I have recently asked some questions about the amount of energy we import and about the capacity we have available to generate electricity.
The governmentĀ said their capacity auctions have “secured the majority of GB’s needs to meet the forecast peak demand out to 2024/5 at a low cost”. It is true it says the majority. Does that mean the minority can be covered but at less satisfactory prices, or does it mean there is still a theoretical gap? If the latter they need to auction some more requirements.
When I asked if they would keep the remaining coal stationsĀ available which had to be used recently when we had a windless period, I was told they do not plan to do so as they use the capacity auction system. I fully accept that capacity auctions can be the best way of procuring the cheapest next available power, and these are indifferent as to ways of generating. The point about asking is that they have just had to use the coal stations, so putting a ball and chain through them might not be a great idea. If there are cheaper and better ways of guaranteeing sufficient capacity then of course the coal stations couldĀ be demolished but only after better sources of reliable power have been secured.
I went on to ask if they were thinking of converting the coal stations they have just had to use to biomass, as they have done with the bulk of the capacity at Drax. They ruled that out in their response.
When I asked about substituting more UK produced gas for some of the expensive gas we are importing, including long distance LNG, I was told that they offered but “conditional support for ongoing domestic gas production”. I still do not understand why they think imported gas is better in any circumstances. Long distance gas brought in on ships must be less green given the transport involved and probably dearer.
It appears that gaining a low domestic carbon dioxide score is the main driver of policy. Policy needs to ensure sufficient UK energy capacity at affordable prices as well. Importing timber pellets or gas is not a carbon win on any sensible accounting scheme.
November 4, 2021
Good morning,
I greatly appreciate our esteemed host for this site; but todays post is, sadly, a metaphor for the tin-eared, arrogance and self-entitlment that infects the Parliamentary Conservative Party.
Sir John, the PCP is a disgrace, ethically and morally; it is unfit to govern and the PM is the worst of the lot of you.
November 4, 2021
Indeed. The party of sleaze is back.
November 4, 2021
This is nonsense. You are clearly alluding to the Owen Paterson case, but here it is the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards who needs to be castigated, not Paterson. If you read the report you will see that for one of the accusations they refer to “a matter of interpretation” and for another they say that Paterson’s position “stretches credulity”. In other words, they cannot PROVE that he was wrong or that he broke rules that were categorical, but merely that they don’t agree with his interpretation of the rules or the events. In other words, it is simply a case of their opinion being different to his opinion.
I don’t believe that the opinion of an UNELECTED official (who may well be motivated by different political affiliations and beliefs) should take precedence over the opinion of an ELECTED representative of the people. I just wish that Boris Johnson would show a bit of courage for once and simply sack the woman saying that he no longer had any confidence in her political neutrality or her ability to do the job in a fair and sensible way.
November 4, 2021
It just keeps getting funnier. The other day I compared Boris to King Canute, but today he has been doing his best Grand Old Duke of York impression, first marching his troops one way and then doing the usual cretinolus U-turn and marching them the other way! Don’t Constervative MPs ever get fed up being humiliated by this gutless moron? How many weak, stupid, cowardly U-turns will they put up with? Won’t they ever say ‘enough is enough’ and declare they have lost confidence in him?
Not that Jacob Rees Mogg is any better. I thought he was a man of honour but it turns out I was wrong. He too has engaged in this U-turn. He seems to believe that Labour, the party that LOST the election, has a right to veto government policies by refusing to engage in ‘consensus’. Who the hell wants consensus with the vile Labour Party? Any decent Conservative would want as little to do with Labour as possible, and if they refuse to cooperate so much the better, get on and change the rules without them!
I see that Owen Paterson has now had enough which, while understandable, unfortunately shows depressing weakness on his part too. He should have told Boris to shove his whip and become an independent MP. This episode really shows how pathetic Boris is and how weak Tory MPs are to tolerate this.
November 4, 2021
The report is on publications.parliament.uk āMr Owen Patersonā. Anybody reading the whole of the 213 points (with 210 āthe aggravating factorsā and 211 āthe mitigating factorsā) could make their own mind. And maybe not rely on Charles Mooreās rather friendly take on the facts.
November 5, 2021
Thanks for putting the other side. The media has been full on discussing his ‘corruption’ and earnings of half s million over five years. Many MPs who have other skills and businesses earn more than this and with perks MPs salary over five years. The going rate for consultancy work in academia is Ā£50k. Would they prefer that he had kept quiet about the carcinogenic chemicals in the milk that his employer had found? A Labour MP was on the radio calling outside employment disgraceful. They are sponsored full time by unions in many cases.
November 5, 2021
Huge damage to environment and getting rid of ancient forests for HS2 while demanding an end to deforestation! Draw! Johnson is net stupid.
November 4, 2021
I now see that you voted “aye”.
November 4, 2021
Well said sir. No one now takes the Conservatives seriously when they talk about rules and laws. We know that if the rules and laws disadvantage one of their own, they’ll change them with retrospective effect
November 4, 2021
Gosh no one Gary?
Oh no.
Who knew.
November 4, 2021
@Peter Wood +1 with you 100%, but does anyone listen let alone comprehend how there stupidity reflects on those they serve and get to pay their wages.
November 4, 2021
Peter Wood
+ a million
Talk about fiddling whilst Great Britain burns!
For Godās sake when will someone, anyone tell Johnson that heās naked, preferably before weāve been forced to resort to the horse & cart, do I see a raised hand Sir John?
Itās parliament against the people and it wonāt end well, troops on the streets next?
November 4, 2021
We need Cromwell and Hacker type figures to rid us of this corrupt system..which , I believe, is as corrupt and immoral as the Royal system that Hacker and Cromwell fought to remove …to remove the despot Charles 1st….we now have another contorted despot to be removed Bo Jo the half wit.
Being back the New Model Army ..
November 4, 2021
Perhaps a democratic general election might work for you CP?
November 4, 2021
Not only tin eared. We have also, it appears, a tin pot dictator as Prime Minister who is riding rough shod over the whole UK economy.
November 4, 2021
I see Sir John voted with the government yesterday. As a constituent I would like to hear his justification. As far as I am concerned that was a Rubicon crossed.
I also see Boris has abandoned his plans because the Opposition refused to get involved. So all that opprobrium incurred for nothing. I don’t suppose I am alone in thinking Boris is primarily thinking of his own skin and the ongoing investigations into his own conduct.
Then at some point there will need to be an accounting for all the billions spent on Covid contracts.
November 4, 2021
But worse by their actions yesterday they have demonstrated that with an 80 seat majority they can do as they please.
Therefore anything that is done or more importantly not done is entirely of their own choosing.
November 5, 2021
Absolutely.
They can’t blame quangos, the CS, the Opposition, Remain voters, the BBC, the European Union, nor most of the usual scapegoats.
Not for anything since that election.
November 4, 2021
A man with six kids (and counting) in different households lecturing me (with two) on my carbon footprint.
The football analogies were particularly patronising but going with that… the top two teams boycotted the league and created a super league of their own. That was the elephant in the locker room.
November 5, 2021
He does not have any morals or values and just………..lies all the time. We out of the bubble have seen through him. Climate change, one minute to midnight ……….then I’ll jump on a jet back to London and get into gas guzzlers to my private club to mix with the great and good. He will bankrupt our industry or export it with his policies and the rest of us to boot. Back to the middle ages we must go.
November 4, 2021
@Peter. Changing the rules like they change the manifesto willy nilly. What a terrible government this is.
November 4, 2021
I read about Owen Patterson in the Daily Telegraph leader by Charles Moore in which he gave some of the background to this case in advance of yesterday’s vote.
It seemed to me from that, there were grounds for believing that suspension without appeal or the evidence not being heard even from various witnesses was unfair.
And required government intervention, how they handled this has become all to evident – crack handed to say the least, but perhaps they were behind the curve, as it was obvious that fairness was not on offer, the opposition (and some erstwhile friends) smelled blood and a government “head” was at stake, “any head”!!! Would do as long as the government was wounded
Such that Owen Patterson who was a strong advocate of Brexit and I seem to remember a hero of the Somerset Levels flooding in that he counteracted EU? (?) rules regarding dredging rivers etc………..resigned today.
I believe he was targeted and “got at”
Who Kleiped on him? Who reported him?, will the person’s name be revealed who laid the poison.
This defence does not change my opinion that parliament is out of touch as it ever was with the grass roots peasants, as it ever was at the time of Brexit, the whole lot of legacy parties should have been cleared out by now.
November 4, 2021
Another explanation, not in the DT but the FT this Thursday evening, āBoris Johnsonās bruising defeat over standards reform angers Tory MPsā is that Paterson was āle dindon de la farceā (the fall guy) left out to dry by No.10 when the PM ordered a U-turn following the less than triumphant vote on Wednesday and the refusal of the opposition parties to play their part in the new committee.
The whole objective of Wednesdayās vote might not have been to save Paterson but to prevent the Independent Standards Commissioner to go on with her enquiries on the PMās expenses and paid-for holidays.
But whatever the reason, the lobby fodder of Tory MPs who voted for the Leadsom amendment did not cover themselves with glory.
November 5, 2021
So the sledgehammer wasn’t really to crack a nut then? Sounds plausible.
November 5, 2021
It’s difficult to ever disagree with Charles Moore. I still do not know enough about the Owen Paterson case to be able to form an opinion but I agree with you that, having been pro-Brexit and a critic of the EU over the causes of the flooding of the Somerset Levels, he has been ‘got at’ and that other like-minded MPs will probably start to be ‘picked off’ over the next couple of years as we lead up to the next General Election.
November 5, 2021
I think that you should research a little more thoroughly, Kathy.
November 4, 2021
This governments energy policy is totally insane. They have been buying electricity from Drax at up to Ā£4 a kilo watt hour! About 25 times what electricity should cost all to be added to our bills no doubt. They want to encourage electric cars, electric heating and heat pumps but have no low Co2 electricity for current needs let alone for EV cars and heat pumps.
Drax seems to be the largely source of UK CO2 emissions by burning wood or coal which is worse than burning coal and far, far worse than burning gas which we could easily and sensibly frack in the UK.
This mad government even subsidise and tax people to virtually force them to scrap their old cars and cause new EV ones to be built. This actually increases world CO2 emissions but they do not seem to realise this. They even call them zero emission so moronic are they!
Lord Debden tells us he has banned people talking about Kilo Watt Hours of energy – I assume because he does not understand units of energy and people like this might actually know what they are talking about unlike this foolish history graduate or his absurd climate change committee.
November 4, 2021
Now this mad, socialist, expensive energy, net zero government want to force (initially) larger companies and banks to disinvest in vital high carbon activities and produce plans to go green and lower CO2. This is a wonderful way to export jobs & capable people, deter UK investments, put energy cost up, freeze pensioners and make us all colder, poorer, more likely to be unemployed and/or be far less productive.
Yet the facts are clear CO2 is vital to greening the planet a little more is a net positive.
November 4, 2021
I can imagine some companies might decide to list elsewhere than put up with these dictatorial measures. Switzerland could be an option. There the voters held a referendum on the implications of net zero and decided they were not prepared to put up with the costs today of a putative problem in fifty plus years time. That way they would not get state snoopers telling them how to run their business.
November 4, 2021
I fear for the new compliance hoops that SMEs will now have to jump through to supply government and large companies.
More protectionism and trebles all round
November 4, 2021
+1
November 4, 2021
I believe that Boris now knows that Brexit is a disaster (because of how it was handled) and is using Greenism as a cover for the economic hardships to come – to then tell us that the coming poverty is for our own good.
——
This religion is just like Christianity. The main tenets in the Bible were “pay your punitive taxes” and “forgive the rich” because “the meek shall inherit the Kingdom of Earth in Heaven. [for their hardships]”
We’re seeing it here.
NO. Carbon offsetting doesn’t show commitment to greenism. It is just a swindle by which the rich can carry on without making a single change to their lifestyles.
November 4, 2021
NWO to the fore. Wake up people.
November 4, 2021
@lifelogic – yes insane. All these new purchases funded by the TAXPAYER are burdened with coming from some of the Worlds most polluting Countries. So under this Government we get state funded(taxpayer) addition World pollution and then the UK taxpayer gets penalised by increased taxes so the Government can hand out more money to create more pollution. A non-thinking mans Government of the worst kind.
November 4, 2021
Totally insane policy sums it up nicely. This non Government is ruled by leftist retards!
November 4, 2021
+1
I despair now of this Conservative leadership – I fear, John, that the electoral outcome for all these ‘Green’ policies may not be what most Conservative MPs would wish for.
November 4, 2021
Cameron called Milibandās energy price capping āMarxistā. The Tories labelled Miliband āRed Edā and warned the nation against him. Then they implemented his policies and then May stated she would build on it!!
Caroline Lucas is more conservative than Johnson. Get him out. He is putting his private relationships before national interest.
Johnson over ruled decision on Patel now Patterson. No standards whatsoever in his private or public life.
November 4, 2021
Sad but True
November 4, 2021
I wonder how much CO2 has been and will be squirted into the atmosphere by the volcano on La Palma this year?
November 4, 2021
Thats not man-made so deemed okay by the UN
November 4, 2021
Doubtless the āclimate expertsā have allowed for all the next 100 years of all the volcanic activity in their computer modellings. So perhaps they should give the dates and details to those who live near them! They have very expensive soothsaying computers it seems that can predict sun spot activity, volcanic activity, when we crack fusion and the likes it seems. If not we can clearly ignore them.
November 5, 2021
I would not be surprised if petrol and diesel cars were not scrapped when we are bullied into giving them up. I think they will be shipped off to the developing world which somehow will have plenty of fuel to run them.
November 4, 2021
Well done Sir John. Keep at them on this
The government’s energy policy ,like their economic one ,is confused , contradictory and incoherent
November 4, 2021
They want to offshore all heavy industries so as to meet their stupid net zero.
It’s known as levelling down.
Thousands of jobs will be lost to China as they will produce all the steel for heat pumps, steel for shipbuilding. Already we are using French steel for our nuclear subs.
We need a complete change of politicians to escape this ruinous trajectory.
November 4, 2021
I’ve just been reading Germanys Windexit which says that they are scrapping more powers worth than they are building.
Apparently the turbines are subsidised for 20 years and so when the subsidy ends they are no longer economically viable.
It’s well worth a read. No wonder they are building lignite fired stations for base load.
Maybe you could have a word in Carrie’s ear. Wind doesn’t work without subsidy.
Looking forward to our first blackout and watching the government squirm.
November 4, 2021
Thats my understanding also – no will touch them without subsidy
November 4, 2021
Glen Cullen
Not to fear Glen , Boris is here he will give it to them much as he seems to giveaway everything the taxpayer is providing.
November 4, 2021
Quite – if we truly believe in net zero then our decisions must drive net zero globally not net zero in the UK which just gives a competitive advantage to those who are less ostentatious than our government and campaigners.
November 4, 2021
Indeed as you say – “The governmentās energy policy, like their economic one, is confused, contradictory and incoherent” also mad, insane and will prove to be an economic and political disaster. As is their virtual state monopoly healthcare & schools systems. The idea of sending 50% of people to get largely worthless degrees and Ā£50K of student debt plus 6% PA interest is rather idiotic too. Then we have the transport policy and HS2 and the incompetent MoD procurement, the no deterrent policing and legal system & the ineffective immigration/border controls – they do not seem to get very much right do they?
November 4, 2021
Universities are adult creche’s, Lifelogic.
A) Hides youth unemployment figures
B) Justifies high immigration
C) Creates bonded labour
D) Invents new, lifelong, taxes
E) Empowers and expands the Soviet (educational) elites.
F) Indoctrination of adults
November 4, 2021
(G) provides university staff with a really nice salary, great pension and fantastic perks
November 4, 2021
@David Peddy +1 Just adds to the hypocrisy coming out of Downing Street
November 4, 2021
Indeed. He can’t run his private life, let alone Government.
November 4, 2021
+1
…gaining a low domestic carbon dioxide score is the main driver of policy” – shameful and dangerous.
November 4, 2021
The government do not have an energy policy and have not had one for many years. No one in government understands Energy. It is all knee jerk reaction.
November 4, 2021
Come on Mr Redwood, you know full well why this corrosive government and the Socialist State prefer to import gas over domestic development. It avoids conflict with activists and other political operators who oppose development of domestic fossil fuels. All is political. Johnson is green and woke and that cannot be in anyway compromised by doing the right thing. Necessity and utility are mere irritants
People are slowly fighting back against covid, anti-white woke and green fascism. It’ll take some time but the further the Tory-Labour idiots continue down the road to oblivion the more the public will begin to realise they are being taken for a monstrous ride and no snivelling, compliant, ‘bought’ media will be able to conceal that fact
November 4, 2021
+ 1.
Please do not present ‘a low domestic carbon dioxide score is the main driver of policy’ as a conclusion you have only just now reluctantly reached, Sir John. It has been clear for many months that Johnson is changing the party you represent into Britain’s governing Green Party. It’s disturbing to see how few of your colleagues have the integrity even to ask these questions, as you do.
November 4, 2021
+1
November 4, 2021
I think that the wider public already do realise they’re being taken for a ride. BBC reports and interviews are in no way representative of the support (or lack of) that Boris’s green policies have and the majority of people I speak to think this is mad.
November 4, 2021
Everyone thinks it mad, now just wait till thousands start to lose their jobs in the automotive / car repair sector in about 5 years….at the moment no one believes it will happen because it way off in the future – no it isn’t; plans are being made now
November 4, 2021
By the God’s I hope you are right in what you say in your last paragraph.
November 4, 2021
We all need to spread the word as the msm are all bought and paid for by us via the Green Tory Consocialists.
November 4, 2021
@Dom +1
November 4, 2021
It appears that since fewer and fewer people are bothering to watch/listen to the “nugde” and blatant propaganda pushed out by the BBC/Sky/ITV/C4 “news” departments, the Behavioural Scientists in the Nudge Unit are resorting to pushing their messages via Soap Operas and other so-called entertainment programmes.
The only way to avoid it is to stop watching and listening, which is what I and millions of others are now doing. I wonder how long it will be before they attempt to “cancel” the marvellous Neil Oliver for some minor transgression in order to shut him up?
November 4, 2021
Casualty, Holly,Coronation St and East Enders all pushing the Not Zero cause.
Just glad I don’t pay to watch this garbage.
November 5, 2021
Indeed. I have just been away for a week and, for the first time in a long time, had access to a television. There is nothing but infantile nonsense on the box. Some of the programs are beyond belief – and parody.
November 4, 2021
Google Tony Heller or Dr Patrick Moore or James Delingpole. Proper scientists and researchers who know the truth. Not the fake unqualified Attenborough. They always speak of CO2 as if it was poison. It is not but a fundamental and necessary trace gas that feeds plants, our oceans and the great barrier reefs etc. All life and Plants on Earth cannot survive at below 0.015% of CO2 in our atmosphere. They never explain or produce science that proves increasing CO2 increases temperature. It doesn’t as its a religion. They forget ice ages and times between them. Milanovic cycles, tectoinic plates, our Suns intensity, oceans, volcanoes and countless other factors that impact our climate. They talk of restoring rain forests which is of course good for the flora and fauna. Fossil fuels are finite so we’ll need alternative energy in the future. However it’s impossible to understand why we import existing fossil fuels when we could mine or frack or drill our own until we have sufficient technology to do without.
November 4, 2021
I’m having to look to Sth Korea to find drama worth watching. Even with subtitles it’s miles ahead of the BBC.
(So much for me being a racist.)
November 4, 2021
But here’s the curious thing: according to audience rating figures, all BBC/Sky/ITV/C4 programmes have been losing ground in recent years, as online alternatives expand their readership/viewership, not just the news. So is it their messaging that’s really driving the indoctrination of the public? Or are the propaganda merchants working more effectively now through social media? As I don’t use social media, I don’t know, but maybe those who do will have a view on this.
November 4, 2021
+1
November 4, 2021
Johnson is the Globalist UK Establishment puppet.
November 4, 2021
‘When I asked if they would keep the remaining coal stations …I was told they do not plan to do so as they use the capacity auction system.’ Good work by you, Sir John – and I feel that you would make a great BEIS SoS – but I promise to post shortcuts of cooling tower demolitions the next time we have a power outage. This is a government of eco-fanatics.
We must be resilient in power supply and heavy reliance on inter-connectors brings dangers. If, over time, we export as much as we import then we’re some ways to being resilient. If we’re a net importer from the likes of France – no friend – then we are in danger. Amazingly, we are expanding the number of inter-connectors but not to our friends, and fellow British citizens, in the Channel Islands.
I heard the Rolls Royce CEO on R5L this morning, talking about SMR. Each one can power a city the size of Leeds, whatever sun and wind are doing. The interviewing ‘journalist’ was concerned about the carbon footprint of the concrete that would be needed.
November 4, 2021
They can build it using carbon negative concrete!
November 4, 2021
If only ! – and if only obtaining and using the constituents were not so damaging, and the energy required was not so high and polluting.
November 4, 2021
Build Back Negatively, perhaps.
November 4, 2021
You say the interviewer’s concern was over the carbon footprint the concrete that would be needed.
Concrete never comes up as an issue when it’s to do with mass house building for the growing population due to mass immigration. Concrete never seems an issue for the windmills (or bird/bat chompers as some call them) which are concreted into the ground, unless of course the interviewer and his or her ilk believe they are just spiked into the ground like their rotary washing line!
November 4, 2021
+10
November 4, 2021
Indeed. MSM are bought and sold out long ago. Totally useless. Never any opposing view allowed. Bit like all woke/pc issues.
November 4, 2021
Of course they aren’t concerned about the concrete they have to pour to support one wind turbine , something in the order of 150 -250 m3
November 4, 2021
Hinkley Point: 190 million cubic meters of concrete = 950,000 wind turbines at 200 m^3 per turbine. Isnāt it interesting to compare numbers?
November 5, 2021
More like 190,000 cubic metres.
190 cubic metres per Megawatt for nuclear, 120 cubic metres per Megawatt for wind. Wind intermittency means nuclear comes out on top (just).
November 5, 2021
Where do you get that figure of 190 million cubic metres of concrete? If you laid a slab a metre thick, it would cover 190 million square metres. That would be a square with sides of 13.8 million metres.
So, a slab of concrete a metre thick and 8500 miles square. Sounds like inane nonsense.
November 5, 2021
Oops, slight cock up in the calculations. A slab 8.5 miles square. That might be right. Still seems a hell of a lot of concrete.
November 4, 2021
And there is the damage to the seabed too.
November 4, 2021
Sea_Warrior +1 didn’t mention the Carbon footprint of Windfarms, electric cars and all the rest though
November 4, 2021
No such worries about the concrete shipped from China for windmill bases.
November 5, 2021
Concrete shipped from China????!!!! Really? When I used to work in construction we had ready mixed plants here.
November 4, 2021
If China, USA, India, Russia, Poland, Germany and Australia are still using and developing coal and building new coal power stations, are we the one’s doing something wrong…why are we out of sync with the major players
November 4, 2021
They need highly-enriched – a bit like weapons grade – uranium though.
That’s just a tad awkward.
November 4, 2021
Have they not seen the size of the concrete bases needed for wind turbines ???
November 4, 2021
SAKARA GOLD
Spying around naval bases are we!
November 4, 2021
Sea Warrior
How many tonnes of concrete go into wind turbine bases? People wonder why the BBC is so out of touch. Like our government a complete disgrace.
November 4, 2021
Sea Warrior. Funny how they don’t question the amount of concrete needed for each wind turbine. It’s the size of an olympic swimming pool.
November 4, 2021
Sakara Gold : āThere has been no national power outage in this country since Heathās three day week.ā
Correct. There have only been (large) regional outages since.
Heathās outages were caused by Marxist political union action and not by engineering deficiencies or extreme weather.
The next national outage, which may well happen this winter, will again be through political action to limit the production of reliable energy rather than by engineering deficiencies or by extreme weather.
The irony is that this time it will be caused by Marxist fifth column action within Government and the civil service and not within the unions.
How times have changed.
November 5, 2021
Why doesn’t he worry about the 100,000 tonnes of concrete you’d have to pour on Ilkley Moor to provide a similar amount of unreliable intermittent power from wind turbines? These people suffer cognitive dissonance.
November 4, 2021
Good morning.
No ! The main driver of policy is a piece of legislation that was brought in by, RedEd and that is, The Climate Change Act. An act I might add (again) that this government has amended which calls for 100% reduction in CO2 emissions instead of 80%.
The government is either ignoring, or, deliberately creating a situation whereby our whole social economic future is changing add is about to be accelerated. Think of it as the Industrial Revolution in reverse.
November 4, 2021
Indeed yet all but a handful of MPs seem to support Ed Milibandās insane climate change act and Boris & Mayās moronic net zero and economic destruction plans.
Robert Tombs in the Telegraph today for some sanity:-
The Industrial Revolution is the latest front in the nihilistic war on our past.
Only our enemies profit from the woke bid to make us ashamed of our common national story.
November 4, 2021
I’d vote for any party that wishes to repeal the ‘climate change act’
November 4, 2021
Indeed and the May’s insane Net Zero bill.
November 4, 2021
Glen. Me too.
November 4, 2021
Indeed. It’s time for our referendum on this zero carbon. It’s too important for the all agreeing politicos to decide. Just like the Brexit vote we need an alternative choice.
November 4, 2021
There is no such thing as “your” referendum, not on anything.
Parliament is supreme.
“The people” are not mentioned in any UK constitutional context.
November 4, 2021
It time for parliament to hold a referendum on ‘net zero’ and climate change’
Is that okay
November 4, 2021
This is your decision…we will implement what you decide.
That is what the PM promised when the referendum was announced NHL.
November 5, 2021
No Government or Parliament can bind its successor.
Cameron resigned.
The next could have and should have rethought the whole stupid thing.
November 5, 2021
Well to get what you want, you just need people to vote into power a party which makes rejoining the EU the central policy in their manifesto NHL
The single Green and the handful of Lib Dems seems to demonstrate that isn’t likely to happen.
Labour would never win with rejoin as their key policy especially when it entails joining the Euro and giving up the Pound.
And they have said they will not try to rejoin
November 4, 2021
By the end of the day Sir John I think you will be totally vindicated in your line of thinking regarding energy supply let alone distribution.
For centuries man has learnt that it can not rely on wind, solar and wood to be efficient and effective as populations and industrial bases expand. Cutting down trees and then waiting 30 years for replacement stock.
This country is leader and rudderless in addressing energy supply. We have the resources use them, so put faith in the engineers, inventors as this country has always done in the past. The climate will benefit for it in the end and so will mankind
November 4, 2021
The engineers and inventors in the country are retiring and coming up for retirement, so better be quick.
The current crop of school leavers aren’t interested in a career in engineering.
November 4, 2021
They want to be celebrities…
November 4, 2021
The rules & regulations of the EU stopped all invention and innovation ā¦level playing field
November 4, 2021
There seems to be plenty of it going on in the twenty-seven.
What do you mean, exactly?
November 4, 2021
For example ā the costs for a new entrant to the motorcar market are prohibited and therefore stops the innovation of ā2-strokeā ā4-strokeā āHydrogenā burning engines, the invention of new engine design or whole vehicle design without compliance to expensive rules and regulations
November 5, 2021
Ah, like medicines, you mean?
I wonder why ever?
November 4, 2021
How many days a year do our wind turbines supply elecrticity?
Too strong winds are as bad as no or light winds.
November 4, 2021
Bob. Don’t forget also they have to apply the brakes to the blades in very cold weather as the ice damages them.
November 4, 2021
Even a childās windmill purchased at the seaside didnāt last the day without damage
November 4, 2021
I am hoping for a harsh winter and some blackouts so Boris can go the way of Heath.
November 4, 2021
It is not just Johnson who has inflicted this woke agenda on us all. There are the government Cabinet members who should have reined him in long ago from his daft diversion into fantasy land. If not the Cabinet, what of the Tory back-benchers and the Party Associations? It is the Conservative Party which has let us down and it continues to do so.
November 4, 2021
Duyfken. Quite right. All ministers are equally guilty of letting Boris ruin both the party and the country.
November 4, 2021
Your leader and our PM takes his orders on how to govern us from extremists at home and global leaders and the UN overseas.
Big talk once about regaining sovereighty from the EU only for it now to be exposed as being given to others not elected by us.
As far as the EU is concerned we are still under the power of France. And in the HoC yesterday a Minister seemed proud in announcing the government was negotiating with EDF over nuclear generation.
November 4, 2021
EDF don’t even have a proven design for their new reactors. Flammville is not producing and the Chinese equivalent has been shutdown for safety reasons and we’re going to order a second before Hinckley is tested.
November 4, 2021
Spot On
November 4, 2021
The French have had 15 years of problems with their EPR, the Finns had long delays and cost increases and the Chinese have shut down theirs. But we order a twin EPR at Hinkley and now they want another at Sizewell. Unbelievable incompetence.
November 5, 2021
The Chinese are now building Russian-designed reactors.
November 5, 2021
Follow the money.
November 4, 2021
Thanks for your efforts John, shame more media interviewers do not ask such logical and sensible questions.
It is utter madness for any developed Country to be in the clutches of another for power and energy, when it has the capability to generate its own.
So the government is looking as far ahead as 2024-25 for guaranteeing most of our supply, but is looking at 2030-35 for the banning of new petrol and diesel vehicles.
How long does it take to plan, build, and finance a power station of any sort ?
November 4, 2021
alan, the government wont have to do much banning after 2030 of petrol and diesel vehicles there will be a tipping point where fuel stations stocking petrol and diesel are no longer viable, the costs of that fuel with rise over the spending levels of the average worker.
November 5, 2021
a-tracy
Have made exactly your point a number of times in the past, and they will not turn into electric charging stations either, as the land required for parking up charging vehicles will need to be 20-30 times the size they have at the moment, so that will not be viable either.
November 4, 2021
Reading todayās comments it seems people are as fearful as me watching the government slowly ( but speeding up) the destruction of our economy.
If I ever questioned my understanding of the UN and WEFās intentions for the destruction of the worldās economy as being a conspiracy theory – I now see it happening before me. And as a writer said in their piece, Johnson wants to be the first to jump off the cliff!
It really is a Cold War against the people. Itās terrifying, but as Dom said in his post, people are starting to fight back – but thereās so much to fight against.
November 4, 2021
‘It appears that gaining a low domestic carbon dioxide score is the main driver of policy. ‘
A boast Johnson approves of, with Carrie’s opinion and hand on the tiller.
Let some other country be blamed for methods of production, shipping etc….
we can appear squeaky clean? NOT !
November 4, 2021
Its a sad future when everything is imported so we can claim ‘net zero’
There’s a political war coming soon, choose your side SirJ wisely
November 4, 2021
And, 20% of UK Electricity Supply is under the control of the whims of the French Government. That’s is just not so-called interconnectors it is also by allowing the French State Owned Companies to buy up UK based facilities. With all profits going to the French exchequer.
Having companies taking over from nationalised infrastructure is one thing, having what is a foreign state owned nationalised industry taking over is totally on another planet. That is not keeping the Country Safe and Secure.
What is missed is that the infrastructure these industries rely on to run were arrived at with 100% taxpayer funding. Selling off the day-to-day running of an industry might be good business sense to a degree, but selling the taxpayer funded assets themselves is just more hypocrisy – these companies get to inherit these at well below the market rate. For these to be upgraded and made fit for purpose going forward requires taxpayer funding – giving taxpayer money to what should be commercially entities is dam-right silly and is not what any market place should be about.
While everyone’s attention is elsewhere the French have bought a large chunk of BT.
November 4, 2021
It appears that Johnson’s main priority is virtue-signalling to the Globalists the UK’s actions/proposals to reduce CO2, with the effect on the British population being given a far lower priority.
Now why would that be? Only a few short years ago, Johnson was a climate change sceptic. The volte face has been swift, unjustified by any change in “the science” and is entirely cynical.
I suggest it’s because he wants to join the Big Boys’ Club and promote himself as a “global leader.” And never mind the impact on those ordinary people who voted for him “to get Brexit done” (or didn’t). None of them voted CONservative in order to get a born again Eco Fundamentalist promising to make them colder, poorer and with massively restricted lives.
There is nothing “green” about importing goods manufactured by polluting China, made cheaply because the cost of their energy is a fraction of ours. There is nothing “green” about importing wood pellets, gas or coal, when we have an abundance of gas, shale gas and coal under our feet.
So the only possible explanation for Johnson’s behaviour is the one I suggested.
Mr Redwood is to be admired for attempting to bring some conservative thinking into this left-wing administration but I fear he is being used in the same way the small number of committed Brexiteers were during the 1990s/2000s. He is there to convince conservatively-inclined voters that the Party still represents genuine conservatives, when I quite plainly doesn’t.
November 4, 2021
Que Sera, Sera… The climate will be whatever the climate is, naturally.
On the other hand if man has influenced the climate via the use of hydrocarbons we have done it over the last 300 odd years of industrial evolution which involved burning a lot of fossil fuels, as well as releasing a lot of actual pollutants (especially particulates). Thus if the climatologists want to keep the climate to what they acknowledge it to have been one, two or three generations ago perhaps we need to put CO2, and perhaps even some of the pollutants, that have been increasingly removed from the atmosphere since the mid 1940s onward back into the atmosphere. In other words, have the climatologists got their theory the wrong way around, when in fact high CO2 (and pollutants) first cooled and and keep the climate cool until now?
There is no gap in our energy needs, just a increasing but unfounded unwillingness by certain politicos to use the natural resources the country does have, with or without CCS etc. The king has no cloths on!
November 4, 2021
Dear Sir John–You mention timber pellets as if there were the slightest sense in them but they are pure unmitigated madness–you couldn’t make up the idea of transporting bulk stuff like that which is basically sawdust across the pond in diesel powered ships but some idiot did and I’d like to know who. He should be thrown out of whatever position he is in.
November 4, 2021
Sadly, the only way to end this green madness is to have a high pressure system sit over the UK in February and January – our much vaunted renewable energy supplies will be worthless – and kill hundreds of thousands of people from hypothermia.
The odds are about 20:1, so it is unlikely to happen in 2022, but it will happen.
November 6, 2021
Peter, I told one Minister for Energy and Climate Change that he was playing Russian roulette with the Grid. His solution was more solar! This from someone who did not realise that electricity has to be used as it’s produced or has to be stored.
STEM illiterates are virtue signalling while spinning the revolver. It will not end well.
JF
November 4, 2021
off topic, but never goes away?
BBC NEWS website reports. A migrant has died while attempting to cross the English Channel, according to the French authorities.
A second person has been reported as missing. One migrant was pulled from the water unconscious and was later pronounced dead when rescuers returned to dock on Wednesday.
Several boats are said to have got into difficulty in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais and 400 people have been rescued by French authorities. It comes as the latest figures show more than 20,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats this year, more than double the total for 2020.
The Home Office said 456 people crossed in 15 boats on Tuesday, with 343 migrants stopped on the French coast.
As my MP I would ask you to pose questions to authorities, please
Are these small boats almost all actually dinghies?
20,000 is a lot of people seeking status as refugees. Where are they and how controlled from escaping into the ‘wild’?
What annual cost is estimated, and budgeted for these people?
At what rate are the cases being reviewed per month, and what happens to the ones freely released into the country, and what happens to the ones not able to prove any sort of refugee status?
Since others may well be interested, please provide any answers you are given on this blog/diary.
Thank you Sir John.
November 4, 2021
what is the problem with this entry?
November 4, 2021
“It appears that gaining a low domestic carbon dioxide score is the main driver of policy”
Yes the distorted illusion by stupid people. Concern with Climate Change, Global Warming on the one hand then doing everything possible to increase the World Problem by engaging in the replacement of UK jobs, UK industry – by buying from the most polluting parts of the World. There is no joined up thinking in this Government just the highest order of hypocrisy.
Every so-called ‘green’ project to date has been the Government polluting the World more and faster than if they had left well alone. Windfarms come from the most polluting sources, electric cars come from some of the most polluting countries on the planet, along with the Heat Pumps, Solar Panels and every one of these miss-steps is financed by the UK taxpayer. The taxpayer that gets to loose their jobs then gets abused because Government generated World pollution has been increase exponentially as a policy decision by religious freakery at the top of Government. How much more demented treatment of the UK Citizen is possible?
November 4, 2021
The climate change zealotry that has gripped them is insane , it is a collective madness of which there are many instances through history that are now looked back in horror at how this could have happened. All sense of practicality and proportion has gone out the window in pursuit of climate change purity. We have a government who is willing to pursue a path to economic ruin for their extremist religion.
In light of Sunak’s announcement yesterday has he nationalised our pensions , savings and investments and is going to sacrifice them to their Green god as well ? If he is going to tell banks, insurers, investment mangers etc that they must invest our savings according to their political agenda by all intents and purpose he has nationalised them , for no longer are these managers going to be investing our savings according to the risks and returns suitable for our needs but according to the wishes of the Government and their extremist climate change policies. I would also like to understand how this sits with the Financial Conduct Authority, for no longer will these investment managers be investing our savings according to sole requirement of the investor but according to requirements of Government policy.
November 4, 2021
This was announced by Carney, Black Rock, and then agreed by the meeting of finance ministers. It is on the net in writing. We are being governed by bankers and mega investors who hold the wealth of the worlds wealthy and will make billions from the subsidies and higher costs to consumers. It also fits UN and WEF agendas. These corporations are WEF members. It’s never covered by the media because they own this too.
November 4, 2021
The collective madness is contained within the Media, Universities, the United Nations and the Houses of Parliamentā¦..the people know otherwise
November 5, 2021
The real concern us that the investments will prove worthless, severely damaging pensions.
November 4, 2021
Ask them again after the first set of power cuts caused by insufficient capacity, the answers will be different.
November 4, 2021
YES
November 5, 2021
If there are power cuts, then it will be entirely down to the Tories’ failed oversight of the gas industry, and their inaction over the closure of nearly all of the UK’s storage capacity.
There will not be power cuts in Italy, which has around thirty times the UK’s, for instance.
You have fallen for Sir John’s diversionary tactics completely.
November 4, 2021
Totally inadequate answers to reasonable questions.
Who is going to be held responsible when the anticipated mini-iceage hits this winter, and people die at home because they are so cold because the energy gets rationed?
November 4, 2021
More ice and colder temp recorded in antarctic than ever before
November 5, 2021
Exactly – and all being ignored by the MMCC pushers!
The hysteria will only get worse as they will keep on telling us all every possible disaster tale they can think of.
November 4, 2021
SirJ was this current strategy a manifesto committment
November 4, 2021
Since ~I am as religious as the Archbishop of Canterbury, i.e. not at all- the government’s energy policy strikes me as Johnson kneeling by his bed at night, gazing at the ceiling crying; “Please keep the lights on!”
This foolishness will have an accounting in due course and the price will be high.
November 4, 2021
The best way to reduce our energy consumption and CO2 imbalance is to end the overpopulation of the country via mass immigration, both legal and illegal. Year upon year new records are set whilst our Prime Minister fiddles, Nero-like. It is now forecast that next year even larger boats will arrive in the Channel and be escorted across, courtesy of the clandestine agreement between our political elite and that of the French.
November 4, 2021
So, our energy policy is to be reliant on outside bidders for contracts to provide our self generated electricity shortfall? Brilliant, and cloud cuckoo land!
Let others pollute – we shall be green at the point of use.
November 6, 2021
The offshore wind developers are under-bidding which enables climate zealots to claim that wind generation costs have fallen dramatically.
If it weren’t for the fact our village has pumped sewage I’d be watching this slow motion, self-inflicted crash with fascination.
Farage is on Net Zero manoeuvres. Hold onto your hats.
JF
November 4, 2021
Can we please bring in tree-planting into the mix. I think Conservative Party should really focus on this as it would be popular with most Conservatives anyway plus greenies outside the Conservative party – might draw more into the Conservative party! Something government should, please, get more involved with. As well as retired Conservative MPs and others who want to really do something positive and creative in their retirement etc. More trees achieves the following:
1) Reducing CO2 (Tress are brilliant at absorbing CO2)
2) Reducing flooding (Flooding – an increasing problem)
3) Reduce city temperature (and all the negative effects on that)
4) Reduce pollution (in so many ways)
5) Keeps soil-nutrient rich (essential to farming)
6) Absorb noise (so many people now live near busy roads etc)
7) Help mental health (the green in the leaves has positive effect on people’s mental health)
8) More birds, butterflies etc (trees are host to many different beautiful animals and plant life)
9) Hides the grey in our streets, towns and cities (making them more inspiring places to live and work)
10) We can also grow some quick-growing trees too (to be used in carpentry in homes and factories)
(I do not work for or represent any company or charity related to trees / tree-planting – honestly! – Just feel strongly about this, thank you).
November 4, 2021
I would love to see Tory MPs, such as Sir John Redwood, and Conservatives in general, use their power and influence (please!) to encourage more tree planting in this country. It’s also an act of patriotism for future generations as trees can obviously live for hundreds of years (although I think we should also grow some trees that grow quickly and can be cut down for carpentry to be used in homes / factories etc instead of buying it in). And such an interesting and creative thing to do. Thank you. (I certainly would be doing this at least if I had more power / influence and hope to get involved in this more at right time in life).
Reply We are, the govt us, Prince Charles spoke at COPā¦ do try and follow what is going on.
November 4, 2021
The taxpayer funds farmers to plant “non-food” crops. These ensure that we need to import more food than necessary in order to create feedstocks for energy production to replace the coal oil and gas which destroy the planet:
short rotation coppice (SRC) – willow, poplar, ash, alder, hazel, silver birch, sycamore, sweet chestnut and lime
miscanthus – a tall, woody grass
reed canary grass – a coarse perennial that grows two metres high
straw
forest material and tree management residues
switch grass
rye grass
Note that no grants are available for growing bamboo, a grass, as this is Chinese and we are against all Chinese stuff.
November 5, 2021
Hello, thanks, to be frank, not an expert on this. I am really thinking more about how Tories and Conservatives in general (not just MPs) can use their power and influence to get more wealthy people to help out (i.e. through charity not taxation) in the planting of lots (and lots …) more trees.
November 4, 2021
“Around 13% of the UK (3.2 million hectares) was covered by woodland in March 2020. In England, this was 10%, compared with 15% in Wales, 19% in Scotland and 9% in Northern Ireland.” Commons Library. The Government published the England Trees Action Plan 2021-24 on 18 May 2021. It aims to treble tree planting by the end of the Parliament, funded by more than Ā£500 million of climate finance.
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9084/
I grew up with woodland all around the town it’s gone now, lots of the land just left bare with several new housing estates. However, some tree planting is left to rot with branches falling dangerously onto roads, there are several large trees nearby that are accidents waiting to happen, leaning over roads.
New estates plant the most unsuitable cheap trees often towering above the houses in a couple of decades, no tree husbandry is done on the estate unless it impacts on a bus and then they just hack half the tree away. Caring for trees on your property costs over Ā£500 per year for large trees this is an expense people can’t afford. Recreating woodlands I do support with 3 trees planting for every house built.
November 5, 2021
Thank you for this. And I agree, one has to think about this and plan properly. I don’t want to be all gung ho about it. But at same time, I’m positive lots more can be done to benefit people now and generations to come with the planting of lots more trees – that everyone can really get on board for similar and different reasons: Conservatives, Labour, Libs, Greenies. Interesting, imaginative and engaging way also of getting more votes for Tories!
November 4, 2021
Ed
Trees only take up larger amounts of CO2 during the growing phase, so you would have to be continuously cutting them down almost at once and then planting new ones all the time to achieve your aim re CO2.
Trees when grown are carbon neutral – they take in oxygen during the day, and emit CO2; then, at night, that is reversed.
November 5, 2021
Hello Barbara, but there are lots more reasons than just CO2 absorption for more trees although that’s still a good one.
November 5, 2021
They are highly carbon negative, if you make charcoal from them and then store that carbon.
November 4, 2021
Yes, let’s restore our forests to their historical size. Sherwood Forest is only about 1% of its ancient land area.
November 5, 2021
Interesting fact (I think ..) Amazon Forest is: 5.5 million kmĀ² in size. Sherwood about a 1,000 acres. Yes, let’s please build it up.
Might also encourage others in other countries to do the same with their forests – in particular to protect the Amazon Forest and others like it.
November 4, 2021
Youāre depicting an environmentalist approach (which I support) against a climate change crusader approach
November 5, 2021
Yes, my approach is definitely environmentalist (and aesthetic and health – trees impact positively on people’s mental and physical health – really, scientific studies have been done on this, something to do with green in the leaves causing positive chemical reaction in people as well as the beauty of trees affecting people in a positive way too – they also make places more attractive to live and work in and more) – as opposed to climate change (although some benefits here too).
November 4, 2021
ED M
You have really bought into this scam. Forget Attenborough the tv commentator , look up the writings of Dr David Bellamy as he is more qualified to comment!
November 5, 2021
I don’t watch TV, at least at my own house (the last full programme I watched at my house was the BBC Jane Austen 1995 series over a year ago!). And I don’t read newspapers anymore either. I now stick to books and going for walks instead!
November 4, 2021
Sir John, Who is the “they” in the government to whom you have been talking on this matter? Who is the named person responsible, does he or her have the authority to enganger our country’s energy supplies in the way you describe and when will this be challenged in open parliament?
Reply Yesterday I asked the Energy Minister about back up power in Parliament! This site is also public!
November 4, 2021
“…he or she…” (west country boy!)
November 4, 2021
I saw you ask your question in the debate and the less than satisfactory answer.
I simply don’t understand the thinking of this government over energy policy – is there any, I wonder ?
We all know that there is going to be a shortfall in electricity supply by the time we get to 2030 and we have already seen that we cannot rely on EU countries to make up the difference, especially France.
They have their own very serious worries over Putin slowing supplies of gas, Merkel was advised that this was a huge strategic mistake but she ignored it. Fortunately we hve untapped gas resources, Germany only has dirty lignite coal.
At the very least we should go ahead with the easily accessible gas supplies in our area of the North Sea and keep the coal fired stations available until our predicted demand has been matched by new Nuclear stations, including the testing and approval of a number of Rolls Royce’s modular units. Once these are proven technology, new ones can be rolled out within three years of planning being granted so more can be added to match increasing demand.
This would not be expensive and there is not a significant risk of failure. So why doesn’t our government just make a decision and go ahead ?
November 4, 2021
Rationing. Lack of investment. Poor planning. Eco-loon pressure groups. Virtue signalling and political legacy (vanity). And money.
When you understand that we do not live in a democracy and that once elected, those we elect serve another master for which we can do nothing about, then you begin to understand.
November 4, 2021
Lastly, perhaps Conservatives could also get Prince Charles involved to really encourage people in general to support the planting of far, far, far more trees – trees in general, including oaks etc – in our countryside, towns, cities, along the motorways, and so on. Everywhere – both the beautiful and ugly parts of the country and everything in between. Encouraging rich people to contribute in terms of charity. But people in general. And do whatever can be done, politically, to get as many more trees planted as possible. Thank you.
November 4, 2021
Seriously, the planting of trees along roads as you recommend is potentially dangerous – visibility is reduced, not just line of sight but from darkness and shadow, and road surfaces are kept damp too long which contributes to accidents and a breakup of the surface early from frost, especially on the north side of the trees of course.
There has been an accident on a railway line just outside Salisbury. The view taken from above shows trees overhanging the track – media comments about dampness on the rails have so far made no mention about trees contributing a slime as it it is unacceptable to blame trees. I wonder if any enquiry will mention this. In my view the trees should not be there and I suspect lack of visibility will be a factor too..
November 5, 2021
OK, I wasn’t putting forward that particular idea strongly. I was only trying to put forward some ideas in general. But what is certain is the positive effect of trees on our environment in general and we’re so missing out on something so important if we don’t plant lots more trees. That’s all. But thank you for your comment.
November 4, 2021
Pleased you did not include railways, only good for conifers due to leaf allergy
November 4, 2021
Er no.
I want to see Prince Charles and his offspring living in 3 bed semis and down to one car (which they drive themselves) and doing as much as possible by zoom in one of the bedrooms.
Then they’re approximately down to my carbon footprint and can lecture me.
Carbon cutting gets a lot closer to the bone with the plebs than it does the rich.
November 5, 2021
Fair point
November 4, 2021
I’m intrigued as to why John continues to assert that what we are seeing is not politically driven. Why does our esteemed host continue with his quite obvious feign?
We can all see that this government will sacrifice the national interest to appease a vile, illiberal and anti-democratic politics so please stop pretending that this issue has something to do with issues surrounding logistics, drilling licences or lack of exploration.
IT IS ABOUT POLITICS AND NOTHING MORE THAN ABOUT POLITICS
Tory MPs need to do the right thing and condemn Johnson and those who propagate this bullshit and this appeasement politics
November 4, 2021
Party loyalty.
November 4, 2021
+1
November 4, 2021
+1, i totally agree with this statement.
November 4, 2021
I thought we might need a new Churchill to tell the leader of the climate zealot appeasers: “In the Name of God, go!” Actually it was a Conservative backbencher back in 1940 who said that. Forty Tories supported him, 60 abstained, and three days later the appeasement PM was gone.
If only it could happen again. Trouble is, our current PM appeasing the climate dictators wouldn’t go. He’d be supported by the opposition.
November 5, 2021
Churchill wouldn’t care about the Climate argument. He’d be far more concerned about the collapse of Western Civilisation and what to do about it.
November 4, 2021
Your analysis of the government’s energy policy is completely right. They are failing to ensure that we have energy independence and security, and this is an absolute disgrace. It is not only economically and environmentally damaging, but weakens our position in any (and inevitable) disputre with France or the rest of the EU. It is therefore treacherous. It also, sadly, shows that your meeting with Kwasi Kwarteng completely failed to persuade him to adopt sensible and patriotic policies. If you were honest you would admit that this is a microcosm of the whole of government policy. You come up with a sensible analysis and appropriate policy solutions and the government completely ignores you. How many examples do you need? The NI Protocol, fishing, health, taxation, energy, farming ….
What, you have to ask yourself, is the benefit of you remaining in the a Conservative party that is no longer conservative or sensible or patriotic? Why don’t you switch to Reform UK and become their parliamentary representative?
November 4, 2021
Diwali day, Islamophobia awareness month ā¦. will someone please rid me of these turbulent priests
My council emailed me and its published on their website and facebook pageā¦.that means extra staff time, pay & resources not employed on council core business ā theyāre afraid of not conforming to the new woke society
November 5, 2021
Did your council E mail you about St. George’s Day?????
November 4, 2021
Dear Mr. Redwood,
One might say ‘would the last person to leave turn the lights off’ but the way this shambolic government is going, there won’t be any lights left on come 2030.
P.S. NHS yesterday, Energy policy today. Tomorrow, I look forward to your next demolition job on a key aspect of Government strategy.
November 4, 2021
You say, “It appears that gaining a low domestic carbon dioxide score is the main driver of policy”. Yes it does indeed and Greta isn’t impressed, neither are we. But the UN has created this unintended consequence in requiring countries to report on domestic emissions only, instead of at least trying to estimate what else we consume and therefore have emitted on our imports. Were we to combine both we’d probably show little or no improvement in CO2 emissions in years of ‘climate change’ policy. What a pointless exercise by 200 nations.
Boris is no leader, anyone who says that the decision to go ahead with the Cumbrian clean coal mine or not is not for him to make is weak and driven inevitably by his profile at COP26.
– So Cumbrian coal bad, Polish, German and Chinese coal OK?
– Today’s news about a complete eradication of coal use is suicidal.
– The opportunity of home production of shale gas has been similarly eliminated.
– Shipping in LNG from Qatar or elsewhere rather than the North Sea is nothing short of mental.
– Placing such reliance on wind and solar with backups provided by other countries is frankly dangerous.
Not a good look is it? Boris should stop believing the opinion polls.
November 4, 2021
Watching the One Show on BBC last night and their coverage of COP26 was seriously akin to watching a Sci-fi show.
The west could be on its last legs.
Surely if global sea levels rise the Russians and Chinese won’t escape?
Why are they seemingly not concerned about the climate/CO2 link? Perhaps because there isn’t one.
November 4, 2021
Oh dear me!
Insulate is blocking the roads of Westminster.
Wonder if this will change policing?
Or is it to convince us that M.ps need more protectionā¦as in Online Harms Bill?
November 4, 2021
I wonder whether more energy will be required?
By the time these b*stards have finished with us I reckon we will be beyond needing heat or light!
November 4, 2021
MPs.
November 4, 2021
This is yet another Boris mess. He is more concerned with appearing “green”* to his globalist friends than serving the people of our country.
* of course there is another widely used meaning for the word.
November 4, 2021
Off Piste, but on the Money.
An announcement from COP26 to the effect that 36 countries have decided to stop using coal. It will take a while to move from coal to an alternative.
Were I in the boardroom at Rolls Royce nuclear I would be marshalling my sales teams to go out and be that alternative. Obviously not where there are security concerns or where the sun is on constant tap. However this would open a large number of potential customers, and my future would no longer be dependent on a distracted dithering UK government.
November 4, 2021
Sir John – a question to them that would be just as pertinent would be “Is burning wood pellets at Drax an carbon accounting sleight of hand or does it actually produce less carbon globally?”
November 4, 2021
Old ladies in family houses. All on her own with the heating turned full up. There are lots of old people living like this. They leave it until it’s too late to move and their pension becomes bigger than they need so the money all goes on heating… however expensive it gets.
Soon there is going to be a glut of family sized properties when this lucky generation dies off but expect them to be nearing 100 when they do. At least 20 odd years in a mismatched house because ‘memories are so important’ – and a misuse of energy too.
(I don’t wish to sound like Andy btw.)
Help to Move not Help to Buy.
November 4, 2021
odd…..I never hear about little old ladies dying of heat exhaustion, but do hear about them dying of hyperthermia with no food in the house/flat.
November 4, 2021
Today Kwasi Kwarteng the Business secretary says ‘we’re consigning coal to history’
Well China, Russia, USA Germany, and Australia didnāt get the message
November 4, 2021
Glen. Good for them.
November 4, 2021
…….and we’re consigning the Consocialists the same way!!
November 5, 2021
Indonesia – one of the most volcanically active parts of the world – are pressing ahead rapidly with geothermal development.
In principle they could supply much of China’s needs from that too.
If little Iceland can export power, then the scope for this huge region is almost limitless.
They need all the help and encouragement that we can give.
November 4, 2021
O/T: I am deeply saddened by Owen Paterson’s resignation, and the appalling bungling of the matter by all concerned, including Andrea Leadsom and the Prime Minister.
It’s the last straw, and I will not be re-applying for my Overseas Vote.
November 4, 2021
If, as you imply, he has been wrongly accused, then why, instead of resigning, does he not sue those whom you suggest are wrongly maligning him?
Someone with clean hands would, and would have allies to assist too, wouldn’t they?
November 4, 2021
It is the process NHL
Witnesses…..not listened to.
Appeal process..none
Ability to make your case… poor
Perhaps even a political bias in the system.
It isn’t allowed in employment tribunal cases.
I make no judgement on Mr Patterson but I feel we have lost a good MP popular with his constituents fron well over 24 years.
His lobbying led to changes and improvements in food health.
Others may have benefitted but mainly we the people benefitted from the work he did.
November 5, 2021
and his so-called offence trivial in comparison to Cameron’s.
November 4, 2021
Why?
I am deeply pleased by it. The headlines in the Mail today had Boris backpedaling at top speed. What an utter farce this government is. They think they can get away with anything. Today they realised even their most ardent supporters draw a line. The stench from Westminster is overpowering. Again.
November 4, 2021
Across India, 281 coal plants are operating and 28 being built another 23 are in pre-construction phases.
China, has more than 1,000 coal plants are in operation, almost 240 planned or already under construction.
UK has 1 coal plant due to be decommissioned in 3 years, again why am I having to buy an electric car and heat pump ?
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/cop26-aims-banish-coal-asia-is-building-hundreds-power-plants-burn-it-2021-10-29/
November 4, 2021
Iām ambivalent about āman madeā climate change but ā¦ what if theyāre right?!
Iāve decided to boycott goods made in China. I canāt think of anything I might buy that is Made in India.
November 4, 2021
By 2030 Boris would like to stop all production in the UK and import all goods from China & India….you wont have a choice
November 4, 2021
There are no electrical or mechanical engineers involved in the ministry deciding energy policy, only green zealot civil servants and academics. Ministers are equally deluded. They are obviously clueless and innumerate. I have just bought a generator and petrol tanks and wired in to the boiler for the forthcoming power cuts. It will also power a small cooker and lights. The tv would work but the transmitter will be out unless every local station has a generator too. Total darkness with street lighting off. Crime rampant. Shops looted. Frozen food gone. No petrol pumps working. Internet and banking down. It could last for weeks, as it did in Canada.
Your party is doomed.
November 4, 2021
Indeed it is.
November 4, 2021
āIt appears that gaining a low domestic carbon dioxide score is the main driver of policy.ā
The main driver of policy is to destroy our businesses and then democracy through the unilateral implementation of a technologically unachievable and hence prohibitively expensive project to achieve net zero.
The real eco terrorists are the fifth column of Marxists within Government, Parliament, the civil service, the large corporations, academia, almost all the MSM and even our police and judiciary who are pushing this insanity.
Unsurprisingly the same group who wanted unilateral nuclear disarmament in the last century and for us to be run by an unelected and un-removable elite based in Brussels.
Evidenced by the fact they never have much to say about CO2 emissions from China and Russia
November 4, 2021
How many gaffs does Boris have to make before he gets booted out? First the Patterson fiasco and now he’s taken a private jet back to London. He’s going to be the downfall of your party and the country.
November 4, 2021
And he took the private jet to get back for a Daily Telegraph piss up with an ennobled old mate and, I believe āclimate scepticā.
November 4, 2021
Funny how the global seasonal flu pandemic is now morphing into a totalitarian cashless state robbing us because of non-existent climate change. Those crazy conspiracy theorists.
November 5, 2021
Didn’t you get the message, medical science cuted the flu by inventing covid
November 5, 2021
cured the flu
November 5, 2021
Do not worry, you can GUARANTEE it will back this winter to cover for the deaths from “other situations”!!!!
November 4, 2021
Sir John,
NuScale (a US company) are in talks with the Polish about converting coal fired stations to nuclear using SMRs.
Burning anything (hydrogen, biomass etc) in air at high temperatures (for efficiency you need the highest possible temperatures) produces NOx. However nuclear fission produces heat without CO2 – though there are potential problems with nuclear waste.
November 4, 2021
Sir John,
Further to my last post, just noticed this in New Civil Engineer:
“Bryden Wood has announced ambitious plans to repurpose the worldās coal fired power stations to accommodate modular nuclear reactors in a bid to decarbonise the global energy sector.”
November 4, 2021
āWe do not believe any group of men adequate enough or wise enough to operate without scrutiny or without criticism. We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it, that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. We know that in secrecy error undetected will flourish and subvertā. ā J Robert Oppenheimer.
Wise words but nothing changes, they talk but never listen or act. It’s not words or promises that matter it is the action they actually take but not at any price as we seem to be doing. We still send money to India. 71% of their power generation is coal and the majority of their power stations are relatively young in operational terms..
November 5, 2021
+1
November 5, 2021
“which had to be used recently” And is still being used today, around 3% of total. one of the French interconnectors is still down, so they have no option. In two years time they will blow up the remaining coal powered generators, state vandalism, malicious and wilful.
We are now dependent on hostile regimes for our energy balance.
November 6, 2021
You are absolutely right. We could convert our few coal fired power stations to run on clean (decarbonised) coal and pick up a few brownie points at fairly low cost. What is essential for cheap energy is to permit fracking. Another thing we should do is commission Rolls Royce to install small nuclear power stations on the Channel Islands to prevent French blackmail.