Some people writing in want me to challenge the idea behind net zero policies. They believe the climate is not warming, or they believe it is but this is not brought about by manmade CO 2. They query the climate models, pointing out past times when the models have not forecast correctly. They ask why the models are based on one main variable, manmade CO 2, and do not seem to encompass solar intensity, cloud cover and water vapour, earth seismic activity , natural CO 2,and other possible influences sufficiently. They wish to dispute with the scientific establishment who claim the science is settled and that only a major reduction of man made CO 2 can change things for the better.
I have no intention of doing this. I accept CO 2 is a greenhouse gas and accept the climate changes. Those who want to challenge the establishment scientists need to find other sites and other authors. I intend instead to concentrate on the areas I know best. My challenge to established governments’ thinking is to the idea that the current range of policy proposals to drop world CO 2 will deliver their exacting targets any time soon. They very clearly will not, and in some cases the proposed remedies land the world with more CO 2 than without them. I challenge the practicality and desirability of international government policies on this matter.
The main things I will continue to question are
- The accounting system which says if the UK cuts its CO 2 production by importing energy and energy intensive products instead of extracting and making its own, this is helpful. It clearly increases world CO 2 by at least the amount of the extra transport. If you import LNG instead of producing your own piped gas it is a big increase in CO 2.
- The fact that whatever the UK does to its small amount of world CO 2 the targets will be met or missed by the actions of China, India, the US and the other large CO 2 emitters. China and India plan to increase emissions this decade, and India well into the next decade making it very unlikely world targets will be hit by 2030. Those most worried about this need to turn their protests to China and India.
- Electric cars are very CO 2 intensive for their manufacture and for the extraction of the raw materials and the production of their batteries. They need to be driven many miles before there are CO 2 savings compared to keeping your old ICE vehicle. If you recharge an EV drawing power from fossil fuel power generators as many do there is clearly no gain.
- Heat pumps are very expensive. They require a lot of disruptive and CO 2 intensive work to remodel and insulate a home before installation. They may not give a good result. They too do not help if the country has too little renewable power available to fire them.
- The world is embarking on a wide range of different technologies – carbon capture, hydrogen, electrical drive, battery storage, pump storage, synthetic fuels other than hydrogen. There will only be a swifter transition when a few of these are scaled up and become cheaper, leading to wider adoption. The big array puts many people off early adoption, waiting to see what will attract the most subsidy to start and what will become more economic as it is grows.
- The green issues need to be balanced with security of supply , affordability and practicality of product. Many green products for transport and home are a work in progress which is why they are not selling in huge numbers. More work is needed to produce great value products that people want.
In summary for this revolution to take off most people need to change the way they travel, heat their homes, their diet and the products they buy. This will only happen when there are better green products on offer that people want to buy.
February 29, 2024
Good morning.
I find it curious that you mention ‘diet’ with regards to CO2 and Nut Zero. Also. You speak of ‘revolution’ when, in truth, what is needed is ‘evolution’. An evolution of ideas along the lines of Darwinism whereby the best technologies win out. This is how the market works. Not always faultlessly, but it does work. To Socialists and Marxists the market is an anathema as it is at the core of Capitalism. So what better way to destroy markets and Capitalism than to destroy the various markets you allude to above.
The Long March continues methinks 😉
February 29, 2024
If you really wanted to reduce CO2 (which is not even desirable anyway) then food would be very important. Food is just human fuel, calories are a measure of energy like Joules or KWHs. Walking fuelled by steak, chips and wine is far less efficient in CO2 and cost terms than a small petrol car if you do the maths. Yet the Gov. want us to walk and cycle more. To save fuel for Sunak, Bill Gates & King Charles’s private jets I assume. But this saves nothing as farming is very energy intensive. Unless we just eat porridge or similar.
February 29, 2024
So out daft socialist tax to death and piss down the drain Chancellor Hunt is now considering the abolition of the non-dom tax status in next week’s budget. Surely even Hunt, Sunak, Rayer and Starmer cannot be so thick as to think this will actually raise any net taxes. It will do huge economic damage to revenue, jobs and the economy. As will VAT on private school fees. Ditch net zero that is save vastsumes of tax payers money, give us cheaper energy & help the economy and investment hugely.
February 29, 2024
Perhaps he’ll do a levelling up exercise so we all pay the same rate as non-doms, removing their tax advantage.
February 29, 2024
Not forgetting the huge gas guzzling luxury yachts, of which one climate change overlord referred to as his little luxury treat (not verbatim).
Can the world afford such treats as climate disaster looms?
February 29, 2024
JR in his own way is saying who cares. You can obsessively post based on your technical knowledge being superior to those that disagree. You have ad nauseum. Obviously your choice.
However. You’re wasting your time, ours reading it again and Sir JRs.
You have lost the political argument and indeed, commercial, as billions are being invested. Reading yet another one from you below criticising Sir JR I suggest you find another blog with more kindred spirits.
February 29, 2024
LL claims to have superior technical knowledge but doesn’t demonstrate it. LL also claims not to have lived in the UK for some years – so why the obsessive whining about issues that wouldn’t effect such an individual.
March 1, 2024
I have sig. investments and businesses in the UK. I read Maths, Physics, Electronics at Camb. and later Manchester universities and I have worked in engineering for circa 40 years. Most people have no science beyond GCSE at 16 so perhaps I and other Engineers do have a bit more knowledge than the average on these topics?
February 29, 2024
The trouble with these Net zero articles is that nobody with the power to change things pays attention.
Yesterday a Conservative leaflet for the London elections dropped through my letterbox. Khan is a major Net Zero operator, crime has increased during his tenure and the new homes he promised have failed to appear.
Yet surprisingly it is highly likely Khan will be elected for a further term.
February 29, 2024
Who decided that the Mayor of London should change go to first past the post? Also why is he allowed to run for three terms. The man is an obnoxious disaster and clearly a liar about his reasons for ULEZ. Let us hope he is ditched but very unlikely. The Tories are so hated and their candidate is pleasant & OK but a nobody rather like the last one.
March 1, 2024
Why is anybody allowed in power without a term limit of say 8 years, the same as US Presidents? We all know power corrupts. Near-absolute power, e.g. without a term limit is worse.
Mrs Thatcher and Mr Blair both illustrated the desperate need, I’d have thought, for limiting a PM to about two terms of four years. Same in local govt posts.
The Lab MP who became the first Mayor of London complained 25 years ago that ‘New Labour’ – not his best friends – had potentially given that person too many near-dictatorial powers. More checks and balances were needed, otherwise some future mayors might abuse their powers. How right he was.
February 29, 2024
LL
You are keen to repeat the nonsense about walking and cycling. The only real danger with these is being involved in an accident. Otherwise they are fine, especially for a chronically overweight population.
SW railway services in my area are shut down again for weekend engineering work. So there will be more walking and cycling – and probably more staying at home too.
We are being pushed in one direction and chancers like the rail operators know that they can get away with it. So they take full advantage.
February 29, 2024
I like cycling and indeed walking & yes they are both fine. But a small car with four people in it is far more CO2 efficient that four people walking – fuelled by steak, chips and a bottle of wine!
February 29, 2024
No because you haven’t taken into account that the 4 in the car will likely end up carting more of their own weight around than had they walked, increasing fuel usage whichever way you look at it. They might even end up carting wheelchairs around and with NHS appointments to be mucked around with. Colossal fossil fuel usage. Walking and cycling far preferable and more fuel efficient.
February 29, 2024
I rarely see a car or van with more than one, occasionally two, people in it so what practical use is your comparison
February 29, 2024
LL,
Sometimes you just have to use your common sense.
February 29, 2024
JR, Guido kindly highlights your party imported 1.395 million people last year, that is low paid working visas who will also claim welfare!! How about their carbon footprint? How about their travel, homes, heating, food, etc etc?
Sunak’s plan to destroy our nation and culture is working.
February 29, 2024
Not only that this lowers others wages and thus tax take and put more of them on benefits too. Pushes up housing costs, demand for schools hospitals, roads…
February 29, 2024
Doesn’t count because they’re all doctors and rocket scientists living a meagre fossil free life here compared to their luxurious existence back home. We need to thank them for their great sacrifice in deigning to perilously travel here.
March 1, 2024
No, not a plan. According to Fraser Nelson, writing in the DT today, it was a silly mistake and they didn’t realise so many were coming.
Perhaps the batteries had run down on the calculator they were using to count the number of visas they were issuing.
February 29, 2024
Sunak says the country is descending into mob rule. So whose fault might that be 750k net low skilled migration, pathetically weak & highly selective policing, 14 years of Tory failure and no growth in GDP per cap… perhaps.
February 29, 2024
Rather like he’s shot himself in the foot and is now blaming a meteor shower for his injury. Even a snake can’t wriggle out of that.
February 29, 2024
LL,
That is not the figure. The govt does not control who leaves the country nor does it know. Those who do leave are an estimate.
Read Guido for the shocking figures today, 1.395 million allowed in last year with 62,000 record number of asylum seekers granted permission to stay here, asylum seekers my foot. Economic low paid welfare claimants. We are getting fleeced with huge taxes for this dross to come and stay here so they can rid us of our nation state, culture and way of life. Sunak promised to immigration below 219,000 he stood to be elected on that mandate, they all did and deliberately lied to the nation.
March 1, 2024
+1
February 29, 2024
The amount of energy/water to procure small amounts of steak/ wine/ fries is mind boggling.
February 29, 2024
It’s a bit like religion, If your a believer there’s no argument. I don’t agree and billions of sensible people don’t.
CO2 is not the enemy but a gas relied on to feed us. It is promulgated by the UN and WEF as a means to deindustrialise the west for the benefit of the BRICs.
I’m sorry you’ve fallen for the obvious scam.
February 29, 2024
@Mark B – well said, the Conservative Government seeks to punish! not move forward. The Question not asked is why is it some 189 Countries in the World representing more than 95% of the Worlds Population are not engaged in NetZero Laws or punishment of their Citizens?
Isn’t climate a World problem?
February 29, 2024
It is a scam to move manufacturing, jobs and wealth from our country. Like the current Ukraine war scam that is claimed to being won, Ukraine is losing and do not have enough people. Now the idiots in US and UK are using propaganda to warm us up for conscription. No,no no. Let Shapps be the first on the front line, then Cameron and Plebgate followed by Sunak, Hunt, Atkins and Cleverly and his 3.5 million immigrants allowed in who undoubtedly want to fight on the front line for our way of life!
German Chancellor thinks UK has boots on the ground already to fire UK missiles against Russia. JR, is this true? Does it not deserve an urgent question to your dishonest govt.? UK already wasted £7 billion on Ukraine war. It is of no strategic interest to UK whatsoever. The idiots in Govt and Westminster want Putin regime change at best.
March 1, 2024
I’d love to see them try subscription now. Can you imagine trying to get young kids to give up their phones and go off to die because Sunak or Starmer says so! Better order a few million white feathers. I’ll wear one with pride and encourage my lads to do the same. Enough young men have been lost by this country. Stop the warmongering nonsense.
February 29, 2024
If Net-Zero was real wouldn’t we be collecting as much information and data about our coast-line, our seas, our land, our air ….why haven’t we got sea-level meters every mile around our coast and pollutant & temperature meters in every school and public building ….climate change is described as a biblical disaster, so measure it, prove it, tell the people …or maybe nothing has changed
February 29, 2024
The market is an anathema to any would be monopolist (be they socialist or capitalist).
What you have now is not the long march to socialism but a short hop to fascism.I’m sure the latter tendency love that you blame what is going on to socialism though(clue:why was the Establishment so keen to discredit Jeremy Corbyn if it is socialist?)
Mussolini:”Fascism should more appropriately be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power.”
Lenin:”Fascism is capitalism in decay.”
Both those gentlemen were correct.
February 29, 2024
Let’s stick to the subject. UK produces below one percent of global emissions. Chins 32%. Look at Moana Los’s Keeling curve, John, and realise THERE IS NOT A CHANCE OF CHECKING THE RISE. See any wobble because of COVID deindustrialisation? Then do some reading into Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity and calm down. Do write an article explaining what Net Zero is. Aviation? Shipping? Agriculture? Electricity generation? You Tory MPs sadly know no
Science. Go and plant some trees. Trees are carbon dioxide neutral over their lives.
March 1, 2024
Reported change = natural change + man made change + measurement error.
I’m told by the scientists that measurement change is effectively now zero. They are measuring very accurately.
Reported change = natural change + man made change + 0
So the question, we get told the reported change. Where are the graphs from the right hand side?
Ah yes. We won’t tell you. We want you to think that man made change = reported change.
That’s the same thing as claiming that natural change has stopped. But we won’t tell you that bit.
Second. Those who believe in climate change for some reason love making money off it.
February 29, 2024
Addendum.
As I typed, ‘The Long March’ above I reminded myself of an interview, Tucker Carlson gave to a Chinese lady who lived through Mao’s reign of terror. Most illuminating 😉
February 29, 2024
Indeed and evil agenda.
JR may choose not to challenge the bogus net zero climate emergemcy agenda (perhaps for political reasons) but it is a vast and dishonest exaggeration. Even a doubling of CO2 would make very little difference to warming. A bit more CO2 and slight warming is a good thing anyway. See the many scientists who point this out – Prof. William Happer for example, Patrick Moore… it is a new deluded and evil religion not science.
February 29, 2024
Real science is always happy to be challenged, checked, confirmed or disproved. It is rarely, if ever, ‘settled ‘.
We have charlatans pretending to be doing good.
Trouble ahead.
February 29, 2024
Indeed they even use terms like “Climate Change Denier” no one sensible denies that Climate Changes it always has always will. CO2 is just one of millions of factors that affect the climate. The main ones being the sun, the orbits, water vapour, concrete cities… CO2 is not even a major one.
What we deny is that there is any real evidence for a climate emergency caused by a bit more manmade CO2. Indeed we can easily refute it, as William Happer does very convincingly.
February 29, 2024
Science has to accept challenge to face the reality of previously-unknown revelations. Some describe science as a continuous sequence of corrected mistakes: It is.
Net Zero appears prone to be corrected too when enough people accept reality. SJR’s work in convincing colleagues to change policy in favour of truth has good effect. Lifelogic’s posts and others’ similarly reveal that the bases of Net Zero are dodgy, and possibly harmful.
February 29, 2024
Deluded, vastly expensive, no gain and positively harmful.
Rather like Sunak’s “incontrovertibly safe” Covid Vaccines. Time to look at the stats. mate and correct the parliamentary record Sunak. I assume you passed at least basic maths A level & so it should not really beyond you? But I assume, ostrich like, you dare not look, or simply do not want to look or to know?
March 1, 2024
Lifelogic:
The 1st paragraph was solely in reply to Peter Woods’ comment that science is rarely settled. The 2nd paragraph agreed with you in that Net Zero policy is wrong.
Neither was a claim that Net Zero policy was correct as you assumed.
February 29, 2024
Precisely. I can accept that it requires high degrees of specialist knowledge in many different areas to be able to challenge “The Science”, and a team of experts to do so. Some of us understand some of the challenges that have been posed by other scientists well enough to recognise that there are problems with the official science, and also that the motivations of approved scientists and their funders are political and Lysenkoist, aimed at dictatorial control and population reduction or even elimination through severe economic collapse.
Science is in crisis, with much of its output not even being replicable and containing serious methodological flaws, with papers that should never have been published being treated as gospel if they support the narrative, while papers that question such results are sidelined.
If we have lost the right to see claims properly challenged and evaluated we have lost to the green dictators as a society and descended into an Orwellian dystopia. Politicians may not have sufficient knowledge to challenge scientists, but they are the gatekeepers of the right and opportunity to do so.
February 29, 2024
No one is funding a red team or climate realist who could easily debunk the climate scam very quickly indeed. The research money is only for the deluded or the on the make alarmists.
February 29, 2024
picked up a book yesterday – Master Builder by Alfonso Martinez Arias /How the New Science of the Cell is Rewriting the Story of LIfe . Just wanted to quote these very powerful words on the back cover by Azra Raza –
” The essence of science is that we never stop asking , do we see clearly , or have we fooled ourselves into certainty “
February 29, 2024
Or been bought by one side with professorships, consultancies, grants and research funding.
February 29, 2024
Well said Peter
February 29, 2024
Yes I picked up on our hosts shift from reality too. Not like a Vulcan to assuage fact and replace it with don’t really know.
February 29, 2024
I think John has to tow the party group think line. After all there’d an election due.
February 29, 2024
We are the Borg. Resistance is futile…🤣🤣
February 29, 2024
I don’t agree it is a shift. It is a restatement of what he has always said. He has never been one to lay down the law on other people’s subjects, but confines his expert instruction to his own.
February 29, 2024
The point is this. Whether or not there is some man made problem here, we need to get round it without driving ourselves back to the stone age.
Cars are man made, and have killed millions. We didn’t determine that folk should move at a maximum of 4mph in case they knocked somebody over. We made them safer and still use them because advantages outweigh disadvantages. Nobody stopped the advancing pace of cars and turned back the clock.
February 29, 2024
The fact that the present Net Zero policies actually increase CO2 proves that its adherents are either stupid or don’t really believe the warning is an existential threat. It is an exercise in how to destroy an economy and make us all poorer.
February 29, 2024
Mass migration increases CO2 but it continues.
Proving both NetZero and Mass Migration have ulterior motives to the people who consciously or unconsciously spout their public facing narratives.
February 29, 2024
Not all nearly all but many in the crony green crap, subsidy farming industries will benefit.
February 29, 2024
The Chinese and India don’t believe it is an existential threat or they would not charge on as they are doing. I believe their scientists are just as good as ours and maybe more honest. Whatever, our little bit of emissions won’t change the dial even if the UK ceased to exist, so to bankrupt us all and ruin the country for the sake of prancing on the world stage, whilst running private jets and helicopters shows what a lot of charlatans run this country. We need a clear out. Our only hope is Reform, whether or not they will be better, surely the chance that they will be is better than the certainty of ruination with this parliament and likely successors of gormless non thinkers.
February 29, 2024
The 3.5 million low paid welfare claimants JRs party gave visas to over two years do not have a carbon footprint!!
February 29, 2024
Neither Happer nor Moore have any qualifications as a climate scientist. All climate scientists agree the climate is getting hotter and human activity is the main cause, and that action is urgently needed
February 29, 2024
Science is not an issue which can be resolved by voting. One naysayer with the correct argument over-rides any number of those who are wrong.
JF
February 29, 2024
Only hotter since the 19th century. There were many ages of greater heat than now in the past. And in between, there were ice ages and little ice ages.
February 29, 2024
Balderdash, Lemming!
February 29, 2024
What is a climate scientist but a deluded scientist not too bright to cope with physics etc. in the main. Richard Lindzen is right too and he has “climate” qualifications. The above two are both spot on.
February 29, 2024
William Happer is a highly qualified physicist who applied his knowledge of gas spectrum and IR absorption to show that warming is not linear and unlikely to raise temperatures as IPCC modelling.
Michael Mann is also qualified as a physicist but produced his hockeystick graph by ironing out the documented and proven ice core and sediment records, using tree rings.
Having read both sides of the argument, I am certain that the original temperature records and historical evidence show that the little ice age and warm periods did occur and that the flat graphs with the sudden upturn are a device to be used to scare the population into net zero poverty.
March 1, 2024
+1 You do need competent & honest physicists of course.
February 29, 2024
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ipcc7.1-mann-moberg-manley.png#mw-jump-to-license
The red line is the thermometer temperature previously pre hockey stick by IPCC. The blue line is the flattened graph used today.
February 29, 2024
There are very few climate scientists qualified to make the kind of evaluation of atmospheric physics made by Happer and Wijngaarden as physicists. “Climate science” relies on many disciplines: physics is perhaps the foremost of those. Membership of an officially approved priesthood of “climate scientists” is perhaps the way to guarantee that proper science is a limited concern alongside promoting the alarmist narrative.
February 29, 2024
No they don’t. 1,5degsC per hundred years cannot but be good for us.
March 1, 2024
What on earth is a ‘climate scientist’?
February 29, 2024
Agreed. There are lots of scientists who dispute the IPCC thesis. Even IPCC scientists have admitted they cannot predict or model cloud cover (see last report). In previous reports it was stated that weather and climate are chaotic, as such it is fundamentally impossible to make reliable predictions (from early 2000s). This is borne out by the wide range of predictions produced by many different models. So much so that the IPCC has resorted to using averages.
It is also claimed by Peter Zeihan that there is no practical way the world can adapt in the timescale set to achieve Net Zero simply because the material resources and means to extract them are not available. In short the pursuit of Net Zero is a fool’s errand. Unfortunately the UK parliament is stuffed full of fools.
February 29, 2024
Perhaps it is the realisation that the expanding BRICS bloc ,as it coalesces -and it is,rapidly-is going to have a stranglehold on both global fossil-fuel resources(and many other resources besides)and the trade routes required for delivery.
Also,it has not been given much media coverage but Russia has,in less than one year,destroyed France’s neo-colonial resource-rich empire in Africa and has thwarted EU/German attempts to establish a military presence in the Sahel in Niger(the US -their drone base in northern Niger is their largest in Africa-will be next to be thrown out).
Just in case you were wondering why Macron wants direct NATO involvement in Ukraine-it’s personal!
You have to laugh,Macron throws a WWIII party…….and no-one turns up!Well,it was a ‘bring-your-own’!
Historical note:
Francois Mitterand,1957:”Without Africa,France will slide down into the rank of a third (rate) power.”
Jacques Chirac,2008:”Without Africa,France would have no history in the 21st century.”
February 29, 2024
Our host has sensibly decided not to challenge the theory of the Climate zealots.
Concentrating on challenging the widespread concensus on implementation of Net Zero policy across all parties in Westminster is difficult enough but is the only way of changing direction to a more sensible position !
We have to expose the idiocy of insisting on a rapid move to EVs when they are too expenive, not good enough, and cannot replace an IC-engined vehicle for many tasks. All that European politicians are doing is allow the Chinese to destroy our car industry. Make no mistake, the behaviour of China over EVs is nothing less than economic warfare. We need to rapidly work with other countries to introduce large tariffs before our industry is fatally damaged.
Similarly we will be in no position to replace fossil fuels before 2040 at best. We have to get SMRs in place and working as soon as possible and our government has slowed this up by their insistance on a beauty parade.
Boris should just have given a contract for Rolls-Royce to build at least the first ten in 2019. we have lost four years already !
Finally, they need to come clean on the true cost of wind and solar, including pricing in the essential backup sources that are absolutely essential, particularly in the depth of winter when demand is highest.
February 29, 2024
I hope your sensible post is read by all visitors to this blog. A vain hope of course, but fingers crossed.
JF
February 29, 2024
Indeed
“widespread concensus” among the establishment, the BBC and those on the make. Not the public – despite are the propaganda. Rather like the ERM, the Iraq war, the EU constitution, the ECHR, the EURO, Bombing of Libya, the design of our useless Air Carriers…
February 29, 2024
The more pertinent interview Tucker Carlson did recently is with Dr Willie Soon ( ceres-science.com ) who refuted this nut zero rubbish. He is an independent highly qualified scientist who has conducted many studies on the climate and refuted the data used by the Government funded IPCC. There are many others, Happer, Monkton etc.
Very noticeable that all these climate zealots get funding/grants from Governments to reinforce their nut zero religion, whilst those who oppose………….don’t. JR, CO2 is the “gas of life”. Please explain how we’d survive if we reduce it below 0.018% as all plants would die and therefore all animals including………..humans?
I do wonder why the Chinese want to ensure the West continue their suicidal nut zero policies whilst taking every advantage themselves………said no one, anywhere, ever!!
We need politicians and a Party that are up to the job. The Tory’s and uni-party want to force nut zero policies of EV, heat pumps, carbon capture whilst importing 1.2 million a year who apparently have no carbon footprint or their entire families who will join them once their foot is in the door. Let us pray…………. for nut zero and the bogey gas.
February 29, 2024
It’s high time that people woke up to the fact that it is God Who controls the climate. In Matthew 24 it says that one of the signs of the end times is an increase in earthquakes and pandemics, wars and rumours of wars, that there will be signs in heaven (i.e. in the sky – but I don’t think this refers to chemtrails) and so on. It is good to use the resources we have wisely, but to think that ultimately we are in control is arrogant nonsense.
February 29, 2024
Personally I would opt for the Sun as the principal climate controller with a few nudges from volcanos, underwater erruptions, and doom laden asteroids. If all else fails man has atomic power in his hands to disrupt. Blaming God is an easy cop out.
February 29, 2024
Soon explains that the Sun, its intensity in cycles,(many unknown), our changing orbit, the gravity interaction of the other planets and its impacts, our planets tilt relating to natural cycles and extra terrestrial interactions, urbanisation (Cities and rain forests etc), volcanic and oceanic actions, tectonic plates and earth movements up and down to vary altitudes. No like for like measures or over time (Urban/rural) by the zealot’s who are trying to re-enforce their beliefs not fact finding science. No research into historical climate change like Greenland, named because it was……….green. The mini ice ages, US 1930’s heat waves, grapes grown in UK during Roman times etc etc etc.
Let us pray that we get independent funded scientists who have no axe to grind and politicians with two ears to listen rather than speak.
February 29, 2024
AGRICOLA Well said Sir, 100% right!
February 29, 2024
Agree
February 29, 2024
Abigail. This is not the place for such mumbo-jumbo. God indeed !!
February 29, 2024
which mountain are you planning to ascend when the floods start?
February 29, 2024
According to the MetOffice their historical charts show that there hasn’t been any increase in flooding or tornadoes or rainfall in the UK since records began ….so it’s a waste of time building an ark
March 1, 2024
And, I read somewhere recently, there have. Even less hurricanes in the USA over the last 10 years than average.
February 29, 2024
” Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ..” (Romans 1:22).
The sheer madness of it all, in the formerly Gospel enlightened West, is clear evidence that we are under a ‘given over’ judgement (Romans 1:28), which leads to a reprobate mind. The signs of this are everywhere, as is the prophesied outcome, if people could but submit to the grace of God. Our much coveted freedom is certainly at risk. Even so, the Creator is in control, and I am so grateful to Him for all His mercies hitherto (Psalm 2; Acts 17:30-31).
February 29, 2024
Abigail,
If we need reminding how our beautiful and incredible planet works, it’s worth reading Psalm 104 from time to time, especially the poetical and majestic KJV.
The earth was designed to repair itself.
Mary M.
February 29, 2024
The hymn to the Aten, from the first monotheistic pharaoh.
JF
February 29, 2024
…and the chap who we got the term ”amen” from
February 29, 2024
I would encourage you to read the chapter of Charles Mackay’s Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds entitled Modern Prophecies which can be found here at the Gutenberg Press online
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/24518/24518-h/24518-h.htm#prophecies
There are so many parallels with today’s world.
February 29, 2024
Seems we are nowhere near the end then, because no increase in earthquakes or pandemics… there is not even an increase in wars and rumours of wars are ‘scaring the pants off NATO leaders – because NATO has been ‘demilitarised’.
February 29, 2024
God not really just random events and the laws of physics. We humans are certainly not in control we just have to adapt as best we can.
March 1, 2024
I have absolutely no interest in what it says in Mathew 24 or any other holy book full of bloodthirsty acts and, of course, nonsense.
March 1, 2024
,,,,and written 200 years after the event
February 29, 2024
Politics is the art of the possible, so I can understand your approach.
People not involved directly in politics often lose sight of this, which leads to criticism of politicians trying to nudge policies in the direction these critics would prefer to the alternatives on offer.
March 3, 2024
Einstein said logic gets you from A to B but imagination gets you anywhere.
February 29, 2024
You six points are all sensible but the problems are understated.
1. A mad agenda to export production and jobs and create more not less CO2
2. What the UK does is largely irrelevant and a bit more CO2 plant food is a good thing anyway.
3. Need to be driven many miles on low co2 electricity that we do not have so they will not be. Also heavier so more (oil based) tyre wear and road too (30% or so). Batteries short lived too.
4. Heat pumps need an electricity grid with about 10 times the capacity vastly expensive and only uses in a few cost weeks. A vast investment then we need low carbon generation for these weeks with gas back up for when the wind does not blow. Total insanity. Plus they cost more to run as electricity far more than gas so the CoP factor is not enough to compensate. Why waste our efficient gas grid?
5. You do R&D and if & when a product works and is cost effective roll it out. Pushing duff products with tax payer subsidies and laws is insane. You just litter the place with duff tech products that need to be replaced.
6. Security of supply and net zero are totally incompatible at an affordable cost and pointless anyway.
February 29, 2024
+++
What though if the actual agenda is to gradually ( speeding up) establish the globally centralised provision of fuel and food? Both with a big “On/Off” switch.
There will eventually be no choice at all because already alternatives are being removed.
And unless some sort of ancient survival instinct cuts in and provides a black market or somesuch…we’ve had it!
There was method in elite madness with their dividing and conquering strategies…. and all those regulations helped.
February 29, 2024
sorry “only used in a few cold weeks”
February 29, 2024
This article endorses Neo-Marxist authoritarian ideology that seeks nothing less than the weaponisation and politicisation of all issues to justify total state control over climate, over human life, over reality and over our very existence and identity.
On the issue specifically, climate change will be invoked to justify the authoritarian poison of NZ in which all opposition to its precepts are designated ‘wrong think’ and classified as a criminal offence (similar to misgendering) with a custodial sentence if found guilty. That is how dangerous this ideology is though if people vote for it then who am I to disagree with people who choose barbarism over liberty
Note yesterday a Labour MP in the Commons describing those who challenge NZ as ‘conspiracy theorists’ who should be outlawed and silenced. This is the danger of this politics that has now taken hold our political and bureaucratic class.
I like Mr Redwood and consider him a truly decent and honourable man but on this issue he’s hopelessly naive and dangerous shortsighted. He’s certainly sacrificed his life-long beliefs on the altar of political convenience. If this ideological capture can happen to Mr Redwood then that should trigger alarm bells
Reply You are always so negative. Try rereading what I wrote. I have not sold out on anything.
February 29, 2024
The hard truth is climate science is never seriously questioned. There has never been a court case testing any of the theory. No climate scientist has ever put their money where their mouth is and have always received Government grants. I have a bridge to sell you.
The cost of rare earth metals needed to create NetZero will crush the economy like the 1970s oil price. The price of NetZero is beyond economic stability. So the costs will rise till the economy crashes. Meanwhile the earths temperature will do whatever it wants to.
Politicians are not accepting that every system has its breaking point and they are pushing society to that breaking point.
The key here is wisdom tells us we will soon be facing the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Death, war, famine, disease.
Meanwhile Elon Musk posts this on X ..
Dams are bursting all over the country.
America is only 4% of Earth’s population. If only 1% of the rest of Earth moves here, that would crush all essential services.
I am ringing the alarm bell, because the flood of illegals is crushing the country!
February 29, 2024
University students and others tend to have their views channelled into what the establishment teaches and being tested on following it rather than posing challenging counter opinions. Similarly, business grants paid with vested interests want only support for their own established objectives in pursuit of increasing their control.
Elon Musk does many good things. In contrast, his attempt at using X to separate it from Twitter as one of the shortest sharpest symbols of communication has had the reverse effect. To make it identifiable, the media has had to fatten his simple X into: “X, formerly known as Twitter”! That is a long way out of his control.
February 29, 2024
The rare earths issue is why the EU and Germany support Ukraine. They want control of Ukraine’s vast mineral reserves of which lithium and rare earths alone are valued at up to US$12 triilion. To that end on 27 Feb 2022 they blackmailed Zelensky just three days after the Russian invasion: weapons hither too refused will now be supplied in exchange for signing over the future sovereignty of Ukraine to the EU. VDL has already announced that post war reconstruction is to be directed towards EU Green Energy and outline plans are already being published on EU websites.
February 29, 2024
hitherto
February 29, 2024
Jav,
I think more concern over the Legal migration at 3.5 million, a govt choice to import low paid welfare dross to change our culture. A yearly record 63,000 Asylum seekers succeed being allowed in to claim as well!
Plebgate still wants to feed Africa to stop migration!! Idiots do not begin to describe the govt m8nisters.
February 29, 2024
We should frack, drill and mine short term (100 year plus) and do loads of R&D on controlled fusion, better batteries and better nuclear for the longer term. Ditch the fraudulent net zero religion in full. The dire BBC propaganda outfit yesterday had Lord Debden and Chris Stark of the CCC. Neither have any science background or anything remotely sensible to say. Interviewed by people with no science backgroung either. No one sensible invited for any balance. Pure deluded lies and propaganda. All starting from the position that we have to hit these mad targets by law. This as our mainly idiotic MPs May, Ed Miliband…have voted this insanity into law.
February 29, 2024
Does Debden still have interests in Green Energy businesses?
February 29, 2024
ITYM “Gummer”.
JF
February 29, 2024
Nett Zero is 24 carot gold, more expensive to produce than 9 carot gold, a more practical product.
The key to moving towards Nett Zero is evolution, not top down revolution. Evolution is science, engineering, and market led. Revolution is politically led through ignorance, the misuse of law, and mantra. Look at France where the cheese is much better than their politics. Where is their Liberty Fraternity etc now. Optionally the UKs industrial revolution that eventually led to much greater personal freedom, and greater disease erradication, all from the private sector. Set all this against current UK political dictat that alienates the population at every turn. The goal should be to clean up the planet for healthier life outcomes, rather than impoverish us through systematic government incompetence, relating to everything they are allowed near. Nett Zero via government is just a monsterous HS2.
February 29, 2024
+1 Agricola.
February 29, 2024
If you believe that the Industrial Revolution was a force for good how come you wish ( from what you say) to de industrialise?
BTW …they say that the French Revolution was led by the elite.
Disease eradication? Not really industrially led.
February 29, 2024
Cleaning up the planet is in part being aware of the end result of what we manufacture. Think of all that plastic in the sea which is down to not controlling it after use. Not de- industrialisation in any form.
Yes political revolutions are usually middle class led. They destroy those previously in power and predate on the working class, as in the USSR.
February 29, 2024
@agricola +1 well said
February 29, 2024
Democratic deficit = Doing the opposite of what the people voted …..Brexit, Net-Zero, Immigration, HS2, Fisheries, the Union, ULEZ, City Mayors ….its a big list
February 29, 2024
The all Party Climate Change Committee and its Climate Change Act needs removing or this madness will never stop. Government and Net Zero is a monster with its supporters in the msm who support it and mass migration.
February 29, 2024
+1
February 29, 2024
We desperately need Net Zero of a Climate Change Committee.
An obvious choice in the list of Quangos to throw on the bonfire of deluded MPs vanities.
February 29, 2024
Net zero is a purely arbitrary target floated by politicians without any proper justification or debate or understanding of its consequences. In practice it is infeasible anyway, but the damage that will ensue from the attempt is provably catastrophic. The cure is worse than the disease.
Net zero should be abandoned in favour of rational debate about sensible economic development with suitable care of our environment. Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand can do much to deliver good outcomes.
February 29, 2024
Mark, +++++++
February 29, 2024
The opposition to climate crisis amelioration measures is orchestrated, led and organised by Big Oil and the fossil fuel lobby. Their favoured medium is the right-wing press, where anti-net zero lies and crap are published by “journalists” who are paid for their “views” It’s all bullshit directed at the gullible
Sir John has a longstanding problem with the introduction of EVs, heatpumps, insulating by-to-let properties etc etc. Too bad – when Labour take power after the next election their green revolution measures will kick-start our moribund economy, generate millions of high-paid green jobs in the sector and, who knows, even regain our position as leader at the COP meetings
February 29, 2024
A gold plated reason for not voting Labour or anything like them. You make a cast iron case.
February 29, 2024
Indeed I think we can safely assume Sakara knows almost nothing about physics, engineering, energy, the costs of insulating old buildings and payback times on this, battery tech, EV tech., CO2 plant food, Climate, energy storage systems, energy economics, world climate history…
February 29, 2024
LL,
Whereas you are one of Plato’s Philosopher Kings – a Golden Soul.
Though, on second thoughts, you probably disapprove of Plato as he may be tainted with a PPE type outlook. Same with Aristotle.
Pythagoras is probably your man. Or perhaps an Arab mathematician from the distant past.
February 29, 2024
On the contrary ,Sakara talks sense and I am not part of ‘We’. The distinction
lies between those who have so called facts and those who know how to use them. Continually ranting and telling all how superior you are to others doesn’t do your weird views any favours.
When lies are told and I know they are lies I lose total respect.Arguments are not won . When truth’s correlate with facts,it is there where validity exists.
February 29, 2024
Very well said LL
Excellent as usual.
February 29, 2024
+ One- My vote is going to Reform UK as we must destroy these globalist fools.
February 29, 2024
The gullible????
Excuse me but when another side of a story gets deliberately suffocated and those trying to offer another explanation are demonised, my suspicions are aroused.
That is what has happened here with climate change debate. There has been no complete, fair and balanced debate at all. The big guns from the government through to the media have aligned to see to that. They have roped in the brain numbing celebrity points of view and Hollywood itself to ensure one message only is transmitted daily to those who really are gullible and question nothing.
I recently read a pompous missive from another know- all with a Drama degree, stating Richard Tice has no credibility when it comes to this topic.
Yet, everyone believes in the credibility of a teenager with Aspergers, Ed Milliband, Bono, Leonardo Di Caprio, Al Gore (Grade C in Earth Science? and a vested interest regards $$$$) and a million other dopey celebrities, half of whom are literally doped and will believe anything and spout anything for money.
All the green tech businesses wear a green halo and will be in business only for saving the planet, and not profit or government subsidies.
Who is the gullible I ask.
February 29, 2024
Michelle, my word, haven’t you noticed, the sea is boiling !!!!!
February 29, 2024
Good of you to make clear how tyrannical the Labour Party really is.
February 29, 2024
And they will spend trillions trying to reduce Global CO2 by <1% while China takes up the slack. Madness.
February 29, 2024
Good morning SG, I have worked it out – you are having a laugh.
Well done.
February 29, 2024
You surely can’t believe that JR’s lack of enthusiasm re the greencr*p is what is preventing the mass marketing and enthusiastic uptake of said rubbish?
February 29, 2024
Paraphrasing your argument to the opposite view, it all looks a little silly…..
“The support for climate crisis amelioration measures is orchestrated, led and organised by big renewable energy companies and the green lobby. Their favoured medium is the left-wing press and the BBC, where net zero lies and crap are published by “journalists” who are paid for their “views” It’s all bullshit directed at the gullible.
Sakara Gold has a longstanding problem with Sir John questioning the introduction of EVs, heatpumps, insulating by-to-let properties etc etc. Too bad – Reform UK will take power the election after next after Labour’s green revolution measures trash the economy, generate millions of high-paid green jobs in China and, who knows, even regain our position as an international laughing stock.”
February 29, 2024
Tarnished Gold – you gave me a greta laugh (geddit?) on what will be a miserable day.
February 29, 2024
And I’ve just seen a pig flying past my window…
February 29, 2024
Sakara Gold
The next election is Rochdale. Labour had a hand in that, but power is unlikely.
February 29, 2024
I think you have Sir John wrong, is is simple about not growing what is perceived by so very few in the World as a problem that needs tackling by just off-shoring UK emissions to create even more World emission. 95% of the World by population is not signed up to that concept.
An economy based of importing more from the Worlds Greatest Polluter, is not an economy for the survival. EV’s wouldn’t exist on our streets if they or there components were not made by the Worlds greatest polluter. The much heralded Somerset battery producer is just an assembly site for components made by the Worlds Largest polluters.
Assembly of components will not generate millions of high-paid green jobs. Even the flourishing windmill and PV sectors are just the imports from the Worlds Greatest polluters will not produce high-paid green jobs they are minions on a production line. Just as with this Conservative Government Labour does not have a plan other than destruction – we still have not paid for the mess they created when they caused the finance market to blow up
February 29, 2024
SG :
It was cheap, abundant energy from hydrocarbons which brought the Industrial Revolution and the enormous leap in prosperity.
The greater the percentage of the population involved in your “green” jobs, such as providing energy or food or insulating properties, the fewer workers there are for far more important and useful jobs and the poorer the nation becomes.
“Greening” our country is akin to my working all day every day cleaning and decorating the house. The house may be beautifully presented but it is isn’t going to feed my family.
February 29, 2024
“Labour will kick start our moribund economy” & “Millions of high paid green jobs”
You really do live in La-La-Land don’t you SG – or at least you must think we do.
February 29, 2024
Wow, what an upside down view of the world. Your views are the exact opposite to the truth but what else from a left wing luvvie who would bankrupt the Country. “Socialism is ok until they run out of other peoples money!”
February 29, 2024
‘Big Oil’. So what about China and India who are major users of oil and gas? India produces very little, China produces oil but imports most of its needs from the middle east and Russia. Any sign of them signing up to this barmy religion or are they also in the Big Oil fantasy you promulgate? Are they right wing with no knowledge?
February 29, 2024
What are you taking? I think I’d like some for myself? A link would be most helpful.
February 29, 2024
I am surprised that these profanities passed moderation, our host is tolerant indeed.
Of the 6 objections to the net zero policy agenda listed by Sir John above which do you consider to be ‘lies’ ‘crap’ ‘bull…t’ and why?
February 29, 2024
Here is an example of what you apparently think a good thing en route to net zero?
Drax once burned coal to produce power – more than 4% of the nations total needs. It now burns expensively obtained wood pellets via the destruction of tens of thousands of trees in America and Canada. The replacement of those trees will take decades, so definitely not green.
Wood pellets are classified as biomass, enabling Drax to claim they are producing renewable power, entirely disregarding the widespread use of huge amounts of fossil-fuelled plant and shipping in doing so. In short, they are lying about it being renewable power.
Drax’s annual pre-tax profit jumped from £78m to £796m in 2023, but only because it was given tax-payer funded £824m in ROC subsidies and without which it would have made a loss.
No doubt you are pleased to be paying the highest energy costs in Europe to enable Drax to make a healthy ‘green’ profit?
February 29, 2024
Down to our last coal-fired power-station, I see – and that will close in September. And Hinkley Point C is running late, and massively over budget. Perhaps we should keep the station in reserve, with a full coal-yard. Or has some government minister already planned his photo-op, where he’ll cheerfully push the plunger and set-off the demolition charges?
Reply I am pressing not to destroy back up power stations we might need
February 29, 2024
Reply to reply.
Coal in ever so green Germany is making a come back.
February 29, 2024
Reply to reply.
Good for you SJR, but I fear that the lunatics run the asylum so insanity must run its course, while we the people try desperately try to hang on to 21st place in the personal GDP table.
February 29, 2024
reply to reply ….only abject idiots would burn their bridges, but then..
February 29, 2024
Oh no worries.
In the small print of the greencr*p energy suppliers there is usually a little clause saying that renewables aren’t always that reliable and that in the event of no wind, too much wind, snow, ice etc ….gas turbines will be employed.
I daresay they will eventually have to remove the floors of EVs so that in the event of outages people will be able to use Flintstone tactics.
“yabba dabba doo!”
February 29, 2024
The same can be said about our nuclear weapons ….and for that matter army boots, they don’t work as advertised
March 1, 2024
but other boots are available should you wish to protect your feet. Similarly having nuclear weapons works ( without using them) until you do actually use them.
February 29, 2024
Reply to reply – Well, so far not so good. They just don’t listen to elected people – their masters are far away.
February 29, 2024
Why are Government contracts not fixed prices like any other sensible person would insist? Hinkley looks like a right fraud.
February 29, 2024
The T-1 Capacity Market auction parameters were set so that the auction cleared when mothballed CCGT plant could not justify coming out of mothballs at the lower price, although it was sufficient to pay for short extension to some nuclear. The T-4 parameters also failed to procure any new dispatchable capacity suited to baseload operation.
Keeping RATS available, even in mothballs, let alone maintained to be ready for action if called on has costs. The first question is “what is that cost?”, which forces evaluation of what it entails. The second question is “what is the benefit?”, where the fact that RATS has been cost competitive for much of the past year shows that it has been carbon taxes that have denied consumers cheaper coal baseload during the energy crisis, which could have lowered energy bills by ~£4bn. There is obviously some benefit in saving the transport costs of unused coal stocks to market by burning the coal which have helped the economics a bit.
February 29, 2024
reply to reply.. urge building new ones for the time to come when we will be digging coal again, and need it to make steel when the world refuses us.
February 29, 2024
Inquiry into Covid Vaccine Safety “Very Likely” Says Senior MP as MPs Blast Regulator for Failing to Sound Alarm About Side-Effects on the excellent Daily Sceptic site. Why is it taking so long & why is the current Covid Inquiry such an evil & sick expensive joke?
Andrew Bridgen on X “I express my condolences to the friends and family of Alexei Navalny.
I asked the Minister to explain why we can have a statement on the untimely death of one foreign national but we cannot have a statement on the ongoing excess deaths of 100,000 of our own citizens, many of whom have died suddenly?”
No sensible answer came from the junior Minister, not sure who he even was but he should be fired. Is Sunak still saying they are safe. Is he really that deluded or just lying?
February 29, 2024
There we have it, yet another ‘settled science’ and don’t dare question it scenario, showing itself to be anything but settled.
February 29, 2024
Have you seen how the ONS has changed the way it calculates?
Net result 20,000 fewer deaths.
The supposed mathematical workings are beyond bizarre.
Before all this horror started the ONS was perfectly understandable.
I lost another youngish cousin the other day. No warning. Very sudden.
February 29, 2024
Well,the UK had a lot invested in Navalny.Another western asset in Russia that has had to be written off.
February 29, 2024
Probably because there isn’t an alarming number of excess deaths in the UK. You probably think the ONS just produces a bunch of lies to cover up some global conspiracy but you might spare a glance or two at the ONS report here:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/causesofdeath/articles/estimatingexcessdeathsintheukmethodologychanges/february2024#estimates-from-the-new-and-current-methods
February 29, 2024
The ONS just changed its method of recording excess deaths, which (what a coincidence) reduced the number quite considerably.
February 29, 2024
The settled science of the computer moddeler ‘science’ seems to hold sway.
I agree with all your arguments above Sir John but I will stay with the real scientists (Gallileo and Coppernicus), the scientists of World Climate Declaration, who say that if science is settled then it is not science.
February 29, 2024
@BOF – science is something that has been ‘peer’ reviewed, these out pourings have not been
February 29, 2024
+++
‘‘Tis strange how science has now assumed the role of state religion.
But then, considering our present predicament I wonder what anyone, anywhere in the ( no doubt manipulated) history of the world has EVER actually achieved.
February 29, 2024
And the ‘’97% of scientists agree’’ came from a study two decades ago, by a student that sent a questionnaire to 4,000 writers of pro climate change published academic papers. Of which 1,300 replied, 97% indicating that from a list of options it was man-made co2 that was likely the cause of climate change …..everything else is history & control
February 29, 2024
and going back far enough they would similarly have agreed ‘the world is indeed flat’.
February 29, 2024
I’ve seen some of those flat-earther clips on you-tube …some have merit; ha ha
February 29, 2024
Glen, you forgot to mention that the figure you describe was after a large number of ‘don’t know’ votes were excluded! That’s how the 97% figure was arrived at!
February 29, 2024
With modelling you can get the science the client want to hear! Just adjust the software, feedbacks and inputs and you can get almost anything you want out. Their models do not even predict the past remotely accurately.
February 29, 2024
Understood. You are in politics, Sir John, and politics is the art of the possible, as I think the quote runs. So as an MP it’s possible for you to try to change policy directions and get laws changed, depending on the balance of power in Parliament of course. In your communication with the public you do a good job of pointing up the incoherence of the government’s discourse on net zero. All well and good. But if your approach consists of essentially saying ‘Hold off a bit on net zero till we’ve got products that work and that people can afford’, in my opinion you will not win. This is because the net zero agenda requires a major reduction in living standards. To the ideologues driving this agenda, it’s important that the mass of people should NOT be able to afford cars, foreign holidays, central heating turned up, farm-produced food etc. All these things generate a lot of CO2, therefore they must be drastically scaled back in order to save the planet from ‘overheating’. That is the ideology that needs to be fought, and unless it is defeated the people of this country will lead very restricted lives in future. They will not even be able to protest about it, if laws to make questioning ‘climate science’ illegal are brought in here, as they are starting to be within the EU. To the ideologues behind net zero, opposition to their agenda is ignorant and populist, so what citizens think or would vote for is irrelevant at best and even dangerous. (We saw that mindset with the establishment’s refusal to accept Brexit.)
If it is not possible for the fundamentally anti-human, anti-democratic agenda behind net zero to be called out in Parliament, I’m afraid we are not in a good place.
February 29, 2024
“This is because the net zero agenda requires a major reduction in living standards”
I’m afraid you are absolutely right HM. There is a huge disconnect between what our political classes all (seem to) beleive and practical reality. Unfortunately, there is no difference at all between any of the main parties in this respect. Sir John knows better than to question the Climate “science” and wisely just questions just the approach to the issue. All we (the public) can do, is to quietly resist the stupider carbon reduction ideas for as long as we can…
February 29, 2024
While I disagree with your seeming acceptance of man made global warming I would add a sixth tenant of opposition for you.
6. Population growth per 1st world country through immigration and globally
February 29, 2024
7th
February 29, 2024
Good morning John, it is 7.35 am on another grey winters day in central England.
Your position re Net Zero is puzzling. You won’t condemn the policies being pursued yet you clearly see the option in play to achieve Net Zero are untenable.
You are trying to argue the details of policy rather than be prepared to denounce the actual policy driving the crazy details.
The CCC under Lord Deben has created the government’s Net Zero policy. The committee was able to persuade Theresa May the UK was in a prime position to demonstrate and thus led the world into Greener pastures.
She clearly lacked the technical ability to question the climate change committee and here we are.
We are importing essential natural gas even though we have abundant supply under our own lands?
We are forced to beg the French to build our next nuclear generation plants at great additional cost rather than rebuilding our own nuclear energy capability and skills in house.
We have only niche motor manufacturing wholly owned/controlled in the UK now and have built ultra negative attitudes to private transport/roads as a matter of Green net Zero policy.
The resulting anti car LTNs being rapidly established in our cities, are creating closed communities and worse.
You need to reflect on why you support Net Zero and stop debating pointless details that do not in themselves matter one jot.
Finally and to avoid doubt. CO2 does not control climate, but climate does control CO2.
February 29, 2024
Your last line is correct
February 29, 2024
So you champion the net zero rubbish and believe that a gas essential to all life on planet Earth is some sort of poison. That shows an equal amount of awareness as your belief in poisonous vacines that have killed millions worldwide. No wonder our country is collapsing with intellects like that in parliament. Do you look forward to us all being imprisoned in 15 minute cities and eating bugs? Are you proud of destroying our society to the point even MPs are terrified of their illegal imports? Get ready for a civil war in this country.
Reply I have championed no such things. Read what I write instead of attributing views to me I do not hold
February 29, 2024
I believe that SirJ is but ruffling feathers today as political theatre is happening in Rochdale …smoke & mirrors, but justifiable on the day of a by-election
February 29, 2024
I appreciate you clarifying your position Sir John, and accept that you likely tread a fine line daily.
As one who cannot help but read between lines, I may be way off mark. but to ‘accept’ doesn’t necessarily mean to agree with.
I have to accept that this is no longer the Country my parents and past generations through the centuries hoped and thought they were handing down. I accept true democracy and free speech are being chipped away at, and I accept I cannot rely on our institutions to keep us safe any longer. I accept it, I don’t agree it is a true and desirable state of affairs.
So as when dealing with anyone slightly unhinged, sometimes you have to placate and go along with their insistence, and try to find a way around it with a different approach to bring them back to seeing common sense.
The points you raise seem very much like a man trying to talk someone down from the precipice, without alarming them or causing a violent episode.
February 29, 2024
Nut Zero has nothing to do with the climate. It’s about the Globalists’ intention to control the masses; rationing resources; levelling down the industrialised west and transferring money to the 2nd and 3rd world (further enriching the Globalists in the process.)
We know the climate change hysteria is just another scam because, like the Covid tyranny, we’ve been subjected to relentless propaganda for a decade now and any dissent or counter-argument is crushed by the bought-and-paid-for media.
Sir John may be happy to support the tyranny and just try to modify their tyrannical propositions: I’m not. It’s not much and I’m only one person but I am resisting and I won’t be voting for the Nut Zero tyrants.
February 29, 2024
In the context of challenging the political reaction rather than the very much non-settled science, we may recall the observation of the late Christopher Booker upon what politicians too often do when confronted with issues such as this: “take a sledgehammer to miss a nut.”
In the context of the green debate, in missing the nut, their reckless swings and blows are not only destroying the kitchen unit upon which the nut rests, but also the entire kitchen — cupboards, appliances and all.
We urgently need a metaphorical strait jacket, ironically not for the nut.
February 29, 2024
I regard myself as climate sceptic; I see a paucity of real debate, that the “science is settlesd”, and huge amounts of money being spent to follow a belief. 97% of scientists say global warming is real and caused by man – but that has been debunked very vigorously. But we still hear that that number. The question asked yesterday to Rishi Sunak regarding Welsh farmer’s who are about to lose 20% of land and hence 20% of income shows the crass stupidity of “believers”. We debate at length the money available for defence (esp for Ukraine), for child care, for a steel industry, healthcare and the daily cost of asylum seekers, but the Conservatives cheerfully find £60bn for CCS Carbon Capture and Storage without a murmur from the MSM. Drax – a private company – gets $600m a year subsidy. People who can afford to modernise their properties and buy expensive cars are subsidised by those who cannot afford to heat their homes. Why is my gas / elec so expensive when “renewable” energy is cheaper by a factor of 9 than gas (or so we are constantly told).
The Net Zero Scam identifies as a scheme for global marxism.
UN chief António Guterres emphasized that the era of fossil fuels must end with justice and equity. “Developing countries must be supported every step of the way,” he said in his statement on the closing of COP28.
“Tax the rich as they are causing the planet’s destruction” Donnachadh McCarthy, GBNews December 2023
“It’s time to transform the West’s oppressive and racist capitalist system” Greta Thunberg – activist. London December 2022
“This is the first time in the history of mankind that we are setting ourselves the task of intentionally, within a defined period of time, to change the economic development model that has been reigning for at least 150 years since the Industrial Revolution.” Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN’s Framework on Climate Change
“No matter if the science (of global warming) is all phony . . . climate change (provides) the greatest opportunity to bring about justice and equality in the world. It’s a great way to redistribute wealth”
Christine Stewart, Canadian Minister of the Environment
Quotes courtesy of Net Zero Watch. Thanks.
February 29, 2024
Thank goodness for reason. The dinosaurs as we read will continue to push back but we know what happened to them. What they say has little resonance with the younger people in my family.
What has and to my older friends, is your concentration on the journey, reining in hubristic politicians pushing unready technology and ignoring cost but nothing new there.
Our Old Testament friends continue to highlight double standards but that’s life, not just politics or this topic.
February 29, 2024
Off Topic . Sunak appears to be concerned at what a journalist likened to ‘mob rule’ when he the journalist ought to be accusing the recent PMs and Cabinets to be exactly that!.
February 29, 2024
Sir John
It is not the climate change but the NetZero Law.
This Conservative Government and for that matter a large majority in parliament that is the problem. They have effectively banned the UK’s industrial base, the bit that allows the Country to grow its wealth and have a future. They have replaced it with off-shoring production then importing our means to survive from the World’s largest polluters. Thats pure hypocrisy, what they are doing is financing all those Countries that do not have our NetZero Laws, that do not put their economies on the block and that actually causes greater World emissions. Every single bit is at the expense of every single citizen in the UK.
As less than .04% of the Worlds problem it doesn’t matter if we go back to the ‘stone age’ we will have done so little that it makes no difference. What should happen is the Country creates the wealth to fund the changes needed internally should what the doomsayers prove true. We need money, wealth creating and lots of it. This Conservative Government are not saving the Planet they are making ‘virtue signals’ while destroying the UK, all their actions to date have made the Worlds situation worse
As it stands everything this Conservative Government does seek, is simply to destroy the UK, it People and its being. Why?
Why aren’t imports from polluting Nations being taxed out of existence? Logic being it was never about NetZero, just the destruction of the UK’s ability to survive.
A Government ensuring the Country is safe and secure – pull the other one!
February 29, 2024
«They wish to dispute with those in the scientific establishment who claim the science is settled »
February 29, 2024
From Mrs T’s autobiography possibly recalling the point at which she suddenly realised what she had (almost?) signed us up to.
“By the end of my time as Prime Minister I was also becoming seriously concerned about the anti-capitalist arguments which the campaigners against global warming were deploying.
“So in a speech to scientists in 1990 I observed: whatever international action we agree upon to deal with environmental problems, we must enable all our economies to grow and develop because without growth you cannot generate the wealth required to pay for the protection of the environment.”
February 29, 2024
Mrs T understood what this scam is all about
February 29, 2024
Typically Mr Redwoodwill not challenge any issue and will never say it is wrong or dangerous as that will bring trouble on himself, so he accepts any idea no matter what or how it is presented, claiming if his ways were accepted to deal with it there would be perfection, peace and prosperity.
His way of thinking is fixed this way and will never be changed.
February 29, 2024
SirJ your article today is well balanced and well argued, however it lacks the democratic deficient, the consent of the people, the mandate from the voting majority …and it lacks from the outset the parties unwillingness to change policy; if a policy is wrong its wrong …your parties unwillingness to reform the climate change committee … and your willingness to adhere to the UN COP/ IPCC recommendations, the settle science and that 97% of scientists agree that climate change is man-made is troubling for our country, its democracy, its environment & community …be careful of world-government
February 29, 2024
What is your point? The science on climate change is now well established. The need for us all to take urgent action is staring us in the face. Just because larger countries are bigger polluters is no reason for us not to take action now. Success will not be a straight line.
February 29, 2024
Climate has always been changing. However, give me the evidence mankind is causing it?
February 29, 2024
Greta says so
February 29, 2024
The science on climate change is poorly established. Many parameters are simply assumed in climate models, which are incapable of being calculated using the real physics, much of which remains little investigated – for example, the porcesses that happen in clouds. Projection of future climate are in Yogi Berry territory.
What is well established is a propaganda machine that picks very unlikely scenarios and measurements of climate parameters that are on the bounds of total implausibility, and then constructs a disaster scenario from the concoction. Because future climate projections are in Yogi Berry territory, they then try to claim that such predictions cannot be disproved. Yet all the disaster scenario projections made in the past have failed to come true. How much longer should they be allowed to cry wolf?
February 29, 2024
The scientific opposition to the CO2 warming hypothesis has lost the argument, at least in the short term. However there are other warming mechanisms that are unexplored. Ruf and Evans looked for microplastic-mediated warming in the ocean gyres but failed to find it.
Three quarters of the world’s surface is covered with water (older readers will hear the voices of Hans and Lotte Hass) and this is easily polluted by our oil-leaking civilisation. It might pay to look at that while still following the accepted path to a steady-state climate.
JF
I resist the temptation to explain at (much) greater length.
February 29, 2024
I believe you are taking the right approach for you as an MP.
HMG will not listen to protests or ‘non-expert’ telling them they are wrong — not that the alleged real experts get things right – but they might be persuaded to change policies when obvious failings in their actions and thinking are demonstrated.
I will continue to work against netzero in any way I can, as I have no faith in the establishment who are using it as a stick with which to beat us with. The whole idea behind climate change is wrong and until we get some enlightened leadership to deliver us from the hell of this ideology we will continue to suffer for no real reason.
February 29, 2024
“They wish to dispute with the scientific establishment who claim the science is settled and that only a major reduction of man made CO 2 can change things for the better.”
It is the political establishment, not the scientific establishment, who claim the science is settled. There are many scientists who disagree from Patrick Moore, a co-founder of Greenpeace, to the 2022 Nobel Physics prize winner, Dr. John Clauser, who has described CAGW as “a dangerous corruption of science that threatens the world’s economy and the well-being of billions of people”.
A very big factor for this claim that the “science is settled” is because of the BBC’s unilateral decision to not allow any alternative view to theirs on CAGW/Net Zero, an anti-free speech stance which coming from the state broadcaster funded by everyone in the UK who watches live TV, is a national disgrace. The BBC are acting like the state news organisations in Russia and China. The scientists who disagree are simply not given any airtime.
We clearly have a repeat of the early 17th century when the ruling establishment, the majority of educated people, subscribed to the Aristotelian geocentric view that the Earth is the centre of the Universe with the Catholic Church, claiming that heliocentrism was “foolish, absurd and heretical”.
The “educated establishment” was wrong then and they’re wrong again.
February 29, 2024
Sunak’s only claim to PM legitimacy is that he is delivering the 2019 General Election mandate/Manifesto.
Could he perhaps explain why, when the Manifesto committed the Party to reducing immigration from the already outrageous 250,000 (net) a year, it has gone the other way.
“The number of migrant work visas issued last year hit a record high amid a surge in healthcare workers and their families ahead of a government crackdown on dependants.
There were 337,240 visas granted to overseas workers in 2023, according to Home Office data. This is 26 per cent higher than in 2022, and more than twice the number of visas issued in 2019, before the pandemic.”
February 29, 2024
Even that was not true because the outgoing border force chap highlighted 25% of visas for care were scams and went elsewhere! When or when is Rycroft going to be sacked and lose his pension?
1.395 visas for low paid welfare dross last year alone with 62/3,000 asylum amnesties granted! Another record! Reduce immigration below 219,00 was the target it was 7 times high than that last year, a choice made by JRs party.
If any of these low paid (people dd)is dependent on welfare why are they not deported like other countries do?
February 29, 2024
“In summary for this revolution to take off most people need to change the way they travel, heat their homes, their diet and the products they buy. This will only happen when there are better green products on offer that people want to buy.”
This communist “revolution”, like all previous communist revolutions, such as those brought by Stalin, Mao and the Khmer Rouge, will only happen with immense coercion, force, violence, suffering and loss of life.
To accept that anthropogenic emissions of CO2 will destroy the planet is to accept any and all measures necessary to achieve it and that the means will justify the ends.
So any argument that “we need better green products on offer that people want to buy” is completely destroyed once it is accepted that unless we achieve net zero anthropogenic CO2 emissions the planet will cease to exist.
February 29, 2024
Climate evidence is around us every day – that cannot be disputed . The sad thing is we are too inconsequential in controlling it . China and the USA are the main contributors to the change and unless they get their acts together in a determined way we can only stand by and watch . Meanwhile we should apply the science capability we have in developing energy alternatives and use them as encouragements to the rest of the world and to our economic advantage .
February 29, 2024
”that cannot be disputed ” ….I dispute it
February 29, 2024
Climate has changed for over 3.2 billion years. We had many ice ages after each, guess what, it gets warmer! I dispute man has caused a climate disaster. 4.2 billion years is a long time, the industrial,revolution happened about 200 years ago. Not much has changed since the world began.
I agree climate changes, land masses changed, UK cut off from Europe, Australia became an island as well. The land changes cause weather events as well.
February 29, 2024
“In summary for this revolution to take off most people need to change the way they travel, heat their homes, their diet and the products they buy.”
Very depressing.
I was going to say would the last person to abandon this country please turn off the lights, but they probably won’t be on anyway!
February 29, 2024
We’ll be waking at first light, doing some form of our work, stopping briefly for refreshment and returning to work.
At dusk we will head for sleeping time.
Candles will not be required.
February 29, 2024
Sir John,
I find your stance interesting. You go along with ‘establishment scientists’ yet disagree strongly with ‘establishment economists’ like those running the BoE and the Treasury. I presume by this you feel that the establishment can be challenged – but only on certain topics. Why it is that non-scientists find it hard to accept that nothing is ever settled – especially when it concerns grossly simplified models of complex systems, like the economy or the climate – never ceases to amaze me.
February 29, 2024
Atlas :
A vey good point, thanks.
February 29, 2024
I entirely agree with your stance. I have my suspicions about the real effect of global warming but expounding those views just allows the zealots to divert attention away from the arguments over government policy, which is both ruinously expensive and illogical.
February 29, 2024
Chris S :
There will be a logcal reason, you just haven’t sussed it out yet.
February 29, 2024
I appreciate that your strategy snookers the opposition. But they are irrational so it’s impossible to cause them to recognize the snooker. In the mean time the German Chancellor has said that Britain is directly involved in the War against Russia, with boots on the ground.
This is monumentally serious because these truth-deniers have taken Britain into an existential situation without mentioning it ot the population or to their Parliament. The Telegraph reports:
‘British soldiers in Ukraine helping fire missiles, Scholz reveals
Olaf Scholz said on Monday that he would not deliver the Taurus, Berlin’s equivalent of the Storm Shadow, as it would require soldiers assisting on the ground, citing the UK and French approach with their own systems. Mr Scholz argued that following the UK would make Germany a “participant in the war”.
February 29, 2024
He is eight not to put boots on the ground. What right has our govt to involve our country into a war that is of no strategic value to our country whatsoever!
Johnson wanted to save his political career by the distraction of Ukraine and now it has got out of,hand. UK needs to stop its involvement now. Finance, weapon supply, boots on the ground and every other support. Putin is horrible, but that is no excuse for another war for regime change.
March 1, 2024
It is of huge strategic interest to the British Establishment(but not to the 99% of the population).You have to understand geo-politics and the way the financial system works to appreciate why this is so.
Best thing would be to extirpate the Establishment.
February 29, 2024
Surely the population growth must be a factor . I was speaking to a patient yesterday asking her why she came to the UK instead of her native Hong Kong . The reality she said is that there are too many people there.
February 29, 2024
The population of China is about to drop dramatically. Let’s hope your patient returns home so that our population and return to its natural organic growth.
February 29, 2024
Good to be clear.
You might like to add to your list of campaigning issues that Green Energy also introduces further dependence on hostile regimes, viz. China. What is the UK doing about that? Germany and the EU have a plan and it is the reason thay are supporting Ukraine. What is the UK’s plan for making green energy independent of hostile foreign powers?
February 29, 2024
“In summary for this revolution to take off most people need to change the way they travel, heat their homes, their diet and the products they buy. This will only happen when there are better green products on offer that people want to buy.”
With respect, Sir John, this “revolution” is not a voluntary one from the people upwards wanting to unilaterally “green” or “save” the planet. What percentage of the vote is for the Green Party? It is quite the reverse since Parliament has made it a top down revolution by writing Net Zero by 2050 into law and with the unelected CCC, the unelected DESNZ civil servants and the courts (unelected judges) now determining the speed and path and not the population and without regard to either the human or financial costs or even considering the engineering limitations or indeed the laws of nature.
This is not democracy and it is time we had a full and open discussion on the need for Net Zero followed by a referendum.
February 29, 2024
A Battery Electric car breaks even on emissions at circa 14,000 miles, charged by 95% renewable grid supply. On the 2022/23 grid fuel mix it is nearer 20,000 miles. This includes all the life cycle emissions of manufacture including an average 60 kWh battery. Over the average lifetime, battery electric cars produce 50 to 55% less GHG emissions than petrol cars.
Google: “WHICH TECHNOLOGY TRANSITIONS WILL CREATE THE LARGEST EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS?
MAY 13, 2021” The most effective ways to use 1 MWh of renewable energy by Chris Goodall at Carbon Commentary.
February 29, 2024
He who authored ‘ Time to stop promoting air source heat pumps and ask why they don’t work in the UK’.
and – ‘Full electricity decarbonisation is possible but the pace is insufficient’.
Sorry – but I had to laugh.
February 29, 2024
What grid has 95% renewables acorn?
PS
If 95%renewables takes 14 000 miles how does 43% renewables take only 22,000 miles?
February 29, 2024
“The accounting system which says if the UK cuts its CO 2 production by importing energy and energy intensive products instead of extracting and making its own, this is helpful. It clearly increases world CO 2 by at least the amount of the extra transport. If you import LNG instead of producing your own piped gas it is a big increase in CO 2.”
The climate activists are aware of this which is why we will be moving to measuring CO2 consumption and not territorial CO2 emissions. Hence the introduction of CBAM, Cross Border Adjustment Mechanism, which will be fully operational by 2026.
February 29, 2024
It’s hard to know what the facts are about global warming. I can never find any proof. All I see is opinion, often based on modelling.
Worse still is the tendancy – especially by the Left – to cry wolf. For example, there are stories on the BBC about species extinction and sunken islands going back to the 1990’s – yet none of these catastriphic visions have come to pass.
Some of those nagging about this issue travel in aeroplanes or drive cars so I am dubious as to how seriously they take this issue.
There is also a tendancy to promote far-Left solutions and this makes me suspicious of the motivations behind this movement.
It’s not surprising therefore that many people are not convinced.
February 29, 2024
‘’Polar bear populations – 2021 with data from the IUCN Polar Bear Group:
3 populations are in decline
2 populations are increasing
4 populations are stable
10 populations are data-deficient (information missing or outdated)’’
https://www.arcticwwf.org/wildlife/polar-bear/polar-bear-population/
Just like the rest of the climate data; its inconclusive, misleading and falsely used by the media and governments
February 29, 2024
I’ve just found out that that data is modelling and aerial survey estimates
https://polarbearsinternational.org/polar-bears-changing-arctic/polar-bear-facts/status/
I wouldn’t want to spread false climate change news
February 29, 2024
The reason we ask you to tackle the Net Zero nonsense is because you are an intelligent and thoughtful person with some influence or at least access to the PM and Government Ministers. The UK Government and Opposition are now united in damaging the UK economy by pursuing Net Zero.
Is it too much to ask you to read the book, Unsettled, by a former scientific adviser to Barack Obama? Even for a non-scientific person it is a clear and straightforward analysis of why Net Zero is nonsense. While you refuse to educate yourself, you are dealing with the effects, which are incredibly damaging to us, and you constantly write about, as in today’s article, but not the cause. As an MP of real integrity, I would have thought you would want to be certain that expensive decisions are made on the basis of the true facts, not a myth.
The UK Health and Safety Authority says a person can work an eight-hour day and five days a week in an atmosphere of 25,000 parts of CO2 to a Million parts of Atmosphere. How then is CO2 at 0.4% per million going to damage us? Would it not be worth checking that fact out?
Reply I resent these attacks which think I do not understand the arguments against climate change theory. I fight the battles I think with support I can win.
February 29, 2024
“The green issues need to be balanced with security of supply , affordability and practicality of product”
Er no….Net Zero by 2050 is written into law. It is the law of the land and consequently everyone and every organisation must follow the law. There is no leeway, as far as I am aware, written into the law for “security of supply, affordability and practicality”.
February 29, 2024
Correct – That’s why every local government has to employ a net-zero boss to produce a net-zero plan, and they have to follow the instructions and funding of central government e.g. cycle-lanes ….and that’s why your council tax will increase
February 29, 2024
“I accept CO 2 is a greenhouse gas”, I don’t accept the given explanations!
Why?
Did you know;
C02 makes up just 0.04% of the Atmosphere!
Water (H20) Vapour makes up 4%!
With 99% Nitrogen (78%) and Oxygen (21%) of the Atmosphere!
Water Vapour (H20) is the dominant greenhouse gas in our Atmosphere!
Water Vapour absorbs energy, this includes external sources we can’t measure; Sun and Background Radiation!
We can’t account for how the Gravitational Forces are applied to the Atmosphere (Water Vapour)? We know that it has it’s greatest force, every cycle, every 11.28 years!
Depending on the model used; the Climate has a cycle of 11.23..11.28 years? Normally, because there is so much variation within these ICC based models, they use an aggregate of all models 11.25 years ?
Looking at all the Molecules, and how they behave;
The key is Oxygen, and it’s reactivity. As in H20, C02, O2, O3, and because Oxygen is so chemically reactive, and is continuously replenished in Earth’s Atmosphere by photosynthesis! From the energy of Sunlight/Background produces oxygen from water and carbon dioxide! Breaking down the C02, breaking down what it needs?
Another form (allotrope) of oxygen, ozone (O3), strongly absorbs ultraviolet UVB radiation and the high-altitude ozone layer helps protect the biosphere from ultraviolet radiation.
And, there are no models that actually show that an increase in Temperature, there is a collated Increase in C02! And, that an increase in C02 (From any source), there is a significant increase Temperature (Global Warming)!
It is more likely Temperature is effected by the amount of Sunlight and Back ground radiation is absorbed, and reflected by Water Vapour (seas H02 + Salt)!
But, no one is talking about the Reactivity, and creation, of Oxygen through out the Atmosphere! And, the Energy that takes? The greater the energy, the greater the Reactivity of Oxygen! Notice ‘O’ in the molecules above!
Far too many questions left open for me!
February 29, 2024
Brilliant
February 29, 2024
We live on a dynamic planet.
Nothing ever stays the same.
Temperature changes. Get over it.
Net zero is technically, practically and economically impossible.
All it will do is destroy our way of life.
I do not want to live like a medieval peasant.
The rest of the world are laughing at our stupidity.
At some point in the not too distant future a large amount of organic fertilizer is going to be introduced to the air conditioning system.
February 29, 2024
‘I do not want to live like a medieval peasant’ ….don’t worry the elites will be fine, it doesn’t effect them
February 29, 2024
“They wish to dispute with the scientific establishment who claim the science is settled and that only a major reduction of man made CO 2 can change things for the better.”
The IPCC WG1 Table 12 in Chapter 12 shows that the IPCC has concluded that a signal of climate change has not yet emerged beyond natural variability for the following phenomena:
River floods, heavy precipitation and pluvial floods, landslides, drought (all types), severe wind storms, tropical cyclones (includes hurricanes), sand and dust storms, heavy snowfall and, ice storms, hail, snow avalanche and coastal flooding. The IPCC can only find some slight warming leading to some melting of ice and snow.
The “scientific establishment” can find no evidence for CAGW, only the politicians.
February 29, 2024
“The world is embarking on a wide range of different technologies – carbon capture, hydrogen, electrical drive, battery storage, pump storage, synthetic fuels other than hydrogen.”
The Tory party is doing all sorts of stupid things because they are scientifically illiterate but the world as a whole is not following them or leading them. Furthermore, emissions trading or monetising an atmospheric gas so that financial spivs have more opportunities to enrich themselves means that we are paying even more for an electricity supply which is non-despatchable than for that from our indigenous mineral resources.
February 29, 2024
“Those who want to challenge the establishment scientists need to find other sites and other authors”
It seems that the “establishment scientists” have already been challenged by some very clever people.
These very clever people include four well known and well qualified climate sceptics.
Ian Plimer (Australian geologist and Professor Emeritus at Melbourne University)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Plimer
John Clauser (Nobel Prize winner)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Clauser
Patrick Moore (former president of Greenpeace Canada)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Moore_(consultant)
Dr Judith Curry (American climatologist and former chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Curry
Whom do we plebs believe, and why ?
February 29, 2024
Also TV botanist David Bellamy and Astrophysicist Piers Corbyn
February 29, 2024
Off Topic?
Just got this be email from Wokingham Borough Council.
Thank you for subscribing to our garden waste collection service last year.
This year, the service will run from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. If you’d like us to continue collecting your garden waste, you can now pay for the service by clicking the blue button below:
Pay now.
If you choose not to renew your garden waste subscription, your brown bin won’t be collected from April, and we won’t remove your unwanted garden waste bin.
Cost of the service .
As inflation remains high, collecting and disposing of garden waste now costs us more. Because of this, we are increasing the cost for our 12-month collection service from £80 to £86 for the period of 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
If you renew the service any later in the year, the cost will be as follows:
1 April to 31 August- £86 (£10 increase last year, only £6 this year – aren’t we kind?)
1 September to 31 December – £55 (when nobody uses it but we have to pay the staff to do nothing?)
Could the fact (I think it is a fact) that our collected green waste goes to another county for processing, when it surely ought to be done locally.
February 29, 2024
Thats the cost of Net-Zero
February 29, 2024
When you have a water meter you don’t waste as much water. It has saved a lot of money.
Guardian newspaper article said that the UK use of gas and coal for electricity was at its lowest since 1957, fossil fuel plants contributed just a third of electricity supplies in 2023 and renewables set a record 42%.
Why aren’t the successes discussed?
Reply Some of the demand reduction is loss of domestic energy production to be replaced by imports
February 29, 2024
paying fortunes for Interconnector electricity and relying on it is far from a success story as far as I am concerned.
Selling your soul to the devil is what it is.
March 3, 2024
Oh dear, I misunderstood.
February 29, 2024
Solar radiation can be measured with photometers, spectrometers, pyranometers.
Infrared radiation can be measured by spectrometers (with a different filter obviously), pyrgeometers and dedicated radiometers.
Gravity waves can be measured and they have nothing to do with the ~11-year solar cycle. They are generated at the interface ocean-atmosphere, or in frontal systems (when difference in pressure on both sides of a front may result in vertical motion), or when air masses pass over orography (think Himalaya, Rockies, Andes, …).
Fluctuations in the intensity of the Sun over practically its whole electromagnetic spectrum can be measured by various instruments dedicated to different spectral intervals (UV-c, UV-b, UV-a, visible, near infrared).
A large part of the oxygen O2 comes from the photodissociation of ozone O3 in the mesosphere/stratosphere, and another part near the surface from photosynthesis by vegetation.
All reanalyses (ie meteorological analyses of meteorological observations over extended periods of time, the longest from 1900) use proper cycles of solar radiation, not 11.25 years (as you appear to infer), as these cycles have been measured since Sir Charles Greeley Abbot started in 1902.
All details are available in books and scientific papers on atmospheric physics, photochemistry and atmospheric chemistry. And most of these books available for in-house public consultation in libraries of universities that have curricula in atmospheric sciences (Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, Edinburgh, Reading, Leeds, Bristol, Southampton).
February 29, 2024
An excellent article from TCW today.
Climate change doubts that got me cancelled by fellow scientists.
By James Dent.
February 29, 2024
No argument with 1 and 2.
On 3 if you have to replace the old ICE vehicle then things are much less rosy for ICE and it is not difficult to arrange power to be from a renewables based supplier or even have your own solar panels.
No argument on 4, there needs to be a 1 for 1 alternative for existing gas boilers if there is to be a significant change.
On 5 Economic fusion power is always 3 decades away and I don’t see that the convenience of mono fuels can continue so we will have to accommodate changes to multiple alternatives. Even if you frack and suck as much as possible out of the north sea you will not address the needs of transport, you will still need to import petrol and diesel to satisfy those who simply cannot bear being inconvenienced.
Item 6 is why I installed solar panels and switched to an EV instead of blowing funds on foreign holidays/property and partying. I do not believe the government was or is willing or able to ensure security of supply for the general population. I could either waste my years whining about government waste and decisions far above my pay grade like many on blogs or take responsibility as far as I can to choose least worst options and make provision for my family.
February 29, 2024
“They wish to dispute with the scientific establishment who claim the science is settled and that only a major reduction of man made CO 2 can change things for the better.”
If the science is settled (no science is ever “settled” because new ideas or theories keep emerging each time improving technology allows us to make more accurate measurements) how come the BBC make such howlers as :
BBC 2009 : “There will be no Arctic summer ice by 2013”.
Well, it still there.
BBC 2021 : “Australia’s Great barrier Reef is dying”.
Well, it’s in the best health since records began 35 years ago.
February 29, 2024
+1
February 29, 2024
Apparently a Labour government would spend £37.5 Billion on Insulating Homes. I suggest you speak to the home insulation industry. I have just had a building Polybead insulated. It had previously been insulated with fibre on a government scheme, so I had to pay for that insulation to be sucked out – except that there was none! The government scheme had paid contractors to pump air! A massive and profitable scam. Now another in the offing.
I’m going to set up an insulation company to get a slice of the £37.5 billion. Anyone in?
February 29, 2024
Good advice as usual, Sir John.
February 29, 2024
I wonder how many are going to vote for the Green Party and the policies of Net-Zero at the Rochdale by-election ….they’re currently 400/1 to win
February 29, 2024
SJ should you, on behalf of your constituents ask the Minister responsible for their disastrous programme called, “Net Zero”, to produce evidence to prove their case?
Perhaps they’ll be able to counter the arguments laid out by the Heartland Institute, as requested by then President Trump, to establish that mankind has zilch effect on the output of CO2 around the globe and that CO2 was not a danger to the Earth. View the charts here…
http://climateconferences.heartland.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Lehr-Keynote-ICCC-12.pdf
February 29, 2024
and now for the continuing story..
Story by Danya Bazaraa.
Pro-Palestine activists have brought London’s Liverpool Street train station to a halt with a sit-in protest as they demand a ceasefire in the war with Israel. They were joined in solidarity by Extinction Rebellion protesters for a ‘peaceful’ demonstration this afternoon. Photos show some protesters lying on the ground as they take a stand (sic).
A large police presence can be seen at the major London station, which serves the Central, Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City lines as well as National Rail services. A British Transport Police spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘On Thursday, 29 February, there was a peaceful protest at Liverpool Street station.
‘About 100 people gathered from 2.30pm until 2.45pm and did not affect the operation of the station.
So who pays for the ‘large police presence’?
February 29, 2024
The problem John isn’t reading what you write but understanding what you write.Unfortunately that is an arts subject so therefore things will continue to be misinterpreted with the downing of simple comprehension.
February 29, 2024
Goodness me, Fraser Nelson’s opinion piece in the DT is quite the revelation. Finally, it seems, now is the time to reveal to the nation that actually no-one in 10 Downing Street has had a decent grip on what’s been going on. And in an annoying development, Ministers have been observed treating OBR forecasts as the Gospel Truth (despite the sensible caveats that they come with) presumably because it relieves them of the beastly challenge of making decent forecasts of their own.
The Conservative & Unionist Party needs to grow up. Its MPs are behaving like a Sixth Form common room when the country needs them to deliver good management at a level of complexity that is well beyond that experienced by 99% of British businesses. The current group of MPs have clearly demonstrated that they’re not collectively competent to meet this challenge. Voters and Party members between them are to blame for this. Both groups need to consider the consequences of their choices. Unfortunately I doubt that either will in any meaningful sense.
February 29, 2024
Dear John,
People are absolutely right to be challenge you over the most futile and ludicrous net zero concept. It is shameful that a so called Conservative government would implement such illogical policy, pandering to a liberal elite, impacting the poor particularly and doing significant and lasting damage to the economy.
You absolutely should be looking into the so called scientific establishment and the real impact of CO2, a gas that is fundamental to plant life and was was in far higher concentrations when Dinosaurs roamed.
I note that even the IPC’s own predictions include the possibility of cooling and in any case the impact of CO2, is far from clear in a complex system where water vapour, sun activity and ocean currents all play a part. You should also be pointing out that there has been a 15% increase in ‘greening’ of the world’s surface and quite the opposite to the fear mongering we have been told. We also can’t true the models that can’t even get the current climate right using historic data ( a little like the laughable covid modelling perhaps?).
It is simply ludicrous to waste resources on cutting CO2 and will have no impact whatsoever. In fact I we should be very worried about the concept of reducing CO2 in the atmosphere and the ability to produce food efficiently (it isn’t pumped into greenhouses at higher concentrations for no reason). I don’t want to pay inflated energy prices for some spurious virtue while we allow the likes of China to take advantage of our gullibility. We should though be focused on reducing pollution (which actually does effect us in a negative way), improving our flood defences and generating more energy with Nuclear Power (and hopefully fusion some day).
March 2, 2024
Your first para isn’t quite correct. What people want you to challenge is the way science is being presented, in a one-sided manner.
Quoting you from this piece: “They wish to dispute with the scientific establishment who claim the science is settled…”
That in itself shows a lack of understanding of science. It is NEVER settled. That is why it’s called a THEORY – because there can always be a better one.
As we saw with the scientific view on Amazon logging supposedly affecting oxygen levels – it caused a great panic. But science advanced and discovered that our oxygen is made by phytoplankton in the sea.
Many institutions have been taken over by lefties, we now know that’s not merely a conspiracy theory. The same is true of science around climate change, the scientific press is as corrupted as the mainstream media is in political circles.
So what I want you to challenge is (a) the ridiculous idea that science is settled and (b) to make MPs aware that science countering climate change is being actively suppressed.
Reply A pity you did mot understand my blog. I explained some of the scientific disagreements and explained why I am not pursuing those.