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End of the fossils
We’ve turned 15! To mark the occasion we invited our friends, partners and respected adversaries to celebrate with us. Surprisingly many people came; even the minister himself paid his respects.
It’s impossible not to notice: both politics and the people are showing more and more interest in energy. This conclusion isn’t only based on the number of enquiries made by the public, but on the number of times the press approaches us. We are not at all surprised; we all feel on our own skin that the resources that have been stored under the Earth’s surface for millions of years are running out. Hungary is also being baked by climate change, not to mention Tuvalu and the other little island-countries that are quickly sinking...
While 20 years has passed since the world’s most serious technological catastrophe occurred, the exact number of victims claimed by Chernobyl is still as yet undiscovered. However, what we do know is that with the discovery of nuclear energy, humankind also discovered the nuclear accident. The lesson of Chernobyl taught us that the secrecy and elusiveness associated with nuclear energy is institutionalised. This reminds us that as of today we still don’t know how those fuel rods which ‘suffered a serious incident’ in Hungary’s only nuclear powerstation – ‘Paks’ - in April 2003, will be removed to a more secure place than Paks’s second reactor. The management of Paks says it’s not our business. It seems the ’Cherno-crats’ are still amongst us.
There is nothing left to do but step over the dinosaurs: in the XXIst Century we will have to learn to use renewable energy resources efficiently and economically.
Our Mission and our Vision.
By 2030, the Energy Club’s staff would like to bring about sustainable and clean energy management in Hungary and Europe. We are working for a world in which people live in a clean environment and, drawing on local resources and the help of diversified energy systems, consume energy in a civilized way.
Presently the energy industry does not cover most of the ‘externalised’ costs that its activities cause, e.g. the off-loaded social expenses such as health service spending, those arising from environmental destruction, or the costs of the negative effects of climate change either at home or abroad. It is our belief that one of the most important tools in reducing these burdens is the efficient and economical use of energy. This means rationalising our use of energy: achieving the same level of service and comfort while consuming fewer resources.
The only realistic and long-term alternative for energy production is, however, offered by renewable sources. We say renewable as the sun, wind or biomass are available in unlimited quantities- unlike crude oil, natural gas, uranium or the quickly depleting reserves of coal. Moreover, renewables do not pollute the environment, and their use can allow a decentralised energy system to evolve, which is in the long-term economically beneficial to local societies.
Chernobyl is the lasting symbol of human irresponsibility. Besides the risk of nuclear accidents nuclear energy produces waste that remains radioactive for many thousands of years. Nuclear energy is not safe, it is not clean, and it is not cheap. The Energy Club is committed to a nuclear free future.
A quick look at 2005 [2005 in a snapshot]
In 2005 we reached the end of a long process of organisational development. It was exciting, but it was also tiring. We learned a lot about ourselves and about how it is worth relating to the world. We owe a lot to Ildikó Simon, our organisational-development advisor, who accompanied us throughout this ’treatment’. The process brought many results; our organisational and operational codes have now been updated, our long-term strategy is ready, our new logo has been created, and we have manuals for our image and quality management. We have volunteers and effortless and professional alliances with many-many other local and international organisations.
Our communications and appearances in the media have become much more sophisticated and diverse. We were covered in a popular, local women’s magazine, ’the Woman’s Pages’ and in the Reader’s Digest, entirely on our own merit, as well as having weekly TV and radio appearances. Communications is, however, more than just the media. Our presentations at conferences and special forums have been received positively by the professionals. Our redesigned newsletter, the „230” – the Energy Club Critical Mass Paper – has been praised by both regular and not-so-regular readers. Similarly, the publication made for our 15th birthday was a success with everyone from pre-schoolers to pensioners.
In 2005 we took part in dozens of events, festivals and conferences. Often we were the organiser, but more often we were sought after as invited speakers or as specialists.
The Energy Club has become the special advisor to the European Parliament's Green Fraction, and we have now spent many years participating in the work of Hungary’s National Environmental Council, reviewing the energy and the national development concepts.
In spring 2005 a new international organisation was formed, the Energy Club helping it through its teething stages: AGREE.NET - Actions for Green Renewable and Efficient Energy Network. This legal status was preceded by many years of preparatory work, and at the end of 2005 our funding application to the European Commission also met with success, allowing us to leap into top gear and begin training courses and joint projects across the region.
Climate Change was the theme of this year’s Brussels’ Green Week. Here, at the end of May, as the only participant from the region, the Energy Club commandos introduced our multilingual educational materials to those climate protection organisations, researchers and decision-makers that had flocked there from all parts of Europe.
The European network ’Energie Cités’ brings municipalities’ experience and influence together for sustainable, local, energy management. In 2005 the Energy Club took part in many forums and other events popularising these goals. The Hungarian municipalities have a long way to go in this field too, and could do a great deal to help our own domestic energy management practices. We hope that by 2006 the Hungarian alliance for energy efficient settlements will be formed.
Climate
2005 was an important year in the history of climate protection. The Kyoto Protocol came into effect on February 16th and, under the auspices of the United Nation’s, the commitments made at Kyoto became compulsory for the signatories. We -along with others- commemorated this event, and the media also dealt with the issue thoroughly, even if it didn’t make the front page.
Naturally, we took part in many international and local conferences. Amongst these the Brussels’ Green Week (30th May – 2nd June) was the most significant, the theme of which was climate policy. The Energy Club, with its information stand, was the only non-governmental organisation represented from the region. Our informative wall charts and their interactive internet versions were a great success with the visitors. Besides this occasion Péter Kardos, the climate protection programme coordinator made presentations at numerous special conferences.
The main body of the Hungarian climate protection legislation was formed in 2005, like the majority of the emission trading regulations and the bases of the national allocation plan. The Energy Club not only followed the process carefully, but actually took part in it. We involved other concerned environmental organisations in this work, and kept them up to date through consultations and trainings.
Energy Efficiency
’ZEH’ - the Green Energy Network.
In 2005, the Energy Club assisted in the work of the ’KÖTHÁLÓ’, offering them trainings and publications to enable them to give advice on household and municipal energy management as part of their environmental advisory service, now available in 10 different settlements across the country. It appears that the ever-increasing energy costs are encouraging consumers to become acquainted with more economical and efficient energy solutions.
Educational film on the ‘ABC’ of insulation
The Hungarian Energy Brigades’ programme operates in 8 places across the country. To make home insulation simpler, we made a 9-minute film which enables anyone to undertake the work with ease. Similarly, numerous printed publications are available that help us get to grips with a more considered use of energy. To name just a few: ’A Guide to Complaints’, ’Labelling Household Appliances’, ’Green Energy Labelling’, ’Being Smart with Energy’…
Energy-aware settlements
The importance of the municipalities’ energy management goes without question, hence in 2005 the Energy Club negotiated with numerous councils and federations of councils regarding the formation of a new organisation, based on the example of the European ’Energie Cités’ network, which originated in France.
Renewable Energy
Looking back on 2005, for the renewables department this was the year of biomass. Biomass plays an increasingly important role in Hungarian energy provision, but we are convinced that this development is going in the wrong direction. Today, 90% of the biomass used in energy production is burned in units of 30-50MW, and at a very low level of efficiency. If it goes on like this, one of our most promising energy resources will be wasted. This led us to decide to hold forum-come-information galas in 6 larger cities on the Hungarian Great Plain this January and February, for local farmers, land-owners, regional development specialists and fund-raisers. These fora were a success for the participants, the invited speakers and the specialists alike.
Based on the presentations and the ensuing debates, the ’Guide to Biomass’ was created, a seemingly much-needed publication, given that the 1000 copies available were all snapped up in a very short time. The concerns arising from this programme resulted in the ’Statement on Biomass’, endorsed and supported by environmental organisations, the conclusions of which we hope will soon become part of domestic legislation. In 2005, articles on renewables that referred to the Energy Club appeared more or less weekly in the Hungarian media.
Nuclear safety or nuclear secrecy
For us, a large part of 2005 continued to rotate around the major and serious incident happened in 2003 at Paks. There are 3,6 tonnes of broken fuel rods sitting at the bottom of a tank next to reactor 2. Moreover in the second half of the year attempts relating to the extension of Paks’ lifetime took centre stage.
The Energy Club versus the National Energy Bureau (OAH).
The trials that started ’with urgency’ in 2004 have still not come to a conclusion. 6 sittings have taken place in the two trials. The OAH has to the end consistently refused to release the information we have requested about the risky clean-up work, which - according to the newspapers - is expected to be carried out in autumn 2006.
We count it as a part-success that in one of the trials the second degree judicial body declared the information we had requested was ’of public concern’, and placed the burden of proof for the restriction onto the respondent, in other words, onto the Bureau. We hope we can put a full stop to the end of the trials in 2006.
Paks only has alternatives.
On the 7th of September, after a 15-minutes contemplation, the cabinet decided to support the extension of Paks’ lifetime. After this, the department responsible for nuclear safety, at present the Ministry of Justice, submitted a 20 page document to the Parliament, on the basis of which the Parliament ’takes note of’ the government’s efforts. As a result of the coalition between the Energy Club and another local organisation, ’Protect the Future’, numerous amendments were submitted, and an advertisement was placed in newspapers carrying the above title. This action received an even greater level of media attention than expected.
C+19
The Energy Club and Greenpeace played host to two Russian guests in April, Ramsis Faizullin and Gosman Kabirov from Chelyabinsk (Russia), two victims of the pollution resulting from nuclear waste. On the 19th anniversary of Chernobyl, we wished to call attention to the fact that it is not only disasters that cause illness, but that even the day-to-day „smooth” operation of the waste treatment plants go hand in hand with similar effects on health. For this occasion we revised and reprinted our publication entitled, ’What’s in our Backyard?’ Our other publication – ’Atomic!messes and Atomic!myths’ is designed to dispel the myths of nuclear energy and on numerous summer festivals our enthusiastic volunteers handed these out to young people. We also took part in the ’One million Europeans against nuclear power!’ campaign, collecting part of the 22,000 signatures making up the Hungarian contribution to the one million.
Our plans for 2006
We are building on the experience we have gathered in our energy efficiency programme, concentrating on increasing municipalities’ and householder’s awareness of and attitude to energy management. We would like to found the Energie Cités network in Hungary, the network already operating with great success in Europe, with a massive amount of experience and knowledge to its credit. Renewable energy resources are receiving an increasing amount of media attention too. This is clearly prompted by the ever more obvious scarcity of traditional energy sources, and the resulting price increases. From this point of view, in 2006 it will be time for a review of domestic energy regulations. The Energy Club would like to contribute to a more just regulation of renewable energy resources, the birth of a new law on renewable energy.
In the field of climate protection, the most important event at which the Energy Club will be present is in Nairobi, at the conference laying the future for climate protection strategies, and at the forum of specialists taking place just before this. Over and above this we would also like to take part in the formation of the Hungarian climate protection strategy.
In April 2006 it will be 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl’s fourth block exploded disaster. Along with other organisations we would like to commemorate this in an appropriate way. We are also invited to the International Chernobyl+20 Conference to Kiev.
Numerous challenges await the country in respect of nuclear safety, since the ’cleaning up’ of the serious incident that happened at Paks is planned for this autumn. We went to court so the public could also have access to information about this. At the same time the issue of extending Paks’ lifetime by 20 years is going through the environmental agency licensing procedures. The Energy Club has been given status as a client in the process. The competent authority continues to count on the expertise and insight we have gathered from our experience.
In 2006 a new energy-policy concept is being prepared. The Energy Club staff is evaluating each of the 17 expected reports, both individually and together as a whole. The first results of this are already up on our website.
Just to top everything, in the first half of 2006 we will welcome our visitors with a more transparent and modern website.
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