The UK arm of the World Wildlife Fund has a very helpful walk through of The Power of Scotland Renewed Report. They explain that Scotland could be 100% renewable in only 20 years.

If accurate it means that through renewable energy could be the complete solution for climate change and the future for some parts of the world.

The report was commissioned by Friends of the Earth Scotland, WWF Scotland, RSPB Scotland and the World Development Movement and so comes from pro-renewable founding but was based on research by Garrad Hassaan who remains independent.

There’s a whole bunch of quotes from the green charities that do a good job at summing up this side of the debate.

The CEO of Friends of the Earth Scotland, Duncan McLaren, said; “This report shows how Scotland’s energy sector can make these targets a reality. It is vital that we grasp the new economic and job opportunities that would come with a sustainable energy future.”

Head of Scottish Campaigns for the World Development Movement, Liz Murry said; “Developing countries need to see rich countries not only committing to reduce emissions, but also bringing in policies now to ensure those emissions reductions happen. Our report shows that the Scottish Government can do this by ruling out coal in Scotland and embracing energy efficiency and renewables.”

Director of WWF Scotland, Dr Richard Dixon, said; “”Scotland has the best renewable energy potential of any country in Europe and we should be aiming high. This new report provides us with a clear description of how to set ourselves on the path to 100% renewable power.”

Head of Planning and Development, RSPB Scotland, Aedan Smith, said; “Given the importance of addressing climate change, which is the largest threat to biodiversity and sustainable development, we welcome the findings of this report that demonstrates that the Government’s targets for emissions reductions and renewable energy can be met without environmental harm.”

A town in England has found a simple solution for the rubbish thrown out by its residents – using it to power their garbage truck.

The council of Kirklees – a town about five miles south of Huddersfield – is believed to be the first to introduce an electric municipal garbage truck that is powered by the waste it collects.

When the truck returns to the Energy from Waste Centre with its haul, the rubbish that cannot be recycled is burned and converted into energy. This energy then goes into recharging the truck’s batteries with another ten megawatts left over to put back into the national grid. After six to eight hours of recharging the truck is ready for another outing.

The modified Ford Transit runs on a 40kwh lithium-ion battery back has a top speed of 50mph and a range of around 100 miles, which allows it to collect from the 25 bins that have been recently been placed around the town.

The story has sparked a lot of interest online, especially among the people who recognise the similarity between this truck and the DeLorean used by Doc Brown in Back to the Future. Sure, it’s not quite at that capacity yet, but give it a few years and who knows what Kirklees Council will have come up with.