 3 by Craig Morris
- Not the great green rip-off, by George by Alan Simpson (member of Parliament)–Monbiot has got it wrong: feed-in tariffs are not a waste of money. They work – just look at the German renewables industry. . .
- Monbiot wants solar FITs out of UK – part 1 by Craig Morris–About a week ago, British journalist George Monbiot wrote an article calling feed-in tariffs for solar a “ripoff” and “scam.” The occasion? The UK has resolved to implement feed-in tariffs effective April 1, leaving the United States as the only pro-corporation, anti-democratic bulwark that still resists feed-in tariffs. . .
- Monbiot wants solar FITs out of UK – part 2 by Craig Morris–Coming back to my rebuttal of Monbiot’s aricle, I should point out that I have long respected Monbiot’s work. Indeed, in my book, I cite him a few times in reference to his skepticism about biomass. So he and I have long been on the same side. . .
- Solar panels are not fashion accessories Economies of scale in manufacturing are causing rapid reductions in costs and solar energy has a bright future by Jeremy Leggett–A founder of Solar Century and a longtime peak oil activist, Leggett, unlike Monbiot, actually knows something about solar PV
- Feed-in tariffs are key to energy innovation by John Twidell–Professor Twidell is an authority on renewable energy and has published several highly regarded textbooks on the subject.
- George Monbiot likes to shock. But this time he has lost the plot by Jakob von Uexkull, founder of the World Future Council
