The latest film by award-winning charity Cornwall Climate Care, looking at the crucial issue of Cornwall’s energy future, is launching with a series of public screenings from late April.
Power to the People, presented by Cornish surfer and geologist Lucy Cotton, explores the exciting opportunities, huge challenges and frustrating problems facing us in our efforts to wean ourselves off fossil fuels.
With fantastic resources of wind, sun, tides, geothermal heat and critical minerals, Cornwall is in a unique position to drive the whole country’s clean energy revolution.
However, the UK’s 100-year-old grid infrastructure means this potential can’t currently be harnessed – with new renewables projects unable to get connected until 2036.
Meanwhile, large numbers of people across Cornwall are living in badly insulated homes that they can’t afford to heat due to massive energy price rises caused by our dependence on foreign gas.
The film covers a wide range of fascinating stories, including:
- a huge floating offshore wind development planned off the north Cornish coast, which could ultimately generate 30-40% of the entire country’s electricity.
- a farmer who’s found a way to combine food production with solar panels.
- the hunt for inspiration in past ways of generating energy – from traditionally coppiced firewood to the potential of our abandoned tin mines.
- the amazing energy potential of the rocks beneath our feet – now being brought to the surface from deep geothermal wells drilled over 5km down towards the Earth’s core.
Lucy, lead geologist for the Eden Geothermal site, said
‘I was delighted to be a part of ‘Power to the People’. It really showcases the breadth of renewable technologies available to us in Cornwall and that the future of our energy supply will not be governed by one solution. It highlights the importance of each resource, and in the case of geothermal, the vital role it has to play in supplying heat to homes, industries and businesses.’
This important film will be launching at a series of cinema events around Cornwall and will be shown over half-term at the Eden Project.
All screenings will be attended by contributors from the film and other local energy industry experts, who will take part in a panel discussion afterwards and answer audience questions.
Find out more:
Half-term at the Eden Project
Screening tickets and dates
