Renewable energy:The countryside's appearance may be about to change if we hope to meet future energy needs. Scientists are consulting the public for their reaction to how the countryside would look following the widespread planting of perennial energy crops.
"Energy use has increased 13-fold in the 20th century and with diminishing resources, we need sources of renewable energy that do not have an impact on climate change," said Dr Angela Karp, of Rothamsted Research, at the BA festival yesterday. Energy crops such as miscanthus grass and willow coppice which can grow more than 4m high, may provide a valuable renewal fuel source for the future, she said. They have a large biomass and take up as much carbon dioxide as they release.
However, growing enough of these crops to meet energy demands will require strategic planning for land use.
"Biomass crops are grown for energy not food and are carbon-neutral. They remobilise their own nutrients and do not need nitrate fertilisers to grow," explained Dr Karp. "The crops will not need to be grown on the best arable land and will not compete with food crops, but we will need co-operation between farmers and land owners. To hit the EU targets on renewable energies by 2020, biomass crops may have to be grown on 10-30 per cent of agricultural land in some areas of the UK," said Dr Karp.
Ireland will also see increasing acreage given over to energy crops. Ireland now has 1,100 hectares planted with miscanthus grass and willow, up 300 hectares from the previous year, according to Barry Caslin of Teagasc, speaking at a conference this month.
An ongoing survey that started in Britain this summer provides an insight into what the public reaction would be to more acreage given over to these crops. The Rural Economy and Land Use Programme (RELU) survey used photographs of existing plantings to gauge public opinion. The survey showed that two-thirds of the participants would not mind the crops growing near their homes.
"Problems arise when it is explained that there would also be a need for power stations in the local area, for the crops to be cost-effective and energy-efficient," said Dr Karp. "Then the participants agreeing to the growth of crops near their homes dropped to 30 per cent."
The study will also assess the influence the crops will have on wildlife, water use and landscape character.
New computer simulations using "virtual landscapes" developed by scientists at the University of East Anglia are being used to demonstrate appearance of new crops on local landscapes. The simulations are being unveiled for the first time at the BA festival in York this week.