Jeremy Leggett
Encyclopedia
Jeremy Leggett, a geologist
by training, began his career as a consultant for the oil industry, while teaching at the Royal School of Mines
. His research on earth history was funded by oil companies BP and Shell,
among others. He later became an environmental campaigner for Greenpeace
, before evolving into a social entrepreneur and author.
He has written several books including Half Gone: Oil, Gas, Hot Air and the Global Energy Crisis
(Portobello, 2005: also published in the US as The Empty Tank) and The Carbon War: Global Warming and the End of the Oil Era
(Penguin
,
1999). These books examined the issues of oil depletion
and global warming
.
He spent the 1980s in the service of Big Oil, as a geologist and faculty member of the Royal School of Mines in London, and the 1990s as top campaigner for Greenpeace International.
Jeremy Leggett later became the founder and is currently executive chairman of Solarcentury
the UK’s largest independent solar electric company. Leggett is one of a number of entrepreneurs who have started a renewable energy business. Other successful self-starters in the sector include Shi Zhengrong
, Tom Dinwoodie and Tom Lerner.
He also serves as a founding director of the world's first private equity fund for renewable energy
. From 2002 to 2006, Leggett was a member of the UK Government Renewables advisory board. He was a campaigner on climate change for Greenpeace International from 1989 to 1996. He was the recipient of the President's Award of the Geological Society, and in 1987 the Geological Society's Lyell Fund.
He has called for a mass withdrawal from fossil fuel
s and advocates that coal
should be left in the ground. Leggett has been critical of the lack of reporting by the British mainstream media on the economic imperatives of climate change abatement. Leggett is known for his support of microgeneration
technology in the fight to abate global warming.
In his 2009 book, The Solar Century, Leggett is critical of nuclear power, saying that it cannot come online quickly enough to make a difference with climate change, and that the nuclear industry still hasn't found a way to deal with its radioactive waste
s. He also says that investing in nuclear power would mean less money for other initiatives involving energy conservation
, energy efficiency
, and renewable energy
. Leggett also states that carbon capture and storage
has a "substantial timing problem" as it will take fifteen to twenty years to introduce the technology.
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
by training, began his career as a consultant for the oil industry, while teaching at the Royal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines comprises the departments of Earth Science and Engineering, and Materials at Imperial College London.- History :The Royal School of Mines was established in 1851, as the Government School of Mines and Science Applied to the Arts...
. His research on earth history was funded by oil companies BP and Shell,
among others. He later became an environmental campaigner for Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
, before evolving into a social entrepreneur and author.
He has written several books including Half Gone: Oil, Gas, Hot Air and the Global Energy Crisis
Half Gone: Oil, Gas, Hot Air and the Global Energy Crisis
Half Gone: Oil, Gas, Hot Air and the Global Energy Crisis is a book by former oil geologist Jeremy Leggett about both oil depletion and global warming.- Media :* -- Julie Wheelwright -- The Independent 08 December 2005...
(Portobello, 2005: also published in the US as The Empty Tank) and The Carbon War: Global Warming and the End of the Oil Era
The Carbon War: Global Warming and the End of the Oil Era
The Carbon War: Global Warming and the End of the Oil Era is a book by former oil geologist Jeremy Leggett about global warming.- Media :* -- reviewed by Elizabeth Vandermark -- The American Institute of Architects- External links :*...
(Penguin
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
,
1999). These books examined the issues of oil depletion
Oil depletion
Oil depletion occurs in the second half of the production curve of an oil well, oil field, or the average of total world oil production. The Hubbert peak theory makes predictions of production rates based on prior discovery rates and anticipated production rates. Hubbert curves predict that the...
and global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
.
He spent the 1980s in the service of Big Oil, as a geologist and faculty member of the Royal School of Mines in London, and the 1990s as top campaigner for Greenpeace International.
Jeremy Leggett later became the founder and is currently executive chairman of Solarcentury
Solarcentury
Solarcentury is a business which designs and installs solar systems for buildings in the UK and continental Europe, and provides wholesale solar products.- History :...
the UK’s largest independent solar electric company. Leggett is one of a number of entrepreneurs who have started a renewable energy business. Other successful self-starters in the sector include Shi Zhengrong
Shi Zhengrong
Zhengrong Shi is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Suntech Power.-Biography:Dr. Shi was born in Yangzhong, Jiangsu province, China. He finished his undergraduate study at Changchun University of Science and Technology in Changchun, and obtained his Master's degree from Shanghai...
, Tom Dinwoodie and Tom Lerner.
He also serves as a founding director of the world's first private equity fund for renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
. From 2002 to 2006, Leggett was a member of the UK Government Renewables advisory board. He was a campaigner on climate change for Greenpeace International from 1989 to 1996. He was the recipient of the President's Award of the Geological Society, and in 1987 the Geological Society's Lyell Fund.
He has called for a mass withdrawal from fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
s and advocates that coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
should be left in the ground. Leggett has been critical of the lack of reporting by the British mainstream media on the economic imperatives of climate change abatement. Leggett is known for his support of microgeneration
Microgeneration
Microgeneration is the small-scale generation of heat and power by individuals, small businesses and communities to meet their own needs, as alternatives or supplements to traditional centralized grid-connected power...
technology in the fight to abate global warming.
In his 2009 book, The Solar Century, Leggett is critical of nuclear power, saying that it cannot come online quickly enough to make a difference with climate change, and that the nuclear industry still hasn't found a way to deal with its radioactive waste
Radioactive waste
Radioactive wastes are wastes that contain radioactive material. Radioactive wastes are usually by-products of nuclear power generation and other applications of nuclear fission or nuclear technology, such as research and medicine...
s. He also says that investing in nuclear power would mean less money for other initiatives involving energy conservation
Energy conservation
Energy conservation refers to efforts made to reduce energy consumption. Energy conservation can be achieved through increased efficient energy use, in conjunction with decreased energy consumption and/or reduced consumption from conventional energy sources...
, energy efficiency
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
, and renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
. Leggett also states that carbon capture and storage
Carbon capture and storage
Carbon capture and storage , alternatively referred to as carbon capture and sequestration, is a technology to prevent large quantities of from being released into the atmosphere from the use of fossil fuel in power generation and other industries. It is often regarded as a means of mitigating...
has a "substantial timing problem" as it will take fifteen to twenty years to introduce the technology.