I have long been putting the case that the main net zero policies being pursued by successive U.K. governments are damaging to our economy and add to world CO 2 output. I have pointed out that getting our own gas out instead of importing LNG saves a large amount of CO 2 whilst generating jobs and tax revenue at home. The last government accepted this view and proposed more domestic gas and oil, only for this new government to stupidly cancel the policy.
I pointed out that trying to phase out and then ban new diesel and petrol cars prematurely would damage U.K. car investment and production. It will probably lead to people importing nearly new petrol cars instead. More people buying EVs will increase CO 2 for their manufacture and lead to more gas being burned in power stations to recharge them. I have set out the damage heat pumps will do. The  last government did push back the ban on new petrol cars but failed to lift the penal and damaging tax on selling the wrong types of new car.
My critics say I should spend my time rebutting climate change theory. As an MP I did not see it as my job to change peopleâs beliefs. I did not seek to make Muslims of Christians, Catholics of Anglicans  or atheists of all. I recognised I had two groups ,two powerful minorities on climate change, deniers  versus fanatics. My arguments were designed to tackle the practical issues and consequences of net zero policies. Pointing  out how absurd key policies are in CO 2 terms as well as the jobs and tax arguments was designed to win over moderate climate change believers, as it did partially with the previous government.
I will continue to make the case for urgent and important policy changes to arrest the damage to industry,jobs and investment the key net zero policies of this government are doing. This case is also environmental. I have always allowed freedom to both sides in the climate debate to state their case here. I have on various occasions raised important questions about climate change theory myself. The immediate need is to alter policy on power generation, EVs, electric heating and the accelerated run down of everything from steel to cars, from petrochemicals to nuclear power. That  requires maximising support from both sides of the climate divide. I will restate my thoughts on the weather issues tomorrow.
October 7, 2024
Good morning.
There are two things that are not being covered on this issue, although our kind host does mention one. The first is that we have never left the EU. The EU dictates our policy. If we had left the EU we could plot our own course. We need to have an honest admission that BREXIT has not happened.
The second is China. Isn’t it odd that all policies which either derive directly or indirectly from the EU seem to benefit China ? Wind turbines made in China. Solar panels made in China. EV Batteries made in China. And so on.
We need an honest open debate and accept that the political class has been captured by China, either directly or indirectly via the EU.
October 7, 2024
At one time there was a lot of talk about that countryâs influence in âourâparliament.
All quiet about it now.
Not a word!
October 7, 2024
LIke the pressure/control China exerts over Chancellors and Vice Chancellors in our universities.
Keep mum, keep a good job!
October 7, 2024
Absolutely!
October 7, 2024
We have comedic influence around the world ….we don’t even have ‘soft’ power, we have wobbly jelly power
October 7, 2024
Deindustrialised, decolonised,deeverythinged
Derided!
Thatâs us.
October 7, 2024
Chagos given effectively to China too.
Net Zero is clearly total insanity even if you quite wrongly think CO2 is a devil gas (that will give us a fiery hell on earth) the things being pushed EVs, heatpumps, public transport, road blocking, renewables, carbon capture, walking, cycling⊠make little sense as they save little or no CO2 anyway. Total insanity.
October 7, 2024
Itâs too late to stop UK from overheating, says UN climate chief. Jim Skea warns against inaction and says the future of global warming lies in leadersâ hands. By Jonathan Leake
Humanity has missed its chance of keeping global warming below 1.5C and it will take âheroic effortsâ to stay below 2C this century, the scientist leading the global effort to understand climate change has warned.
Well can this silly man predict the average temperature in England this January? Rather an easier prediction to make. Can he tell us the population growth for the next hundred years, when we will sort practical controlled fusion, all the other scientific inventions and discoveries, all the genetic variation natural and manmade in plants, trees, all the wars, volcanos, meteor impacts⊠so how does he come up with 2 degrees exactly? The average temperature in next Feb depends on the temp in Jan. How can he do 100 years without even knowing much of the inputs. Can he tell us about sunspot activity in 5 years time in May say?
Even a doubling of at atmospheric CO2 will not cause anything like this. Anyway even 2 degree C is not a problem we have been hotter. For the UK 2C is about right. Would save about 20% of our heating bills too.
We have had ice ages with CO2 ten times current levels. Deluded Soothsayers, can we have a proper physicist like William Happer please.
October 7, 2024
Correct. We are signed up to the EU’s (actually the UN/WEF’s) Net Zero policy. And we are not allowed to compete with our frenemies across the channel. It’s why Sunak moved the ban from 2030 to 2030 after the EU did.
Our best hope to end the destructive Net Zero lunacy is for the German people to balk at the loss of their totemic manufacturing base; the Italians to blatantly ignore “the rules;” the eastern bloc to refuse to go along with the madness and the French to riot.
October 7, 2024
But we ought to be leading the revolt, not waiting hoping the ‘friends’ over there will see reality.
October 7, 2024
We should but our political class is completely corrupted and, sadly, the propaganda has done its job with the British population – most of whom believe the nonsense to a greater or lesser degree.
October 7, 2024
Totally agree with your assessment âŠ.and if you read the labour manifesto on net-zero, the only conclusion one can draw is the destruction of the UK manufacturing and the collapse of the free working class under a command government
October 7, 2024
I get the impression the decision was taken, before Xi Jinping became Chinese president, to let China act as the workshop of the world manufacturing all the goods we need. That was when the likes of Cameron and Johnson Senior could only see in China a friendly and reliable trade partner. Now the politicians are beginning to wake up to the folly of their short-term thinking, but we seem to be locked into the policies they put in place years ago. One more demonstration of the inability of our elected leaders to keep the longer-term interests of this country in mind. If politicians are only interested in what the media are saying about them, and the media are only interested in this week’s news, perhaps we can’t expect anything different. It’s no way to run a country. Not that our politicians are running the country, of course.
October 7, 2024
@Mark B +1
October 7, 2024
The Davos set and the big money crowd want Net Zero.
Our politicians are in their pockets. So we get Net Zero imposed.
China, India, Russia etc are outside their influence. So they carry on as before.
Even from the point of view of protecting our countryâs interest compared to others, your arguments make sense.
Unfortunately our politicians donât care at all about the nation state.
With someone like Viktor Orban in power it would be different; but our ârepresentativesâ will just toe the line along with the rest of the puppets.
October 7, 2024
Politico.eu,25/6/24:”Hungary is flirting with China-at what cost to the EU?”
“The Chinese EV boom has led to investment with Hungary receiving 44% of all Chinese FDI into Europe last year,more than France,Germany or the UK,and representing 58% of Hungary’s total FDI.”
President Xi described relations with Hungary as “as mellow and rich as Tokaji wine.”
Hungary also has access to cheap Russian gas and nuclear(four plants accounting for around half of electricity generation output,plus contracts have been signed with the Russians for a further two plants).
China is also re-routing investment away from Poland and towards Bulgaria which has always had a tendency to look east.
October 7, 2024
Q.E.D
Hungary get massive investment from China and cheap oil from Russia. Whatâs not to like ?
EU are not too happy – but Orban always stands up to the EU when it suits.
He is also extremely choosy about who is allowed to settle in his country. International conventions on human rights are sensibly ignored. A pragmatic approach benefits Hungarian citizens, who are not lumbered with economic migrants that they donât want.
October 7, 2024
It’s interesting that you use the analogy of changing religion because that’s exactly what Net Zero is, a religion.
No basis of facts just a zealous pursuit of the impossible. The fact it is bankrupting us has no place in the religious discussion. I would have thought politicians should be calling out the nonesense especially when the majority of the public understand the stupidity.
As for changing Christians to Muslims, this is a work in progress with the daily invasion as can be seen in our cities with their weekly demonstrations.
October 7, 2024
That is absolutely NOT the case. The vast majority of the people believe the nonsense. They donât have the time or inclination to research the matter themselves, so they believe what they hear, read and see in the media. The media is 100% supportive of net zero.
October 7, 2024
Indeed endless absurd propaganda especially from governments, MSM and the BBC. They told us the new tech. Covid âVaccinesâ were safe and effective and important for almost everyone too. Huge net harm was done through this too.
Government âexpertsâ suffer wrong headed group think or is it pure corruption.
October 7, 2024
+1 MW. Unfortunately the majority believe what the MSM tell them. The more expensive energy gets, the more they think “free” solar and wind power will help!
October 7, 2024
The BBC keep pedalling the nonsense, so it must be true, surely? Thats what the gullible think.
October 7, 2024
Good Morning,
There is no parallel between the CO2 dogma and religions of philosophy and deity. The CO2 dogma has become policy because we have leaders too lazy to follow the scientific soar ‘Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence’. Climate change is science, not very well established science and therefore open to abuse by charlatans and PPE graduates. Follow the money.
October 7, 2024
Climate change is a hypothesis like science. Both pursuit of facts to support an allegation.
So far very limited facts usually challengeable.
The word science has been used too often to mean proven fact, not the case.
Religion could be termed hypothesis, almost nothing proven.
October 7, 2024
Predicting the climate (which is average weather) in 100 years is soothsayingâ they do not even have all the input data and even if they did they could not do it. They cannot even predict sunspot activity, volcanoes, wars, technology developments, populations, changes in agriculture, when we will get practical fusion⊠so how on earth can they predict the climate in 100 years but not next month or year? The idea that CO2 atmospheric concentration levels is some kind of world thermostatic control is totally moronic. Just one of millions of factors and not even a large one.
It is not even the main âgreenhouseâ gas!
October 7, 2024
Indeed, and worse still, a religion tainted by zealotry on the part of its self appointed prophets and disciples, not a live and let live religion. Then add in the fact that one of the highest ranking zealots is Ed Miliband, the High Sparrow (in Game of Thrones terms) of the perceived only true word.
October 7, 2024
@David Cooper +1
October 7, 2024
When there isnât enough electricity to go round we will be rationed. The govt. will just do that âload sheddingâ thing that they have been doing in SA for years.
And we will all have to poke up with it!
I think we all can see by now that there a lot of integrity involved in any of this.
October 7, 2024
**
thereâs NOT a lot of integrity.
October 7, 2024
The electric companies are increasing the pressure for customers to install a smart meter. Both myself and my neighbour have been told our meters have to be checked to ensure they are working properly. What’s the betting we are told they need to be changed and only a smart meter is available. My meters, gas and electric, are only about 10 years old. Load shedding here we come. Stock up on candles and be prepared to live in a third world country .
October 7, 2024
We have managed to avoid so farâŠ.but can they mandate it? I think they now have right of entry but not certain.
Since landlines are being removed we need those gadgets that hold a charge for mobiles. I have got several solar powered torches which serve as suchâŠthey can also be pre charged via USB cables.
I stocked up with candles at the beginning of all this nonsense and thought that I had jumped the gunâŠnot so apparently and they still wait under the stairs!
Of course, such is the cruelty that we can ( mostly) no longer gather wood and light fires in our hearths.
October 7, 2024
I just had a smart meter installed. I donât care. I have a changeover switch and a generator.
October 7, 2024
Very few educated, sane, balanced people argue that climate does not change. The abundance of data from past geological time indicates that it has always been changeable. There is nothing to suggest that this will not continue. The main driver is solar activity with contributions from volcanoes, asteroid collisions, and continental shift. The fanciful idea that man can take this under control, short of all out atomic warefare, is for the birds.
The reasons that a small number of diciples of such thinking, leading to Nett Zero, promote it, must be looked for elsewhere. The desire to promote a new political philosophy, personal notoriety, or “Britains got talent” hall of fame. Their messaiantic drive must not be allowed to jeopodise a very real need to clean up our planet. This can, with the help of science and engineering, be achieved, without driving us back to the stone age. We can go a long way down this path as the UK alone without harming our quality of life. Even making a few bob out of it on the way. We can even mitigate against the effects of real climate change if we so choose. I’m thinking in terms of such as the Thames Barrier or growing more wine, but doing it under our own control, not a french champagne house.
There is only one political party that buys into my thinking, the majority are wallowing in a glut of snake oil in an electoral market that is fast drying up, because the taxpayer can not afford the luxury of unachievable Nett Zero.
So for the next 4+ years we can look forward more taxation, more industrial vandalism, less real investment , and a helter skelter ride down the slope of personal GDP, 21st place and falling.
October 7, 2024
Agree with all of your points, and add in population growth, the more people the more energy in all forms they consume, water, heat, light, power, infrastructure, homes schools, hospitals, roads etc etc.
October 7, 2024
I do not know anyone who argues that climate does not change of course it does, and mankind is one of millions of factors in this. Most factor like solar activity, volcanic activity, human activity are not very predictable anyway. The term Climate Change Denier is just evil abuse. Is there a human CO2 driven cliamte emergency almost certainly not. A bit more is actually probably a net good on balance.
October 7, 2024
AG, I’ve long believed that any debate about the effects of “climate change” (and it’s causes) must be seperated from the debate about ‘what to do about it’ – which is what Sir John is suggesting I think. Then perhaps we can discredit the nonsense that is our current ‘Net-Zero’ policy and find more sensible ways (as a Nation) to approach any potential change in weather (whatever the underlying cause or likelihood of it happening).
The Chinese finished a 1,100 mile long railway in 2019 that cost them ÂŁ20B (and took them just 5 years to build). It can transport 200M tons of coal a year (it was built solely for this purpose) to power their industry. We have just de-commissioned our last coal-fired power station without any plans to replace it (other than with intermittant renewables). If the Carbon Believers/Climate Apocalypists are indeed correct, then this should be telling us to start thinking of ways to protect ourselves from the impact of climate, rather than attempt to stop it – in some futile Canute-like way.
Personally, I think the weather does seem to be changing somewhat but I have no idea if the world is warming or cooling, I’ve heard arguments for both. I don’t expect “to be boiled alive in my own sweat” but I don’t want to freeze to death in a house with no heating either and I know which is the more likely outcome under this Government.
October 7, 2024
‘where’
October 7, 2024
Agricola,
An excellent post.
October 7, 2024
You ask simple questions John to which so far few politicians will give a sensible answer.
Perhaps we do not have enough politicians who will ask the right questions ?
October 7, 2024
With respect Sir John, ACC is not a religious issue (although its proponents act and speak with religious zeal). It is a matter of science.
There is not a single scientific study to support it, only computer modelling while there are volumes of real data and accumulated evidence that emphatically deny ACC. It has been cooked up by evil people with the intention of impoverishment and control of the whole World, imo.
I speak out with anger, not religious zeal. All the damage you meticulously point to is intentional, was kicked off in the Blair/Brown regime, continued in the Con regimes and now speeded up in the latest regime.
I recommend looking into yet another evil being inflicted on the World and that is geo engineering. No longer conspiracy theory and with the capability of doing immense harm, with some already done.
October 7, 2024
@BOF – ever noticed what happens when an unelected bureaucrat is given a position by his chums to have a look at something. First out the box is create an empire, create work where their is none, then justify existence with hypotheticals. – It is called the UN they have no legitimacy at any level – but the Political Class love the concept, after all it could be their next ‘free-loading’ job
October 7, 2024
+1 Ian B
October 7, 2024
The whole thing has been a ghastly manipulation of green policies ( origins in German politics) by the world-dominating ambitions of Marxists.
The greens believed the Marxists to be honourable and allowed them into their Rainbow group.
The Marxists saw such potential for extensive power in promoting fears of a worldwide âproblemâ like acid rain.
And then we were all imprisoned in our houses.
New Normal.
The End.
October 7, 2024
Trying to get my head around “As an MP I did not see it as my job to change peopleâs beliefs”.
October 7, 2024
@Corky – serving your electorate is not compatible with dictating what they should think and do. The desired way would be to release people to maximise their potential – 1984 was a warning not the bible
October 7, 2024
Correct – everything else is ‘social-engineering’
October 7, 2024
Well the BBC certainly take on such a propaganda roll especially with the climate alarmist lunacy and the net harm Covid Vaccines.
So should a politician knowingly do something hugely damaging (like net zero or the Covid Vaccines) if the deluded public want it (or want it until they see what a disaster it is?) or should they try to point this out to them?)
They even pass laws to protect irrational belief systems for criticism. And enforce âeducationâ on these belief systems at school be they old regions or the new climate alarmism ones.
October 7, 2024
I wonder what contribution human beings make to CO2 levels – by simply breathing. We inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide all our lives. Given that plants (all plants or just trees?) do the opposite, I wonder what would happen to the climate if all 8 billion of us vanished.
October 7, 2024
@Mike Wilson – Euthanasia is on our Governments agenda when their plans of race to the bottom doesn’t work, and with 2 TierKier holding the reins he gets to chose.
October 7, 2024
My best guess Mike – is Not Too Much. We would most likely be replaced in number by other animals that expelled just a as much CO2. Of course they wouldn’t drive cars…at least not at first đ
October 7, 2024
Indeed just replaced by other animals, insects and similar.
If we really wanted to reduce CO2 kill all the animals & most people chop all the fully grown woodlands down and bury it then replace with new growing fast growing woodlands and repeat. But of course they do not really want to reduce CO2 plant, crop and tree food at all. The whole thing is a fraud with a few useful zealot idiots. You decided which are the liar con merchants on the make and which the zealots religious idiots or just idiots? So which is it for Ed and Dave Miliband, Sunak, May, Cameron, Greta, David Attenborough, Boris, Starmer, all the Tory leadership contenders 99% of the current Labour Government, Claire Coutinho, all the MPs who voted for Net Zero or nodded through Net Zero… You decided liars, idiots, crooks or a mix of all three.
October 7, 2024
People walking (which is powered by CO2 intensive human food) depending on diet can often be worse in CO2 terms than taking a small car. Yet the government web sites claims walking and cycling cause âno CO2 direct or indirect per mileâ. I assume they are written by government âexpertsâ.
Obviously liars or complete scientific idiots?
October 7, 2024
It does not matter as the â carbon â thingy is a total fraud.
No matter what man does they are insignificant and have no influence on the climate over thousands of years!
October 7, 2024
I agree with your rationale especially outsourcing our gas, oil and electricity generation. We must be completely self sufficient to ensure we keep industry functioning, to provide jobs for working people and their families and to ensure our own energy supply is secure. Currently off shore wind turbines and LNG tankers are totally insecure. These crucial issues should be our number one priority rather than Co2. Having read IPCC reports I remain sceptical that their conclusions are based on solid verifiable data because computer modelling is so badly flawed. Add to this significant political influence once âguidance to policy makersâ documents are issued leads me to conclude this is a political project rather than a true reliable verifiable scientific one. Your last sentence troubles me Sir John. Weather is not Climate and never has been. Climate is the analysis of weather studied over long time scales eg 20 – 30 years.
October 7, 2024
I suppose that it is all a bit like the long, long building of cathedrals in order to glory God.
Many lives lost in the dangerous work but much money changed hands and enriched some.
Now itâs ugly windmills.
At least cathedrals are beautiful.
But both are seats of power.
October 7, 2024
Iâd take a beautiful, useful wind turbine over an ugly edifice of stone any day. Cathedrals are a monument to manâs incredible stupidity and gullibility.
October 7, 2024
And windmills arenât?
October 7, 2024
đđ»đ
October 7, 2024
And windmills arenât?
Not really. Some days they produce half our electricity – and every day they produce some electricity.
October 7, 2024
Not on a day in Scotland last year, we were driving up for a wedding, going over the border M6 onto M74 we noticed them all at a standstill. Zero wind you see. Arrived south of Glasgow, met others in hotel went to the restaurant and POW – lights out, cooking out…..everything dark- for 2 hours..
A reality check if ever there was one.
I mentioned it on here at the time.
October 7, 2024
Sunak deserves some credit for slowing down the insane rush to Net zero blackouts and job losses. The fact that he was only able to slow it down slightly, rather than stop it altogether, shows how powerful the forces behind the Green ideology were and are. As long as the public remain in thrall to billionaire influencers and their bought-and-paid-for media hacks, little of significant value can be achieved, in my view. There have been times in the past when British people put up with a lot of hardship because they thought it was a price worth paying to get a better world. It looks like we are seeing the same again. My impression is that there is now more, not less support for the Green agenda. A BBC report back in 2006 said that polling showed a high level of scepticism on Green taxes, but more recent polling suggests otherwise. I wonder how far rational argument is going to work against rampant eco-zealotry. It has become a dominant world-view – call it a religion if you like – and as such can only be defeated by giving people something better to believe in. That is how Martin Luther succeeded in winning hearts and minds. He was a Reformer, btw.
October 7, 2024
@ Hat Man
“The fact that he was only able to slow it down slightly, rather than stop it altogether, shows how powerful the forces behind the Green ideology were and are. ”
That is such a true statement! Where we are has been decades in the making… media, UN, WEF, NGO’s, multi billionaires, government leaders – all are onboard (willingly or unwillingly!)
Money, money, control….!
October 7, 2024
Iâm intrigued by the many conspiracy theories put forward by some on this site. Could you name a âbillionaire influencerâ who promotes âaction on climate changeâ and what they stand to gain from it?
October 7, 2024
@Hat man – it was in Sunak’s gift to simply just align the UK with the trend found elsewhere on this Planet we inhabit, not have a race to the bottom of just one competitor – the UK. He could have repealed that laws that none of our Competitor Nations apply. He could have ensure the continuation of wealth creation in the UK so as to have the resources/money to be able to react to what ever is thrown at us. He chose not to, he chose to use the Taxpayer to fund the removal of UK jobs from the UK, he chose to send UK wealth and its creation abroad, he chose the ensuring of greater World CO2 emission.
If it was a World View how come close on 98% of the Worlds population is dedicated to looking after and creating wealth? Moving forward not backward.
October 7, 2024
I think once the lights start going out, people may begin to ask more searching questions about why? Especially when their utility bills have gone through the roof and they are struggling to keep warm.
October 7, 2024
“Sunak deserves some credit for slowing down the insane rush to Net zero blackouts and job losses.”
Well not much, we will all go over the cliff a year or two later after a touch on the brakes is not worthy of much credit at all. It is a full handbrake turn turn was and still is needed.
October 7, 2024
LL, I know, I know. But when I look at what Miliband’s doing, I can’t help giving Sunak a bit of credit by comparison.
October 7, 2024
Follow the money
October 7, 2024
Sir John, earlier this year you reported on this blog that you had attended a lecture and book launch by Judith Curry, an eminent climatologist. Iâve read her book. Did you?
As Curry probably explained when you saw her, she was part of the so called scientific âconsensusâ up to about 15 years and then stepped aside. She has been labelled a denier by the climate zealots, but she is not. Curry accepts the theory and evidence that man made CO2 is contributing to global warming, but not at the pace the zealots would have us believe.
Based upon her own analysis of the science and the latest reports of the IPCC, Curry asserts that we have until the end of the century to fully decarbonise the worldâs electricity supplies. In the meantime, the most likely warming scenarios are, on balance, pointing towards beneficial outcomes.
So Curryâs thesis is that we have time. Time for new technologies to deliver their benefits (without Governments distorting or forcing the markets) whilst still maintaining abundant supplies of cheap, abundant and increasingly clean energy – the future well being and development of the Worldâs population depends on it.
As for the UK, not only do we have the highest electricity prices in the world, but also I understand that our consumption of electricity is lower than 20 years ago – a recipe for de-growth!
October 7, 2024
Exactly.
“Man made CO2 is contributing to global warming, but not at the pace the zealots would have us believe”. Indeed exactly my position – but there is no climate emergency. More CO2 is a net good on balance, as it a slightly warmer.
October 7, 2024
Thats my theory as well Life Logic!
October 7, 2024
You can see the truth Sir JR, as can I and many others. But we are silenced and insulted by the zealots of climate religion. It needs voices in parliament to speak up, but who will do it? They cower on the green benches frightened to speak out.
Farage will probably try when given the opportunity. Reform though are a likely to be a voice in the wilderness of a political class who follow fashion not science.
October 7, 2024
Let us hope Trump wins at least he is fairly sound on this issue.
October 7, 2024
You describe the argument about climate change as one between the “deniers versus the fanatics”.
The fact you describe it this way signals a triumph for the fanatics. It reveals how they have succeeded in shifting the focus of the debate from its original thesis of “CAGW” (catastrophic anthropogenic global warming) to its current thesis of “climate change” over the past 30-35 years. This has involved unrelenting, well-funded government propaganda, support of the opposition of the day, the constant stream of supporting news and documentaries by the BBC and other media and the suppression of alternative opinion. The fanatics have had to make this transition because it turned out there was no catastrophic change to support their project fear. The words were therefore truncated to “global warming”. This too didn’t work as it became clear that, contrary to many confident predictions, children would and could experience snowfall in the UK. So a new phrase was coined to describe the basis of the campaign. This is “climate change”. The brilliance of this change is that it enables the fanatics to describe anyone who disagrees with them as “climate change deniers”. The unspoken assumption is that “climate change” is man made. Natural causes do not get a mention or a look in. This is the absurdity (the emperor with no clothes) that dominates current UK government policy and the UN agenda.
One day students of the Overton window will be writing PhDs on how opinion on the climate and why it changes was manipulated over time to bring the UK to its knees.
October 7, 2024
DA :
Correct.
October 7, 2024
Sir John,
I am a climate realist. That does not make me a climate denier. Too much use of the term Climate Denier has been the prime focus of the Climate Alarmists because it portrays their opponents as knuckle dragging morons.
I have never met anyone that denies climate change.
Climate is constantly changing, it is why we have the variability between ice ages and mild climate periods common throughout Earth’s history.
The unalterable (by man) climate variability is why the Climate Alarmists have utilised it to progress their deindustrialisation ambitions. The time we spend attempting to disprove a false premise is potentially endless, and they know that.
We have to be careful we do not adopt denigrating words that aid the Alarmists.
When someone uses the words ‘climate denier’, they are actually referring to those of us who are Climate Realists. The Alarmists won’t use the word ‘realist’ because they know, that bestows credibility to us and our position.
For the avoidance of doubt, Man made Climate Change is a hoax.
October 7, 2024
“Man made Climate Change is a hoax”. I would not quite say that we have Urban Heat effects and CO2 does contribute a little but there is no manmade CO2 caused climate emergency at all. On balance a bit more CO2 is a net good for humanity.
The subsidised war in plant food CO2 is a deluded hoax.
October 7, 2024
The zealots who infest the Establishment and the politicians who are “incentivised” by the Globalists to continue the Net Zero lunacy are impervious to debate. It has nothing to do with the climate and everything to do with reducing living standards; transfer of wealth and control.
What they’re not impervious to is civil unrest; loss of power/position because people refuse to vote for them; competition from upstart “populist” parties and possible replacement by them.
The treacherous British Establishment may be content to destroy what remains of our manufacturing industry but the German Government will not be able to sacrifice their automotive industry or their other totemic manufacturing and chemical companies. The same goes for whoever is attempting to govern France.
The politicians within the EU (and therefore the UK since we are “in lockstep” with the EU) will not be able to withstand the fury of millions of people who watch as their industries/jobs are destroyed and their communities are shattered to supposedly deliver the futile dream of controlling the climate.
October 7, 2024
Industries/jobs are already destroyed. Communities are already shattered. Whereâs the fury?
October 7, 2024
Have you been following the outcome of elections across Europe recently?
October 7, 2024
I assumed you were talking about this country. People here are still in thrall to the idea of monarchy! Theyâll put up with anything. And, whatâs happening on the continent? A few more votes for so-called âfar rightâ parties but ⊠nothing actually changes.
October 7, 2024
@Donna Good comment!
The wokery was part of it all, to cause chaos, uncertainty, doubt… and of course, alongside the confusion of ‘hate crimes’, dissent of ‘the narrative’ could be shut down. Name calling of dissenters started with Covid – and has continued with the climate agenda.
October 7, 2024
+1
October 7, 2024
When considering your piece about the weather, Sir John, please may I direct you to an article recently published in the Washington Post, not a climate change denying organ, which reported on modeling of the worldâs climate over the past 485 million years. It would appear that we are emerging from an historically and unprecedented very low period of global temperatures: âScientists have captured the Earthâs climate over the past 485 million years. Hereâs the surprising place were we stand now.â It appears that the planet might be returning to normal.
October 7, 2024
When considering your piece about the weather, Sir John, please may I direct you to an article recently published in the Washington Post, not a climate change denying organ : âScientists have captured the Earthâs climate over the past 485 million years. Hereâs the surprising place were we stand now.â It would appear that we are emerging from an historically and unprecedented very low period of global temperaturesIt appears that the planet might be returning to normal.
October 7, 2024
Indeed and we have had far higher levels of CO2 in the past 10 times as much even when we had ice ages.
October 7, 2024
Do you have a source for that?
October 7, 2024
Whenever a government policy or narrative which is obviously unsound is criticised the critics are labelled as deniers or conspiracists or crackpots, but any scientific debate is refused. All they have got to defend the indefensible is insults, censorship and silencing. Without free debate and testing of hypotheses science is dead. As others have stated, the Covid interventions and the Nett Zero restrictions are the stuff of religion, and a poor religion it is.
October 7, 2024
Well said! It is stunning that the government and like-minded others are willing to push such ill-conceived policies to harm us all.
October 7, 2024
Net Zero doesn’t make any sense but we aren’t allowed to have any debate on the subject. There are a lot of countries, namely China, benefiting from our stupidity. After another 5 years of the uniparty, I fear it will be too late to save our country. Shame on our politicians who have destroyed all the wealth our forefathers created.
October 7, 2024
Climate realist are banned from the BBC and indeed mainly for Parliament too – rather like Covid Vaccine and Lockdown realists. Both did huge net harms.
October 7, 2024
The usual voice of sanity from Sir John.
It appears that our current leadership do not care that they are deindustrialising this country and making us poorer in the process.
Latest IEA reports show we have the most expensive electricity in the world. Where is Milliband’s plan to save ÂŁ300 per annum on our electricity bills?
I fully expect this government to ban the import of previously used IC vehicles because I am sure you are correct. The free market will respond to fines on supply of new IC vehicles by increased sales and prices of second hand vehicles.
October 7, 2024
Sir John
“U.K. governments are damaging to our economy and add to world CO 2 output” Yes… The Whole World knows that only the UK out of the mature industrialised nations has contrived Laws to ensure that continues. They welcome the wealth and jobs we are sending them. Mrs May wanted to ensure that the UK couldn’t survive, punishment for wanting Brexit? Then Johnson, Sunak now Starmer, with the collusions of Parliament wishes the same punitive malicious punishment on the Citizens of the UK, they seem to venomously hate the people of these Islands and intend fighting them till death.
What type of Lunatic would ban something without a viable alternative even being available? What sort of Lunatic would ensure electricity cost 10times more than our competitors? What sort of Lunatic hides behind the CO2 banner while ensuring that World emissions rise?
It would appear we have 650 such Lunatics in the House of Commons, all with the gift to stop the destruction, to stop the rise in World CO2 – they all refuse. They refuse to serve those that have empower and pay them.
October 7, 2024
Any critics of our host fail to understand his message, but then green zealots have that inbuilt capacity to deliberately misunderstand anything being said about netzero if it doesn’t seem to follow their ideology – so that they can smear and cancel.
Most of us fully understand that climate change is a political stunt and has nothing to do with science – I accept that our host sits on the fence in regard to this – no doubt he received so many briefing papers while an MP that insisted climate change was man-made. Hopefully we will be able to counter those papers and point him in the right direction, but for now his position is sustainable in attacking the huge waste and nonsense of netzero.
We are heading for de-industrialisation at breakneck speed. With only recycled steel to manufacturer items how long before we run out?
With no steel, and no alternatives yet in sight to build with ‘sustainable’ products, the UK is simply going to shut down. We won’t be able to afford imports of anything because we will be creating next to nothing, which fits in well with netzero targets, especially the ones that close airports and stops all shipping.
It’s not just the economy that will be ruined – what kind of lives will we have in desolate destroyed Britain?
October 7, 2024
Maybe Gary Smith of GMB might consider that his members’ interests are better served by supporting The Reform Party rather than the Progressives running the Labour Party.
October 7, 2024
I have been thinking something along the same lines – Engineering being destroyed and then Engineering unions call for strikes to bring down the Labour Party . What a crazy thought – but anything is possible .
October 7, 2024
Is there any possibility that my sense that this government is simply trying to de-industrialise and smash our economy is born out of the Marxist idea that degrowth will give governments more control over an impoverished citizenry? Green activists and Marxists united after the Berlin Wall fell, knowing that green policies could undermine capitalism. My recent time at university made me realise that Marxists still want to prove capitalism doesn’t work…
October 7, 2024
From the media
“Rachel Reeves has reportedly dropped plans for a pension tax raid, amid Treasury concerns that it would penalise up to a million public sector workers, writes Genevieve Holl-Allen.
Senior officials from the department told the Chancellor that cutting the 40 per cent tax relief on higher earners would have a disproportionate impact on public sector workers on modest incomes.”
If only they could just attach the Private Sector in isolation – government for the few(costly unproductive few) not the many.
October 7, 2024
”The Scottish Government have long insisted that ÂŁ33bn would be the cost of decarbonising all properties in Scotland but secret briefings revealed the true cost was actually ÂŁ45bn”
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/scots-face-huge-45bn-bill-33824390?fbclid=IwY2xjawFwmi1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQe_wJCl6jHyJpDQUn_zofaB-eOk3AMvT-Xlr4dp2JoZZJFAyT2JNPo2OQ_aem_mO6r2zCbUuvDfGfhS0enqA
October 7, 2024
After we have spent many billions getting to Net Zero, how much will this achievement reduce the temperature of the planet and reduce incidences of extreme weather events.
I’ve read it might be one tenth of one degree reduction.
October 7, 2024
It is utterly futile to destroy our economy whether or not it would cause a reduction in CO2 output when other much larger economies than ours are increasing theirs. To pretend that we can have viable competitive manufacturing industries driven by wind and other intermittents which are also more expensive than carbon based fuels is typical PPE graduate idiocy.
October 7, 2024
Some bright spark said that when men cease to believe in God they don’t believe in nothing, they believe in anything. This is where we are. All religions are equal and all equally irrelevant but we have alighted upon Gaia and the imminent destruction of the human race for transgressing her rules. Why? Because these people hate humanity. One cannot reason with the climate alarmists but they have a vote so governments must follow them.
October 7, 2024
@Peter D Gardner – it has been said that religion is for those lacking in self belief. Gets blurred as the Worlds largest religion is ‘Atheism’ does that mean the majority of the World has confidence?
October 7, 2024
Who’s wagging Millibands tail ?
October 7, 2024
Milibands registered interests â https://members.parliament.uk/member/1510/registeredinterests
Summary â
ÂŁ233,600 Lisbet Rausing (Arcadia â conserving & restoring nature)
ÂŁ99,000 Green Finance Institute Ltd (accelerate the transition to a net-zero)
October 7, 2024
I really hope he looses money, i cannot stand the man
October 7, 2024
@glen cullen – vested interest sponsor come to mind. By all accounts he doesn’t have a brain of his own.
October 7, 2024
I note Reform is doing what the Tories should have been doing for years, standing with the people, justice and morality rather than with Labour’s woke client state
Reform will try and expose the repugnant way in which British law and justice is now applied according to identity (victim status) rather than equally without fear or favour
The Tories have a decision to make. Does it stand with the civil population and their values or does it stand with a woke political state created by Labour and now exists only to promote its own power and privileges?
October 7, 2024
+many
October 7, 2024
When I look at the political estate from the outside, I conclude that none of it, political or civil service, actually works for the benefit of British people. Books could be written as to why not, and we discuss aspects of it daily here, so I do not propose to list its failings. The really sick point is that we the people fund this failure.
As a nacent political party Reform are the only ones that have viable solutions. Should they form the next government with MPs from a wide range of successful career experience, they will arrive in Westminster effectively naked. They will need buddying in how to cut through the jungle that is Westminster.
They may be full of plans to reform the pillars and structure of government. Put simply you cannot hope to win any current war using last years machinery and structures. However in thinking ahead 8they will suffer clashes with powerful vested interests who like life as it is.
So can I suggest that you SJR and a few like minded remnants of the once Conservative Party offer assistance in the role of mountain guides, to achieve what you believe in , even though it has a different label on the tin. No need to join if you do not wish to, but riding shotgun alongside those who wish to achieve a rennaisance UK would be an invaluable contribution. Give it some thought.
Reply I am offering my advice through this website to anyone wishing to use it. Reform have expressed no interest.
October 7, 2024
Reformâs preferred economic policy may well be the exact opposite of Johnâs (beyond cancelling impossible Net Zero targets). They may follow Le Penâs lead in having high tax/spend policies to appeal to Labour working class switchers. I donât think youâll get small state low tax Thatcherite economics from them. You wonât get them from the Conservatives either of course.
October 7, 2024
Read the Reform Contract.
October 8, 2024
Reply to Reply
I imagine that Reform are busy with basic organisation at the moment. Try offering your financial experience and guidance through the maze. Rejection is the worst outcome with nothing to lose.
October 7, 2024
Climate is a natural phenomenon and consequently the study of climate is a science where experiments are performed, data is obtained through measurement and observation and where theories are devised to describe and predict and which are to be continually updated and tested and critically examined with a sceptic attitude with the results made freely available and always open to discussion and debate.
The irony is that the climate alarmists call their opponents âclimate deniersâ when in fact they are they climate deniers by denying that there was any climate change until the Industrial Revolution. For them there was no ice age ending with non-anthropogenic warming 11,000 years ago. Or that vines were grown up by Hadrianâs Wall in Roman times or that for several hundred years prior to the Little Ice Age Icelandic Norsemen colonised Greenland requiring temperatures to be 5 degrees C higher than today. Or that 7000 year old tree stumps ae being uncovered as glaciers retreat.
The climate alarmists ignore climate history and the current data and try to stifle debate with invalid reasons such as âthe science is settledâ and âwe own the scienceâ to disallow any debate. They use the idea that âIf you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it often enough, people will eventually come to believe itâ. They want to make climate alarmism a religion rather than a science so it cannot ever be discussed or tested or disproved.
The fact that the BBC does not allow any debate on any of its many channels is this idea in action and is a national disgrace for a country that calls itself a democracy. When this is added to the fact that we have a high reliance on technology, combined with a PPE, law, languages (ancient and modern), history (ancient and modern) qualified ruling elite who have no science knowledge at all, then we have the recipe for a terrible national disaster.
October 7, 2024
INFAUX THUGS
Dont let the Infaux Thugs close down debate .
In their hostility to open debate , the infaux thugs are mounting an attack on modern civilisation . They evoke our crude instincts from pre-modern life , instincts for a small , simple society , in which the leader`s narrative must be believed by all and enforced upon the members of the band . If you don`t share the leader`s narrative , you are a miscreant . You are to be corrected , expelled or destroyed . At the very least, you are to shut up .
The above is from DANIEL KLEIN – Don`t Let the ‘ Infaux Thugs ‘ Close Down Debate on brownstone .org
Today the lack of open debate lead to a leaflet dropping through my letterbox . Got one yet ?
It is from SP Energy Networks – important information – Preparing for a power cut …………..
October 7, 2024
This is all being done to us deliberately.
Can we give up any pretence about democracy anymore ?