As energy prices become ever more mercurial, European countries are investigating all their options when it comes to alternative energy sources. This is not necessarily a political issue, but rather a practical one, since gas and oil production has been falling for nearly thirty years now.
One European nation that has embraced alternative energy sources of late is Ireland. From 2004 to 2010, the Emerald Isle increased its reliance on renewable energy from 5 to 15 per cent. That is a threefold increase in only six years!
Most of the progress that has been made can be attributed to a concerted government effort to reduce fuel imports and to rely more on green electricity. At the same time, Ireland finances have gone down a bit as fuel prices have remained stable.
However, politicians and government officials are quick to note that there is still a lot of work to be done. One sobering statistic is that Ireland still relies on imported oil, gas, and coal to an obscene degree. In fact, they currently account for about 90% of the country's fuel needs, which is well above the EU average of 50%.
In the end, it seems that Ireland has been unable to let go of the past while they embrace the future. Of course, they are taking positive steps in the right direction, but energy imports are so prevalent that it will be difficult to change things without strong leadership and popular support.
