The government is keen to introduce plant based material into petrol for our vans and cars. They see this as a green option, and claim that moving to a ten per cent content in petrol is the equivalent of taking 300,000 cars off the road.
Given their strong wish to limit the number of cars this is another good argument to limit the number of additional people we invite into our country each year to live here, as many of them will naturally want a car.
I have other important questions for the government about its belief in the power of ethanol. Which crops does it recommend for the production of this material? Is the aim to grow more corn or wheat, or to take it from willow and other trees, or some other plants? Is the intention to grow our needs in the UK or does the government wish to add to our import bill? If the aim is to grow more at home, what crops will it displace or can it be an extension to the useful growing areas?
I would want the government to facilitate home production of the ethanol feedstock and the home processing of the crops. I would wish to see these fuel crops as an addition to what we are already growing for food. My concern rests with the current policy from the agriculture section of the Environment Department, which seems keener on wilding, taking land out of useful production.
We cannot afford to simply add ethanol to a long list of things we import, transferring the jobs and incomes out of the UK and reducing the taxable capacity of our economy as a result. We do not want another Drax on our hands, where we import timber across the Atlantic to burn in the power station, with considerable environmental costs for long distance transport, and a net loss to the UK economy of the work and incomes timber growing and logging produces.
September 2, 2021
Good morning.
I have said it before, they (MP’s) will not stop until they are able to sell us the idea that we can extract sunbeams from cucumbers. Where is the research ? How much ethanol will the UK need etc ?
When you are increasing the population, a population that demands to be fed, watered and looked after, something somewhere is going to break. Our services are already coming under increased strain and growing crops for fuel displaces crops for food. Yes the rich will still be able to travel around, but the rest of us will have to starve. Should solve the non-existent obesity problem though !
September 2, 2021
@Mark B
The ânon-existent obesity problemâ?!
Seriously? I would say half the people I observe are obese. Go into any hospital and observe. The obese are very disproportionately represented.
September 2, 2021
I think being obese is a requirement for nhs employees.
September 2, 2021
Mike. I was going to say this. Nearly every woman I know of my age is obese. It almost makes me feel a freak. I know quite a few overweight men too.
September 3, 2021
So so many people living a life of greed and stasis and so many people telling them that they are ok . So many sad stories when someone says they are not ok ,so many stories of eating disorders . W e all have changed our lives to consumption ( NOT TB) and the opposite of how to control the side effects. Food is addictive, especially during emotionally hard times.
September 3, 2021
I understand that adding Ethanol to pump fuel also reduces MPGso would be partially self-defeating.
September 2, 2021
We can rely on the majority of MPs to grasp at the nearest straw in their pursuit of fools gold. It will cost us dearly.
September 2, 2021
Indeed. This Government is useless and a total contradiction. There answer to everything is mass immigration with no thought to the English taxpayer. 20,000 Syrians here, 80,000 Afghans there, 720,000 others annually. 9,000,000 not born here but……wait…….let’s worry about our carbon footprint and take away our cars and boilers. Pathetic and stupid legacies. How can you defend them John?
September 2, 2021
….and at the same time lets reduce the number of police, firemen and council services
September 2, 2021
Glen. Yes, and the NHS saying they need a further 10 billion or else services will be cut.
September 2, 2021
Yep, there seems to be a lack of joined-up thinking in Government.
Does anyone have a plan ?
September 2, 2021
Oldwulf
Of course there is a plan.
The fag packet it has been written on is still being recovered from the recycling centre.
September 2, 2021
You are assuming that the Government is capable of thinking!
September 2, 2021
Mine would be take action at the next GE, if Tory MPs will not.
September 2, 2021
@Oldwulf – There is a concept called the ‘Great Reset’ that political leaders deny and dismiss as a conspiracy. Yet daily without logical reasoning they abide by its discipline in the face although logic and evidence contradicts the reasoning.
September 2, 2021
The monster raving loony party has a better plan
September 2, 2021
At least theyâre not scared of flying the Union Flag
September 2, 2021
Yes. Too pick up tens of thousands of illegal immigrants and house them in 4*Hotels at ÂŁ1.4 billions a year to English taxpayers expense. Not one deported this year. Why has Johnston sacked Priti Useless?
September 2, 2021
Apart from any other consideration, I’ve never understood how the transport costs in terms of alleged carbon emissions can be justified when importing wood chips – or indeed the proposed ethanol.
Unless the powers-that-be propose reintroducing ships powered by sails or galley-slaves?
September 2, 2021
Indeed this agenda is more insanity from this idiotic unscientific Government. Galley-slaves (as with cycling and walking) is transport powered by human food. This too is very inefficient especially given the typical UK diet. I suppose you can get away with feeding the slaves mainly on porridge and potatoes rather than steak, chips, peas, bead and butter, beer and apple pie. The latter diet is less efficient in CO2 terms than a full car – after food production, packaging, cooking, transport, butchery, freezing, cooking & waste is fully accounted for.
Importing wood chips to burn at Drax is clear insanity in CO2 terms as it produces more CO2 than Coal per KWH of electricity plus all the diesel transport involved. Yet they include it as low carbon CO2 to produce duff figures. We are led by idiots with no science or logic- merely a misguided carbon religion they they do not even understand.
September 2, 2021
Allister Heath right as usual today in the Telegraph:- âBoris wanted to be the next Churchill. He looks more like the heir to Merkel. The German leader is the inventor of cakeism, and sheâs led her country into stagnation and dither.â
So can anything be done to get Boris a working compass JR, he used to be a better than average,soundish Conservative a while back? Now he is virtually a full blown tax borrow and piss down the drain socialist. Little better than Labour/SNP really.
September 2, 2021
A Heath concludes:- The lesson is simple, Prime Minister. You canât be friends with everybody. Donât simply court popularity. Deeds are what really matter: Britain is crying out for sensible, conservative and free-market reforms. Reread some of your old columns, dust off your biography of Churchill and, above all, stop trying to imitate Angela Merkel. You can do so much better than that.
September 2, 2021
You should read the article in the Mail about the production of ethanol.
It releases tonnes of CO2 in the manufacturing process.
Not green at all.
September 2, 2021
Arrrrgh!
How many galley slaves breathing out how much CO2?
September 2, 2021
Indeed plus all the energy needed to grow and prepare their food & then all the methane that the extra sewage gives off!
September 2, 2021
+1
Good points! đ
September 2, 2021
Galley-slaves.
September 2, 2021
It’s not the “proposed” ethanol – it’s the actual move to E10 that has already happened!
And where was the debate about the pro’s and con’s of this move? It’s just been foisted on us.
September 2, 2021
NOT in the manifesto
September 2, 2021
Been using it from a Tesco’s petrol station for a while. Started with maybe a third of a fill-up, then half a tank, now put as much as I want – no issues, no loss of MPG… 11 year old car.
September 2, 2021
I applaud your freedom of action & choice, however this government is now imposing a âbanâ on E5 petrolâŠ..I am against the lack of choice â the actions of a communist state
September 2, 2021
Cars made after 2011 are almost guaranteed to work but many side effects are in store for the unwary- read “Will the new type of petrol wreck your car… ” in other news.
Fools gold lobbied by US Agricultural crop growers if you care to check the scientific basis similar to Drax wood chip ideas to make money.
September 2, 2021
Ian T. Yes, just like the thousands of refugees with more to come. Some councils are now saying they can’t house anymore as people who have been on the waiting list are being put further and further down. It’s obsene. Is there anyone in the government who really knows what they are doing? Surely if Joe Bloggs in the street can see it why can’t ministers? Who are they trying to impress?
September 2, 2021
……or we could go back to inefficient windmills…..but wait.
September 2, 2021
@SM, that alone should be the deterrent for somewhere like the UK. But as stated elsewhere in the media today, crops first have to be grown, cared for and processed before we get to factor in shipment. Another Boris nonsense scheme, lets show our environmental credentials ( I nearly wrote ego credentials) by a seemingly green catch phrase that actually creates a bigger world environmental problem than the one it sets out to solve. It is getting to the situation that every thing to date this Government suggests does in reality require massive imports from massive polluting countries that are not part of the ‘stone age’ roll back. Boris is adding to the World Green House problem while at the same time punishing those he is supposed to serve.
September 2, 2021
+1
September 2, 2021
I thought government policy was to take all ICE vehicles off the road in a few years’ time. Why bother with introducing ethanol at this stage?
As ideas go, it’s much better to run on ethanol than battery. Ethanol isn’t quite as good as petrol, but a full tank will still get you clear across the country, not leave you limping from service station to service station with a several hour wait for your turn at the charger at each stop.
September 2, 2021
Ethanol is introduced to punish those that donât buy a new electric car and keep running an evil earth destroying dirty petrol motorcars
Mark my words – after 2030 this government will introduce a law to restrict the ICE cars max speed to 20mph, GPS monitoring, extra environment tax and a big red X painted on the bonnet to identify the polluters
September 2, 2021
No idea if my 21 year old vehicle is suitable or not for E10, as it is not listed on the Governments website, so I have written to the manufacturer to find out.
If it’s not, then I guess I will have to purchase the higher octane fuel at the higher price.
Yet another additional cost, just one of many due to government policy.
Perhaps this is just another way to try to get older cars off the road.
September 2, 2021
……………Yet another additional cost, just one of many due to government policy……….. Indeed. Just had the 14% rise in electric and gas prices from October through on e mail. Following the 5% rise in Council tax, insurances, food etc. A ring round and price comparison sites tells me there is no escape in this rise. Explanation from these sites. Government policy to raise revenue and support their green religion. When the world won’t be supporting this Governments virtue signalling on CO2 and exporting our heavy industry and we account for 1% of total CO2 output. Your Government has gone nut nuts and is bankrupting the rest of us in the process. We need drastic change quickly as Boris is a busted flush. Inflation now at 10-15% and taking off, not the published CPI!
September 2, 2021
but we still have money for Foreign Aid, Nuclear Weapons, HS2 and Tract n’ Trace
September 2, 2021
I just wish my bins were collected every week
September 2, 2021
Glen and refugees by the thousand.
September 2, 2021
Time action
If the petrol content of the fuel has been lowered, you would think the tax on a gallon of fuel would be lowered as well, given it is a tax on petrol.
By substituting something suggested as bad (petrol) with something that is deemed good and green (ethanol) and keeping the tax the same, you are taxing a green product at the same level as a bad one !
No joined up thinking again.
Hopeless money grabbers strike again.
September 3, 2021
No, no, no ! Inflation is at 2% the government have told us !
/sarc
September 2, 2021
The government is he’ll bent on exporting jobs to reduce CO2 emissions.
Using food crops to produce fuel for motor vehicles is absurd.
More arts graduate thinking at the heart of government.
We really need a revolution to stop this nonesense.
September 2, 2021
@Ian Wragg – you missed a bit, there maybe less from production in the UK, but there is a massive increase overall CO2 on the return of the goods we need to furnish this new green world of Boris’s. I suppose there is the fact if there is no economy, then there are no jobs so we cant afford to import
September 2, 2021
Ian – exporting jobs – while waving in thousands a month of unskilled non english speakers for a free life.
September 2, 2021
We certainly do, and a rough one too. Those who lord over us are in my view in the same league as other elites which in the past have been removed. And don’t anyone claim they are doing what they said they were elected to do or what they are allowing.
September 2, 2021
+1
September 2, 2021
A welcome alternative view contrasting with the simplistic coverage of the new petrol on mainstream television. Truly astonishing though, that you publish these views against a Conservative government with a massive majority, rather than a government that most people, pre the last General Election, would have expected to propound such policies – say a Labour/Green coalition. This all points to further losses of Conservative Party members in the coming months and years and a majority of âstay at homesâ/non voters at the next General Election by hitherto Conservative-leaning voters.
September 2, 2021
@MPC – I think we all realised we were conned, conned on leaving EU Control, conned that we would get a proper Conservative Government.
As stated by other in a recent post, the Conservatives Stand For âbelieving in low tax, small State favouring free enterprise, private ownership, and conserving socially traditional ideas. – did we get that or did we get Corbyn by another name?
September 2, 2021
The Conservatives should stand for low taxes, small efficient government, less regulation, real freedom and choice, strong defence, control of our borders and law and order with some real deterrents. Alas they only stand for these things just before elections – once elected they become tax borrow and piss down the drain, big government, climate alarmist pushing, open door immigration enthusiasts and socialists.
With very poor law and order and rather second rate defences too.
September 2, 2021
whatever gave you that idea? Been reading old articles by Margaret T have you?
September 2, 2021
I bought a top brand battery lawn mower in 2018. I bought three 36V batteries to ensure I had sufficient power to mow the lawn including the verges. Gradually it became apparent that the mower was no longer capable of mowing the verges, and finally after three years, all three batteries no longer retain sufficient power to mow for more than a few seconds. New batteries cost ÂŁ70 each.
My next mower will be petrol driven, but I gather this new fuel is unstable if left unused in a tank for long periods. Warning for car owners…
How long to car batteries last and how much do they cost to replace?
September 2, 2021
matthu – thanks for the tip about the fuel being unstable in storage. I did a bit of research after reading that, and it appears there are many disadvantages to E10, including being less fuel efficient. As I do very little mileage I will continue using E5. You may have saved me a great deal of money in car repairs.
September 2, 2021
About the same as your lawn mower ones last. With the capacity decaying every year and replacement cost perhaps ÂŁ10000 or so. Oh and they do not even save any CO2 compared to keeping your old car as a new car and battery(s) have to be manufactured.
September 2, 2021
matthu. If what you say is true about this new petrol being bad for the engine if left in the tank for long periods then what happens to new hybrids? My car uses only small amounts of fuel as most of my journeys are only around 24 miles round trip. So my fuel last me a very long time. Another great cock up.
September 2, 2021
You can I think get fuel stabiliser.
September 2, 2021
Thanks John for the tip.
September 2, 2021
Thanks for the tip John.
September 2, 2021
Agree with your comments JR.
We are using more and more productive food growing land for more housing, we are now growing trees to burn in power stations, now it’s the production of ethanol.
Meanwhile we also use up more productive land for nature, with set aside and field boundary increases and re-wilding.
Has anyone told the Government and the green politicians that land is not made any more, yet they want farmers to reduce the use of chemicals (which I understand) do not like GM crops, but also want an increase in food production from a reducing stock of productive arable land.
Joined up thinking, Left and Right hand ?
September 2, 2021
Sir John
Yet another brilliant post that highlights yet again all that is wrong with our leadership and cabinet.
They cannot think outside the box simply because they are not in the box in the first place.
How much longer have we got to be subjected to all this knee jerk no thought process policies?
It is getting serious it really is.
September 2, 2021
@turboterrier +1
September 2, 2021
Surely the reduced need to import oil will offset some of the costs of the extra ethanol.
September 2, 2021
They’ll be Importing ethanol.
September 2, 2021
”A gallon of ethanol contains less energy than a gallon of gasoline, resulting in lower fuel economy when operating your vehicle”
September 2, 2021
Glen
But both taxed at the same rate !
September 2, 2021
Given their strong wish to limit the number of cars this is another good argument to limit the number of additional people we invite into our country each year
Isn`t everything …..On the plus side John Redwood is quite right to ask some realistic questions about this administrations ” applause now pay later “, attitude to green initiatives. On the minus side, his instinct is always to meddle in the market . I do not wish to subsidise expensive domestic production of anything , we tried all that, it failed.
September 2, 2021
@Newmania +1
September 2, 2021
Your post’s title would make a nice basis for a PMQs question to the Prime Eco-loon.
September 2, 2021
It is hard to disagree with any of Sir John’s commentary this morning. The bioethanol is produced from plant starches and sugars by a fermentation process, which produces CO2 as a by product. Technology that can digest wood via cellulosic ethanol biorefineries (the “2nd generation”) is being deveoped into commercial scale plant in the USA. However, it seems to me that all this will achieve is faster destruction of the remaining rain forests, the green lungs of our planet. When Obama promoted American bioethanol production, indeed large swathes of their remaining prairie grasslands were ploughed up and converted to grow ethanol feedstock. We will be importing the ethanol.
Biodiesel is more interesting. There is already a nascent industry here in the UK that converts waste vegetable oils from food producers – even the eponymous corner fish and chip shop – and animal fat into biodiesel which is interchangeable with traditional diesel. And we have a well developed anerobic digestion industry that converts food and farm waste into biogas that is injected into the network.
The real answer is to accelerate the introduction of EVs onto our roads. There are now more than 42,000 charge point connectors across the UK in over 15,500 locations – that’s more public places to charge than petrol stations, with around 7,000 charge point connectors added in 2020 alone. The biggest increase was in the new 150-350kW ultra-rapid charger space. BP announced this week that they would build an additional 50,000 chargers in the next 3 years.
September 2, 2021
26 million cars needing to be charged at least once a week with maximum range of 200 miles or 350 if you cab afford a top range petrol Tesla.
200 billion pounds to upgrade the electricity distribution network and not enough power stations to cope.
Senseless.
September 2, 2021
How long do batteries last before needing to be replaced?
How much do they cost to replace?
September 2, 2021
A standard electric car battery lasts 100,000+ miles before they need replacing – but the newest generation can now do a million miles.
September 2, 2021
So you are suggesting, at 10,000 average miles per year , a new car battery might last 100 years?
And your evidence for this is…?
September 2, 2021
dream on…
September 2, 2021
Andy
How long do Tesla guarantee their batteries Andy.?
September 2, 2021
It varies by model. The battery on a new entry level Tesla is guaranteed for 100,000 miles or 8 years – whichever comes first. Some of the more expensive models have a 150,000 mile guarantee. Approved used Teslaâs have a 40,000 mile guarantee. The average UK driver does 7,500 miles a year.
September 2, 2021
Matthu . Well they don’t last as long if they are fast charged all the time.
September 2, 2021
The reality is that biodiesel is mainly sourced from palm oil, resulting in the desgtruction of orang utan habitat in Indonesia. The contribution of vegetable oil is not significant.
September 2, 2021
Wrong again Mark
In the UK virgin oil biodiesel feedstock is primarily rapeseed and soybean, with soybean oil accounting for about half of US production. Biodiesel is also obtained from pongamia, field pennycress, jatropha and other crops such as mustard, jojoba, flax, sunflower, coconut, castor, hemp, corn, canola, peanut, radish seed (50% oil), rice bran (45% oil) tung (65% oil) and tigernut. Spent vegetable oil used in the food industry is about 7% but rising
Palm oil is primarily used in food, cooking and cosmetics. It is not cheap enough to be used as biodiesel feedstock. Do check your facts before you post
September 2, 2021
That’s all very fine Sakara but the only practical way to run an EV is to be able to recharge it overnight. We can not all walk far from these wonderful charging points to do whatever we were there to do.
And we do not all have drive in access to park and charge overnight.
You are right about some of your suggestions about prolonging the use of I.C. vehicles.
But wrong about us all driving E.V.s.
September 2, 2021
JR
I literally do not know how you can bear all this! ( oh yesâŠ80 seat majâŠbut there has to be a limit?).
It just gets worse.
Was Johnson sane when you lot made him leader?
September 2, 2021
He seemed fairly sane at the time to me certainly relative to May or any other contenders. But being PM, catching covid and his new wife the theatre studies graduate Carrie seem to have combined to drive him mad. Now a potty, climate alarmist, tax, borrow & piss down the drain socialist. A Vaccine passport and lock down enthusiast too
See the excellent Allister Heath today.
September 2, 2021
+1
Will look for article. Thanks!
September 2, 2021
Boris Johnson was a known quantity.I don’t know why any of you are surprised by him and his utter unsuitability for a position of power.
September 2, 2021
Yes..but I did think he was at leastâŠreasonableâŠhumaneâŠa bit intelligent?
Very silly of me obviously.
September 2, 2021
Maybe it’s pretend surprise…
September 2, 2021
I commented a few times – Covid scrambled his brain, Carrie stepped in with ‘green’ nonsense, now he’s brainwashed.
September 2, 2021
Sir John
Galley slaves would reduce our carbon footprint, what a good idea.
Roger
September 2, 2021
Well. If you actually consider all the food production and preparation processes not really. Human food is not a good CO2 efficient fuel. If it were we could have efficient fish, chip, peas and wine fuelled cars. Moved by artificial muscles and dumping out artificial poo every few miles. Save is true of walking and cycling.
September 2, 2021
Oh, I wasn’t proposing that the slaves should be fed!
Just employ the over 50s, don’t feed them just replace them when they keel (!) over, and think how happy that would make Andy!
September 3, 2021
Rather tricky replacing the unfed slaves quickly – especially at sea.
September 2, 2021
I’d better not name who I’d use as galley slaves.
Talking about slaves in general – the Romans did very well using slave labour. They had underfloor heating in their villas. I’d like some of that.
September 2, 2021
And forcing E10 onto owners of older vehicles will ultimately destroy the engines. I own vintage motor scooters. I’m told I can use premium fuel which will remain at E5 for another five years creating an increased cost to me. Then what?
Just a thinly disguised sop to the Green fanatics to remove vehicles they don’t like, altogether.
September 2, 2021
+1
September 2, 2021
+1
Got it in one…
September 2, 2021
+1
September 2, 2021
+1
September 2, 2021
So somewhere in the world arable land that could be used to produce food is to be used instead to produce fuel.
Which would we prefer the world be short of, food or fuel?
September 2, 2021
Indeed. Biofuels have appallingly already caused much famine.
September 2, 2021
This seems more about a ‘virtue signal’ than a practical solution. Letting the EU know they are still in charge of the UK on the one hand then suggesting to the ‘climate extremists’ your Government cares.
Does it reduce CO2, NO. There is no indication that it does and the studies come up as inconclusive.
The countries that have gone this route have done so simply because they can grow the fuel, Brazil being the major one. The US has had E85 as they call it for at least the last 20 odd years I have been travelling around there. Major US motor sports have been using it at 100% for over 20 years as well.
For the UK without turning over good arable land for its production it means the main component has to be imported. This highlights the UK Governments preoccupation with the ‘Grandstanding’ ‘Virtue Signal’ without thinking things through.
September 2, 2021
My reaction, when I read the first paragraph was, for goodness sake, when will this ridiculous obsession stop?
Orangutangs are decreasing in number because their staple diet of various nuts is becoming depleted because theyâre being used for fuel. Animalsâ natural habitats are being destroyed and replaced by solar panel farms. Birds are being ripped to shreds by wind farmsâŠThe green agenda to âcontrolâ the climate (try and play God?) will be at the expense of the environment!!
And I totally agree, inviting the rest of the world to live here is crazy, our boat is full.
All this crazy nonsense makes me so cross. In my lifetime, all the stuff that governments are attempting to ban, have been encouraged. All this throwaway society, buy cheap from the other side of the world, produce non repairable goods, everything became plasticâŠ..
And now, theyâre trying to reinvent the wheel – out of cauliflowers or similar.
Itâs crazy, crazy, crazy and frankly, all a bit sick!
September 2, 2021
+1
Mega sickâŠutterly deranged.
September 2, 2021
@ Sharon
“Orangutangs are decreasing in number because their staple diet of various nuts is becoming depleted because theyâre being used for fuel”
Not so. Orangutans are in decine because the rainforest that they live in is being chopped down and converted to palm oil plantations. The palm oil is used to make lipstick, amongst other cosmetics.
“Animalsâ natural habitats are being destroyed and replaced by solar panel farms”
Again, not so. The solar farm installers sow grass meadow seed under the panels and farmers pay to run sheep on the new meadows, which also provide pesticide-free habitat for butterflies and moths and grasshoppers. And at the end of their life, when the solar panels are removed, the meadow remains.
“Birds are being ripped to shreds by wind farms”
It is true that onshore windfarms do kill a few birds – but not the offshore windfarms. The RSPB estimated last year in a report that roughly 2500 birds were affected across the UK, but that this should be compared to the ~350,000 songbirds that domestic cats kill for sport each year.
I do wish that people would check their facts before knocking green solutions to the climate emergency.
September 2, 2021
Agree with every single word…especially ”its crazy”
September 2, 2021
Sharon, I have been saying the same for a long time. The very things we are supposed to be protecting are being destroyed by these stupid policies which at the end of the day will achieve very little if anything. We will go down in history as the generation that did the most harm to the natural world. What an achievment.
September 2, 2021
Another Government fudge to be on some sort of message. Every single part of the Governments thought process seems to be devoted to the message and not the ramifications of their utterings. Every part of the UK Governments ‘eco warrior’ stance so far has required major additional importation of materials and components from the Worlds dirtiest places, moved to the UK in an unpleasant manner.
Never forget the Worlds greatest polluters, producing some 70% of the situation, are not playing Boris’s game, they are not cutting back they intend to make vast profits to ensure their Countries wealth, education and health for a prosperous future.
The failure of the UK Government is in not protecting its people. If the doomsayers turn out to be 100% correct there is nothing in the UK Governments proposals that will protect its citizens at any level. The UK is just 1% of the problem, if it removes all life from the Country it will still have no effect. If all the countries that have signed up to reduce did the same it will still have no effect. Good Government would be focused on how to make sure the Country survives with an extra 3 degrees. That is not defeatism that is practical application
September 2, 2021
Well expressed. But the leaders of your party and government are not interested. If they were they would not be imposing their green fanaticism and control on us in this way without answers to all your questions.
Debate is welcome but of limited use as events prove. Note on the other hand how government submits to ‘green’ extremists here and authorities abroad. Similar counter action is required not just against government but media that pushes the green Project Fear too.
September 2, 2021
Witness the lack of action by the police if ER/BLM protest and block our streets but huge over reaction when older ladies protest against pandemic lockdown. Sick to death of this left wing non sense supported by a former conservative party, now green yellow. Carrie on Boris.
September 2, 2021
Yes, well said.
What is the relationship between tories and those groups?
Are their never sanctioned antics meant to instil more fear in the sheeple?
September 2, 2021
…and the BBCs lack of report recent XR protests
September 2, 2021
This pointless exercise will achieve nothing. I have three classic cars which I will have to switch to super unleaded as the seals in the fuel systems will be damaged by a 10% Ethanol mix. I don’t believe manufacturers who say some 20 yr old cars are safe on it.
It’s not as if we have the capacity to produce huge quantities of plant-based fuel when the world population is growing at an unsustainable rate.
September 2, 2021
As you say Sir John where do the crops come from. Ethanol is also corrosive, therefore more maintenance, more replacements, more imports delivered by unsavory means from the countries that are not listening to Boris.
It the ‘grandstanding virtue signal’ really more important than the UK economy, its wealth, health, education and infrastructure – the people of the UK even.
September 2, 2021
@Nota# – From all the action (or lack of) so far I guess the next step it for Boris to set his deck chair out on a nice beach somewhere and command the tide to go back. Or maybe head for the fens and charge at Windmills!
September 2, 2021
Ha!
Our beach here would be great!
Tide comes in dangerously and rapidly.
And it just donât listen to cant and hypocrisy.
September 2, 2021
Nota#. You don’t understand. All this brings us into line with France and Germany and that’s what matters. Sod us.
September 2, 2021
I was unaware of this âethanol in petrolâ issue until recently. Having read something about it, I noticed the next time I filled my car that the pump had âE10â written on it. It seems that 10% ethanol in petrol is already here.
I checked that my car is suitable for E10 petrol and it is. I find it odd that I knew nothing about this and that some people, presumably similarly ignorant, may be damaging their engines. Has their been a sort of conspiracy of silence or am I the only who didnât realise the petrol I was buying was 10% ethanol.
Mr. Redwood – it intrigues me that you, as it were, pose questions of the government on here. Canât you, as a long serving MP and former minister, simply ask the current Minister(s) and get the answers and let us all know via this site?
Reply Yes I am asking them in parallel
September 2, 2021
E10 is currently about E5.6. E5 is about E4.6. It will go higher but vary according to the bioethanol availability (good/ poor harvests) and the cost of being a net importer of ethanol. Also by the summer winter changes refineries make to the fuel volatility. Vehicles using high ethanol blends won’t start up in very cold climates.
“Ethanol from grass not grains” is the last thing Corn and Wheat farmers want to hear. The EU/UK are setting limits on grain sourced ethanol; down to circa 2% by the end of the decade I think.
September 2, 2021
Apparently, as some have said before on this blog, we already have E5 petrol ie 5% ethanol.
Elsewhere they have 10% E10.
The reason they ( govt) are so keen on it is because it allows their dodgy ( as Greta said) carbon accounting.
If ethanol is made from plants and plants absorb CO2 they can can offset some of the manufacturing CO2. Utter crafty, dishonest rubbish.
The roll out of E10 in the U.K. seems to have been delayed due to a few minor considerationsâŠlike 600,000 cars are not compatible with it ( is scrapping CO2 neutral?) and as RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: âthose with E10 compatible cars will unfortunately find they are getting fewer miles to the gallon as the fuel is less efficient than E5 fuel, due to it containing 5% more ethanol.â
It can be made from sawdust and fast growing grass or even lawn cuttings ( the grass cuttings collector cometh) but of course that would involve the dreaded manufacturing. Better to export that!!
September 2, 2021
@Everhopeful – its strange that a little European Girl can lecture the UK on Carbon emissions when in her own territory they shovel out twice as much per head as the UK
September 2, 2021
+99
September 2, 2021
Anyone who lives in the countryside will have noticed the dearth this year of oilseed rape – one of the main sources of vegetable oil and a major source of biofuel. Why has it gone? Because the EU banned neonicotinoids and we chose to follow. The flea beetle destroys rape and nothing else controls the flea beetle. So where is our essential supply of rape oil now coming from? The Ukraine. Our country continues to shoot itself in the foot
September 2, 2021
and hay fever suffers rejoice !
September 2, 2021
jiminyjim. Well the neonicotinoids are very bad for bees. Bees are important. We found last year when the fields were full of oilseed rape that we had no bees in our garden at all. There were no bees on the crop either. A disaster for the natural world.
September 2, 2021
The Government’s policies are loaded with contradictions, their over population policy demands we build loads more houses , yet that requires a great deal of CO2 production, like 50tons per house built , but no, no no we are told we need to build sustainable housing , but that requires cutting down trees , and aren’t we supposed to be growing them?
We have the problem that the more people the British establishment cram into our country, the more land is needed to grow food, but we will have less as that land is being concreted over to build houses for them. On top of that we have them saying their Climate Change will make sustainability a great deal more marginal, so why are they pursuing a mad policy to overload our environmental systems with mass immigration?
Early in the year around here many fields were tilled but didn’t get planted, I presume the result of the extended cold spell, then the wet weather. Defying the Greta Zealots the summer has not been a glorious one, from my uneducated eye in matters agriculture the wheat looks stunted , possibly due to this twilight world we have lived in this last month or so, and the farmers look like they have struggled to get the crops in. Yet in what seems to have been a poor crop growing season the Government picks this moment to burn food crops as fuel.
September 2, 2021
Sir J,
You mention taking valuable land out of production for environmental schemes..at least in 50 years this land will be reusable…unlike the the vast tracts of land being consumed by John Bloor and his cohorts building poor quality houses that no-one really needs,apart from your crooked mates taking back-handers from said developers.
If they where genuine about emissions , your cronies should lower the max speed limit to 50 mph, this would dramatically reduce emissions over night..along with fuel consumption..and revenue to you know who…
September 2, 2021
So ethanol produces less CO2 in the exhausts of cars. How did the ethanol get into the plants or trees . CO2. So more CO2 is required to maintain the green habitat to be cut down to cut CO2. what sort of equation is that ?
September 2, 2021
I have an ethanol fire in my lounge. The ethanol I use is produced by Poland, comes in 1 litre plastic bottles and is imported, presumably by HGV/road. So very “green” …. not. If we can’t/don’t produce our own ethanol for the current small British market, I very much doubt that we are likely to do it for the far larger petrol market.
I remember, a decade or so ago Nigel Farage pointing out that the increasing congestion on our roads was at least partly caused by the the mass immigration being forced on us. It is blindingly obvious to Joe Public that importing hundreds of thousands of mostly young, working age people each year also means hundreds of thousands of additional cars on the roads (as well as a housing shortage etc). But of course, MPs from the Establishment Parties and the mainstream media howled him down, with the usual cries of racism. But it was, and I expect still is, a provable FACT that traffic levels across the country had been rising at 2 -4% every year for over a decade, with the SE worst affected.
Yet the Establishment still refuse to admit that mass immigration has negative consequences for this country and they still refuse to do anything to reduce it.
September 2, 2021
@ Donna
Nobody posting on the bog this morning seems to know that ethanol is in fact the alcohol that is imbibed in beverages such as beer, whisky, rum, gin, wine, cocktails etc. You could run your ethanol fire on scotch – or if you are realy affluent, you could try a malt. If not, try methanol – commonly known as “methylated spirits” You can get it from B&Q for about 87p per half litre. It is distilled from wood chips. Don’t try drinking it tho, it’s highly toxic
September 2, 2021
I very much doubt that anyone posting here isn’t aware that ethanol is basically alcohol. As I said, mine comes from Poland.
September 3, 2021
@Donna
Re. Traffic
I used to live in Mr. Redwoodâs constituency – for the best part of 30 years. During that time literally thousands more houses have been built – on top of the massive developments in Woodley and Earley in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
I left because the traffic is now intolerable. I hate going back there to visit my family because it is like a nuthouse with people and cars everywhere. And people seem to be angry.
Here in West Dorset life feels sane again. Everyone you meet in the street greets you and, apart from when the tourists are here, life is very peaceful. No massive housing estates here.
I am amazed the MP for Wokingham could not have put his foot down and have said NO to the massive new developments. Nobody wanted them but, as always seems to be the case, the government doesnât give a monkeyâs what people think because they know they can do whatever they want and people (not me) will still vote for them.
September 2, 2021
Do we need an education department any more?
Or a Minister for that matter?
Apparently schools are set to close again.
Whatâs the long term effect or risk assessment of constant nasal swabs, coated in whatever, on teeny nostrils?
September 2, 2021
I heard on the radio that China is demanding the US drops all sanctions before they will talk about climate change issues, particularly their continual expansion of coal fired power stations.
There is no point in the UK going ahead trying to hit hugely expensive and damaging targets when we produce so little of the world’s greenhouse gases – less than 1%.
The West should be imposing more tariffs on China rather than less. The arrogant Xi seems to forget that his country enjoys enormous trade surpluses with us all. We would all benefit from more home grown manufacturing at the expense of China and it could be done with a large net reduction in carbon.
September 2, 2021
Both China and Russia have inherited the Mongol imperial gene,whose statecraft has been succintly summed up as :
“Dialogue as submission,trade as tribute.”
In Russia’s case it is cloaked in the silkiest Byzantine diplomacy,in China’s it is more nakedly brazen.
September 2, 2021
Indeed, even if the global warming “science” were true. The reality is it is a political tool based on manipulated data.
September 2, 2021
Youâve just described the art of social engineering using fear & propaganda
September 2, 2021
The introduction of E10 merits a few questions and clear answers.
Where are the crops grown.
Where are the crops processed to produce ethanol.
Is the ethanol produced in the UK.
Is the ethanol incorporated into the end fuel in the UK.
Answer the above questions and we can make sensible comment.
September 2, 2021
You need to look at the effect on global supply. Pretending that we are buying ethically sourced ethanol while ignoring that the increased global demand is satisfied by agricultural methods that increase emissions is just as false as pretending that the coal fired electricity produced at the other end of the BritNed interconnector is zero carbon.
September 2, 2021
+1
September 2, 2021
Talking of foolish and damaging policies I see the Labour Party have the brass neck to criticise the govt for U.K. pupils having lost more school days during the covid panic than any other country in Europe except Italy. Some, like Sweden, have lost none (with no worse result for covid). Indeed the school closures have been a shameful folly. But they have been driven in large part by shrill demands from the leftwing teaching unions and the Labour Party. Letâs ignore such people from now on and make sure that no school (or university) gets away with using covid as an excuse for failing to do its job in future.
September 2, 2021
Since I was a school governor I’ve always believed that the education system is run for the benefit of the teachers and not the pupils. Covid 19 has proved that to be the case. This applies across much of the public services, especially the disgraceful going ons at the DVLA.
Hardly surprising because the union covering the staff in Swansea is run by Mark Serwotka, etc. Ed If DVLA staff don’t go back to normal working, the Swansea office should be restricted to working on Welsh and Scottish business and matters for England should be transferred to a new office located in England. A large number of the staff would then lose their jobs.
September 2, 2021
I think the figures they are quoting are UK based, ignoring the fact that Education in Wales, Scotland and NI is devolved.
Still it is the story that counts!
September 2, 2021
The government needs to be grounded by Engineers and realists instead of PR and gimmick conjurors and get out more into the mainstream traffic that we have to put up with.
It would do wonders to see Boris in a hard hat and Hi-Vis jacket stuck in a traffic jam explaining his plan on camera. Also visiting hotels with immigrants and seeing off deported illegals at airports etc.
September 2, 2021
-grounded by Engineers –
Yes ,that would be a great step forward. We have had SAGE for some time now but we really need more
comment from experienced Chartered Engineers on the issues being discussed.
September 3, 2021
Based on this blog it appears people would rather believe/support those who express comfortable and aligned opinions than worry about whether the person is actually qualified or even correct.
September 3, 2021
Waste of time. The position of engineers and scientists in this country has been undermined for too long. It is not worth the energy or effort to force that issue.
You only have to look at how incorrect but palatable assertions are treated on this blog compared to more “grounded” but palatable observations.
September 3, 2021
.. “grounded” but unpalatable observations
September 2, 2021
Left wing academics advising a Tory government? What could possibly go wrong?
I would suggest visiting Germany or China and talking to a 15 year old pupil of chemistry or physics who has not been indoctrinated by British academia, who are fervent Green crusaders.
They will explain that using plant-based raw materials releases less carbon compounds per pound because you need to burn so much more of it. Importing wood chips from thousands of miles away to burn for energy is the height of insanity if judged on Green terms.
September 2, 2021
Another ridiculous eco policy that does far more harm than good. Ethanol is a terrible fuel that only people who do not have to worry about what it does to their vehicle would want it. The thrust of all government policy is to restrict travel to the elite, imprison us in smart cities and make normal life impossible. This is the worst government in British history and that is against strong competition.
September 2, 2021
@Lisa +1 Do they care, as long as the get media attention the consequences of the deed has no meaning
September 2, 2021
The Green lobby along with the COVID-19 scam are designed to remove out traditional freedoms!
Yes will own nothing and you will be happy
I was born a free man and I will continue to be an unvaxxed free man despite Johnsonâs ambitions.
September 2, 2021
+1
I support your cynicism fully!
September 2, 2021
+99
September 2, 2021
You ask some very important questions and make some very interesting points Sir John.
As the populations of many Western countries lurch towards embracing a plant based diet, we see more and more forests cleared in order to provide land on which to grow vegetable proteins such as soya.
I worry where the land needed to grow these bio fuels will come from.
Then there is the question of how to maintain high yields year after year without using chemical fertilisers.
I agree we need to be self sufficient in food, fuel and military supplies but do we have enough suitable land for all these extra crops? During Ww2, we were under siege and came close to running out of food and I suspect we grew far more then compared to now and had far fewer people too.
My cynical side can see why governments at both national and local level like the idea of re Wilding it saves them money by not needing to maintain the land by mowing it etc.
Clearly government will need to set out it’s priorities regarding the three competing land needs ie. Food, fuel and people.
September 2, 2021
Have you looked into the possibility of farming seaweed for fuels? There is a lot of effort going into it, and while the technical problems are challenging the potential is vast. Purely to demonstrate the scale: a rough calculation assuming 15Mj/Kg, 10 dryKg/m^2/year, and 50% loss in processing suggests that farming fourteen percent of the worlds oceans would provide all the energy mankind currently gets from fossil fuels (10^10 Tons oil equivalent/year). A technology government should back?
September 2, 2021
Weâve got 200+ years of fossil fuels available â whatâs wrong with using that
September 3, 2021
14% of the worldâs oceans!!! A vast, vast area then.
September 2, 2021
The government are in headless chicken mode, scurrying around trying to find solutions to a problem that is a figment in a tale that gets repeated every so often, so that blame can be apportioned out accordingly, and good people made to feel guilt.
Destroying the ability to grow food-crops, when we have a perfectly viable product in use for providing energy, a product that is a lot more efficiently used now than when they first started warbling on about Co2, demonstrates just how lost they are – Do they even know what planet they are on?
Given the authorities ability to extrapolate and manage statistics, to cause fear and alarm, not to mention how they NEVER get a forecast right, economic or otherwise, why should we be taken in so easily by any of their calls of ‘WOLF, WOLF’. We surely have had enough of being manipulated.
The answer is to get rid of all the mathematic modellers and psychologists that determine government policy, for it is certain that far too many MPs now also believe the stories and are lost to rationality.
September 2, 2021
+1
September 2, 2021
These are not the policies of the Conservative Party, they’re the policies of the Green Party and Extinction Rebellion (XR)……..and yet the Tory MPs are backing them
September 2, 2021
You mean Carrie backs them, so will Boris and the sheep MPs say baa! baa!
September 2, 2021
+9
Exactly — It is Extinction Rebellion that want to remove any goodness we have in our so called civilisation …. Just why do we have Boris following their destructive ideology – He’s supposed to be an educated man, and yet he falls for the biggest scam ever!
September 2, 2021
I would like to see the governmentâs calculations that moving from E5 to E10 petrol will be equivalent to taking 300K off the road particularly since E10 has a lower energy content and as a result fuel consumption will increase.
If the government has not reduced the fuel duty to take into account the reduced energy content then the increased fuel consumption will mean the government will take more money in fuel duty tax and the introduction of E10 becomes the modern equivalent of the old trick used by past Kings to make money by debasing the coinage.
Reducing the energy content of fossil fuels will also reduce the range differences between fossil fuelled vehicles and EVs and hence provides another nudge towards EVs.
September 2, 2021
I think the calculations are utterly bogus. You correctly point out that there will be increased fuel consumption for a start. Studies show that increasing global bioethanol production means ploughing up more land and slashing into Amazon forests etc., with consequences for emissions in the agricultural sector that offset and probably exceed the alleged emission saving. It is yet another example of green virtue signalling that has negative consequences for the planet, even if it allows an accounting benefit on territorial emission here.
A side effect is to reduce the life of petrol engined vehicles. That means they have to be replaced sooner. Since about half of a vehicle’s lifetime emissions come from its manufacture, this only adds to the negative consequences at the global level.
September 2, 2021
Mark :
“A side effect is to reduce the life of petrol engined vehicles. That means they have to be replaced sooner.”
Yes, contaminating the fossil fuel to slowly destroy ICEs is also an effective way to nudge people quicker to buying EVs.
This may first happen with powered garden tools.
September 2, 2021
The price of E10 is around the same in supermarket filling stations. The fuel consumption was found to increase by 10% for small engines, which now accounts for most petrol cars. My C1 mini dropped from 57 mpg to 43 on the same trip. Using the premium higher octane consumption went up to 60mpg. It is therefore worth paying more for the super grade fuel. However, at the BP station the super grade now costs ÂŁ1.55/ltr. It’s less at supermarkets.
Prof MscKay in his SEWTHA describes the production of ethanol from corn as the least efficient in terms of energy in to energy out. The manufacture of ethanol from corn is big business in the USA and a powerful lobby. This is where we will be buying it. Brazil runs on ethanol from sugar and grows it in tropical areas with much less energy input.
The Treasury and oil companies win. The motorist and environment lose.
September 2, 2021
I don’t think the oil companies win. If it were cheaper they would be the ones pushing for its use. Instead there has to be a mandated minimum content. It has probably been one of the factors behind rising pump prices in recent months.
September 3, 2021
10% increase in quantity sold because of drop in mpg.
September 2, 2021
There appears to be a direct correlation between our massive taxation and the mad green policies and the insane immigration policies of this government
You donât have to be a rocket scientist to realise that someone has to pay the price of importing people the size of Wolverhampton every year
September 2, 2021
Off topic, I have a little letter in today’s Maidenhead Advertiser under the heading:
“Shifting position and goods after Brexit”
“Simon Bond correctly points out that I offered no alternative to the Northern Ireland protocol in my letter printed on August 19.
However I did so in previous letters, with the first headed “Easy solution to EU border conundrum” printed on February 22 2018.
I am glad to say that at last government thinking seems to be moving in the right direction, with the recent Command Paper.
I have here an email from the Cabinet Office, stating that the proposals now being made: “… would mean that full customs and SPS processes are applied only to goods genuinely destined for the EU while allowing goods made to UK standards and regulated by UK authorities to circulate freely in Northern Ireland.”
That seems perfectly sensible to me, because while the EU clearly has a legitimate interest in the nature of the goods entering its own territory it has no comparable interest in goods circulating outside of its Single Market.
Whether that be in Northern Ireland, or in the rest of the UK, or in any other “third country”.
Or are we to suppose, for example, that the EU should be able to dictate to the US government what goods are permitted in the US?
Moreover the UK government makes a generous offer to help the EU protect its Single Market by bringing in
“new legislation to deter anyone in the UK looking to export to the EU goods which do not meet EU standards or to evade these enforcement processes”.
Which is in fact close to the central suggestion that I offered to Theresa May some three and a half years ago.”
That letter printed on February 22 2018 is still available on the newspaper’s website:
https://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/news/letters-to-the-editor/128146/easy-solution-to-eu-border-conundrum.html
September 2, 2021
Why can you not accept the Brexit you voted for – rather than moaning about it the whole time? You were warned about this. You chose not to listen. One wonders why your letters are not filed in the bin.
September 2, 2021
See “Tim Martin”
September 2, 2021
Maybe because they are interesting intelligent and factual letters, unlike your comments here.
Here’s another one I’ve just sent to the Irish Independent, which has welcome my letters in the past:
“Sir
According to Leo Varadkar Northern Ireland is now in a “unique position”, with “access to the European single market and the Great British market”, “something that no other territory has”.
(“DUP leader âdid not mince his words on Brexit protocolâ, says Leo Varadkar”)
What nonsense. There are nearly two hundred countries around the world which have access to both markets, albeit with varying degrees to which there are tariff and non-tariff barriers.
From a purely economic, rather than constitutional, perspective, the question is whether the avoidance of trade barriers between Northern Ireland and the EU market compensates for the creation of trade barriers between the province and the rest of the UK.
And the answer to that relatively simple question is that the net economic effect may be positive for the Irish Republic but it is certainly negative for Northern Ireland, even if the recently estimated cost of ÂŁ850 million per year should not be regarded as exact.
Yours etc.”
Reference: https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/esmond-birnie-the-irish-sea-border-is-costing-northern-ireland-ps850m-a-year-3344732
September 2, 2021
The vote was to leave the EU
The Northern Ireland Protocol is something politicians subsequently created.
September 2, 2021
Andy -Curiously you seem to be the only one constantly moaning.
September 3, 2021
I think the answer to your question is easy. Why canât we accept the Brexit we voted for? Because we didnât get the Brexit we voted for. On my ballot paper it asked whether to stay in the EU or leave. I voted to leave. We havenât left.
September 2, 2021
Hello Sir John,
As a long term reader of your daily diary it seems you have something lacking in our government & most MPs, common sense. Yet if you can’t influence the government to do things sensibly & based on proper facts & benefits what chance have we got? My MP rigidly supports the government whatever they propose or do. So perhaps an article on how we can really influence what our government does would be helpful. You did write one some time ago suggesting it was up to us as voters to make our views known, but how do we do that when we are ignored. Does the PM or Ministers ever invite MPs like yourself to a meeting where they listen & learn?
September 2, 2021
+9
September 2, 2021
KfL
Listen and learn?
Them? You are having a laugh
September 2, 2021
It’s hardly carbon neutral if one has to chop down rain forest to grow the vegetation to turn into bioethanol and then transport it halfway around the world.
Is the equivalence figure being quoted of 300,000 vehicles for E10 as a whole or the incremental 5% increase in ethanol from E5 to E10?
September 2, 2021
When we joined the EU we produced three quarters of our food; the figure now is below 50%. We have had forty years of the CAP designed to facilitate French agriculture paid for by us in contributions to the EU budgets, forty years in which our farmers were restricted by quotas to what they could produce, forty years in which farmers were paid for holding land and not growing anything on it and what do we have now? An imbecilic government that believes that farmland should be used to save the planet by covering it it in solar arrays and feedstock for the manufacture of ethanol from vegetation.
The Environment department needs to produce a plan to get our food production right up. Have they torn up the CAP system and produced a policy such that farmers are paid to grow food for a change? How do they intend to support home production against an onslaught from down under? It is essential from every point of view that our countryside which is an open factory for producing food is used to its highest potential. Self-sufficiency in food is far more important than in any other product. We are out of the EU; now it is time to think for ourselves and get our priorities right.
September 2, 2021
The government seems to think that rewilding the countryside is to be preferred to agriculture. Net zero demands that the rural economy as well as the industrial economy must be destroyed.
September 2, 2021
We can’t wait to go on an overgrown fields and forest day’s hiking, and trying to ignore the hunger pains as a result of not being able to get enough to eat in this brave new tomorrow.
September 2, 2021
+1
September 2, 2021
The interesting bit here is that the consultation about 10% ethanol in car petrol opened in March 2020. The summary of this consultation appeared on gov.uk on 25/02/2021.
What did Sir John contribute to the consultation? Was there a comment on this blog last February? If nothing was done during the consultation, it is difficult not to take his comment today as a very rear-guard âactionâ.
September 2, 2021
Was increasing ethanol from E5 (5% ethanol mix with petrol) to E10 Carrieâs idea as it wasnât in the manifesto ?
Weâre screwing everyone with the ICE vehicle ban in 2030, so lets screw with the fuel with everyone else who hasnât brought a new electric car
Whats next massive tax hike for using E10 fuel comrade ?
September 2, 2021
It was in line with EU regulations. We should have had the opportunity not to follow their track. It isn’t green anyway.
September 2, 2021
Glen
Rest assured the rate of taxes will increase on ICE vehicles the closer we get to 2030, then they will massively increased after that date, at the same time taxes will then start to be introduced for electric vehicles, because the Government cannot afford to lose the revenue.
Its all about money really, the green issue is just an excuse to increase taxation. !
September 2, 2021
I am probably more “Green” than some, but I don’t like this use of plants, as it diverts food production from the poorest people in the world.
September 2, 2021
I’m all for being ‘green’ but I want the choice
September 2, 2021
From these daily strands, I’m beginning to detect increasing hatred for the Johnson government, from a group of committed Conservatives. I wonder when our back-benchers will start noticing it.
September 2, 2021
I think you are right SW – people aren’t completely daft, they can see what this Government actually does (or fails to do) – not just say – and they are starting to think that they must be either incompetent or dishonest – possibly both.
We do not appear to be able to control our borders, come up with any kind of coherent energy or industrial strategy and are committing to (so called) ‘Green’ policies that don’t make very much sense. Boris was the clear winner when compared to Corbyn but it wasn’t a great choice really. In the unlikely event of Labour finding someone half presentable (a real challenge when you look at the current shadow crew) – then the Conservatives (big ‘C’) would be in real trouble.
Here in sunny Wokingham, we have the dilemma of an MP we like but who is a member of a party we often have serious doubts about (but that’s just the wife and myself). Of course the Lib Dems seem to have a lot of money to burn around here – they seem to post three times as much promo bumpf through the letterbox as the local conservatives do, so maybe they will manage to unseat Sir John eventually…pity but I’ve held my nose when voting for Cameron and then Johnson led governments before for him and I’m sure others might be of the same mind…
September 3, 2021
How many other Tory MPs have a web site like this where a MP hears what at least a few people think.
If an MP got 10,000 emails complaining about ethanol in petrol or the Tory governmentâs high immigration policy – they might start bending the ear of ministers. But apathy stalks the land.
September 2, 2021
Another nonsensical proposal from government. As you rightly say Sir John, as with many other issues, the answer lies in immigration control. Our country is also going to be a more dangerous place if mass immigration for Afghanistan and other such places is allowencouraged.
September 2, 2021
Freed from the 2018 EU Court of Justice, Crispr gene editing may be used by British scientists to grow a new strain of wheat to reduce levels of asparagine, a naturally occurring amino acid. When wheat is used to make bread and toast asparagine is converted into acrylamide which is thought to be carcinogenic. Permission has been given by DEFRA, for Rothamstead Research in Hertfordshire to run a trial.
September 2, 2021
When all ICE cars are banned, when all fossil fuel burning is stopped, when production of oil & gas is prohibited âŠâŠwhere are the Greens going next â after your electricity
They (one MP) want to curtail all power generation, petrol is just an easy target at the moment
September 2, 2021
Whatever the truth of Climate Change actually is, the fact remains that we are in the hands of others with respect to CO2 emissions. We could reduce our emissions to absolute (not Net) Zero and it still wouldn’t change the overall global situation.
What is within our power, is to spend our efforts and money to protect ourselves as best possible – most likely here in UK from the extreme effects of flood and drought. We could of course also find ways to reduce our overall energy consumption and end the dreadful waste that people now see as being normal – I think it’s called “consumerism”.
September 3, 2021
What’s wrong with ‘consumerism’ the alternative is ‘communism’
September 3, 2021
They donât want to curb all power generation. They just want power generation to be clean and sustainable. Sounds sensible to me.
September 2, 2021
Well John, having read all the posts today I can only say I think this government has completley lost the plot. I can’t remember a time when I felt such utter despair over what is going on. What saddens me in particular is the utter destruction of our natural world. We have no right to do this for such folly.
September 2, 2021
Some very sensible arguments put forward today Sir John.
It is obviously complete nonsense to transport the ingredients of bio-fuels across the Atlantic, using fossil fuels, in order to reduce Britain’s use of fossil fuels on our roads.
It is also a daft idea to reduce our capacity to grow our own food, in any way, for any alternative use, given our relatively small land area.
Actually, lets face it, the whole demonising of carbon dioxide is a total nonsense.
The truth is that all the world powers are arguing about who has access to known oil supplies.
We probably still have accessible coal and improved methods of getting it and processing it.
There is almost certainly natural gas and even oil available by fracking.
It is cost that prevents us accessing more north sea oil.
The rest of the world is busy staking a claim to known sources of uranium for nuclear energy.
Meanwhile your Party Leader seems to think Britain can run on electricity produced by sun and wind.
No one can be that stupid.
September 2, 2021
At least we now know why there is a war on drinking alcohol now. They want it for fuel instead.
September 2, 2021
OT: no matter what your politics on foreign policy, I recommend Nick Cohen’s article about the Foreign Secretary in The Spectator: a blistering attack posing multiple questions, the best of which is the last one.
My answer: the country needs to re-calibrate its expectations and partner closely with Canada: a G7 NATO country that similarly finds itself to the north of a powerful & inattentive neighbour, shares many common values, enjoys the benefit of Her Majesty as head of state, and is now its closest peer in the global power game.
September 3, 2021
When the US bread basket turns into dustbowl,the USA will annex Canada.
September 2, 2021
Biofuels are grown on land that would otherwise be used to grow crops that human beings can eat. I once met a Frenchman who was growing biofuels in Cote D’Ivoire. Not surprisingly, he was running into a certain amount of hostility from the locals.
September 6, 2021
Quote:
Rory. Torrance.
September 2, 2021
Have you looked into the possibility of farming seaweed for fuels? There is a lot of effort going into it, and while the technical problems are challenging the potential is vast. Purely to demonstrate the scale: a rough calculation assuming 15Mj/Kg, 10 dryKg/m^2/year, and 50% loss in processing suggests that farming fourteen percent of the worldâs oceans would provide all the energy mankind currently gets from fossil fuels (10^10 Tons oil equivalent/year). A technology government should back?
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So, no one checked my math; I did, and itâs not fourteen percent but more like one and a half percent of ocean area that is required.
This makes seaweed farming the only renewable energy source I can see which could be done at a scale comparable to the size of the problem we face. I think we had better make it work. It would be good if the UK could lead the way on this one.