China has decided to suspend her not very demanding emissions targets as the country needs to keep the lights on. In a major reversal just before COP 26 the world’s largest producer of CO2 has had to urge full out production and purchase of coal to generate power. Any idea that the creator of 27% of the world’s manmade CO2 was about to reverse the growth in her carbon output has been forced out by the reality that she needs coal to keep the factories turning and the homes heated and functioning. In Germany the CDU is trying to keep coal alive until 2038, with the CDU government in the Rhineland approving new large strip mining activities, owing to the unreliability of wind power on the German system.
Governments keen to decarbonise need to recognise that their prime duty is to keep the lights on and the factories working. It is not a good look to end up with emergency power cuts and the need to dash for coal to avoid disaster. Our very sophisticated societies, hospitals, schools and homes rely completely on electricity to power them or to operate the controls, lighting and communications. It is even more important now to have enough capacity for all conditions and eventualities.
I repeat my request of government that they make putting in more electricity capacity an urgent priority, choosing methods of generation that balance the current mix and provide resilience. I also want to see us produce more domestic gas and biomass materials to cut the costs and fuel use currently taken by importing LNG and wood pellet and to add to our options for power generation.
October 3, 2021
Government reognise their prime duty.
That’s us out of the mix then. All we have got is a leader who is doing everything to look good on the world stage. Most of which is not good for the vast majority of people in this country.
The areas in question are regularly displayed on this site on a daily basis.
October 3, 2021
Prime duty for Boris seems to be running the channel taxi service and shutting down our industry.
The French are blackmailing Jersey over fishing and he wants even more interconnector so we are reliant in hostile countries.
There is going to be an almighty backlash against the liblabcon when we can’t keep warm or drive ourselves about.
Stop this lunacy right now.
October 3, 2021
Ian, they are not listening, not one of our political Parties has a sensible policy on energy production, or even a clue as to how much will be needed in the future, and where it will come from.
Unless the majority of politicians start to think as JR and one or two others, a we are doomed, and whilst this phrase may be funny in Dad’s Army, the reality will be a catastrophic failure for business, the economy, living standards, and life in general.
They are clueless, absolutely bloody clueless.
October 3, 2021
RPI running at 4.8% CPI at 3.2% appears to be another economic crisis of the Tories own making. I appreciate MPs pension will soar as a consequence but for savers, strivers and the prudent another hammer blow along with energy prices soaring, fuel prices soaring, taxing us until our pips squeak- highest in 70 years while prolific wasteful spending by Johnson.
We cannot literally afford for Fake Tories to remain in govt. four star hotels for illegal criminals entering the country, poverty for those who pay for them! Then on top Fake Tories want to tax us three times for social adult care- community charge, NIC and selling your own home.
But under Johnsonâs plan we are allowed to keep a little of the equity while shirkers and illegal criminals get social adult care for free! No need for them to worry about bills or taxation!
October 3, 2021
There are parties other than LibLabCon, Alan. Vote Reform.
October 3, 2021
Yup . I think they are clueless
Aided and abetted by a civil service that seems incompetent in whatever it touches
October 3, 2021
That a fair summary – Boris is indeed moribund
October 3, 2021
Reading comments from Goldsmith in the papers today your environment minister seemed rather pleased about the fuel shortage and tried to promote electric cars. Remind us was he elected or nominated by Carrie Johnson? Another friend appointment?
October 3, 2021
He has drawn the wrong conclusions entirely. If the public is having range anxiety on half a tank of petrol they will never be happy with EVs with even less range. Moreover, electricity shortages caused by low winds would lead to running down EV batteries and an even worse refuelling crisis on a regular basis.
October 3, 2021
+1
October 3, 2021
The government says there is no fuel supply shortage.
Anywhere there’s petrol, there are long queues.
The nation is giving the Tories a vote of no confidence.
Is anyone noticing, in Manchester?
October 3, 2021
Johnson falsely claims today he is a fierce opponent to tax rises! Is he ever going to stop lying? Does he remember his March 2020 budget before unnecessarily shutting down the country? May even pointed out to him in parliament his huge spending. The budget also confirmed Fake Tories breaking numerous election promises to balance the structural deficit! The last target being 2021 which Johnson decided to abandon! Does he remember no austerity or tax rise claim he made? Everyone at the time wondered what magic money tree he had. It is not as if a Tory donor could pay off the national debt he has racked up!
Cameron claimed a low tax Tory despite record reflecting fifty year high and Osborne saying 80% cuts 20% tax rises and JR conceded this was not the case!
When can Fake Tory PMs back up what they say by their record? 70 year high taxation.
October 3, 2021
Hi Hope,
Hope you are well.
None of that is true I am afraid. You talking as if the MONOPOLY issuer of the ÂŁ is like that of a household. Or even worse we use the Euro.
Let’s give Boris and Sunak huge credit for saving livelihoods during the virus.
The budget deficit is the private sector surplus to the penny. Please see sectoral data graphs for details.
The national debt is that surplus moved into government bonds so the private sector can earn interest and find safety.
Ask Japan who have ran quadrillion YEN deficits and debt to GDP ratio above 250%. With very low unemployment rates and low inflation rates for years.
The Japanese like to save a lot.
Turns your thought process upside down.
October 3, 2021
@Hope +1, out of the same mold , their money doesn’t come from effort or ability
October 5, 2021
He and Lord Deben as John Gummer were chairmen of Cameron’s Quality Of Life Challenge in 2007
This is what they were saying then, sounds familiar.
“It is increasingly clear that the global economy must be retooled in order to ensure that it operates sustainably, within environmental limits. In this urgent task, it will be the worldâs developed countries which lead the way. Over nearly three centuries we have grown ever richer but we have done so at the expense of the environment upon which our lives depend. We have therefore both the means and the obligation to repair the damage. Here in Britain, in the last 18 months, one major political party has made the running in debating these issues and seeking to redefine progress, development, and wellbeing for a new era.
Economic growth is a vital factor in the equation but so is social wellbeing and environmental wellbeing. We must therefore look to a leaner, cleaner, more efficient economy which respects environmental limits in delivering maximum wellbeing for all. This move to green the economy gives us enormous opportunities. The Low Carbon Revolution is our century’s equivalent of the Industrial Revolution. Now, as then, Britain should be in the vanguard.”
They are still pushing the same message in this Environment Bill Lords debate, (Report stage) Monday 6th September 2021. Of course, one is now chairman of the Climate Change Committee and the other is a Minister of State.
https://www.parallelparliament.co.uk/lord/lord-deben/bill/2019-21/environment
October 3, 2021
Indeed. Their climate change religion is coming home to roost just when we have a light being shone on every area of Government incompetence. Power generation is a National Security matter as is protecting our borders. DVLA working from home as with millions of other Council and public sector has been great for them but huge inconvenience for the rest of us. Johnston’s Junta must go. He is just a clown not fit for high office. He couldn’t spell strategy let alone have any.
October 3, 2021
turboterrier
Correct, the electorate can now be ignored.
Boris Johnson is now looking to gain favour with the Davos set, even if the country has to be ruined in the process.
October 3, 2021
@turboterrier +1 oh so true – the real enemy is within
October 3, 2021
3 more years
October 3, 2021
Indeed. Posing as environmental goody-goodies will just make the UK a laughing stock. Every ‘ordinary person’ who does a productive job – that is not a politician or media yapper, or scribbler – knows that windmills are useless when there’s no wind, solar panels don’t work at night, burning wood pellets is so stupid that only a LibDem would approve it and storage batteries costing millions will only give a few minutes’ back up (cf Adelaide). For heavens sake Boris, come into the real world.
October 3, 2021
+1
October 3, 2021
“Governments keen to decarbonise need to recognise that their prime duty is to keep the lights on and the factories working.”
I can see no sign of the government recognising this fact. This government will sacrifice/bankrupt our country and people, while China/Germany and the rest grow even stronger. Whether you believe in the CO2 being the devil gas or not, any politician who thinks we humans can change our planets climate in a matter of years is fit for the loony bin.
October 3, 2021
Shirley, as yet there have not been power cuts.
Whatever, if you have generally voted Tory, then over the years you have voted to outsource heavy industry and manufacturing to places such as China, and with it its CO2 generation – in favour of the service sector, as Thatcher famously emphasised.
Had it remained here, then this country would have had more control over that on the other hand.
October 3, 2021
What absolute tosh. It was Labour who first introduced this climate change act. Millipede!! Now it doesn’t matter who you vote for you will get the same garbage. In fact I bet if you voted for Labour Starmer would have to go one better than Johnson and bring all the regulations in sooner. Get into the real world.
October 3, 2021
Shirley M, +1, Your comment, like almost all the others on this topic and others runs in a certain direction and is motivated by certain reasonings and understandings of the people and the country. The Conservative party shows no sign of wanting to understand such reasoning. I listened for a few moments this morning to some conservative leader from Aberdeen. It was only for a few moments before the familiar nausea compelled me to switch off the radio. This feeling developed first during John Majorâs time, then became reinforced by Cameron, amplified further my May and continuing at no diminished level during Johnsonâs tenure of office. I find them revolting.
(P.s., I will never vote for socialist parties).
October 3, 2021
Correct John. I’m fed up hearing how climate change is the most important issue on the agenda. No. Keeping the lights on and industry running is more important. We can adapt to climate change but are stuffed without cheap and reliable power. Johnson and his eco warriors need to get their heads around this before its too late and we become a basket case. It’s a disgrace.
October 3, 2021
Unfortunately, politicians live in the social media bubble and donât have a clue what the vast majority of the public think. They wonât find out until the next election.
October 3, 2021
@Christine +1 Not only listening but not hearing either, unbelievable
October 3, 2021
This is true Christine. I recently commented on the fact many voted for Brexit from a different perspective not freely discussed. There was a reply that the reasons had been explained to me for 4 years. Most vote for their own individual reasons and not what others misconstrue as that reason. I cannot sincerely believe that we vote for what others have told us to do and thereafter have analysed on the basis of others collective but deceptive( in that is not that individuals free choice) reasoning.
October 3, 2021
The problem is, Christine, that every political party in the UK is signed up to the Green Crap agenda and all the others want to go even faster than Boris !
When all political parties agree in something, you never get good governance.
October 3, 2021
Chriss. Exactly. Try telling Nottingham Lad Himself who seems to think it’s just a Tory thing.
October 3, 2021
Indeed. They all supported EU Government until we eventually were heard. Same applies with climate change. Only the politicos and MSM media believe it. We all experience weather and the seasons out here in the real world. Paying them far to much for their gross incompetence. Virtue signaling doesn’t get things done it just bankrupts us and exports our manufacturing. Importing coal and woodchip for our power stations is the height of stupidity.
October 3, 2021
+1 Timaction, I agree except for one little detail. Too many of our politicians still support the EU government.
October 3, 2021
When nearly all the MPs and parties agree and vote on something it is almost invariably totally wrong.
Blairs pointless wars, the climate change act, net zero, HS2, EU membership treaties, joining the ERM, joining the Euro, subsidising wind and solar, effectively banning fracking, increasing taxes endlessly to absurd levels, have a state monopoly health care system, the net harm lockdowns, the Millennium Dome, the minimum wage âŠ
Daniel Hannan is surely right in the Telegraph today.
âAll price controls do the opposite of what they intend. Ministers must let them go.â
But doubtless Boris will not do this. We have them in energy, wages, education & health care (free at the point of use), some housing, banking overdrafts and much other damaging market rigging and regulation.
October 3, 2021
As Thatcher put it – âif you try to buck the markets they will buck youâ.
As John ERM Major discovered, but hecfailed to learn anything from this (or to even say sorry) and idiotically went ahead with the Masstricht/EURO treaty.
October 3, 2021
FUS, it’s certainly more important to people determined to cling on to power at absolutely any cost.
That’ll be the Tories, then.
But Sir John uses the old False Dichotomy device. The choice is not between adhering to climate agreements and power cuts at all.
Wise governance and strategic investments in energy conservation, in efficiency, and in new technology, along with proper regulation, oversight, and enforcement can satisfy both requirements.
The specific, severe problems in this country are not down to climate agreements at all, but entirely to laissez-faire Tory governance of the energy industry which did nothing to prevent it from closing down gas storage facilities.
Understandably, Sir John seeks to conflate these with other countries’ difficulties stemming from different causes.
October 3, 2021
Are you really claiming no other political parties try to cling to power?
Really strange idea NLH.
Politics is about getting into power via the voters and achieving things.
Appealing to the voters is what is required to make changes.
You bizarrely suggest this is not a good thing.
October 3, 2021
F U S
Needs to get their heads around this
No. More effective if they removed there heads from where the sun don’t shine.
Agreed it has become a disgrace.
They can’t or won’t see, listen, hear only talk and talk and talk.
October 3, 2021
China arenât worried by climate change; to them thatâs just an elite western pursuit to bedazzle voters
China is busy integrating itself and controlling other countries universities, high tech companies, political lobbying and infrastructure projects
October 3, 2021
Johnson and his primary ”eco warrior” – reminds me of the lyrics of the old song:
”When a man loves a woman
Can’t keep his mind on nothin’ else
He’d trade the world
For the good thing he’s found….”
October 3, 2021
However I prefer:
It’s been a long, A long time coming
But I know a change gonna come
Oh, yes it will
It’s been too hard living, But I’m afraid to die
‘Cause I don’t know what’s up there
Beyond the sky
It’s been a long, A long time coming
But I know a change gonna come
Oh, yes it will
I go to the movie And I go downtown
Somebody keep telling me, Don’t hang around
It’s been a long, A long time coming
But I know, a change gonna come
Oh, yes it will.
October 3, 2021
The IPCC has a problem. It’s climate models are not worth the paper they are written on; when applied to historical data they fail to replicate warming that the record says occurred. Yet it claims to be able to predict future temperatures on the basis of man made CO2 output. The problem with its approach is that is unable to predict natural causes of temperature change not least because it has chosen to ignore them or where it has attempted, such as the albedo effect of clouds, it has discovered it is unable to do. There is no question the climate changes, but blaming it all on man made CO2 is absurd. The blame game will not work when people start to die of cold, go hungry or are unable to go about their lawful business because of ill-conceived government policies. The Chinese leadership understands that as, no doubt, does the Russian. Meantime the Johnson government will stumble from crisis to crisis.
October 3, 2021
The solution is within our governments grasp and, with China effectively scuppering any chance of reducing its CO2 emissions ahead of COP26, an opportunity of getting rid of the ruinous Climate Change Act has presented itself . Alas, such an open goal by our pygmies in Parliament will be missed like some third rate amateur side they are.
How very depressing.
October 3, 2021
Mark B
Removal of ruinous Climate Change Act.
How dare you Sir go and stand in the corner, your head held in shame.
Seriously they are not listening Mark.
You know as well as I do it takes a big man to make difficult decisions. But it takes an even bigger man to admit he is wrong and apologise and change them.
October 4, 2021
Nicely put, TT. I don’t think we’ve seen one of those since John Profumo!
Î Î
October 3, 2021
Cameron called Ed Milibandâs proposal of capping energy prices as âMarxistâ. May stated in parliament she would implement and build on his policy! When Dom tries to say the govt is Marxist he is told by the host that is not the case even though his leader and former PM says so and the other pledged to build on it!
The fake Tories called him âRed Edâ. So if they copy and build on his policies what does that make them?
October 3, 2021
+1 Oldtimer
October 3, 2021
Oldtimer – Of course the politicians haven’t a clue on this subject – they don’t read the IPCC reports, which contain nuances and uncertainties about the climate narrative, and data which can be interpreted in more than one way. They just read the carefully crafted press release summaries, which leave them out. Perhaps their SPADS could do some useful work and get a more balanced picture, but most of them are almost as young as our Andy, so they’ve imbibed the climate religion since infancy.
October 5, 2021
Indeed. One only needs to look at the Tory Think Tank, Bright Blue and its initiators. The PM’s sister is a director and Michael Gove is at the top of the Advisory Board list.
In May 2018, the group called Bright Blue, describing itself as an “independent think tank for liberal conservatism”, published a report entitled, “Hotting up, Strengthening the Climate Change Act ten years on”, which claimed that there was a strong scientific, technological, legal, and political case for the UK Government to achieve deeper decarbonisation in the decades ahead, including through the adoption of a new legal net zero emission target. https://brightblue.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Hotting-up.pdf
The Hotting Up Report was funded by the European Climate Foundation. Who are they? UK Director is Joss Garman, his roles have included political director of Greenpeace UK, Associate Director for the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR, a Labour oriented Think Tank) & political adviser for the British Labour Party.
They have some interesting partners, for 2021-22, the BBC is listed as a sponsoring partner. Why is BBC licence money being used to sponsor a political think tank pursuing an extreme environmentalist agenda? In 20-21, Drax was on their list. In 2018-19, when the Hotting Up report was produced, their sponsors included the Offshore Wind Industry. https://www.brightblue.org.uk/membership-3/#Partners
October 3, 2021
There so many variables that the model the IPCC uses is defunct. Geological timeframes are massive. Milanovic cycles, tectonic plates, our oceans and their currents, volcanoes, land use, intensity of the sun. Ice ages. Remember that CO2 is 0.04% of the atmosphere and this is more impacting than anything else. Really?
October 3, 2021
Iâm concerned at how big and controlling the unelected and undemocratic UN has becomeâŠits no longer a body to resolve conflict between its members, its now a body that determines how the whole world should live
October 3, 2021
Come on, Sir John, you can say it: f-r-a-c-k-i-n-g! Biomass? Not the way to go.
P.S. I hope that Australia is quoting China an outrageous price for its coal.
Reply I have called for more domestic gas production and CCGT electricity capacity
October 3, 2021
And stop destroying the coal fired ones until we have sufficient âon demandâ and reliable alternatives.
October 3, 2021
I believe we only have one coal fired power station and thats due to be decommissioned September 2022
Reply 3 coal facilities have been used this summer
October 3, 2021
Right to reply
Kilroot (County Antrim) converted to gas
West Burton A (Nottinghamshire) closure September 2022
Ratcliffe (Nottinghamshire) closure October 2024
October 3, 2021
sort of pi..ing in the wind
October 3, 2021
Indeed you did. But fracking is a word you seem to shy away from.
P.S. Walking back from a petrol station that has petrol on sale but no Sunday papers, I gave some thought to the SMR programme and our reliance on inter-connectors. It struck me that Northern Ireland might benefit from being placed at the top of the SMR roll-out plan.
October 3, 2021
… and the Channel Islands
October 3, 2021
which will have to be fracking, what else?
October 3, 2021
Sir John is terrified of speaking precisely on matters controversial.
October 4, 2021
He’s very candid here – and, unlike Con Home, very tolerant of our wide range of opinions.
October 3, 2021
Johnson has become a direct threat to our social and economic nation, our freedoms and our very identity. He’s chosen the wrong horse to mount. Instead of mounting the steed of personal freedom, individualism and small State morality, he’s mounted the steed of Marxism in which each human being is held in contempt and portrayed as a threat.
The Tory party has a choice to make. Ditch Marxism and embrace humanity and the real world where the State becomes apolitical and not activist and where left wing extremism is criminalised
October 3, 2021
@DOM +1 – The problem would appear either his ego is immune or his entourage tells him daily how wonderful he is and like all children he starts to believe it. The Conservative Party now needs to get a grip
October 3, 2021
Dom+10 former PM said his policy of price capping was Marxist, May then implemented it.
October 3, 2021
+1
October 3, 2021
+1
He was wittering on about how great it was that he is not bringing in unlimited mass immigration to fill jobs!!
Well!!
October 3, 2021
E,
The record proves he is lying. Simply not possible on an island unless it is wanted.
October 3, 2021
+1
October 3, 2021
It is appaling how deceitful he is. He is allowing unlimited mass immigration across the Channel without doing anything effective to stop it, and has just granted 5,000 extra visas for truck drivers (now quietly extended to six months, not the three months originally claimed).
He says one thing while doing the very opposite. This, of course, extends beyond immigration. Look how he said there would be no checks on trade between GB and NI, while enforcing precisely the checks he promised would not exist. Look how he promised British fishermen would benefit, while agreeing to allow foreign fishermen in our waters and getting no reciprocal agreement in return (how many British fishing vessels are allowed to fish inside France’s 12-mile limit? Answer: NONE). The man is just a shameless liar and a fraud.
October 3, 2021
I’ll second you on that X-Tory. To my mind ‘Boris’ is totally amoral. He cannot see anything wrong with saying and promising anything and then reneging on it within days even. He lies – but doesn’t know the meaning of the words.
October 5, 2021
You seemed to think that it was absolutely brilliant when it fooled people into voting Leave.
What has changed?
October 3, 2021
+1
100%
October 3, 2021
Dom, I see this as the Tories’ last chance. If they do not get rid of Johnson pdq, they will all go down with him. Boris Thunberg has to be replaced before the C2-D-E voters start noticing. There are senior figures with the experience to get the party back on track. I’d say it’s Graham Brady’s call.
October 3, 2021
So you would be comfortable with Gove as PM?
October 4, 2021
I would – or others. The governing process appears to be centred around a cabal of a disorganised ‘big picture-only, can’t be bothered with any detail or rational thought’ PM, an over-powerful Media operation, an excess of know-nothing Spads, and unelected influencers. And that’s why it reseembles a pin-ball, going all over the place.
October 4, 2021
dixie
Drastic times call for drastic action.
Handing the keys over to any of the existing cabinet would be an enormous error. All that will give the country is a case of same meat different gravy.
It is time to be radical and go for a leader with real meaningful qualifications, experience, a proven business record and above all a real Conservative, the same will apply to his team. For my money I would vote for SJR ad a lot of the highly qualified experienced people that are residing on the back benches. We have tried with the youngsters and look what has happened. Steady hands on the tiller, action not words and a real belief in this country and its people.
October 4, 2021
I agree something radical is needed – no more ex journalists or lawyers. I mentioned Gove, who I wouldn’t trust an inch, because he has clearly been on manoeuvers and there needs to be a replacement before evicting the incumbent otherwise any rubbish could fill the vacuum.
October 3, 2021
Sadly The People are still taken in by him.
October 3, 2021
We have the Norway inter-connecter switched on now .
October 3, 2021
But only at 50% capacity, or 700MW. Meanwhile the restart date for half the IFA1 interconnector has been pushed back to 23rd October, and may get pushed back further still. The other half is out until at least end March following the fire.
October 3, 2021
I would like to see all inter-connectors sabotaged. Maybe then the country will realise how we have become slaves. Government is proud of their achievements in making us dependent, they have no belief in our sovereignty.
October 3, 2021
Itâs not all about CO2. Itâs everything. Tackling and stopping population growth, stopping the destruction of the rain forests. Why do we continue to support large feckless families with giving endless amounts of money to irresponsible people for each child so they can then demand more. Solve that one first.
When I read a headline that Ms Patel is going to get tougher on the illegals invading our country I just know we are in for a week of hot air. Promises promises. Not forgetting of course the credibility of Tory promises have taken a recent nose dive.
Lastly as we are getting an ex General in to sort out the woke NHS will you please allow him to get on with it. And get another Ex General in to sort out the Met.
October 3, 2021
BW
Ex General to sort out the NHS
Any person with a basic understanding of spread sheets departmental administration will see that nearly 48% of the people employed are in an administrative role. Something quite doesn’t add up. But to memory I cannot remember any Health Secretary ever talking about the breakdown of how the staff are all employed and why.
October 3, 2021
I agree with your point about child benefits – and paternity entitlements.
However, these cynical people are able to use their blameless children as human shields.
It’s a tough one. Some countries simply take children into care above a certain number rather than pay ever more benefits, but they aren’t usually starting from the mess that the UK is in over this, after generations of mistaken policy.
October 3, 2021
BW. I couldn’t agree more with your post and in particular your last paragraph. Let him get on with hiring and firing too. Get rid of the dross and the over payed useless managers and sort out who is really necessary. As for people having loads of kids. Why are people who already have kids in care allowed to go on to have more?
October 3, 2021
The Tory’s, a former Conservative party, have done…….nothing to stop all our leaders in health, emergency services, public services, Councils, quangos and Government Departments to be lefty, woke, PC people. No effort or action has been taken to address this. All chickens coming home to roost as they are incapable of doing the jobs/roles they were appointed to do.
October 3, 2021
Good morning.
Q: OMG I wonder what little Greta has to say about that ?
A: Not very much I would think. Too busy Brit’ Bashing.
—
The CCP and the countries leadership does not live under false illusions. They are well aware of the importance of cheap and reliable energy. Why do you think they are so happy for us to effectively withdraw from the market ? All enabled by useful idiots like, Saint Greta of Climate Change, RedEd and some guy who does bad impressions of Sir Winston Churchill and just wants to be liked.
How one comes to envy the Chinese and their unashamed nationalism.
October 3, 2021
I too wonder what idiotic lines will be written for Saint Greta to mouth in her usual demented way. The poor, scientifically ignorant, lass is surely being deluded and used.
October 3, 2021
Greta will give us more screeching, wasp chewing face – lots of blah blah blah….
October 4, 2021
Oh, unlike the sweet, angelic countenances of the brexitians in the ERG, you mean?
October 3, 2021
Legacies do not do or support patriotism or national interest. To many years in the EU and lying to us about “shared” sovereignty.
October 4, 2021
Ahhh ! Good points.
+1
October 3, 2021
@Mark B It gets even weirder just caught the end of Attenborough on the BBC, effectively proclaiming that the human race must eliminate animals from the World by 2030 if it to have a chance of survival – a good way to scare the living daylights out of the kids.
October 3, 2021
But this government will do anything to plough on along its ludicrous furrows.
It doesnât worry if we can get no health care ( why was it so important to go for 6 monthly dental checkups if same can just be stopped?). It doesnât care as long as it imposes itâs weird will on us.
So why would it care if we are bumbling around in the dark, freezing cold and possibly dying?
October 3, 2021
Everhopeful, +1, And your short penultimate sentence is profoundly accurate. This is not about health, itâs about political objectives.
October 3, 2021
+1
October 3, 2021
Soon to be two more added to the six people I have known who have died during this pandemic (none from Covid.)
Some of this has been NHS neglect.
October 3, 2021
I look forward to Greta and chums going to China (by slow-boat obviously) and chastising Xi Jinping and his pals.
October 3, 2021
We must always remember that China has 1.45 billion people to feed, house and keep warmâŠ.the people of China no longer wish to live in mud huts, become vegan or use cycle lanes
October 3, 2021
rowing round the Cape, preferably.
October 3, 2021
For all Chinaâs many faults, in this they are correct.
The westâs delusional and totally unrealistic ideals are now meeting reality. As you say, not a good look!
Discussing possible power cuts with one of our sons and his girl friend last night. We live in a house, part gas, part electric; they live in a flat with a balcony, all electric. In a power cut, we can use a gas fire and gas hob to at least eat and heat one room. To quote our son, about him, âweâll be stuffed!â
It was decided he could use his tiny barbecue to heat some food. What a joke for a professional in a first world country!
And letâs hope gas doesnât get switched off⊠think of the risk of explosions!
October 3, 2021
some will find living in one room, tv on for light and ‘entertainment’ -2 sweaters, rug, draught excluder and blanket will be required from dusk to bedtime….
Back several decades – either power-cut or unaffordable bills.
October 3, 2021
When one thinks about it, I fear more Grenfell’s are on the way.
October 3, 2021
Go out, as I did some while ago, and get a couple of camping gas burners and get stocked up on butane. Do both before both are banned.
October 3, 2021
I read today that the government is planning to compel a village to take part in a hydrogen boiler/heating trial. Actual enforced installation it seems.
Anyone not wishing to have said installation will have their houses forcibly entered by henchmen.
Here we have had ceaseless gas pipe renewal and some no doubt useless WiFi underground installations. This has gone on throughout the period of government decreed incarceration and the stress has been unbelievable. There was also a somewhat bullying âYou will let us inâaspect.
No consideration as they say.
So God help the hydrogen villagers!
As someone said in the commentsâŠâHow China must be giggling!â
October 3, 2021
They will more than likely get the whole process for free, now go complain that you are not among the chosen ones.
October 3, 2021
+1
You do have a point.
But after all our gas works I donât think I would actually volunteer for more mayhem and disruption.
October 3, 2021
Ever h – – And next will be your housing opened up to take in a family of Asylum Seekers or Refugees – because all the hotels are full and Africa and Asia want free lives.
October 3, 2021
+1
Yup!
Definitely just down the line!
Every single MP and uppercruster to take their share x10?
Not likely!
Oh..but..but I thought we were all in it together??
October 3, 2021
Good Morning, Sir John,
Off topic, but also an urgent priority.
From the Telegraph: Mr Javid told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: âIf you work in a care home you are working with some of the most vulnerable people in our country and if you cannot be bothered to go and get vaccinated, then get out and go and get another job.â
‘cannot be bothered’ is an appalling accusation. The majority of people who work in care do so because they want to improve the lives of the vulnerable, particularly the elderly. They certainly don’t do it for the pay.
Most will have weighed up the risks to their own long-term health of accepting a ‘vaccine’, still in its trial phase. They may well have made an effort (unlike the Minister) to research and then know that the ‘vaccine’ does not prevent them from getting covid, nor from being contagious to the people they are looking after.
These carers (sloppily called ‘anti-vaxxers’, even in the Telegraph) may want to remain in control of what goes into their bodies so that they can be more certain of their future health and, in the case of some, the health of their future offspring.
This attitude, of a Conservative Health Secretary no less, needs to be addressed urgently at the Tory Party Conference next week.
Thank you.
Mary M.
October 3, 2021
Well said Mary M
October 3, 2021
Indeed Javid is not the sharpest too in the box he was very insulting. Also what about that posh nursing home the House of Lords or NHS workers.
Having had Covid is seven times better protection anyway figures from Japan suggest.
This from a Gov. that killed over 1000+ extra by failing to gender (and other) adjust the vaccination priority order. So incompetent are these experts they were even told to.
October 3, 2021
You are still thinking that Covid vaccines are as dangerous as Thalidomide. Your so called trial phase is one of the largest vaccination programmes the World has ever undertaken. Left to your hesitant snail like approach the challenge would be building enough crematoria. By definition those in care homes are vulnerable, risks should be minimised and if that means compulsory vaccination of care home workers so be it.
October 3, 2021
Nothing like as dangerous thank goodness it seems, but for the young and those who have already had Covid the risks exceed the benefits in general and we still do not know the long term risks.
October 3, 2021
This from the NHS who dumped Covid infected (often infected by the NHS) tested and untested into care homes killing tens of thousands in the process then refusing many of them any treatment too.
October 3, 2021
My Mum was looked after by some very nice people but I wouldn’t have wanted anyone unvaccinated allowed near her – very sorry but her safety came before others personal concerns.
Perfectly understand if someone doesn’t want the jab, that’s a personal choice. But it doesn’t mean they should be allowed anywhere near vulnerable people – either in a care home or the NHS.
October 3, 2021
The COVID-19 vaccine does not prevent viral infection or transmission. Your mother’s vaccination will reduce her risk of serious outcomes including death and hospitalisation. You don’t seem to understand the limitations of the available vaccines and their associated risks.
October 3, 2021
Not sure how much people do understand. Whilst the vaccines don’t eliminate the risk of transmission they do reduce it substantially (about half compared with the unvaccinated according to studies reported in the vaccine surveillance reports). Such transmission as does occur is also likely to result in less serious illness.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccine-surveillance-report
October 3, 2021
It does significantly reduce transmission, even if not absolutely prevent it.
It’s better than the polio vaccine on that score too.
October 3, 2021
well said.
October 3, 2021
So you donât think the jab works then?
How can the unjabbed pose a threat to the successfully jabbed?
Proper jabbing should give you immunityâŠie you canât catch it!
October 3, 2021
nonsense.
October 3, 2021
Are you saying, Ian, that the Covid vaccine doesn’t work? Or perhaps your mother isn’t vaccinated.
I was vaccinated against malaria, hepatitis B and yellow fever. The nurse didn’t tell me I’d only be safe from those diseases as long as people who came near me were also vaccinated against them.
Why would it be different with the Covid vaccine?
October 3, 2021
If your Mum has been fully vaccinated then what’s the problem? Either the vaccine works or it doesn’t. If it does then she is fully protected and if it doesn’t, as I rather suspect, then whether or not her carers are vaccinated makes little to no difference.
October 3, 2021
Then you go look after your mum.
October 3, 2021
+1
Absolutely.
Do Conservative MPs really support this out and out authoritarianism?
I donât remember ever being interrogated about my vaccination status for deadly diseases.
âWhereâs your BCG Passport?â
October 3, 2021
Well said, Mary M. !!!
October 3, 2021
Well said, Mary M. ! ! ! !
October 3, 2021
+ 1
Javid is coercing frontline workers in what should be a free choice between health options, not between taking a medical product and losing your livelihood.
“Obey, or no job” is Mafia-style blackmail. The man is a disgrace.
October 5, 2021
I used to travel internationally as part of my work in the private sector.
Sometimes I needed shots.
It was either the shots or the door.
What’s the difference?
October 3, 2021
Trial phase? – do you live in a cave? I know the media are bad, but NOT that bad.
October 3, 2021
It’s still Phase III, chum. Ends in Jan. 2023. Find out before you accuse other people.
October 3, 2021
you don’t recognise sarcasm, do you?
3.6 bn people now vaccinated, 46% of the world jabbed.
Phase III continues way after all practical checks have been made and passed, else all would have been stopped.
So should we wait until you have died or 99.9% jabbed?
I’ve read Sarah Gilbert’s book cover to cover, have you?
October 3, 2021
Pfizer/BioNTech phase III testing was finished on 18/11/2020.
AstraZeneca Phase III testing in the USA finished on 5 March 2021.
What is being referred to with 14 February 2023 is what is called âstudy completion dateâ. Mate, what about you researching what is exactly meant by that.
October 3, 2021
++1. Appalling that a Minister can say that. Dictatorial, uninformed, ungrateful.
October 3, 2021
Mary,
Rather stupid authoritarian comment by Javid. The vaccination leaflet makes it clear it does not stop transmission, so why are people not allowed a choice? Why have passports when it is clear the vaccines do not stop you catching Chinese virus or passing it on? Another mate/appointment by Carrie!
October 3, 2021
Indeed keep the lights on we need cheap, reliable, on demand energy. Get fracking please and have some piles of coal as backup. Do not destroy any more coal fired power stations and get more gas storage facilities.
There is no advantage in burning imported wood biofuels (brought on diesel ships and trucks) far better to burn gas or even coal (which are just old biofuels). It produces less C02 per Kilo Watt Hour that way.
The whole net zero agenda is scientifically insane, vastly expensive, will freeze many people to death and it is totally pointless anyway Boris for CO2 or the climate – so just drop it.
It seems we are to have a new ÂŁ5 billion digital warfare in Samlesbury Lancs somewhere I worked many years ago (now BAe Systems Samlesbury Aerodrome). How will this work when the electricity goes off?
October 3, 2021
I understand that government is regulating to restrict charging periods for new EV chargers which will come into force in May 2022 whereby they are to be programmed to switch off at peak times i.e. between 8am and 11am and again between 4pm and 10pm. Thatâll help the owners, no doubt but I do wonder if someone in government has at last woken up to the fact that our energy system will be completely unable to cope with charging tens of millions of EV?
As to the numbers of serious EV battery fires, General Motors – makers of a popular EV – earlier advised owners to only charge the battery to 90%, to charge more frequently, to not deplete the battery lower than 70 remaining miles and to always park the EV outside.
They are now advising owners do not park your EV within 50 feet of anything you care about (oneâs house, perhaps?) and at least 50 feet away from another car if in a car park or to leave it charging unattended.
I think Iâll put off buying an EV for the time being.
October 3, 2021
Meanwhile, where I live, there are vast numbers of Teslaâs, Audis, Porsches, Nissanâs, Hyundaiâs and many other electric cars sat nicely outside peopleâs houses not catching fire.
They are also all delighted as they donât have to sit in massive Brexit queues at petrol stations.
October 3, 2021
But they’re not going anywhere…
October 3, 2021
I would advise against you wandering the streets inspecting parked cars. Some owners might ‘deal’ with you, or call the police.
October 3, 2021
Sensible words Sir John but behind them lie some uncomfortable actions for your government. So far you have lacked the stones to plan or implement anything useful.
The Chinese have some perfectly useable nuclear power stations – but you seem frightened by wooo and the prospect of Mr Trump getting in again. Similarly the French know what they are doing, so let them do it. The cost cannot be the problem, just look at the leccy price! Forget those mini nukes – can you imagine Wokingham Borough Council standing over theirs with a pistol?
Sane people would not be building new coal power stations – well not here anyway. But fracking may be useable, you just have to live with the screaming and raving. A bit of spin, media manipulation and free Polyfilla should sort that. Domestic gas sounds good but it is not really carbon free, how much is really there and it involves a bit of investment and planning – not your forte.
Getting power from the French is economical but it really was a bit silly upsetting them over a few useless tin fish for the Ozzies. Just a makework scheme, you could have just built a couple more of our own.
October 3, 2021
Good morning Sir John.
Yes, certainly governments may have to suspend temporarily – in relative terms for very short periods – undertakings re climate matters, and it is only understandable that they will do this to cope with industrial problems, unusual weather and the like.
It does however, in no way indicate that international aims and agreements are intrinsically flawed.
The fossil fuel lobby, however, will predictably claim that these measures are indeed evidence that they are, and it seems to me that Sir John is trying to assist them in that here.
Fortunately, only an ever-decreasing group of eccentrics will accept that message these days.
October 3, 2021
It isnt “eccentric” to state the facts NLH
Without a large reduction in CO2 led by China in particular and India the efforts of the UK are not going to make any real difference.
If the UK got to net zero China would use up our savings of CO2 inside a year.
October 3, 2021
Our government is being utterly stupid and pig-headed, or are they? Could it be that they have been trapped into this head-long dive into a fuel crisis by a Remainer riddled Civil Service who want to wreck Brexit come what may.
If past records are anything to go by we have a group of very intelligent men and women in government and yet we are being driven down a path to ruin. Sod the ‘world stage’ and the small group of fruit-cakes blocking the M-ways, concentrate on ensuring we have power for this winter otherwise the whole place will shut down.
October 3, 2021
+1
October 3, 2021
Meanwhile at home Health Secretary Sajid Javid has told care workers that they must take an experimental injection or get another job. In Victoria Australia they are further along the road and, having already issued vaccine mandates to healthcare, education, and construction workers, are now saying that all residents who work outside their homes must have two injections by the end of November. This is de facto mandatory state medical intervention. In Israel the ‘Green Pass’ is to be withdrawn from those who won’t submit to a third injection and a fourth is planned. This is the slippery slope that I believe our Government would like to take us down, deterred only by a few Conservative MPs of good conscience. The tactic is to salami-slice the British people by picking off individual groups and relying on the remainder keeping their heads down.
October 3, 2021
experimental being 3.6 billion vaccinations of 46% of the world.
Some experiment !
October 3, 2021
Exactly Oldtimer. And it gets worse. There is no empirical evidence to support AGW – in fact it disproves it. In the 1960/70s temperatures fell slightly, prompting experts to predict a new ice age. Then temperatures started rising modestly in the 80/90s, causing the warming hype. Then temperatures flat-lined for a time. Meanwhile, CO2 levels continued to rise throughout so can’t be causing these changes.
Also, CO2 is plant food – it’s good for plants, good for anything that eats plants, and the planet doesn’t care one way or another. Try a web search for CO2 usage in horticulture and you’ll find hundreds of papers documenting recommended CO2 levels for different crops.
October 3, 2021
Will Boris ever understand this message, considering how devoted he is to his Net-Zero? Is he going to let us freeze in this coming cold winter just so he can say he tried to save the planet?
Despite all the claims that the Earth will burn up, the planet is not cooperating, given that both Poles have more frozen ice than for many decades. That our leaders go along so easily with unscientific ideology that says mankind can have more effect on our weather than the rest of the universe is irrational and immature, as well as being wrong
How did we ever evolve from cave dwellers? It was done based on reason and wisdom – Thank the Lords we didn’t have an all encompassing Big Nanny Government back then, or we would have quickly followed the dinosaurs into extinction.
October 3, 2021
The Eco Lunatic and his interfering current Mrs in No.10 don’t give a 4X “about their duty to keep the lights on.”
Their perceived “duty” is to Gaia ….. and the ability it gives them to prance around the world at our expense, whilst preaching to the peasants.
So they’ll take no notice of Mr Redwood’s advice and even less of ours. Until we stop voting for them and they know that will take time and opportunity ….. and in the meantime they can and will do whatever they want because their cowardly backbench MPs will do nothing to rein them in.
October 3, 2021
@Donna +1 that because they wont pay and have their slaves(the taxpayer) to stroke their ego
October 3, 2021
Look at those pragmatic Chinese, putting substance over style.
UK politicians, campaigners and hangers on take note.
If you want be show your green credentials on the world stage, invest in research and take a proper solution to the world. Then licence it.
October 3, 2021
And you shouldnât have to ban current norms, if the people like the alternative future theyâll buy into itâŠ.allow market forces to dictate organic acceptance of âgreenâ
October 3, 2021
Why blame China for everything?
The Amazon rainforest, the lungs of the planet, is being destroyed. Other parts of the worlds
forest are being destroyed.
October 3, 2021
Too true, Bob.
October 3, 2021
Wrong again
The amount of forest on the planet is not in danger.
It is a myth.
October 4, 2021
Wrong again P2, the USGS (United States Geological Survey) has been the depository of the Landsat pictures since the launch of the first Landsat in 1972. These pictures have a horizontal resolution of 80 m for the Landsat 1 to 15 m for the current one (Landsat 8). Such a resolution allows to see clearly the deforestation in the Amazon, Congo basin and Indonesia-Sumatra-Papua/New Guinea over the last 45+ years. These areas correspond to the ascending branch of the Hadley circulation, providing the moisture that sustains it.
Any reforestation at higher latitudes (which actually occurs, I agree) is unlikely to compensate for the effect of tropical deforestation.
BTW, these pictures are in the public domain and are free for non-commercial users: so if you know how to download them, and do a bit of image processing, you could see for yourself.
October 5, 2021
Read the Myth of dDeforestation by Alexander Hammond heffy.
Or Deforestation Myths by CapX
PS
My comment, which in your haste to respond you failed to read properly said “the amount of forest on the planet is not in danger”
That comment is completely correct.
October 3, 2021
I donât blame China for using all god given resources to help their own people, however I do blame them for projecting conflict and their expansionist plans in the China Sea
October 3, 2021
OK…. China 10 Brazil Utd (Amazon neighbouring countries) 1.
Happy now?
October 3, 2021
Get used to it, China is only interested in perpetuating their evil communist regime. If that means polluting the Worlds atmosphere no problem for CPC. Just add it to annexation of Tibet, persecusion of religious minorities, tearing up treaties, and giving the World Covid. Stop trading with them, they stole the processes anyway.
You SJR should investigate Japan’s refuse to power generation plants, they now have a reported 380 in operation. The UK’s record on waste disposal is fragmented, confusing and in some cases dishonest. Why are we not following the Japanese example and converting rubbish to power with filtration to look after the particulate and noxious gases. Fly to Japan, and find out what they have created, then stand in the HoC and ask government why they are so slow.
October 3, 2021
Japan’s electricity sources in 2019
Natural gas 37.1%
Coal 31.9%
Renewables 18%
Petroleum and waste 6.8%
Nuclear 6.2%
October 4, 2021
So of total energy, not just electricity, renewables circa 3% largely irrelevant as it is almost everywhere.
October 3, 2021
Nearly all China’s leadership will be dead in 10 years – why worry about what the world thinks?
October 4, 2021
The UK is building such waste gasification generation plants using technology from Japan such as the Hooton Park facility in NW England being constructed by CoGen who already have four facilities in operation – no government subsidies involved.
October 3, 2021
Meanwhile we have a PM of a country that is responsible for just 1% of emissions prepared to cause massive misery and economic damage just to show the world how green we are.
October 3, 2021
Correct
October 3, 2021
Short, sharp, precise and – Correct !!!!
October 3, 2021
Nevet mind China – just been listening to Boris waffle on Andrew Marr – with 120,000 pigs due to be slaughtered and incinerated by farmers in the next ten days and Boris has no clue – as for the rest of the interview? listen back – it’s just awful
October 3, 2021
Say again. Yes talking about uncontrolled immigration. That’s what we have now but no explanation how hes going to control it.
October 3, 2021
I see that the latest in the crazy knitting and knotting of U turns is that Johnson has got his wish.
He will be scraping together what few soldiers remain and putting them on the streets in lorries!
October 3, 2021
From the MsM – The Defence Secretary says the taxpayer is to through ÂŁ5bn at digital warfare. Which just goes to show he and this Government have no understanding of the internet.
It starts with the UK internet structure being controlled by China. So projecting power can never happen. Then the minister cited the ‘WannaCry’ attack, that only happened because the Government has empowered foreign states to spy on the UK, steal data from the UK and get daily updates from security service movements. This is happening primarily because to cut off competing powers automatically cuts off UK Authorities from spying on its citizens.
There are times UK Authorities need to spy,(fair enough, like the good old phone tap) but that should always be done with an appropriate Legal Warrant, what the UK Government is doing is monitoring everyone not specific targets. A Government in fear of its people.
Its the proper gander of ‘keeping people safe’ when doing the opposite
October 3, 2021
“It starts with the UK internet structure being controlled by China”
Supplying internet hardware does not translate into controlling Internet structure. That’s the entire point of routing protocols.
October 4, 2021
indeed. They may try to make the components to ‘suit’ themselves, but will never control the operational design structure.
October 3, 2021
The present situation can be summed up very simply
The Chinese recognise the importance of keeping the lights on and industry producing, Boris Johnson doesnât, this time the first time that Iâve agreed with the Chinese!
When is someone in the government going to accept that Co2 is not a threat and that itâs a nutrient gas which is responsible for increasing crop growth, Sir John when will you assimilate this undeniable fact and stop banging on about the need for Net Zero?
Or perhaps youâre just following the BBC when they state that weâre all going to burn up?
It puts the bubbles into our fizzy drinks, if itâs a problem then surely that would be banned, my fire extinguishers contain, wait for itâŠ. Co2
Reply I report the governmentâs policy on net zero. I am a voice that talks about the need to keep the lights on.
October 3, 2021
Reply to reply
The policy on Net Zero is disastrous, you may talk about keeping the lights on but the present policy does nothing to ensure that the lights will stay on no matter how much you talk about it
October 3, 2021
Reality is setting in. China, India and the USA are never going to trash their own economies in the interest of climate change. China’s decision is proof of that.
The Europeans, including the UK, cannot afford to make ourselves increasingly uncompetitive while other trading nations carry on almost as normal. The current Green Crap Agenda will impoverish households currently on average earnings and the government will then have to dramatically increase public spending in a futile attempt to subsidise them. The problem is, there are simply not enough better-off people to tax sufficiently to fill the gap. It will also increase business costs to such an extent that our industries cannot compete.
Sooner or later the penny will finally drop, but, by then, it will be too late.
October 3, 2021
Sir John – as often stated by yourself and your commentators here – ‘it is the economy – stupid’ No economy no future and no pandering to ‘greening the world’.
Quoting from David Davis yesterday in the Telegraph
“we should remember the policies of Nigel Lawson, probably our greatest post-war chancellor, who cut tax rates and increased the tax take. By cutting taxes, he helped transform Great Britain from the sick man of Europe to the envy of the western world. ” – “For Tory MPs fearful of losing their seats, it is worth bearing in mind that no government in recent times has raised taxes and then gone on to win an election.”
You cant fund a future without an economy. Tax hikes kill economy’s, lack of cheap energy security kills economies. It looks like the Socialist Left of China gets it, the ConSocialist Left of our Government just don’t care as long as they are in the headlines with the ‘Grandstanding’ and ‘Virtue Signaling’ they think that will motivate support.
Where is a forward looking Conservative Party when we need it. 3 time in a row now they have dumped ill equipped muppets on the Country, maybe its time to put them out to pasture, give them time to reflect and recondition their thought process.
October 3, 2021
@Nota# To some this may seem heresy. In the UK we donât directly get to vote for the head of Government, or even the Government for that matter. We vote for a party, via an MP and what they stand for. We then trust in them to appoint the Leader and they get to appoint those that are in the executive.
So vote Conservative and that is what most expect. Vote Conservative and get a Socialist Tax and Spend party is the last thing people expect.
The Conservative Party appears to have gone AWOL and its only the Party itself to blame. We are in the situation now it doesnât matter which party you vote for you get a tax and spend Socialist party that doesn’t give two hoots to the economy. Logic dictates the only way we will get back to a proper Conservative Party is to remove this sham one, give them time in the wild to regroup and hopefully common sense gets to prevail.
As it stands there is no downside â just hope for a better UK to return
‘Dreams only happen if money is generated’ the taxpayer being crippled is not the way to actually earn, the taxpayer is not the ‘money tree’. A strong resilient and vibrant economy is what funds dreams, not a Government digging deeper into those taxpayers that stay in the UK pockets.
October 3, 2021
And you complain about a “democratic deficit” in that entity that the UK has just left…
October 3, 2021
Do the German voters know yet what Government they are going to get and what policies? It’s been a week since their election.
October 4, 2021
They consider that normal, as do many countries.
And they do not have miles long queues at filling stations, hundreds of thousands of pigs about to be turned to ash, crops rotting in the fields, preposterous gas price increases and suppliers going bust, nor instructions to buy turkeys for Christmas now and freeze them.
They must be doing a few things right.
October 4, 2021
Last time in 2017 it took five months after the actual elections before the fourth GroKo government was formed.
âBy time and toil we sever what strength and rage could neverâ.
October 4, 2021
Odd, I can’t see any mention of “democratic deficit” or the entity whose name must apparently not be mentioned or any complaint of either.
More lazy parroting of inappropriate sound bites?
October 3, 2021
It is indeed urgent that we increase our electricity capacity and become energy independent to stop the threats from France. But because of the upcoming COP26 conference our PM has dug us into a big hole even telling the World at the UN that we are the nasty country and to blame for CAGW :
âWe started this industrial revolution in Britain: we were the first to send the great puffs of acrid smoke to the heavens on a scale to derange the natural order.â
If the PM does not start to give the impression of wanting to put the UKâs priorities first rather than using his time and our money to unilaterally save the planet then either he will be gone or his party will be toast at the next GE.
October 3, 2021
We risk being reminded that the Chinese invented gun powder.
October 3, 2021
I think we should consider, and worry rather more about their progress in weaponry since then !
October 3, 2021
Our Giovernment would do well to emulate the outbreak of common sense in Peking.
October 3, 2021
The Chinese have three modes with regard to international behaviour
Agree with China â youâre an ally but doesnât alter their behaviour
Appease with China â youâre an ally but doesnât alter their behaviour
Disagree with China – youâre the enemy but doesnât alter their behaviour
Whatever we do or attempt to do will have zero effect on the growth of their coal fired power stations, its military or its ambitions for Taiwan & the whole China Sea
October 3, 2021
+10
October 3, 2021
you need to add to ;
line 1 – and smile while stealing your tech secrets, and quote your support.
line 2 – and smile while stealing your tech secrets, and pretend you support.
line 3 – and with deadpan face steal your tech secrets, plot eventual annihilation, and rape you of any worthwhile rare metals and resources.
October 3, 2021
Spot On Micky
October 3, 2021
+1.
And just ask how much their neighbours love them, who know them best,
October 3, 2021
It’s not just China and Germany (although they are the most egregious in terms of CO2): EVERY country in the world puts its national interests first … EXCEPT the UK.
That is what is so infuriating. Why are we the only country in the world ruled by traitors who seem to think that they should please the rest of the world rather than the British people?
It’s not just all the green garbage (extra taxes and power shortages), but the concessions Boris made to the EU (NI, fishing, payments, citizen rights), foreign aid (only minor cuts made to it, while increasing taxes at home), the allowing in of migrants, etc. Boris never does ANYTHING that prioritises the UK’s interests above those of foreign countries and foreign citizens.
October 3, 2021
@X-Tory +1 The UK is only 1% of the world problem, we have a PM that wants to saddle the UK economy with 100% of the solution.
There would be more credibility if the PM instead of trying to out bid the world by going further and faster, banned products form the big polluters and prepared the UK to cope with higher pollution and higher temperatures. Of course as with everything else no economy means the UK cant respond with what ever the future throws at us. Pure tokenism and ego
October 3, 2021
+1
October 3, 2021
Your comments shouldâve been the opening speech at the conference today
October 3, 2021
The US is the second highest for CO2-per-person emissions in the world, after Canada, interestingly.
China does relatively OK by that measure.
October 3, 2021
Per person is an irrelevant statistic.
The output per nation and then the total global output is the only required statistic required.
October 4, 2021
Not so irrelevant when politicians of all kinds are encouraging us to take action to reduce our individual consumption.
Furthermore all types of statistics are relevant: different ones (total, per nation, per person, per person purchasing power parity) serve different purposes.
How would you compare the wealth/CO2 consumption of a US citizen with one in Ethiopia?
October 5, 2021
Hanging on my every word as usual heffy I see.
I think it is irelevant when the UN’s target is to reduce global emissions.
Perhaps you and your pal NLH should therefore lobby the UN to have yet another name change from Climate Change to Reduce Emissions in Each Nation Depending on Statistics of CO2 Per Person.
October 3, 2021
That is a *really* dumb comment. China is twice the total emissions of the US already, and it’s growing three times as fast.
You would actually *prefer* to mislead people than tell the truth, wouldn’t you? It’s a kind of game you play. Mislead enough people and you get fifty Yuan and a gold star.
October 4, 2021
I think that the Chinese people themselves probably consider it highly relevant, and that their attitudes would have some bearing on their government’s policy.
There are about four times as many of them as there are Americans.
The per person figure also gives an insight as to the scope for reduction in a given nation – the higher the greater.
October 5, 2021
What bearing do you think the Chinese “voters” have on their government’s policy NLH.
PS
The UK has a net zero policy so your argument is irrelevant
October 3, 2021
Sir John
This country has been stitched up by party leaders colluding to ensure that this country leads the world in Green Energy.
On the 25th September 2021 the, Not a Lot of People Know That site published a blog concerning a meeting in 2015 Between the three main political party leaders regarding future energy directions.
https://www.carbonbrief.org/how-significant-is-the-uk-party-leaders-joint-climate-pledge
Well worth a read.
Is there anyone other than your gallant 100 or so members who actually aware of what is really going on? Is it just a case of follow your leader?
October 3, 2021
That collusion to treason of our democratic party system
October 3, 2021
It speaks volumes that the only concrete, detailed and budgeted plan we have in place is more interconnectors.
Also, most do not realise the difference between energy and electricity.
Britain runs on gas, petrol and diesel. Electricity is only 15% of total energy consumption.
October 3, 2021
Indeed and most of the electricity comes from burning things, is imported from France or from nuclear. Wind and Solar less than 2% of total energy use worldwide. Largely irrelevant really.
October 3, 2021
Zac Goldsmith has described the current fuel crisis as a âgood lessonâ on the need for climate action.
The petrol shortages at forecourts, fuelled by a shortfall in HGV drivers qualified to deliver petrol, is a âgood lessonâ in working to end the nationâs dependence on fossil fuels and work towards electrification, the Environment minister has said.
What an idiot we would all be freezing and starving without fossil fuels. Is perhaps this fuel shortage perhaps a government policy for propaganda purposes (rather like the police encouragement of XR and the block the M25 insulation nutters)?
Also in the Sunday Mail some emails on discussions on the source of Covid with Whitty virtually all redacted needless to say. Is anyone in the slightest doubt now that it was a Wuhan leak after gain of function experiments. Also that US and UK government surely know this but are complicit in pretending it wasn’t? The Article is by Ian Birrell.
Also the government to piss ÂŁ25 million away on C02 monitors in schools I see. C02 that is – not Carbon Monoxide!
October 3, 2021
The Brexitists promised net zero by 2050. That was literally in their manifesto. And now they are all whinging like babies about keeping their promises.
Yes, it is hard. But it is a hell of a lot harder with incompetents in charge. A decent government- perhaps one the majority had actually voted for – wouldnât make nearly such a fist of it.
So how do we achieve net zero.
1) Insulate. Insulate. Insulate. Reducing the amount of energy we need to heat and power our homes means we have less extra capacity to find.
2) Every new property must be entirely energy self sufficient. There is no point adding to the problem.
3) Train, train, train. We need an army of installers to for heat pumps and solar panels. We need to train them. Good jobs being created across the country.
4) Long term green loans. We need to offer long term, low interest government backed green loans to enable home owners to pay for improvements. The trick here is to make sure that homeowners are better off by taking the loan option than they are by not.
5) We need to scale up capacity. We need more electricity, for sure. We need to keep up with demand without submitting to Brexitist demands to burn more filth.
6) We need to look at community schemes. Ground source heat pumps are highly effective but are expensive to install. Neighbours or entire streets working together to get this technology would be a useful way forward.
7) We need to copy Norway with electric cars. 80% of new cars sold in Norway are now electric. They have done it right, we should do the same.
8) We need to ignore the elderly naysaying whingers. With willpower and sense net zero by 2050 can be done. This aged minority is vocal but they do not represent our country. I donât care if grandpa doesnât understand why he canât have bonfires anymore. Aside from being completely anti-social they are bad for the planet. So recycle. I donât care that grandma has her thermostat at 40. Put on jumper and turn it down dear.
Greta and her generation are an absolute inspiration. We need to be more like her and less like the Victor Meldrews in the Tory party.
October 3, 2021
You really are totally deluded by this new religion aren’t you?
You clearly have no real understanding science, physics, energy engineering, insulation costs/practicalities or energy economics. Almost none of the things you suggest will even save any significant C02 let alone do anything for climate! Most of your suggestion waste more energy than they will ever save.
Norway has loads of hydro power so EVs can make some sense in the UK we do not any they do not.
Put on an extra jumper and turn the stat down is about your only worthwhile suggestion!
October 3, 2021
@Andy – You say “With willpower and sense net zero by 2050 can be done” – well no it can’t be done practically, financially or politically. It would be totally pointless anyway and ruinously expensive even if it could be.
It would also need to happen worldwide to affect Co2 levels (it clearly will not be) and anyway C02 is a net benefit to humanity on balance.
October 3, 2021
What a load of cobblers. Fanciful dreaming about a wonder-world full of shiny beaming families – just like in N.Korea, Russia etc
October 3, 2021
2050… that’s 20 years after 2030.
October 3, 2021
Yup.
I DID vote for Green policies but done cautiously.
Who made a success of energy efficient light bulbs, appliances and recycling if not British old people ?
As with opposition to mass immigration (called racism) Andy has to lie about old people to make his arguments fit.
I don’t know why he wastes his time visiting this site. Boris does everything Andy wants anyway.
October 3, 2021
You finally got ‘literally’ right. Go to the top of the class.
October 3, 2021
A fanciful wish list that will cost us trillions and alter the temperature by perhaps a tenth of a degree.
October 3, 2021
“Insulate. Insulate. Insulate.”
Get ready for Andy to lie down in front of the blog to prevent posts.
October 3, 2021
Anything which opposes the ridiculous aims/demands of the COP26 members is to be welcomed. Time for reality to replace the fantasy of CO2 driven global warming.
October 3, 2021
+1
October 3, 2021
Hi Sir John,
It’s no big surprise that that was going to happen. I’m simply surprised that they’ve warned us rather than have given vague assurances and not followed through.
We might just as well cancel COP26, save the money and airfare and put Miss Thunberg’s nose out of joint for good measure.
I note that INEOS are/have launched the Grenadier, an all-terrain vehicle that they consider to be a replacement for the old Land Rover Defender. Given that there is expected to be a moratorium on the sale of diesel and petrol cars in 2030 in the UK, what do they know that we don’t?
October 3, 2021
Coincidence or collusion or conspiracy
Our government introduces a new E10 petrol and we suddenly have shortages and huge price increasesâŠâŠmaybe its to encourage everyone to go electric
Iâll bet they donât use E10 fuel in China
October 3, 2021
+1
October 3, 2021
they have EV because they produce enough electricity.
October 3, 2021
Not according to King Xi. He’s telling them to buckle up and get supplies in.
October 3, 2021
Every time the ministers who are meant to represnt us and serve our interests open their mouths they just reveal how weak and treacherous they are. The latest example is Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland Secretary. Apparently, the reason the UK hasn’t triggered Article 16 (despite the conditions havimng been met) is that we want to show “good faith”. You what?! Good faith towards those who show us nothing but BAD FAITH? Are you mad? When has that EVER been effective? No doubt he believes that nasty Mr Churchill should have held off bombing Germany to show them more ‘good faith’ while they were blitzing London. The man is utterly pathetic.
October 3, 2021
+1
October 3, 2021
Why don’t you just pipe down – the Government has many other considerations on its plate than NI and the protocol. Also for instance it may very well need a helping hand from the EU regarding shortages before this season is out so it won’t help much to go about making things worse by jumping up and down.. latest news from some of the think-tanks is that we might even be better off if we decide to rejoin the Single Market for a short term considering we have very few other possibilities of Trade agreements on the horizon so far.
October 3, 2021
The Single Market is not a market. It’s a rule book. It does not buy goods, but regulates them. We already have an FTA with the EU so rejoining the Single Market would not sell a single extra widget. It would just allow the EU to regulate UK domestic affairs.
October 3, 2021
I think it is neither mad nor pathetic. If you don’t want to see your reputation go down the tubes, you have to demonstrate that you have tried everything else before triggering Article 16, and that means showing good faith in public, no matter how you feel privately.
My guess is that we will eventually trigger Article 16, but only when it is clear that we don’t need anything else from the EU and that they are no longer of any use to us. Maybe in a year. In fact, I think that Article 16 was only ever there to *be* triggered when both sides had finished showing their deep commitment to the GFA and blah, blah, blah.
We need the NIP just as long as people believe it is somehow necessary for continued peace in Ireland, but as soon as it is clear that it isn’t, and Irish peace will continue itself, then out it goes.
October 5, 2021
When do you think that a market of 450 million wealthy, educated, civilised, cultured people, literally adjoining the country would be of “no further use” to us, Jon?
October 3, 2021
I read that the government are considering suspending the recovery of ROC subsidies via electricity bills (presumably paying them out of general taxation pending the toxic idea to collect them via gas bills and further distort our already hopelessly distorted markets). Whilst that may offer a little relief to hard pressed retailers and bill payers it offers little real relief to the latter who will fund them via taxes.
We need to get costs down. The poor performance of renewables has the the UKA carbon price surge to ÂŁ74/tonne, where it is effectively adding about 3p/kWh to electricity bills. Carbon allowances need to be increased substantially to force the price right down over the winter. Alternatively, cancel the tax entirely.
Even including the absurd level of carbon tax, coal is a much cheaper source of power generation than gas in present markets. We should help the balance of payments and bills by using coal in place of gas as much as we can. Reducing demand for gas will take some heat out of the market which has been trading at over 250p/therm, and which is even more costly on the Continent. The UK has been exporting substantial amounts of gas to Belgium and the Netherlands because our cavern storage is full, and theirs is still far too empty. At least there have been a couple more LNG tanker discharges.
October 3, 2021
@Mark
More absurd crap from the fossil fuel lobby. The government has no plans to suspend ROC payments from electricity bills. Renewables over the past 7 days have generated up to 67% of UK energy demand, with minimal nightside curtailment. The fossil fuel industry, led by Putin’s GAZPROM has forced the price of energy to the current levels – and not the renewables industry. The recent shortage of wind only lasted 3 days and there was no load shedding
This weekend the world’s longest under-sea electricity cable, transferring green power between Norway and the UK, has begun operation. The 450-mile (725km) North Sea Link cable connects Blyth in Northumberland with the Norwegian village of Kvilldal. At full 1,400 megawatt capacity it will import enough hydro-power to supply 1.4 million homes.
And as far as I can gather there are another 9 LNG tankers on the way
October 4, 2021
More nonsense from you. Wind generation has been operating at substantially lower average capacity factors with prolonged periods of very low output throughout the year.
I m reporting on statements coming from government sources so far as shifting the bill for renewables is concerned. Keep up.
NSL has been in operation on trials since 23rd August. Again, I highlighted this and pointed out the absurdity of it exporting from the UK at full capacity when we had sky high prices due to a severe wind shortage. This practice was terminated after I had drawn attention to it, and tests seemed to be more in line with grid operational needs from mid September onwards.
October 3, 2021
@Mark
Oh and using the new North Sea Link, renewable power can be exported from the UK when wind generation is high and electricity demand low, or be imported from Norway when demand is high and wind generation low
October 4, 2021
Norway’s hydro reservoir levels are very much on the low side for the time of year. That is because they have already been exporting large amounts to Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands to help them out with the effects of low wind. There is a big risk that they will have no surplus to sell in winter when they need supply for themselves.
October 3, 2021
So…
We’ll cut our carbon emissions and outsource our mucky work to China and buy it all back in ?
That’s called cheating, isn’t it ???
October 4, 2021
No. Stupidity.
October 3, 2021
Reading the climate.gov article that the âLa Palmaâ volcano will produce an estimate 1% (0.6 billion metric tons) of the annual world (26 billion metric tons) co2 outputâŠ.the same as estimated UK man made co2 outputâŠ..why is it so important to Boris that we go green
October 4, 2021
SO2, mate.
October 5, 2021
Read “volcanoes can affect climate” http://www.usgs.gov and “The emissions of CO2 and other volatile from…volcanoes” Scientific Reports…www.nature.com, mate.
October 3, 2021
Nottingham Lad is wasting his time. No-one in the UK is going to believe that Labour and central Planning is the answer to anything.
Since 1980, people have simply become too used to dealing with companies, and they just are not going to believe that Starmer trying to run the economy by himself is the answer to anything.
And no-one is going to be willing to let any Labour Leader close to that kind of power now that they have seen how easily today’s labour Party can fall under the control of someone like Corbyn.
Labout would like to forget Corbyn. They would like him to be airbrushed out of history, like Stalin’s disappearing Commissars, but they can’t. We all lived through Corbyn, we saw how quickly he emerged, we saw what toads and snakes came slithering out of the underworld after him,and the really frightening thing about him was how easily he happened. A bunch of three quid entryists, and a few problems for Starmer, and Labour can have its next Corbyn quite easily. And that scares everyone.
October 3, 2021
What will success look like from COP 26 ?
From the point of view of the climate activists, it would be sufficient action to reduce emissions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees by 205o. Of course that will not satisfy the fanatics, they will not be satisfied until they have reduced us to living in the dark ages.
For governments, I suspect they will be happy to see small movement, enough to limit warming by 2.5 degrees but somewhat later than 2050.
For the British voter, it would be nice to see our government reappraise its target to match the average achieved by a group of nations including China, India and the USA. That would put an end to the ruinous policy currently being followed which will see us become grossly uncompetitive on world markets and reduce our living standards thanks to huge increases in prices, particularly energy bills, and avoid the ruinous cost of they enforced switch away from gas heating and IC-engined cars.
October 3, 2021
Thereâs just no logic to anything thatâs being proposed, half the world wont comply the other half are willing to destroy there economy to go zero carbonâŠ.all to satisfy the wife, a teenage girl, dodgy modelling and (lets get more funding) UN IPCC
October 3, 2021
@ChrisS. +1 matching others was all that was needed, destroying the economy for bragging rights is just punishment of the people
October 3, 2021
Yes Sir John. You seem to have some sense in what you say about our energy supplies.
But what about the Government?
In fact it is not just the present Eco Warrior idiot, P.M., though he is extra bad.
Successive governments have constantly failed to ensure that we can power Britain independently of imported energy.
Some of that is because they intended us to remain part of the ‘wonderful’ E.U. who could be relied on not to run out of energy. What a laugh!
Please, for heaven’s sake change your leader’s direction before it is too late.
Better still change the leader.
October 3, 2021
I think we had all better get ready for just about every industry to try its own little “fuel crisis”. One after another they will try to excuse poor management with the same excuse – labour shortage. Or some similar stunt; too much rain, or too much sun, or too little EU over-regulation, or too much trade or too little.
The pig farmers are already lining us up for a “Pig shortage caused by a pig oversupply caused by too few workers cause by too much something else”.
And it can happen. in 1948, between them, Attlee and Bevan managed to engineer a coal shortage and unemployment among coal miners all at the same time.
People of limited imagination will always try to pull the same half-clever stunt that just worked for the other guy, until we finally turn on them and tell them to learn how to run their own businesses.
October 3, 2021
Just when you thought life could not get any better, someone is going to make TV movie about Sturgeon and Salmond.
October 3, 2021
Jon. OMG. Pass the sick bucket.
October 4, 2021
Thats like advertising a gruesome murder when there wasn’t one. Gripping? no!
October 3, 2021
Labour MP’s jumping ship to the Conservatives says it all. This Conservative party in government is nothing but a Blairite, woke, lefty, big tax, big state, fake green agenda which pushes jobs abroad, open doors immigration, impose the worst schools and healthcare on large sections of the population to try and keep them subservient, not all all a Conservative party that people understood in days gone by.
October 4, 2021
China’s energy policy is more than just prudent economics: it’s scientifically sound.
The true voice of science has been totally silenced in recent years: distinguished geo- and astrophysicists telling the truth cannot appear on public platforms, publish their work or even get that work peer-reviewed. The political view is that climate variation — at least to the extent that its consequences are unpleasant — is entirely anthropogenic ; the expression of any view to the contrary now verges on criminal behaviour.
When he was mayor of London, I had hoped Boris Johnson would understand the issue enough to realize the truth and take a stand in favour of it. Unfortunately he has turned out to be a champion of the anthropogenic-climate-change fraud — more enthusiastic, if it were possible, than M. Macron lui-mĂȘme.
As Janet Daley asked in her recent article (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/10/02/boris-johnson-should-drop-green-pieties-people-want-work-independence/), “[Is the government] not aware that green policies — the elimination of coal-fired energy and the reliance on carbon-neutral fuels — are directly responsible for rising energy bills and fuel poverty? Which brings us on to what is the most politically dangerous territory in any advanced democracy: the cost of living.” The party under Mr. Johnson has become nothing more than “The Other Labour Party” or, even worse, “The Other Lib-Dems”.
What are voters behind the so called Red Wall to make of it? How will they vote at the next election? It’s time for Conservative backbenchers to learn the subject and, having done so, to make their voices heard above the sirens of the Johnson family now running the country!
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