“The island has huge potential to act as a test-bed in demonstrating and showcasing itself as a centre of excellence in clean innovations across the world. Aside from the obvious environmental benefits, commitment from the island could potentially stimulate a whole new industry and shift recognition of Jersey as a badly perceived ‘tax haven’ to a positive benchmark for future energy and protection of our planet. However, first the island must clean up its act, cut the bureaucracy and start investing in clean-tech and initiatives such as:
1. It’s electrifying!
With short commute distances and an isolated infrastructure, the island is well placed to make a quick and efficient shift to a zero emissions transport system. It could kick-start this by heavily subsidising electric vehicle ownership and taxing old and inefficient vehicles (of any generation).
Pictured: Phil Sharp prefers his cars electric.
Why not replace the new wave of hire cars with electric-only vehicles, with charging stations at all hotels and public carparks?
2. Let ‘s put our money where the sun is!
Statistics say that we have more sun in the Jersey than anywhere else in the UK, yet far less roof-top solar panels exist on houses.
Pictured: Jersey is sunnier than the rest in the UK but invests less in solar panels.
The island needs to pass some control to its customers through a feed-in tariff, which makes it attractive for people to invest in solar panels, and which in the long-term can slash Jersey’s French energy bill – which is nuclear and therefore neither clean nor renewable.
3. Buses high on hydrogen
Last summer on my bike, I was overtaken by a Tantivy coach, which was quite literally like being downwind of a bonfire burning crude oil. These infernal machines should have been crushed decades ago! Instead of replacing these with the standard Liberty Bus, why can’t the island invest in hydrogen-electric busses, that are fuelled with clean-hydrogen produced from renewables (solar or tidal), and which don’t shorten your life expectancy every time one burns past you.
Pictured: Phil would like to see buses that “don’t shorten your life expectancy every time one burns past you” in Jersey.
The hydrogen-electric buses have been tested successfully in London and emit only water into the atmosphere through the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell. The hydrogen revolution is coming…
4. Ditch the car and hop on your bike
Less cars, more cycling! If triathlon is one of the biggest growing sports, and people WANT to exercise then there is nothing better than encouraging people to cycle into work every day. I find it so liberating doing some hard daily exercise, which is also time-effective exercise.
Pictured: Between four wheels and two wheels, Phil has made his choice.
Less time in the gym, and, from most places in the island, as fast into work as a car. However, we need far more cycle tracks and cycle lanes on the side of main roads, to give cyclists more priority and comfort. St Peter’s valley is a great start.
5. One car per household
The number of cars in Jersey for its size is totally insane, and people (including myself) are guilty of having too many cars.
Pictured: Taxes on second-car insurance could help reduce the numbers of cars in the island.
I think the insurance of a second car per household should be heavily taxed to encourage more people to car-share, avoid families driving to work in different cars, and get on your bike
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and not those of Bailiwick Express.