World learning

The world is going to have to learn how to harness new and low carbon fuels if it is to avoid sliding back to the living standards of the early 19th Century, John Loughhead the new President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, (IET) has said in his president’s address.

Delivering the address which marks the beginning of his year in office, Loughhead tackled the issue of how to secure long term energy supplies, while also reducing carbon emissions. He warned that moving away from traditional fossil sources of energy could lead to a large reduction in living standards as while there is no shortage of carbon-free energy, it is not presently easy to harvest or generate.

In his speech, The Magic Roundabout - Cycles of Energy, Loughhead said the development of reliable energy supplies has been one of the greatest achievements of science and engineering and the foundation of advanced economies.

He added that now the world faces the prospect of the cycle turning back to energy sources of 200 years ago, including wind and solar, but to prevent a cycle back to the living standards of that time it is vital to develop new scientific insights and modern engineering methods to harness low carbon fuels.

Loughhead said: “This presents and exciting opportunity for engineers and the IET will play a vital role in encouraging the next generation of engineers and enabling the technology community to share knowledge and information around the world.”