Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-10-22-Speech-1-177"
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"en.20071022.17.1-177"2
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substitute; Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America (2007-03-14--2009-07-13)3
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"Mr President, Commissioner, Mr Reul’s report begs the important question of what direction Europe and the world are going in on the energy question. The conflicts continue. For how long can we contain them?
There is no easy alternative to fossil energy, given current conditions, not even if we did what we could to save far more energy than we do now. Oil accounts for around 37% of the energy we use, gas 24% and coal 16%. Fossil fuels thus account for 77% of all our energy. We know that the International Energy Agency predicts that world energy consumption will grow by more than one and a half times each year. Consumption of fossil energy is expected to increase by even more than that because the large developing countries have little faith in wind power stations. The developing countries account for 70% of growth in energy consumption, and China alone represents 30% of that growth. The reserves of fossil fuels are therefore running out and are concentrated in fewer and fewer hands.
It will take decades to change the energy system. Time is running out; this is actually a race against time. Unless we can sort out the environmental and energy problems we cannot guarantee peace.
If I could mention some areas of action: we need intensive research, product development and new technologies, and we also need to change our behaviour. In Europe we do not even conduct intensive research, even though we are heading for greater dependence, higher prices and conflict. I just heard that the United States of America spends five times more money on environmental research than the Union. How is it that the Lisbon knowledge-based economy works in this way?
Finally, it needs to be said that energy has its social dimension. Prices have risen by 50% in just a few years."@en1
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