A change of accounting could give us a better energy policy

It is wrong that the U.K. is importing Russian Gas by LNG carrier. It means more CO 2 is generated than burning home  produced gas. It means Russia gets huge tax revenues that the U.K. would reap on home gas. It means we miss out on more better paid jobs. It means we finance Russia’s thug wars.

It is wrong that the U.K. continues to import wood from North America to burn in the Drax biomass power station. We should growing more of our own timber to stoke the fires at Drax.

It is wrong  that we are importing electricity from a European continent short  of energy and dependent on Russian gas and coal for some of its generation.  We should generate our own using U.K. fuels or renewables.

So why are we undermining our national resilience? Why are we making U.K. consumers pay even higher prices to cover the  extreme  costs of imports at current spot prices? Why are we creating more global CO2 with this import based system?

Part of the answer seems to be the civil service and some Ministers’ passion to get the U.K. count of CO 2 produced down. The  way they count it if we import fossil fuel or products made with fossil fuel is the  CO 2 generated counts against the  exporting  country and does not add to our total. Yet the world ends up with more CO 2. Time to account for all the CO 2 to weight decisions back in favour of domestic energy and production.

178 Comments

  1. Mark B
    March 4, 2022

    Good morning.

    So why are we undermining our national resilience?

    I don’t’ know. Why don”t you ask those 500 MP’s that seem in favour of all this nonsense ? And you can start with your deal leader.

    1. MFD
      March 4, 2022

      Agreed Mark B
      Time to get rid of the Green on the Outside and RED in the core people like Princess Nut Nut and her commie friends trying to bring down Britain. We cannot exist without fuel.
      Even our old and ancient gathered wood for heating and cooking! If Boris does not understand this he must go as our , yes Our country comes FIRST .

      1. Fedupsoutherner
        March 4, 2022

        MFD. Wholeheartedly agree with your comments.

    2. oldtimer
      March 4, 2022

      They probably think we are all too stupid to notice. If so they are wrong about that. The ineptitude of those responsible for this scandal is beyond belief; as is the failure to authorise further development of the UK’s oil and gas reserves and potential. This will not happen while Johnson remains PM. He needs to be replaced by someone with a more acute understanding of national needs and priorities.

      1. John Hatfield
        March 4, 2022

        It is not lack of understanding. It would appear that he responds to pressure outside the orbit of the average voter.
        An idea of who finances the Tory party and the Civil Service would help. Crony capitalism seems to decide Tory policy and Civil Service following that policy.

    3. Peter Wood
      March 4, 2022

      https://www.nasa.gov/feature/greening-of-the-earth-mitigates-surface-warming
      We could be taking advantage of more CO2 by growing more. According to NASA, plants are now growing better. Of course that would need a government policy, activated, to encourage more home food production. Any chance of your government stopping it’s showboating and doing something useful?

    4. graham1946
      March 4, 2022

      Bovine stupidity seems the answer.

  2. DOM
    March 4, 2022

    350 miles to the East, people are dying to protect their nation from a brutal invasion while in dear ol’ blighty disgraced and evidently useless ex-Ministers are being Knighted and the Civil Service playing silly games with energy imports to offset our CO2 data.

    A bunch of cretinous morons. I for one yearn for a Neo-Thatcherite to emerge from the detritus that now populates our political class and takes a nuclesr cudgel to the warped, dirty, filthy, cancerous progressive poison that all UK parties have embraced for any easy life

    We need reality, clarity and morality not gender pronouns and fascist use of victim culture to destroy speech and presumption of innocence

    1. Fedupsoutherner
      March 4, 2022

      Hear, hear Dom.

    2. No Longer Anonymous
      March 4, 2022

      Dom – The invasion of Ukraine and our silly energy policies are borne of the same thing. A belief that the whole world thinks the same way, has the same values and can be taught to sing.

    3. Lifelogic
      March 4, 2022

      +1 as Titania McGrath puts it:- “With our superior commitment to diversity and inclusion, Putin doesn’t stand a chance.”

  3. Everhopeful
    March 4, 2022

    How long has this “thug” war been going on for?
    How long have we been becoming increasingly reliant on Russian gas? ( a very small % but presumably increasing
or what’s the problem?)
    Govts since about 2014 ( and earlier) should’ve got their acts together.

    Aren’t we sending arms to Ukraine ( that aren’t necessarily getting into the intended ( ?) hands? Haven’t we financed many wars over the years?
    Or we only dabble, cause and support “just wars”?

    1. Everhopeful
      March 4, 2022

      Biden speaking of Ukraine situation “Freedom will always triumph over tyranny”.
      Not in our case it didn’t!

      1. alan jutson
        March 4, 2022

        Everhopeful
        Indeed the World stands by and will let Ukraine and it’s people suffer defeat, because the aggressor is big nation, and a nuclear power.
        Kuwait was rather more fortunate.

        1. Everhopeful
          March 4, 2022

          +1
          I dare say that the rest of the world will do whatever suits.

      2. glen cullen
        March 4, 2022

        Sad but true…we appear to be living in a time of tyranny

        1. Everhopeful
          March 4, 2022

          +Agree
          I ‘ve been dreading this ever since I was introduced to Animal Farm!

      3. graham1946
        March 4, 2022

        Yep and how is it going in Iraq 20 years after Blair and Bush’s illegal war and Afghanistan? Necks of brass politicians have, always ready to meddle, not prepared to see it through.

        1. Everhopeful
          March 4, 2022

          +exactly!
          But maybe what they wanted was destruction and mayhem?

    2. dixie
      March 4, 2022

      “How long have we been becoming increasingly reliant on Russian gas? ”

      Our dependency on overseas energy supply has been pointed out over the last several years and it has been clear not only was the blackcrap brigade unaware of where it was coming from but they also didn’t give a damn .. perhaps because they believed they could always afford it.
      Well that reality has come back to bite them on the ass so now they bleat that we must empty the North Sea and Under-Britain of hydrocarbons to satisfy their entitlement to burn stuff in their jalopies.
      The joke is that the loudest whiner doesn’t even live here so won’t suffer any on the effects he would see imposed on the rest of us.

      1. Everhopeful
        March 4, 2022

        +1
        Who is the “loudest whiner”?
        I do agree that people never dreamed that gas would go up fourfold.
        Cheap I sh energy was a given.

        1. dixie
          March 4, 2022

          I’ll let you guess who the loudest blackcrap whiner on here is.
          I am concerned there is a very strong sense of entitlement in this country, no concept that what we have may disappear, be refused, be lost or taken away. It has already happened with much of our industry and commerce. Easy access to energy is already being challenged, and we have seen materials from foreign sources be intercepted and hijacked in the last year.
          Meanwhile, the main concern seems to be they can’t run their 15-20 year motor cheap rather than what do we and our children do if we have no access to sufficient gas or oil at any price.
          Selfish and egocentric don’t cover it, but they are a start.

  4. Richard1
    March 4, 2022

    Such Green crap is both foolish and immoral. The climate hysterics and leftists who have foisted this humbug on us over the last 25 years have much to answer for. As you say, it fails even on its own terms – our actual CO2 emissions are higher than they otherwise would be.

    Possible positives are the realisation following the covid crisis that expert groupthink can be completely wrong, and, following Putin’s thuggery, that we need a radically different energy policy.

    1. Lifelogic
      March 4, 2022

      I would go further “expert, religious & political groupthink” is usually wrong as we saw with the ERM, the EURO, the EU, Covid vaccinations for children, the Millennium Dome, the current size of government, our energy policy, net zero, climate alarmism
 see “The Blunders of out Governments” book for many other examples. When all the main parties agree as with net zero, Blair’s dire wars, the minimum wage laws, wage increases for MPs, the ERM
 it is almost invariable wrong headed.

      1. Lifelogic
        March 4, 2022

        Also the absurdly run, free at the point of use (competition killing & virtual monopoly) NHS system has the support of all the main parties. Despite the fact that it obviously delivers appalling value, poor car, rationing and long delays killing thousands.

      2. Fedupsoutherner
        March 4, 2022

        Too right L/L.

    2. Atlas
      March 4, 2022

      Agreed. All this group-think ‘Green’ virtue signalling has got us into a dangerous position. I also wonder who is behind the financing of some of these pressure groups?

    3. Mark B
      March 4, 2022

      It is not just the Leftists, it’s people (some 500 MP’s plus your leader) that are hell bent on this. No good offsetting the blame, your party has been in office since 2010 and has done the square root of sod all. In fact, they’ve built on it.

      Time people like you started to take ownership of this mess.

    4. Lifelogic
      March 4, 2022

      Lord Hollick chair of the committee (Politics, Psychology and Sociology Nottingham so one assumes he has little good grasp of physics, energy or climate) says UK lacks ‘credible plan’ to drive net zero transition – Good net zero is an insane and counterproductive goal to have and should be dropped now.

      1. Lifelogic
        March 4, 2022

        Plus the “solutions” they push do not even work even just in CO2 terms.

    5. Timaction
      March 4, 2022

      The problem is that Westminster Parties all believe in the “Climate Change” religion. A bit like they all agreed on our EU membership! The energy bills are starting to arrive and the electricity standing charge is doubling and gas is going through the roof. My energy bill has doubled in a year. Then we have all the other above inflation rises in Council tax, National insurance costs, petrol prices, food etc etc. Then we have a Government Minister claiming that Gas Production in our own Country will have no impact on world prices. Straight propaganda out of the Putin playbook. The public no longer believe ANY politicians in Westminster. The world around them is kicking off and they don’t do “NATIONAL INTEREST”! Importing goods we can manufacture or produce ourselves with cheaper energy would save the planet CO2. (Not that it has any impact on anything!) We need to change the make up in Westminster so we can get rid of the special kind of stupid legacies.

      1. alan jutson
        March 4, 2022

        I see the cost of a first class stamp is going up by 10 pence to 95 pence in April, no doubt this will help them pay compensation for the Horizon scandal, unfortunately it will also help the demise of trade as people will stop sending cards and the like by post.

      2. Shirley M
        March 5, 2022

        Agreed. When all the political parties worship the same religion, be it the EU or net zero, it removes our choice and invalidates our vote. The various governments are never willing to give us a referendum, unless forced. They do not want their religion to be tested with the electorate. Better to never give the plebs a choice, in true EU style.

        We need another Farage and UKIP, but this time to fight against net zero. Unfortunately, people with the tenacity and dedication of Farage are extremely rare.

  5. Everhopeful
    March 4, 2022

    Why is WEF pushing for net zero ( “What is your country doing?”)
    Openly stating that net zero will cost an extra $35 trillion per year!!
    And why are govts even listening let alone obeying?
    ( debt kompromat?)
    Did they think they could say “Yes, yes, yes” and never actually be called on to act?

    1. Ian Wragg
      March 4, 2022

      Dream on John, this nonesense is about impoverishing us for past sins of foisting the Industrial revolution on the world.
      Never mind the prosperity it bought, we must be punished by the same BLM IR and ER mob.
      The same mob that belonged to CND and the likes and Bozo has Carrie Antoinette pulling his strings.
      He must go.

      1. Fedupsoutherner
        March 4, 2022

        Ian. Thank Christ the loons that made up CND didn’t win. We’d all be toast now.

      2. Everhopeful
        March 4, 2022

        +very good analysis.
        Exactly right!

    2. Lifelogic
      March 4, 2022

      +1

  6. Everhopeful
    March 4, 2022

    Oh and BTW..
    WEF, in addition to wanting a global pandemic agreement, wants a global response to plastic.
    Gosh..we’ll be involved in all their projects soon!
    It will be almost as if they rule the world!!

    My response is that I NEVER wanted plastic it but it was imposed on me.
    Who would WANT plastic??
    Still
this is all only a conspiracy theory
right?

    1. Sharon
      March 4, 2022

      And as a conspiracy theory they (WEF) seem to be doing rather well. The government website shows they are following instructions well, despite things being stopped at government level
 the plans carry on regardless!

      1. Everhopeful
        March 4, 2022

        +1
        Like good little soldiers
obeying every last order!

    2. Andy
      March 4, 2022

      Maybe the point where you’re raging about an agreement to cut plastic is peak Brexit clownery.

      Though somehow I doubt it.

      1. No Longer Anonymous
        March 4, 2022

        Andy

        Avoid being near countries that live on geopolitical fault lines.

        The EU has brought us to the brink of WW3 – all that fire and radioactive fallout.

        Similarly Nato. Too many member countries of differing temperament. So that a rogue pilot from a tinpot nation in Nato can bring Nato in conflict with the Russian airforce.

        World War Woke.

        Terrible for the environment.

      2. Everhopeful
        March 4, 2022

        Did you want plastic?
        I liked those brown paper carrier bags with string handles.
        And paper wrapping and paper bags.
        But we were told to save the trees
.

    3. glen cullen
      March 4, 2022

      The UN treaty about plastics, which we’re about to sign, isn’t about environmental plastic pollution its about control
..plastic is a component part of just about everything that’s manufactured worldwide – the UN under this proposed treaty will ultimately control the production of goods

      1. Everhopeful
        March 4, 2022

        +Of course.

      2. Mark
        March 5, 2022

        The UN seems likely to suffer the fate of the League of Nations sooner rather than later in present circumstances. It has long ceased to be fir for purpose.

    4. rose
      March 4, 2022

      Before the EU Single Market and its snowstorm of directives, the whole of Europe bought most things loose in brown paper bags, or in glass bottles and jars.

      1. Everhopeful
        March 4, 2022

        + many
        Yes
oh lovely, lovely days!

      2. Nottingham Lad Himself
        March 5, 2022

        I think that you’ll find even more plastic packaging in the US than you do in the European Union, Rose?

    5. No Longer Anonymous
      March 4, 2022

      Everhopeful – Similarly cars were imposed on us too ! We moved out of cities, had supermarkets built in our areas while street shops closed, schools and hospitals centralised…

      They are not something most of us have a fetish about and like the sound of “Va va vroooom !” They are an expensive liability for most of us but we need them. The word ‘motorist’ makes it sound as though we drive for the sake of driving.

      1. Fedupsoutherner
        March 4, 2022

        NLA. Yes, put all necessary things out of town with no reliable a frequent public transport and then expect us to give up driving. Oh yes, that joins up the dots. …. not.

      2. Everhopeful
        March 4, 2022

        + exactly
        The “now run to that side of the room” syndrome.
        Govts only know how to ruin lives.
        We are always punished for doing as we were told!
        Look at war veterans.
        No wonder the Border Force refuses to turn back boats.

  7. Lifelogic
    March 4, 2022

    They also account quite wrongly for electric cars (which use more CO2 compared to keeping your old car longer). This they do by ignoring all the energy used to build the cars and batteries and also assuming they will be charged mainly by zero carbon electricity (which does not even exist). They are emissions elsewhere cars. They also import loads of US wood (on diesel ships) to burn at Drax which actually causes far more CO2 than gas and even rather more than coal. They also assume walking and cycling create no CO2 when they do as human food (the fuel used) is very energy/co2 intensive indeed.

    The whole net zero agenda is a deluded scam. Even if you accept the CO2 devil gas climate emergency religion the policies make no sense. The failure to frack for shale gas in the UK when we have such good resources is insane. Rational accounting is needed but as we know it is a political religion and clearly not rational science or logic.

    1. Fedupsoutherner
      March 4, 2022

      Another great post L/L.

  8. Donna
    March 4, 2022

    The Establishment never thought that Globalism would have to be stopped in its tracks by a virus and a new Cold War.

    Over decades, they have deliberately weakened our defences; borders; resilience; energy and food security and economy. And that’s because they are fully signed up to the idea of a One World Government of technocrats and the “member nations” complying with international agreements negotiated safely above national democracies which have no way of changing them since their political class operate a consensus to prevent it.

    Even now, with energy bills about to triple and the cost of living going through the roof, the Government is REFUSING to use our own energy reserves below our feet.

    We have our very own “Ancien Regime” in Whitehall/Westminster, complete with our own Carrie Antoinette. And they need clearing out by an electoral revolution.

    1. Fedupsoutherner
      March 4, 2022

      Donna. ‘They need clearing out by an electoral revolution.’

      That’s an understatement if ever I heard one. Could we be that lucky?

  9. Michelle
    March 4, 2022

    Why are we undermining our national resilience?

    Why are you only asking this now Sir John?
    You’ve been in politics a long time and surely as an educated man could see this taking place.

    It was one of my parents (and probably the majority from their generation) great laments that we were constantly being ground down. Short sighted money grabbing, lack of interest and investment in firstly our own people and secondly our own industries and capabilities. They had different political views on certain things and voted differently, but were agreed on this issue.
    It has been going on for decades and we now face the consequences of it and at a very dangerous time.

    The short term view all for a quick buck today attitude has a lot to answer for.

    Reply I have raised these energy issues many times before

    1. Fedupsoutherner
      March 4, 2022

      To be fair Michelle, Sir John has raised many issues that are wrong in government but nobody seems to be listening. If only we had more sensible MP’s like him.

  10. PeteB
    March 4, 2022

    Measures drive behaviours.

    Change the accounting rules…. OR simply dispense with the net zero targets, which are leading to bad decisions.

    The UK is ahead of other countries in terms of CO2 reductions and is a tiny player in the world context (1% of emissions?). What we do in this area will not change the outcome.

  11. Everhopeful
    March 4, 2022

    I’m trying to imagine the first bleak winter of “Daren’t turn on the heating”
    Politicians have uncaringly stripped us of everything, including our dignity.
    How will we also bear to be cold?

    1. Fedupsoutherner
      March 4, 2022

      +1

  12. Nig l
    March 4, 2022

    You only have to read the dissembling tosh put out by Ministers on the overall cost of installing heat pumps to know that they are either uninformed or treating us as stupid. Years of this governments ‘lies’ suggests the latter.

    They have made the cynical calculation there will be no votes lost through it.

    And in other news we read Boris has quickly latched on to the situation in the Ukraine as the latest excuse to do nothing in Northern Ireland.

    1. rose
      March 4, 2022

      Yes, Nig, it is enraging about Northern Ireland. Now is precisely the time to ditch the NIP and take back sovereignty of our own land. Macron is busy, busy, busy as chief negotiator, and wouldn’t have time to be as nasty and warlike to us as usual; and the others surely wouldn’t want to be nasty to us when we are making most of the effort. By the way, there are 21 countries in the EU being protected by a handful of countries which are not. The others are neutral.

  13. Dave Andrews
    March 4, 2022

    We and Europe can continue to buy Russian gas and oil – at cost.
    The profit element can go into a reparation fund, to compensate and rebuild Ukraine when the war is over.
    Can the UN agree to this, or are they just capable of virtue signalling and gesture politics?

    1. Mark
      March 5, 2022

      Inflation will be the tax on the currency balances that the Russians accumulate while they are unable to spend them. It will also be a massive tax on our own economies. It will probably lead to an unwinding of the property bubble in real terms. Instead of 10,000 barrels of oil for a house it will be just 1,000.

  14. Shirley M
    March 4, 2022

    Good questions and no surprise here. This government and its sycophants have already proven they are willing to cheat and lie in order to deceive the public so a bit of cheating over CO2 to make them feel good at extreme cost to the country and its people appears to be perfectly fine! It will impress all the other countries in the world though, won’t it???????? Only if they are as idiotic as our own government. They are more likely to laugh at us, or sneer at our deceit.

  15. Narrow Shoulders
    March 4, 2022

    A bunch of cranks are aided by the police to block motorways in the name of insulation but this laundering of carbon goes largely unmentioned.

    If there was truly a need to reduce carbon this would not be permitted. Tells you all you need to know.

    This is not the first time our government has compromised our security and wellbeing to look good on the world stage and it won’t be the last. Who will speak for the good of the people rather than the coerced focus groups?

    1. Timaction
      March 4, 2022

      They don’t put our security first. Just look at the inaction of the “unknown” boat people or their intentions. Useless Government. ÂŁ12 billion rises in National Insurance.ÂŁ4 billion costs annually of housing, feeding, health and other needs of these foreign Nationals and NO ACTION to deport them. Anyone can assume they are actually encouraging this behaviour.

      1. Shirley M
        March 4, 2022

        I think the government is encouraging these illegals to come here. I have tried, and failed, to see how they could make illegal entry more attractive. Even failed asylum seekers, immigrant terrorists, rapists and murderers get to stay indefinitely, at our expense.

        1. Mark B
          March 5, 2022

          Because the HoC and HoL is full of lawyers and barristers and the human rights industry is very, very lucrative.

          😉

  16. Alan Holmes
    March 4, 2022

    Honest accounting throughout government would give us a revolution.

  17. MFD
    March 4, 2022

    Off topic!
    Gavin Williamson- rewarded for failure. It seems to be Boris cannot lead, just talk!

    1. rose
      March 4, 2022

      Rewarded for failure? Or compensated for being scapegoated? The media – BBC, ITV, Comcast Sky and LBC, Channel 4, and the press which fed them – spread panic and fear across the country to induce mothers and teachers to stay at home. They were aided by the teachers’ unions and medical and scientific “experts” who wanted to bring down the government by crashing the country. The PM and CSA and CMO caved in to them, so how was Williamson, universally derided for being Northern, comprehensive educated, and too ambitious by half, supposed to conquer these over mighty forces?

  18. The Prangwizard
    March 4, 2022

    Nothing to do with your Boris then who has refused on many occasions to accept that we should extract more of our own oil and gas. Boris who has said we should build more windmills to protect ourselves.

    Nothing like diverting attention to those who function, and away from the leader who ought to change the dangerous practices.

    1. Timaction
      March 4, 2022

      How about that little issue of importing Russian coal and banning our own production. You couldn’t make up the rank stupidity of those pretending to be in charge, all on the alter of climate change, and the CO2 devil. Let us pray! Almost time to put the boiler on as it’s cold outside as it has been for millennia as its…………..winter!

      1. Fedupsoutherner
        March 4, 2022

        Time action. I hope you are relatively wealthy because when your energy tarrif has to be renewed you may not be able to afford such luxuries. No exaggeration for some. Choices to be made between heating and eating.

      2. Shirley M
        March 4, 2022

        Is it because of ‘climate change’ or is that just a handy excuse? The avoidance of creating CO2 (even if it were true) doesn’t explain most of their damaging policies. They seem to want the UK to fail. What will they give the EU next after NI and our fishing grounds? EU control of our energy and food is just for starters, if they can get away with it.

        1. Mark B
          March 5, 2022

          CO2 makes up %0.03 of the air we breath and is the fourth most populous gas. I say no more.

          😉

          1. hefner
            March 6, 2022

            ‘I say no more’. Yes indeed, because in your sentence of sixteen words you had two mistakes, CO2 is at 0.041% concentration, and N2, O2, Ar, H20 have higher concentrations than CO2 so putting it at fifth position. Well done.

  19. Will in Hampshire
    March 4, 2022

    There’s a related point concerning government procurement generally, which is that contracts placed with British providers will generate second-order tax receipts for the Treasury both from personal taxation and corporate taxation. It seems somewhat obtuse to exclude these effects from value-for-money assessments, although I do recognize the argument that in some industries public procurement just crowds out private procurement. Defence spending wouldn’t seem to suffer from that effect – perhaps MoD might re-think their position on this?

  20. turboterrier
    March 4, 2022

    Nothing that government’s and politicians say about energy can hid the fact:
    When North Sea Gas was first discovered and came ashore it was recognised within the industry that the fuel would be available for 30-40 years and as time rolled on more deep water fields came on board. That being said it was still going to be a finite resource. The decision made to use NG for power generation shortened the longevity of supply. If NG had been used for solely domestic, commercial and industrial use our reserves would still be immense.
    Government’s sat on their hands and did nothing to replace ageing power stations and when the drive for renewable took off politicians foolishly thought this was the panacea to all their energy problems and is not. Politicians or very few understand the energy power generation, distribution and security process. What they have sown so they will reap. The tax and energy payers will pick up the tab as they always do.

    1. graham1946
      March 5, 2022

      They pumped the gas and oil as fast as possible to make a quick profit – no thought about the future. Money, always money with the Tories rules. We had no wealth fund because they splurged it on unemployment and benefits.

    2. dixie
      March 5, 2022

      +1 except what they have sown the rest of us will reap.

  21. Roger W Carradice
    March 4, 2022

    Sir John
    From reading your blog it seems that almost all of your commentators, who I presume are Conservative voters, know that our energy policy is lunacy. How long will they remain Conservative voters?
    Roger

    1. Timaction
      March 4, 2022

      They won’t as the game is up. Who would vote to have their ICE cars and boilers banned and pay through the nose for the windmills that don’t work or the solar panels when the sun doesn’t shine. Madness.

    2. Fedupsoutherner
      March 4, 2022

      Roger. Not long.

  22. miami.mode
    March 4, 2022

    A few days ago you published Liz Truss’s response on energy where she said “We also need to invest more in nuclear”.

    You only have to mention Chernobyl, Fukushima, Windscale, and Three Mile Island and currently Dominic Raab is talking on the radio about Russians shelling Europe’s largest nuclear power station in Ukraine.

    1. Mark
      March 5, 2022

      How many people were killed by Fukushima? And by the tsunami and earthquake? How many died at Three Mile Island? The facts are that nuclear power has produced the lowest number of fatalities per TWh produced of any form of electricity generation. That includes the deaths from accidents. Modern designs are also much safer than Chernobyl, or the more rudimentary safety at the time of the Windscale accident. There has been extensive anti nuclear propaganda based on misinformation about the risks and lack of public education.

  23. Pat
    March 4, 2022

    You have hit the nail on the head.

    Is there any reputable academic or institution willing to grasp this nettle and tally excess CO2 emissions generated by the UK’s insane energy import policy?

  24. agricola
    March 4, 2022

    Our energy policy is superficially designed to make us look good. It is a total hypochracy. I would contend that in paying homage to the false god green, there is no logical policy. The energy costs being imposed upon the UK population are a direct result of this heresy. As I and others have pointed out, we have the fuel within our own territory and control, use it at cost plus processing costs and a reasonable profit. Stop imposing World panic pricing on us.
    Endeavour to get this moderated before midnight, unless of course you are fearful that some might agree with the points made.

    1. Mark B
      March 5, 2022

      I agree with ALL you points.

      We are being made to pay so that a few narcissist can strut on the world stage saying; “Look at me, ain’t I wonderful ?” Whilst we slowly go cold and hungry.

  25. majorfrustration
    March 4, 2022

    Indeed it is wrong but somebody in Government and the Civil Service must think its right – so there you have it! Dont expect anything sensible to be done – not with this lot

  26. Andy
    March 4, 2022

    War brings out the worst in people but it also brings out the best in them. Yesterday night there was a wonderful report on the BBC News from Berlin.

    It was about the Ukrainian refugees arriving by train in the German capital – and German families being there to welcome them and offer them sanctuary in their homes. At the moment there are more German families than Ukrainians. Inspiring.

    Compare and contrast with the angry ranting of the Brexitists towards Ukrainian refugees. An absolute disgrace what some of them have being saying in Parliament and beyond.

    It is nice to see that humanity exists across Europe. Just not in Putin’s Russia or Brexit Britain.

    1. Peter2
      March 4, 2022

      What is this “angry ranting”?
      Some examples would be good young andy

    2. Fedupsoutherner
      March 4, 2022

      Andy. About time you moved then or have you opened the doors of your luxury home yet? Idiot.

      1. ukretired123
        March 4, 2022

        +1

    3. Dave Andrews
      March 4, 2022

      Would that be the same Germans that carry on buying Russian oil and gas and funding the genocide?

  27. Bryan Harris
    March 4, 2022

    So why are we undermining our national resilience?

    As J. Prescot was always so keen to mention, we need joined up government, but this one isn’t, and we haven’t had one for some time

    How did our leaders become so irrational?

    When did they decide to stop serving us and start chasing fairy tales?

  28. alan jutson
    March 4, 2022

    Your post today shows the absolute lunacy of the present Government policy.
    Another dodgy set up, where figures are manufactured to suit a farcical end goal.
    Why do Mp’s not question the methodology of so many projects, why are so many Mp’s just Lobby fodder and Party apologists, who will simply vote as requested.
    Problem is it’s not just the UK, it seems most governments in the World are just as bad.

  29. John Miller
    March 4, 2022

    Does Mrs Johnson insist the servants turn the heating down to 52 Fahrenheit? Does she insist Boris puts on a woolly jumper? Did Insulate Britain drive to the motorways they insisted on blocking? Did they all insulate their own homes?

    It’s very easy to determine how seriously green zealots take their own propaganda! That is to say, not at all!

  30. Julian Flood
    March 4, 2022

    Sir John,
    Current energy policies will lead to energy shortages with a high probability of power cuts. With inadequate generation and soaring costs there will have to be a reduction in consumption, and it will have to be substantial. So what mechanism will be used to bring about that reduction? Rationing by price or by physically restricting an individual’s uptake?

    The next election will be interesting. How will your government plead its case? Vote for us, we brought you energy rationing?

    And we read today, one of those overcast high pressure days when wind speeds are low and solar is right down, the claim that the answer is more ‘renewables’.

    Inadequate heating causes excess deaths among the old, the poor and the sick. That’s where we are headed. Vote for us, we killed your granny? No, it’ll lack something at the hustings.

    There is only one way out – CCGT generation is quick to build. However, world demand for gas will make importing the stuff ruinously expensive. One US shale play went from zero to half the UK’s gas production in five years so there is an answer, but it would involve courage and humble pie.
    I will not hold my breath.

    JF

    1. Julian Flood
      March 4, 2022

      I’ve just checked Gridwatch Templar to see how the ‘renewables’ are doing. Both are at a little over ten percent of their rated output. Coal (!) is producing 1.5GW.
      If we need more of both it’ll be ten times the fields under glass, moors trashed by concrete and churned by construction traffic.
      Has this country gone completely mad?

      JF

      1. Fedupsoutherner
        March 4, 2022

        JF. At some port the dockers are refusing to offload Russian gas. Oh dear. Will we have a problem? Best start fracking like 15 years ago.

      2. Mark
        March 5, 2022

        It has been obvious that we should be maximising coal use to replace expensive gas. That is what we did in the aftermath of Fukushima. We should, like the Germans, call a halt to coal closures, and instead maximise the use of our 3 coal fired stations (Ratcliffe on Soar, part of Drax, and West Burton). Even so, the price of coal gas escalated alarmingly as gas prices have soared. TTF gas reached over €200/MWh, forcing electricity to ÂŁ360/MWh. Coal touched $450/tonne, implying an electricity cost of ÂŁ145/MWh. That’s still cheaper than the average CFD for offshore wind in production – and it works when the wind doesn’t. We need to extend capacity contracts to all the coal to ensure it is there.

  31. Original Richard
    March 4, 2022

    It starts with MPs, mainly composed of arts graduates, being conned by fifth column communists in our universities (currently funded in part by 150,000 Chinese “students”) and at the BBC, that man-made emissions of CO2 (plant food) cause global warming resulting in the imminent and catastrophic destruction of the planet and we must unilaterally curb our 1% contribution to save us all.

    This is despite there being no anthropological explanation as to why the Earth started to warm after the last ice age 22,000 years ago, why the Earth has since then been generally warmer than it is now (up to 3 degrees warmer in fact) and why we have been in an unusually cold period for the last 800 years.

    We then have communist funded “green” activists persuading our MPs to commit unilaterally to Net Zero (CO2) and to achieve this by electrifying everything, closing down our coal and gas generators and our nuclear power plants and then for us to rely eventually on windmill power that will be expensive and intermittent.

    So that is why we are reducing our nuclear power and our North Sea oil and gas.

    Since we still need to use some gas, the communist fifth column rather than increasing our production are instead importing Russian gas, even though this increases World emissions of CO2, increases our balance of payments deficit, reduces our tax take and funds Russia’s thug wars.

    A classic example of Robert Conquest’s second and third laws of politics.

  32. glen cullen
    March 4, 2022

    By accounting alone, it appears that the whole net-zero is a scam to impress other woke world leaders and the UN
.this green revolution of your party needs to be stopped
    What ever happened to the government slogan ‘’Buy British’’

  33. oldwulf
    March 4, 2022

    If this government finds a way to solve our energy cost crisis then it will substantially increase its chances at the ballot box. Sadly, our politicians seem to have a death wish aided and abetted by civil servants.

    The abysmal 27% turnout at yesterday’s Erdington by election (won by Labour) demonstrates that most the electorate currently have no one they wish to support.

  34. glen cullen
    March 4, 2022

    My petrol E10 pump price this morning hit £1.54 litre
.thanks

    1. R.Grange
      March 4, 2022

      It’s the warmongers we have to thank for where this is going. If sensible voices aren’t listened to very soon, Glen, you and I will be paying a lot more than ÂŁ1.54. An EV will even start to look affordable!

      Unfortunately, our fate seems to be in the hands of a TV comedian and his international corporate backers. There can be no negotiated outcome of the crisis, as long as they prefer years of violent confrontation over a negotiated peaceful status of the Donbas.

      1. graham1946
        March 4, 2022

        My heating oil is going the same way. On Monday it was 69p per litre. Today’s best quote 91p per litre. I’ve cut the time the boiler is on and reduced room temperature. This is dangerous.

    2. Mark B
      March 4, 2022

      That’s ÂŁ6.78 / Gallon (Imperial). Or between ÂŁ90 – ÂŁ150 to fill a tank – OUCH !!!!

    3. glen cullen
      March 4, 2022

      **Update**
      At midday that Shell Petrol Station put the price of E10 petrol to ÂŁ1.58.9…..nearly 5p rise in one day !!!
      Apart from this government enjoying the VAT revenue will they do anything to reduce these costs to the people…as per the manifesto

      1. ukretired123
        March 4, 2022

        ÂŁ1.65 for Shell Diesel today @ Gloucester!

        1. glen cullen
          March 4, 2022

          These price rises are going to quickly feed into higher inflation, higher retail costs and the resultant higher interest rates
..all to combat the effects of net-zero, a ban on fracking and a ban on north sea oil exploration
          And our government is only interested in reducing the UKs artificial carbon foot-print by importing fossil fuels
. tantamount to treason against the people

    4. Mike Wilson
      March 4, 2022

      My petrol E10 pump price this morning hit £1.54 litre
.thanks

      Boris here – ‘thank you! As you know, ahem, 70% of the price at the pumps is tax for us to waste. In just the last two years of my premiership, we have seen a huge increase in the price of petrol from ÂŁ1 a litre to ÂŁ1.60 ish a litre. That’s a nice 42 pence a litre for us. Keep up the good work, all. As fast as you give it us we can piss it away on green nonsense.’

      I don’t know about the rest of you but I am getting really pissed off at this excuse for a government.

      1. glen cullen
        March 4, 2022

        +1

      2. Mark B
        March 5, 2022

        A mighty +1 to that !!!!

    5. Mark
      March 5, 2022

      We should suspend the E-10 specification by making it a maximum content rather than a minimum, and let refiners make petrol that meets engine requirements in whatever way is most economic, taking account of effects on mpg.

    6. Mickey Taking
      March 5, 2022

      Starting a near 1000 mile trip with E10 in Wokingham at ÂŁ1.51 I typically paid ÂŁ1.55 at 2 petrol stations this week, one in Scotland south of Glasgow, and the other off J36 on M6. Stopping at motorway services we noticed unleaded, E10 in England and Scotland varied from ÂŁ1.71 to ÂŁ1,79. Daylight robbery !

  35. Fedupsoutherner
    March 4, 2022

    Great post today John. Only problem is just like when I was campaigning in Scotland and highlighting the folly of the wind industry we only seemed to be preaching to the converted. There are many sensible suggestions given by the regular bloggers here but nobody with any brains listening in government.

    1. Fedupsoutherner
      March 4, 2022

      Only getting pissed off Mike? Most of us already are.

    2. anon
      March 5, 2022

      There is only 25GW of wind turbine capacity operating. The problem is a lack of domestic generating plant & affordable fuel, when needed to meet demand.

      If we had a mass production factories churning out floating 15mw turbines with connections or electrolyser’s and storage tanks we may be in a better position now.

      All coal plant should have been mothballed not put beyond use.

      5th columnist’s.

      When our armed forces are called why would they fight and for whom?
      Of course our freedom and democracy, which have been sadly lacking for decades.

  36. turboterrier
    March 4, 2022

    In about 2010 there was a national conference organised by Communities Against Turbines (Scotland) at the Ayr racecourse and delegates from all across Scotland came to listen to speakers from the USA, Industry, scientific organisations, Dr John Constable REF, National Grid and Scottish Power with a smattering of MSP and Chris Heaton Harris MP.
    A theme developed across the delegates that the infrastructure was totally unable to meet the demand and no consideration was given to security of the supply.
    Despite all of this the Scottish Parliament went ahead with its Saudi Arabia of wind power dream knowing as we were told on countless occasions that Westminster would be paying.
    Never once has Westminster called time out and actually researched properly the whole renewable industry, just blindly sitting in the pews putting our money into the collection boxes inside what has now become the high temple of Net Zero.

  37. Brian Tomkinson
    March 4, 2022

    Your final paragraph illustraates that this whole net zero aand demonisation of carbon is a gigantic charade and scam.

  38. Keith from Leeds
    March 4, 2022

    Hello Sir John,
    The answer is that it is simply shocking that our governments from 1997 on have been short sighted, had no vision & no interest in making the UK self sufficent in energy, food production & having a robust defence. Now the reality of the world situation is showing the utter stupidity of the last 25 years. Do some reading on Global warming & CO2 which shows the Earth has been warming & cooling naturally for thousands of years. Get rid of the net zero focus by 2050 & start taking action to improve our lives for this decade.

  39. turboterrier
    March 4, 2022

    Sir John
    Burning home grown trees at Drax?

    Why? Last time I checked China, India, Pakistan, Germany and other EU countries are all burning coal and for some the less energy efficient lignite or brown coal.
    Why has this country got a suicidal death wish to lead the world at the total demise of its people’s living standards on the road to bankruptcy?
    Convert Drax back to cleaner British black coal and when all the aforementioned countries start their total decommissioning scheme we will follow.
    It comes as no surprise they sure as hell are not following us at all. Just revelling in our stupidity.

    1. Mark B
      March 4, 2022

      Because RedEd Miliband decided to listen to someone nobody ever heard of, who does not have a clue about climate or the weather, but was just another ‘professional campaigner’, She convinced him to create the Climate Change Act which basically sets out the journey we will take to become carbon neutral. No coal. No gas and expensive fuel and fertilizer which will lead to high food and consumer prices and increased poverty.

      1. glen cullen
        March 4, 2022

        Climate Change Act needs to be repealed today

    2. Mike Wilson
      March 4, 2022

      Indeed. Coal is a compressed tree.

  40. Denis Cooper
    March 4, 2022

    Off topic, I have just this letter to the editor of the Belfast News Letter:

    “According to reports the conflict in Ukraine has reduced the appetite for Downing Street to engage in a political row with the EU, and therefore the issue of the Irish protocol may have to go on the back burner.

    So be it, but it is worth reiterating that during the seven months since the Command Paper was issued, when it was said that the conditions for invoking Article 16 had already been fulfilled, nothing has been done to put in place the new UK laws envisaged in its paragraphs 43 and 62.

    These would be “good neighbour” laws to protect the EU Single Market from unwanted goods crossing the land border into the Irish Republic, and would work against non-compliant goods produced in the province as well as any imported from outside.

    And that in turn would mean that local businesses could be freed from the swathes of EU Single Market laws which still apply under the protocol, and so Northern Ireland could join the rest of us in the UK outside the jurisdiction of the EU institutions.

    After seven months is it not past time for an MP to ask the Prime Minister why nothing has been done about these new UK laws, which would not need the agreement of the EU, and which could not reasonably be opposed even by supporters of the EU?”

  41. turboterrier
    March 4, 2022

    Sir John.
    If we decided to design and produce a energy appliance we would be required by law to publish its efficiency performance.
    Every year that appliances has to be serviced and checked it is operating effectively and efficiently and any emissions are within the manufacturers technical data.
    How can you check on the efficiency of turbines and solar panels when the heat input or wind speed is so intermittentl?
    Basically it’s a conn in that all renewable figures produced by their operators can only come up with a guess timate usually in the low 20s or less. The house holder has no way of checking the performance on the efficiency of their panels as there is never a constant power input. They have to assume the sun wasn’t so hot or out for so long.
    To assess an appliances thermal efficiency is output over input x 100
    To do this you need two constants.

  42. turboterrier
    March 4, 2022

    Bit of a radical thought but……..

    How about having a big clear out in the civil service departments for all of those who are actively restricting our progress in moving the country forward, while your at it put MPs with the same mindset on notice to totally sign up or ship out?
    Stop the talking and pussy footing about, its time for real action. Time to earn their pay rise and all the other privileges.

    1. Bob Dixon
      March 4, 2022

      Farmers are looking for seasonal workers.So our thinned out civil servants will not be short of work.

    2. Stred
      March 4, 2022

      Three quarters of civil servants in the Business and Energy ministry would have to go. They are zealots wall to wall. Then it’s the same at Agriculture and Lord Greencrap and his mate should be sent back to Richmond.

    3. glen cullen
      March 4, 2022

      Isn’t that what we voted for in 2019

  43. Denis Cooper
    March 4, 2022

    Also off topic, browsing I came across this letter from one Stephen Nash, Oxford Mail June 8 2016:

    https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/14544712.russians-right-suspicious-eu/

    “Russians have a right to be suspicious over EU”

    “I take issue with John Bond’s letter (Oxford Mail, June 7). Ukrainians are deluding themselves if they think that the “European values” he quotes are the same as those of the EU.

    We know what happens in the EU when people vote the “wrong way”. They are made to vote again, as in the case of the second Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty; or in the case of the French and Dutch rejection of the EU Constitution when it was repackaged as the Lisbon Treaty. So much for the integrity Mr Bond refers to.

    In 2013 Mr Cameron made a speech in Kazakhstan in which he said he wanted the EU to stretch from the Atlantic to the Urals. The Urals are in Russia!

    Mr Cameron clearly had in mind the incorporation of Ukraine into the EU. The Russians have a right to be suspicious.

    In the last 200-odd years, there have been two major invasions of Russia from the West, under Napoleon and Hitler. Now the USA has missiles on the Polish border. No wonder Putin is edgy.

    During the recent overthrow of the democratically-elected President of Ukraine, senior diplomats and politicians from Europe and America visited Kiev to support this uprising – an outrageous interference in another country’s affairs.

    If I were Ukrainian I would be just as suspicious of being absorbed into the EU superstate as of Putin’s Russia.

    Britain does not have an argument with Russia, and I do not want to see British troops forced, for example, to fight Russia as part of the EU Army (to be announced shortly after our Referendum). That is one reason I am voting to Leave.”

  44. forthurst
    March 4, 2022

    Why is the Climate Change Act 2008 still on the statute book? There is no groundswell in parliament to remove this self-destructive legislation from the statute book which received wide support at the time so all energy policy will be designed to navigate around it. What this demonstrates is that our electoral system does not allow us to replace the wholly inadequate placemen and deliberate saboteurs that make our laws. We will pay excessively for fuel and food and suffer shortages as a result of eco-lunacy and a naive belief in the stability of supply when the forces that drive events internationally are determined to punish us for our stupidity.

    1. Mark B
      March 4, 2022

      +1

    2. graham1946
      March 4, 2022

      Why would MP ‘s care? They are getting a 40 quid a week increase, whilst the pensioners are getting 3 quid. Doesn’t even cover Council Tax rise. My electricity firm today have told me from April my bill will be going up ten quid a week. Heating or eating is becoming reality for millions.

    3. glen cullen
      March 4, 2022

      +1

  45. BOF
    March 4, 2022

    Impossible not to agree, they are wrong on every count. But, does this country have enough spare landmass to grow the wood to feed Drax and the other coal fired power stations converted to wood? I think not, unless that is part of the re-wilding and import our food plan!

    Obviously our elected ones and their masters in the civil service have no regard for our best interests. So who do they all work for, if not for us?

    1. Bob Dixon
      March 4, 2022

      The U.K. was covered in forests 10,000 to 20,000 years ago.

      1. graham1946
        March 4, 2022

        Before we had 70 million plus population. We have it all underground in coal but are not allowed to dig it up.

  46. Mike Wilson
    March 4, 2022

    Why indeed, Mr. Redwood? It’s your government. Spring is almost here. Time to stop buying any energy from Russia and anywhere else.

  47. Syd
    March 4, 2022

    A thought provoking point made by Patrick Moore, one of the original founders of Green Peace, who left the organisation when he realised they had lost their way and were responding to the agenda of their financial sponsors rather than the need to promote the well being of the planet.
    We know that 540 million years ago atmospheric CO2 was at 7,000 ppm.
    This level reduced to 2,000 ppm around 150 million years ago.
    Since that time, the CO2 level has gradually reduced to the current level of 400 ppm.
    We know that if the level were to fall as low as 135 ppm, the effect on the plants, foliage and general greenery of our world would be devastating.
    Patrick’s point is that by burning fossil fuels, and thereby releasing the CO2 absorbed from the atmosphere over millions of years, we are helping the planet maintain a healthy level of CO2 and therefore protecting our environment.
    He suggests that, had mankind never evolved, and learned how to make fire, the CO2 in the atmosphere would have continued to be absorbed into the land and sea, resulting in reduction of level to the point where trees and plants died out.
    By burning fossil fuels, and releasing the CO2 absorbed during the formation of the fuel over millions of years, we are actually saving the planet!

    1. DVIDj
      March 5, 2022

      +1

  48. Andy
    March 4, 2022

    I have found a benefit of Brexit! I know, I know! None of you believe me but it’s true!

    Faced with Russian aggression the European Union has imposed unprecedented sanctions on oligarchs (most of whom are still not sanctioned here). It has also imposed unprecedented restrictions on Russia and has offered unprecedented help to refugees. Three more countries – Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia – have this week asked to join the EU.

    Without Brexit this fantastic EU response would not have been possible. The Tory Brexitists would have been in the decision making room – and would have voted against taking action against the oligarchs who fund their party. They clearly would have been opposed to helping refugees.

    So thanks to Brexit the EU has been able to have decently.

    Meanwhile we have Brexitist MPs telling Ukrainian refugees to stay away because Lincolnshire and Gavin Williamson is getting a knighthood – presumably because he has Kompromat. Compromising material on your prime minister.

    1. Fedupsoutherner
      March 4, 2022

      Andy. OMG. Truly breathtaking rubbish ftom you again today.

      1. Mike Wilson
        March 4, 2022

        To be fair, Gavin Whateverhisnameis getting a knighthood is so weird he must have something on someone.

        1. glen cullen
          March 4, 2022

          My thoughts exactly
.he’s been bought because he knows some shit

    2. Original Richard
      March 4, 2022

      Andy, “
.Three more countries – Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia – have this week asked to join the EU
..”

      I completely agree with you and we both have found a benefit of Brexit!

      Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, plus all the (stan) countries as far as the Urals (PM Cameron “Atlantic to the Urals” speech Kazakhstan 2013) can apply to join the EU – deep into the former USSR as you wish – without the potential for the UK to block their entry.

      And I am very pleased that the UK is no longer a member of the EU and does not have to contribute ever larger amounts to the EU budget to support these countries, nor be forced to accept freedom of movement.

    3. rose
      March 4, 2022

      4 countries in the EU don’t want to go along with all these dictatorial decisions and aren’t agreeing, so they won’t happen. Meanwhile, we are doing things lawfully.

    4. Mike Wilson
      March 4, 2022

      Ahh, how one yearns for pre-EU Britain. When we went to war to rid many of the countries now in the DU from Nazi tyranny. And took in many refugees. And what a country we have been since. Why, even in the most recent 20 years we have been welcoming 300,000 people to make their home here. What a fantastic, generous, welcoming, multi-cultural country we are. No wonder half the world wants to live here while the odd nutter who does live here constantly slags the place off. Surely, if anyone hated the country they live in as much as you hate yours, they would move to another similarly welcoming country. Ta ta.

    5. Jasper
      March 4, 2022

      Andy you really are such an idiot – unbelievable, if I didn’t feel so depressed by the news for the last 9 days, I think I would truly feel sorry for you!

  49. Peter2
    March 4, 2022

    How do you know the UK would have voted against actions on these things?
    You making things up again young andy?

  50. Peter2
    March 4, 2022

    Targets enshrined in the Climate Change Act and our Net Zero policy have caused this false accounting.
    The great Dr. William Edwards Deming explained many years ago what happens when you set targets.
    People “game” the figures and meet the targets as defined.
    But crucially ignore the effects of that effort.

    The achievement is an illusion of statistics, as Sir John has illustrated.
    We have imported our fuels because they don’t count towards our CO2 figures.
    Drax is defined as a zero CO2 power station.
    Whilst it burns hundreds of thousands of tons of wood here in the UK.

    By these odd accounting methods the Government will soon be able to announce that the UK leads the world and that we are “net zero”

    1. glen cullen
      March 4, 2022

      Fully agree with all your comments
..I sure that only Boris could answer my question – ‘what benefit do the people of the UK realise by our government telling the rest of the world that we’ve achieved net-zero ?’

      1. DVIDj
        March 5, 2022

        No benefit of course but Boris gets his Brownie points from his mates in the UN and WEF.

    2. Mark B
      March 5, 2022

      All this to achieve a fantasy.

    3. DVIDj
      March 5, 2022

      +1

    4. anon
      March 5, 2022

      Just pass a law declaring all uk power stations as offshore import it and job done Net zero.

  51. Fedupsoutherner
    March 4, 2022

    John, we used to vote for sane policies and for things that were good for the UK. Now with a bunch of madmen in government nothing is sane. God help us all.

    1. rose
      March 4, 2022

      And the Germans say how much they miss us, as the other grownup, responsible member.

      1. hefner
        March 6, 2022

        All 84 m of them Germans, rose? Funny that ‘Brexit made it easier for the EU to make progress on long-stalled policies’. The €800 bn recovery fund put together by the EU to deal with the Covid pandemic had the full support of Germany.

        Maybe what you suffer from is too much reading the Express website, specially their old news: your ‘quote’ is from January 2021 and from the not so German EU President, the late David Sassoli: ‘In all political families, the British took original, sometimes unusual positions, but that was always an asset to us. We now lack this facet. We continue to respect the British decision to leave the EU’.

        Or is your comment inspired by your AfD friends? My SDP and CDU German friends do not appear to share that view. But obviously that’s a tiny statistical sample of opinions, 
 just like yours by the way.

  52. Vernon Wright
    March 4, 2022

    Sir John: if, as seems the case, you share the Johnson family’s belief in anthropogenic climate change and support its absurd and scientifically illiterate policy in the matter (including the ‘Net Zero’ policy), would it not be more logical to advocate prevention of the use of hydrocarbons altogether (Soviet or otherwise) … and to enjoin the population to wrap up warmly and to eat cold food (if anything)?

    ΠΞ

    Reply I think your proposal stupid.I am trying to show how we need gas and need to keep the lights on this decade.

    1. Vernon Wright
      March 4, 2022

      Yes, Sir John, it is … and, I should have thought obviously, not to be taken seriously — but no more stupid than the now World-wide policy based on the unscientific belief in anthropogenic climate change. That must be dismantled first, if we are ever to formulate a sensible energy policy.

      ΠΞ

  53. rose
    March 4, 2022

    Would Kate Bingham consider taking on our energy procurement, bypassing the civil service? Or has she been put off for life by the vile treatment she got from the media and opposition when she managed the vaccine procurement?

    1. hefner
      March 6, 2022

      Which vile treatment, rose? The Sunday Times’ article on 15/11/2020 about the £670,000 charged for the work of eight PR consultants over seven months?

  54. dixie
    March 4, 2022

    I strongly support UK based energy production and I would welcome complete and accurate accounting, not just of CO2 (if you must) but also return on energy for all phases of extraction/generation, non economic metrics and any rational comparisons for all energy production.
    And you must offer a strategic plan, not just something that addresses the next 6 months or even 6 years, but a sustainable and credible plan that doesn’t rely on Star Trek technology popping into existence, maybe, in 30-50 years.

  55. ukretired123
    March 4, 2022

    To state the basic obvious – all the “Green Dream Uplands” govt solutions are counter intuitive, counter productive and defy gravity of common sense, STEM scrutiny, economic scrutiny and proven credibility.
    “Green Guessing” and virtue signalling by PPE, Classics and others alien to the real world and how tough life is for ordinary people who pay taxes and struggle get save anything. Ask why is the National Lottery so popular and the rise of betting?

  56. John Waugh
    March 4, 2022

    Could it be – that since gas is now more expensive- that a much better technique than fracking becomes viable ?
    Other methods are mentioned on the internet . Perhaps someone experienced in the industry could comment.

  57. Jasper
    March 4, 2022

    Why indeed?? Not being funny Sir John, but do your colleagues ever listen to you? Everything you say usually makes sense and most people on this site agree with you but nothing changes! What do we have to do ??

    Reply Recent government announcements about oil and gas production and growing more U.K. food are responses. I now need to follow up to make sure the official government implements Ministerial wishes.

  58. DVIDj
    March 5, 2022

    Those “civil service and some Ministers” need some proper education about such matters. The whole CO2 policy is based on flawed an manipulated “evidence”. Time for Boris to take the advice of real scientists and stop submitting us to the policies of the WEF and other “wolf criers”.

  59. Mary Lowrey
    March 5, 2022

    All the comments I’ve read on here I heartily endorse. I’m sure John does too. Of course we’re cynical as hell, shackled by a political cabal of all parties determined that Brits will pay more, shiver and have every log tracked and traced to the wood burner. I know it’ll probably count for nothing, but I have to vote Reform U.K. in May, it’s the only party completely reflecting my view on net zero. What would happen if everybody of our stamp did the same?

  60. Edwardm
    March 5, 2022

    JR asks the right questions. The problem is his fellow MPs some of whom form the government, who over many years have reduced our self sufficiency. It is most MPs who are the problem – they clearly don’t do common sense – their mind-set needs to change.

  61. Mickey Taking
    March 5, 2022

    A change of accounting?
    Would you care to explain to SSE how to reduce my latest price update ?
    Gas rise from April 1st will be 76%, Electricity rise will be 39%.

  62. Pauline Baxter
    March 5, 2022

    Pretty obvious, common sense, isn’t it Sir John. If we want to reduce CO2 we need to import less because transport causes CO2.
    Not that there is any valid argument for reducing CO2.
    Mind you. When does Boris Johnson EVER take notice of common sense or valid science?
    Or HIS chosen team of departmental heads. Whats his name? The one wanting to permanently stop fracking for instance, is a case in point there.
    The main problem about your committee toppling your leader is what would you get instead?
    Same applies to a General Election. Whatever sort of government would we get?

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