Disruption isn't always bad. Reasons to be cheerful in 2020

At the beginning of a new decade it’s always tempting to look forward to the future, and begin to envision what may come to pass in the next ten years.

But given the depressively disruptive nature of our current social and political landscape, we think it’s well worth looking back at the last 10 years to see where we’ve come from and what can give us hope for the next decade.

Listening to the always interesting BBC Radio podcast “The Documentary”  provided some hope about what we’ve been able to achieve and the direction of travel for the energy sector, and our transition from a hydrocarbon based energy model to a renewable energy model.

The transition is happening more quickly than you might expect.

In terms of cost alone, between 2010 and 2020 the price of a solar photovoltaic panel has fallen by 85%, wind turbines down 40-50%, lithium batteries down 85%. So not only is renewable energy cheaper to build now, but  in about 5 years it will probably be cheaper to build new renewables than it is to run existing coal and gas plants that are already commissioned.

And as far as a beautifully designed future for affordable cars is concerned...

The new Volkswagen ID3 electric car, which VW are looking to sell 3 million a year within the next 5 years, is also a reason for some hope. Not only will it come in at under £25,000, a range of up to 340 miles but it looks amazing and (apparently) drives brilliantly.

Add to this the tidal wave of new plant-based food products to support Veganuary (in 2020 with over 300,000 UK participants) from Burger King to Tesco, and the future is starting to look positively rosy. Our favorite has to be the Gregg’s Vegan Steak Bake, which looks like it’s going to be every bit as popular as the Vegan Sausage Roll.

Happy New Year!