Energy conservation and efficiency: A safe response to global warming and other environmental problems

The European Environmental Bureau is a confederation of national environmental NGOs concerned for the most part with environmental issues in the European Community. Here the President of the EEB describes its structure and the positions it has taken on reducing the waste of energy. The view of the EEB is that energy efficiency is of the highest priority. Improving the efficiency of energy use will produce benefits more quickly and at less cost than other energy options. Efficient energy use will also minimize the environmental impact of providing adequate amounts of energy, and will probably be considered by the public as the most acceptable option. The EEB's anti-nuclear position is based on the fact that fundamental questions about nuclear power are still unanswered. Resources devoted to energy conservation are, in any event, more effective in reducing CO2 emissions than if they were spent on nuclear power. The diversion of funds away from energy efficiency improvement actually leads to an increase in CO2 emissions. (author). 16 refs, 1 tab