WELCOME TO THE NEW AGE OF ENERGY
A MANIFESTO
by jack fletcher
I’ve always been one for shaking things up, and you could say I was a bit of a rebel without a cause during my youth. Truth is, I’ve never really had respect for the status quo. I could never accept a system that pollutes our lands and seas or causes bloody wars over resources. Today, I still feel very much the same, albeit with a bit more respect and understanding of how we got here. That and a heavy dose of compassion, with a deep desire to create a better world for all. A rebel with a cause, if you will.
My passion for creating a better world began from an early age, with the best part of my childhood spent on roofs helping my father install solar panels and wind turbines, also being small enough to fit into tiny lofts saw me fitting insulation in those hard to reach places. Thanks, Dad! Later in life, this turned in to a career becoming operations director for my father’s renewable energy company. But then my life and career took a complete pivot, and I was suddenly a rock n roll singer with songs played on MTV and BBC Radio 1, it’s a strange life I tell you!
After several years working in what was a fun, but bizarre industry, I found myself looking for something new and meaningful. At the same time, I was becoming increasingly alarmed by the latest warnings from the United Nations that we had just 10 years to mitigate and avoid a complete climate catastrophe. I had to do something. But after joining several climate protests, I soon realised raging demonstration was just not enough, I had to do more. So I decided the most effective form of activism would be to lead with solutions and inspire others to do the same, and I could do all this by utilising my talents and creativity. And so, my switch from rockstar to conscious entrepreneur had begun. My mission, rebellion against planetary-tyranny.
“Deeply effective activism works at the level of story. In the long term, effective activism happens through changing the story.” - Charles Eisenstein
As global citizens, we all have a huge role to play. I see us all as temporary caretakers, lodgers of a household with a fragile ceiling, and so I feel it is our duty to protect it. But we can only do this by moving into the future much more consciously, more wisely, with a deep awareness and consideration of the impact of our actions. For me, a turning point came when I began to practice mindfulness and meditation, training my mind to be present, allowed me to be less reactive to thoughts and feelings, making way for much clearer thinking, so my emotions were no longer pushing me around.
Through my meditation practices, I've learnt to observe and question my feelings and desires. It's allowed me to ask myself some pretty important questions, such as what is truly necessary in life. When you begin to reflect on basic needs such as food, shelter, and medicine, you start to understand what's really important. And asking ourselves these questions may allow us to realise a lot of what we desire is not a requirement at all. I know for certain, it has allowed me to dematerialise, and transition from a meaningless consumer to a conscious citizen dedicating my life to service. The truth is, our inner world is intimately connected with the outer, and once we realise people and planet are one and the same, then meaningful change is truly possible.
We are all here on this planet at the most profound cross-roads humanity has ever faced, no war or struggle has ever been greater than this moment. But I believe in the power of progress, whilst knowing perfection is never immediately attainable, and in full knowledge, we live in an incredibly complex society. And yet the solutions are actually quite simple, they can all be solved with technological solutions and innovations, and a better, more efficient way of doing things. After all, it was technological solutions that got us into this mess in the first place. So let’s innovate our way out of it by designing the future we want to live in.
Welcome to the new age of energy.
We are in the midst of the fastest, most profound change in the energy sector in over a century, driven by renewable energy technologies that are now extensively proven, reliable and economically viable. These technologies have become so advanced, that we are now at the point where we can meet 100% of our electricity demand through the use of renewables.
A 100% renewable energy powered future will open up extraordinary new possibilities for our economies and societies. And when you have a superabundance of renewable energy, well, that’s when things get really interesting, and entirely new business models will emerge, creating entirely new value systems. Plus our planet will be cleaner, and our cities will be quieter. All of us will have the ability to generate our own electricity too. How beautiful is that? Renewable energy can give us energy made here in our own backyard, meaning we will all be better off, keeping money in our pockets, and in our local economies. It will also end our dependence on foreign energy companies and global energy markets, ending our reliance on foreign oil, and ending what seems like the endless oil wars. With renewables, we are all better off.
Producing your own energy in your own backyard using your own land or roofspace is the new age of energy, shifting away from the traditional utility business model can also end our reliance on foreign energy companies.
We must accept and acknowledge that our very survival is reliant on this planet. The water we drink, the food we eat, the air we breathe all comes from this earth. It is totally illogical to pollute and destroy the very ecosystem that sustains us. This is a profound health and safety issue of the greatest magnitude. The current way we do things is literally killing us. And this is all down to fossil fuels, transportation and the food we eat. Not only are we polluting the air we breathe, but we are polluting our food too. Pesticides used in agriculture is toxic, poisoning us and destroying our lands and our crop yields.
Animal agriculture is a major contributor to climate change too, the equivalent to 14.5% of global emissions, which is about the same as the transportation sector! Going plant-based will decrease your carbon footprint and will improve your health. I know this is quite a challenge for many, but even just reducing the amount of dairy and meat you eat will have a significant impact. Going completely vegan allowed me to take control of my health, and feel better. But seeing all the data coming from the United Nations, I couldn’t ignore the issue any longer, and when I made the switch, it felt good. I later became aware of the untold cruelty of the industry. Animals are sentient beings and have the same capacity to suffer as we do. Once you see this, you can’t unsee it. Don’t get me wrong, it was a stretch, a complete lifestyle change, I loved steak. But I had to change and I’ve never looked back since. Plus you should try my vegan cauliflower cheese! It continues to convert many.
"The situation the Earth is in today has been created by unmindful production and unmindful consumption. We consume to forget our worries and our anxieties. Tranquillising ourselves with overconsumption is not the way." - Thich Nhat Hanh
The thing is I can’t tell you what to do, but I’m here to share what works for me and help guide others towards a more efficient, and compassionate way that society could operate, based on science and logic. A hopeful visionary in a world that feels deflated and confused, and you can too! We all can. At the end of 2019, I vowed to dedicate the next 10 years of my life to the cause of transitioning the world to zero-emissions, whilst reducing my own impact on the planet. And whilst I am on this journey of service, I’m also here to live my life passionately, with total self-expression, in complete love, gratitude, and in absolute freedom to be who I am, and without apology. We owe it to the planet to think big, and so I promise to do just that. The only way we can ensure we make the most effective impact on climate change is to think big. And I vow to educate, inspire, and most importantly learn, in the most joyful and fun way possible.
Right now, reducing emissions is the most important moment of our lifetime. Do we want to be a part of the generation that chose to get to carbon-zero, the generation that chose a better future? Or do we want to be the generation that hands over a dying planet to our children and grandchildren, knowing that they will end up fighting a losing battle for survival? I know which side I choose. Our future is a choice, and having the belief in where we want to go will get us there. Sadly, I see and feel a deep nihilism running through my social circles, a hopelessness and despair. If we trade belief of better days and give in to this existential melancholy, we will fail.
Previous stories about environmentalism and climate change have, how should I say this, been less than exciting. But we are at the beginnings of a new and exciting industrial age, with fast-paced technological innovations and developments which will profoundly revolutionise the way we live. Let this reinvigorate our efforts. Progress is possible, solving this crisis is possible. We are in the arms of the atmosphere, and we are in the arms of ourselves, this moment counts, it’s time to turn the page.