King Charles’ Wind Farm Profits the Public
King Charles redirected the profits from expansions in his wind energy projects to help ease the impact of the current energy crisis on ordinary Brits.
The United Kingdom doesn’t exactly have a good record when it comes to climate change and carbon pollution. The nation was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, which brought technological wonders to the world and mass pollution of our environment. There was a time in the not-so-distant past when the houses of Britain were stained black with soot created by the steel mills and coal power plants.
In recent times, however, the UK has been leading the pack when it comes to climate policy and renewable energy. Right now, it is the second-largest producer of offshore wind energy in the world, a position that is reinforced by six offshore wind projects. However, in spite of the good changes being brought to our world by these projects, many point out that the good in that area doesn’t outweigh the bad in other areas.
The cost of living crisis in the UK has been steadily getting worse throughout the last two years, with the rate of inflation reaching a 41-year high in October 2022 at 11.1%. On top of that, by the end of that year, gas prices had surged by 129% and domestic energy costs by 61%. It’s hard to feel good about climate change when you’re shivering in your own home. However, calls by King Charles to redirect the profits from these expansions in wind energy could do some good in easing the impact being felt on ordinary Brits by the multi-faceted crisis that faces us all.
King Charles is no stranger to the environmental movement. Since he was Prince Charles, he has been open about spreading awareness regarding pollution, global warming, and the various other impacts humans have on our environment. Since his first speech in 1970, he has been, and continues to be a strong advocate for how important serious change in our environmental policy is necessary to how we tackle this global issue.
He also doesn’t just use the words of environmental awareness to fluff his image, he lives these principles in action as well. His Aston Martin runs on bioethanol, his property Clarence House uses solar panels, and Balmoral, the summer home of the royal family utilizes hydroelectric turbines and biomass boilers.
According to the black spider memos in 2004 and 2005, he also is not afraid to put pressure on politicians regarding this issue. They show him making persistent and direct policy demands on his Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, regarding his environmental concerns. In keeping with his knowledge of the climate crisis, he also understands that the devastating impacts of climate change overwhelmingly affect ordinary people far from Buckingham Palace. That is why he is calling for redirecting funds generated by these new wind projects to go to the public good.
At the crossroads that we find ourselves in with the climate crisis, we need responsible leaders who are able to guide our nations through the troubling times we face ahead of us. At the same time, we need leaders who listen to the youth and who listen to the people who are directly affected by climate change. With his knowledge and wisdom in old age and of the climate crisis, King Charles has an opportunity to show Britons and the world a way forward.
To make good on what he believes in, though, it has to be more than just words to the public. He has to show that he’s committed through his actions, and if what he’s done so far is any indication, there is hope that he could very well be the leader the UK needs. Part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative that the king established while he was Prince of Wales includes the Terra Carta, which outlines 100 different actions that businesses can take to put people, the planet, and nature at the forefront.
Hopefully, these actions will be the beginning of a genuine push toward addressing the issues that are most important to us all, but in the meantime, people in the UK can get a small break from the energy crisis there.