The World in 2030

146 The World in 2030
construction materials and even glass replacement materials
offer massive opportunities for energy saving.
And what else should we do if we want to avoid the
worst case climate change scenario in 2030 with which I
opened this section? Lord Robert May, Fellow of Merton
College, Oxford, and formerly Chief Scientific Adviser to
the Government (and, perhaps, Britain’s most distinguished
scientist), spelled it out very well in The Times Literary
Supplement, April 4, 2007. After noting that there has been
a collapse in the market for 4X4 sports utility vehicles in
the UK he provided the following advice, most of which I
agree with:
But what actions should we be taking? One thing
is clear: the magnitude of the problem is such that
there is no single answer. Our possible actions can be
usefully divided into four categories.
First, we can adapt to change: stop building on flood
plains; start thinking more deliberately about coastal
defences and flood protection, recognizing that some
areas should, in effect, be given up.
Second, we can reduce wasteful consumption, in
the home, marketplace and workplace: we can now
design houses which consume roughly half current
energy levels without significantly reducing living
standards.
Third, and necessary in the medium term while we
continue to burn fossil fuels, we could capture as