A place for you to point to climate and related news, introduce yourself to other Cliscep contributors, and suggest topics for new posts.
409 Comments
Comments are closed.
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Climate Scepticism
%d
Continuing from the last comment on the previous thread.
Jump to the last comment on this page
Jump to the first page in the Open Mic series from early May 2021
LikeLike
“Comic series curated by celebrities for climate causes”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-58711401
“What do Cara Delevingne, Andy Serkis, Richard Curtis and Taika Waititi all have in common? They are just some of the celebrities turning their environmental concerns into comics.
It is all the idea of Paul Goodenough, a writer and producer who has spent the last two years leading a campaign pairing stars with eco-experts and comic book writers and animators. The strips they then develop are published online every month, as part of Rewriting Extinction, a campaign raising awareness.
Money from the project go to conservation charities such as Greenpeace and Born Free.”
LikeLike
“Climate change: Youth have ‘every right to be angry’ says UK PM
By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, Milan”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58750164
“Boris Johnson says young people have every right to be angry about the state of climate change.
The UK prime minister told climate activists in Milan that they were paying the price for the “reckless actions of their elders”.
The penitent mood here was underlined by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who said politicians needed to be “whipped into action.”
Both agreed that urgent action to limit warming was now desperately needed.
For several days around 400 young activists have been working on proposals for tackling climate change here in Milan.”
It seems the COP26 travel-fest isn’t enough for the climate worriers. Not very green are they, all these conferences?
LikeLike
ITV local news
Middle item : The Raithlin oilfield planning decision is in.
The local council rejected it.
That’s what medialand wanted, so they played happy scenes of protesters.
Incredibly the next item was “energy poverty the recent gas price rises have showed a problem
and now with the £20 cut to Universal Credit how will poor people pay ?”
FFS £20 billion worth accessible oilfield free
.. and you just said no to it.
======
AFAIK it is entirely typical for cowardly councillors to reject such planning applications, cos they are afraid of pressure from Greens
but at the next stage appeal
the government usually has to let the project proceed.
=======
The BBC prog is even more in with the protesters
so they opened the show with the item
and lots of scenes with happy protesters etc
The briefly played a clip from the oil corps PR film
that is the first time
In all this time we only had protesters voices again and again.
LikeLike
7:30pm ITV Energy Bills: Counting The Costs?
that replaces the billed : Air Pollution special
I still expect all the normal Islington misinformation.
LikeLike
The new build eco homes expert
“One key is solar panels, these power batteries which power the home lights and HEATING
and sell the spare to the grid
In a year i expect the family will have used 60KW from the grid £8/year”
Now another eco-home owner says their bills are £150/year
using the heating 30 mins/day fuel by solar”
Using solar PV or heat seems dumb to me
in many cold winter days the solar will give almost nothing
even on sunny days you lose energy putting it into the battery and taking it out
If there is sun power available you’d be better off using it directly
With a sun conservatory, you let the sun heat it and open the door to let the heat into the house when it is colder.
Next week “How Green is your supermarket”
LikeLike
GBnews David Starkey is taking Greta apart
LikeLike
I’ll look out for it on You Tube in a day or two.
LikeLike
Simply wind the Live feed back until the clock says 20:20
.. https://youtu.be/AmpPtyerVGc
also Bolt on Greta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu8LlfOzJCs
LikeLike
It’s here
LikeLike
I’m watching it now. 🙂
LikeLike
A new and strange pre-COP 26 push from the BBC today:
“COP26: Welsh ministers push for wider climate summit role”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58752693
“There have been “full and frank exchanges” between the Welsh and UK governments over plans for the COP26 summit, the climate change minister has said.
Ministers in Cardiff Bay had hoped for “more of a role” at November’s conference in Glasgow.
Following talks, Julie James told BBC Wales she was now “broadly” happy with arrangements.”
And (because one article is never enough):
“Climate change: What is Wales’ role at COP26?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-58751238
“The UK is hosting the COP26 summit which is seen as crucial if climate change is to be brought under control.
The meeting of some 200 nations in Glasgow, from 31 October to 12 November, could lead to major changes to our everyday lives.
It’s the UK government’s gig, but the Welsh government will also head to the talks as part of the delegation.
So, what will the different politicians from Westminster and Cardiff be doing there?
Tyler Edwards explains.”
LikeLike
Oh, I missed one. Good grief – three articles on the same topic:
“COP26: Wildfires and flooding prompt Welsh firefighter warning”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58754036
“Firefighter Craig Hope deals with “hundreds and hundreds” of wildfires across the south Wales valleys every year.
But he has noticed recently they are changing – burning later into the year, getting larger and causing more damage.
His colleagues are also having to deal with “unbelievable” flood events and landslides.
All signs of climate change, he says – and “it’s like watching a Hollywood film”….”.
LikeLike
Is there anything they won’t throw out as climate change propaganda?
The clickbait headline (“Warming Arctic may spread viruses and nuclear waste”) and standard photo of a swimming polar bear change when you click on them to, “Climate change: Arctic’s unknown viruses’ and nuclear waste”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58724710
“A rapidly warming Arctic could cause the spread of nuclear waste, undiscovered viruses and antibiotic resistant bacteria, a report has found.
It said potential radioactive waste from Cold War nuclear submarines and reactors and damage from mining could be released as the ice melts.
The nine million square miles of Artic dates to about a million years old.
Co-author Dr Arwyn Edwards from Aberystwyth University said much of the Arctic is still unknown.
Writing in Nature Climate Change, Dr Edwards co-authored report with academics from universities in the United States and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.”
Further in to the article is this:
“The report said despite its findings, it is still poorly understood and largely unquantified and further in-depth research in the area is vital to gain further insight into the risks.”
Ah – send money!
And another plea for money:
“”We need to understand more about the fate of these harmful microbes and pollutants and nuclear materials to properly understand the threats they may pose.
“It is imperative demonstrable action is taken at next month’s COP26 summit as these findings should concern anybody. As well as fulfilling the targets of the Paris Agreement and reducing the increase in the global climate temperature to 1.5 Celsius, there needs to be a strong and immediate commitment to funding research in this area….”
LikeLike
Dale Vince got a free 2 min advertising slot in today’s local radio news bulletin
Summary : like most Green businesses Dale Vince can’t make his product as cheaply as his competitors
so he has a solution … BAN THE COMPETITORS
So we can only have gas & electricity at the expensive price he makes it at.
Em ” utterly” is untrue
For electricity
Nuclear is at 5GW 24/7
Then in the daytime you need upto 20 GW more
… solar and wind are prioritised .. you could get 12 out them then 1 from interconnectors ..most French nuclear
and another 3 from biofuel, & burning rubbish
So then gas is turned on and of with demand and low wind solar
so usually it’s pushing out 4, then up to 16 or even 20 on cold windless days
Dependent ? if you took natural-gas out of the mix you’d still get 20% of electricity when you want it, but there’d often be times with a 50% shortage and occasionally a 80% shortage
Then for transport and heating : the vast majority is from fossil fuels
So he doesn’t even mention nuclear ..a great low carbon fuel,
The UK has to cover low wind/sun times no matter how many wind/sun industry sites it has
Large scale storage to cover this is not viable or economic
Grass to gas is a fake CO2 saving, cos every time you use a field, you have to bring another field of food from abroad
I doubt the UK has enough grass land to get close to covering fossil fuel gas heating requirement
Doh we’ve spent billions on building interconnectors
so the UK electricity market is internationally linked where Dale likes it or not.
Dale wants to sell his Grass-to-gas as gas for heating
and also put some through gas boilers on farms to make electricity for the grid.
So having banned his £40/MWh natural-gas competitors
He can get paid his £100/MWh cost
When international makers make biogas or ethanol
what price will they get ?
They will get whatever the MARKET price of natural-gas is
ie their price is linked to the market.
Now if the UK forces a price of £100/MWh they will want to sell into the UK market.
The UK can’t argue it’s fossil fuel gas
so it will push down the UK market price, so UK will still be linked to international gas prices.
LikeLike
Sept 20th false claim in this BBCnews statement from Vince at 2m08s
“Our nuclear fleet is OUT of OPERATION and we’ve had low wind”
AFAIK nuclear has been going on at 5G” 24/7
Am I wrong ?
…. https://twitter.com/DaleVince/status/1439925560386461704
LikeLike
Sorry typing late at night I forgot to include the link
Brazier intro : Here’s the full 17 mins .. Starkey comes on 4m45s in
LikeLike
Stew: That’s a really interesting response to Greta and her blaming Britain for the evil emissions of the Industrial Revolution, thank you. As I mentioned elsewhere, I recently completed Matt Ridley’s How Innovation Works, which goes into much of the same history, though Matt also delves into pre-history and has much to teach on the recent digital revolution. (And I thought I knew everything there was to know. Amazingly, this turned out not to be true!) By the time I got to the end I was thinking “This is the single book I would now give to a climate alarmist.” I’m not saying they would read it, of course, but they would surely benefit if they did. Greta’s latest comments underline for me that perhaps I was onto something. It really isn’t about climate in isolation. A bigger, more compassionate picture is needed.
LikeLike
“Motorway protests: Insulate Britain activists block M1, M4 and M25”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-58763019
“Activists from the protest group Insulate Britain have been arrested after blocking motorways for the 10th day in three weeks.
The group staged protests on the M25 near Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, the M4 near Heathrow Airport and the M1 at Brent Cross, north London….
…The Met Police said 30 people had been arrested.
Officers were called to protesters blocking junction three of the M4 at 08:27 BST and cleared the road by 09:00. Thirteen people were arrested for obstruction and conspiracy to commit public nuisance.
Shortly after, officers were called to activists blocking traffic at junction one of the M1 and made 17 arrests for obstruction and conspiracy to commit public nuisance.
The force said officers were responding to a third protest at junction 25 of the M25….”.
LikeLike
“Families take on ‘save the planet’ challenges”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/58762090
“We hear that we can all do our bit to save the planet, no matter how small it may seem, but how easy is it?
In less than a month the climate conference COP26 will be hosted in Glasgow with global leaders trying to negotiate solutions to the crisis.
BBC Scotland climate change reporter Harriet Bradshaw has taken up the baton, along with a family in Aberdeenshire and another in the Scottish Borders, on a week long challenge to live more sustainably.
The experiment discovers what we can do to make a difference, but also where we need help to make the right choices.
The challenges were part of the BBC Scotland News special Our Planet Now…”.
LikeLike
“Cumbria coalmine would hit global decarbonisation efforts, inquiry hears
UK ‘would be seen as worst hypocrite imaginable’ if plans for deep mine are approved, say environmentalists”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/01/cumbria-coalmine-global-decarbonisation-inquiry
“Approving a new deep coalmine in Cumbria would stifle international efforts to decarbonise industry and could produce a chain-reaction effect boosting prospective overseas mining projects, the public inquiry into the UK scheme has heard.
Boris Johnson’s aspirations to cast his government as an international climate leader at the upcoming Cop26 summit would be fatally undermined, the inquiry’s closing session also heard, if the mine were given the green light by the Planning Inspectorate.
Paul Brown, the counsel acting for Friends of the Earth at the inquiry, said such a decision “would fundamentally undermine any credibility this government has on the world stage”.
“Instead of being a world leader, we would be seen as the worst hypocrite imaginable,” he argued as part of his closing remarks, adding that the UK would lose any authority in its attempts to persuade developing countries to abandon similar fossil fuel schemes.
The impact of this decision on years of gradual gains in international negotiations could be devastating, he said.”
Quite what that has to do with planning legislation is beyond me.
Still, there is hope yet that common sense will prevail:
“A final site visit along the Cumbrian coast, near Whitehaven, will take place early next week, with the door left open for final written details to be collected over a number of days thereafter. The decision will then go to Michael Gove, the secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, who will have the ultimate say.”
LikeLike
“Climate experts give cautious welcome to Labour’s green policies
Party must not back away from ensuring rapid transition to low-carbon economy, say campaigners”
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/01/climate-experts-give-cautious-welcome-to-labours-green-policies
“…Rebecca Newsom, the head of politics at Greenpeace UK, also welcomed the policies, saying it was clear “that tackling the climate crisis and supporting a fair transition” was central to Labour’s agenda.
But she said “big questions” remained around the “speed and nature of the transition” under any future Labour government and the party’s readiness to show “real leadership in guiding a just transition away from dirty, expensive and unreliable technologies like oil, gas and nuclear”.
Climate and social justice activists inside and outside the party said that, although the policies did not go far enough, they highlighted the power of their campaigning over the past two years – from school strikes to Green New Deal Rising, Extinction Rebellion to Labour for a Green New Deal – and vowed to continue to push the party to go further….”.
Nothing is ever good enough, however ridiculous, it seems. We know we’ve reached peak stupid, though, when – during an energy crisis largely caused by the failure of unreliable renewable energy – climate activists can describe oil, gas and nuclear as “unreliable”.
LikeLike
“Pressure grows to toughen global warming goal at upcoming climate talks
COP26 President Alok Sharma said vulnerable countries backed the proposal.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/global-warming-climate-talks-cop26/
“Vulnerable countries are pushing for a deal at November’s COP26 climate talks that would force laggard governments to make new and improved plans that align with stopping warming at 1.5 degrees, Alok Sharma, the U.K. minister running the climate talks, told POLITICO.
That boosts efforts to make 1.5 degrees the primary target to limit global warming under the Paris Agreement rather than the pact’s current dual targets of holding warming to well below 2 degrees, while striving to cap it at 1.5 degrees.
The issue will be brought up during a three-day meeting of ministers that started Thursday in Milan….
…Sharma has spent two years haranguing leaders around the world to deliver pledges to cut their emissions ahead of the COP26 in Glasgow. But 71 countries accounting for 41 percent of global emissions, including China and India, have so far ignored the call. That means the world remains on a path to 2.7 degrees of warming, the U.N. said this month…”.
LikeLike
Mark, I don’t know what makes me more cross. That the “head of politics” at Greenpeace UK is so stupid, or that the Guardian thinks that such effluent is worth reporting, or that they they no longer have sufficient synapses between them to fire up a spark and recognise how stupid it is?
LikeLike
Jit, I think the real worry is simply that words in climate-related discourse no longer mean what they mean in a dictionary, and that the truth doesn’t seem to matter any more.
LikeLike
I think this is a wonderful Twitter thread from Ben Pile:
LikeLike
local radio news “Britain’s top engineers have urged the government to halt its road building programme”
LikeLike
“With blackouts looming, German government holds disaster preparation day, promotes ‘cooking without electricity’”
https://www.rt.com/news/536361-germany-blackouts-power-ad/
“High demand and the transition to green power has left much of Europe at risk of blackouts. In Germany, state authorities are teaching the public to heat their homes with candles and get used to “cooking without electricity.”
State authorities in North-Rhine Westphalia will hold their first ‘Disaster Protection Day’ on Saturday, with instructors in the city of Bonn teaching citizens how to get by “in the event of a long power failure.” An advert by the federal Civil Protection Office gives a hint of what’s in store, and features an elderly woman wearing several layers of clothing, heating her apartment with candles burning under an upturned flower pot and sealing her windows with reflective foil.
The Civil Protection Office on Friday unveiled an ad campaign focusing on all aspects of crisis preparation, and will soon release a targeted strategy addressing “stockpiling, extreme weather, power failure and emergency baggage.” Meanwhile, officials will present a new book entitled ‘Cooking Without Electricity’ at the event in Bonn on Saturday.
Based on these official communications, blackouts are coming to Germany soon. While the idea of the world’s sixth-most developed country being unable to power itself may seem ludicrous, the problem is Europe-wide, and is the result of a number of factors.
Germany relies heavily on natural gas for heat and power, and supplies were depleted following an unusually cold winter and spring. Globally, gas markets are tight, with increased demand in Asia and an upsurge in air-conditioner use during a hot summer in Europe driving prices to record highs.
Compounding the problem, wind-power generation fell this year, literally due to a lack of wind in Germany. Coal burning has increased to make up this shortfall, yet the cost of European Union ‘carbon credits’ on this fuel is passed on to consumers, with the end result being a spike in energy costs for ordinary Germans, who already pay the highest price per kilowatt hour in the world….”.
LikeLike
“Tracking Europe’s methane leak problem
Methane is escaping unnoticed at hundreds of gas infrastructure sites across the bloc.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/methane-gas-leaks-belgium-europe-lng-problem/
“LONDERZEEL, Belgium — To the naked eye, there was nothing to suggest that a potent greenhouse gas was seeping into the air around this small Flemish town.
But when James Turitto pointed his €100,000 infrared camera at an innocuous-looking fuel tank at a truck stop in the town’s industrial outskirts, the lens revealed a steady stream of gas — primarily methane — rising into the cloudy sky.
For several months this year, Turitto has been traveling across Europe on the hunt for methane, an odorless gas whose warming effect is as much as 86 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over two decades.
“It’s a way of showing emissions are everywhere — everywhere we look,” Turitto, a campaigner with the NGO Clean Air Task Force, said of his project.
In every country he’s visited, his camera found gas infrastructure leaking methane with little oversight. Turitto estimates he’s found “400 to 500 sources of emissions” at some 250 sites — from pipes in Romania to liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Italy and truck stops in Belgium.”
LikeLike
Suddenly it seems, at least so far as the BBC is concerned, that we need to look to Wales to “solve the climate crisis”:
“Climate change: Julie James answers your questions”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-58765451
“We have been putting your environment questions to Wales’ first Climate Change Minister, Julie James.
She was speaking as the UK prepares to host a summit that is seen as crucial if climate change is to be brought under control.
COP26 will take place in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November and could lead to major changes to our everyday lives.
But is the climate crisis too great to solve? No, says Julie James.”
Phew, that’s all right, then.
LikeLike
“Could Scotland’s unwanted wind turbines be turned into playparks?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58542905
“When Windy Standard was built in Dumfries and Galloway in the mid-1990s, it was Scotland’s second largest wind farm.
Now it is coming to the end of its functional life and the old turbines are set to be replaced by more powerful machines.
But what happens to the original turbines? Owner Fred Olsen Renewables wants to find creative and sustainable ways to ensure they do not end up in landfill.
Instead, the towers and blades could be turned into playgrounds, climbing walls, skate parks and even pedestrian bridges.
The earliest phase of the Windy Standard wind farm – now officially known as Brockloch Rig 1 – has permission to operate in Carsphairn Forest until the end of 2027, after its original 25-year consent was extended.
After that, planning conditions state that all the original turbines should be removed and the land “restored to its former condition”.
However, Fred Olsen Renewables hopes to “repower” the site – removing the existing turbines and replacing them with new, more powerful machines, using existing tracks and infrastructure on the hillside.
Each of the 36 turbines that make up the original phase of the wind farm measure 53.5m (175ft) from base to tip and together produce 21.6MW of energy – enough to power about 16,000 homes.
Under the new plans, they would be replaced by no more than nine new turbines.
At up to 200m (656ft) tall, each could be more than three times the height of the existing turbines, but together they have the capacity to generate more than twice as much energy (45MW) and power 38,000 homes.
The Windy Standard turbines are made from 75% recyclable material, including the steel tubes that form each tower.
But each tower has three 17m (55ft) blades made from carbon fibre reinforced plastic which cannot easily be recycled.
It means green energy firms such as Fred Olsen Renewables need to find ways to re-use or repurpose the components.”
LikeLike
“Farnborough Airport entrances blocked by protesters”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-57858103
“Environmental activists from Extinction Rebellion have blocked entrances to a private airport in Hampshire.
Campaign group members are outside three entrances to Farnborough Airport protesting against carbon dioxide levels produced by private flights.
Some of the protesters have locked themselves to a stretch limousine, fuel barrels and a steel tripod.
An airport spokeswoman said authorities were monitoring the situation and the airport was still fully operational.
An Extinction Rebellion spokesman said: “As world leaders gather for the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow this month, protesters are calling on the world’s super-rich elite of celebrities, oligarchs and business leaders to ditch private flights.”
Protesters have accused the airport of “greenwashing” after it announced a switch to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) which is created using non-recyclable household waste.
Greenwashing is a term used for companies allegedly using misleading information to make products or services sound more environmentally friendly.”
I don’t approve of their methods, but if you believe what they believe, then they sort of have a point. Are they going to go to Glasgow airport and protest against all the climate hypocrites jetting in for COP 26? By their actions shall we know them.
LikeLike
I wasn’t alone in predicting it….
Diesel generators being installed to charge COP26 VIP Tesla fleet
You’d think somebody’d have jammed a firework up the behind of SSE to swerve this PR disaster but no…..
Experience tells me that the main exhibition area will have at least 8 generator sets and at least as many propane fired heaters plus an array of air conditioning units…
I wonder if Insulation Extinction will blockade the entrance?
To any XR researchers lurking ? – fill your boots – go right ahead!
LikeLiked by 2 people
That is only one region, the one around Bonn,
LikeLike
“Climate change: Stop smoke and mirrors, rich nations told”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58774786
“Rich countries’ plans to curb carbon are “smoke and mirrors” and must be urgently improved, say poorer nations.
Ministers meeting here in Milan at the final UN session before the Glasgow COP26 climate conference heard that some progress was being made.
But officials from developing countries demanded tougher targets for cutting carbon emissions and more cash to combat climate change.
One minister condemned “selfishness or lack of good faith” in the rich world.
US special envoy John Kerry said all major economies “must stretch” to do the maximum they can.”
I wonder how that would go down if put to a referendum, in these straitened times?
LikeLike
More in a similar vein:
“Poor countries must not be forced to take on debt to tackle climate crisis
The Secret Negotiator
A Cop26 insider from a developing nation on why the richer world needs to meet its funding targets”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/02/poor-countries-must-not-be-forced-to-take-on-debt-to-tackle-climate-crisis
“One of the biggest issues at Cop26 is climate finance, the funding that is supposed to be provided by the rich world to developing countries to help us cut greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impact of the climate crisis.
Back at the Copenhagen Cop in 2009, we were promised at least $100bn (£74bn) a year in climate finance by 2020 and every year after that to at least 2025. But that target has been missed. Recently, we saw an OECD report which found that in 2019 only about $80bn was provided….
…Keep in mind that this promised climate finance is additional to what developing countries are spending on the climate themselves. An increasing proportion of national budgets are used dealing with the effects of the climate crisis – such as coping with natural disasters or repairing the damage….”.
Funnily enough, no link was provided to substantiate that last claim. Natural disasters are now the effects of climate change, I see, without the need to demonstrate attribution.
LikeLike
If it’s hot, it’s climate change, if it’s cold, it’s climate change. If it’s wet, it’s climate change, if it’s dry, it’s climate change:
“Coffee bean price spike just a taste of what’s to come with climate change
Global coffee prices forecast to hit $4.44 a kilogram due to Brazilian cold snap following a string of droughts and pandemic supply chain issues”
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/sep/30/coffee-bean-price-spike-just-a-taste-of-whats-to-come-with-climate-change
LikeLike
Speaking of John Kerry, currently the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate…
Here he is back in 2014 when he was merely the United States Secretary of State:
Nope. That’s not how it works.
And:
Er, no. Back of the class, John. And please pipe down a bit.
More crap from Kerry’s 2014 talk in Jakarta is available here:
URL:web.archive.org/web/20140216204915/http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2014/02/221704.htm
LikeLike
“First petrol, then pasta … now record labels are running out of vinyl
Demand for records is soaring, and Britain’s supply problems are making it even harder to get albums pressed”
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/oct/03/first-petrol-then-pasta-now-record-labels-are-running-out-of-vinyl
How dare they?!!! Don’t they know what vinyl is made from?
“But there is also a lack of PVC after a storm in February halted Texan petrochemical plants, and a fire in 2020 at a lacquer plant in California left only one factory in Japan making the master discs that records are cut from….
…Howell is looking at other options, including 10-inch records and potentially investing in his own vinyl production plant. “You have to be a bit innovative and work around these issues and not sit there and say, ‘Wah, it’s not want I wanted.’ You have to adapt. But it’s a bit annoying.””
Not interested in saving the planet, then?
LikeLike
There’s rather a lot wrong with this article too, IMO:
“Tax flights and ditch gas boilers: ‘blue wall’ voters back green policy
A majority of voters in the Conservative party’s key 41 constituencies believe the UK should be a world leader on climate”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/03/tax-flights-and-ditch-gas-boilers-blue-wall-voters-back-green-policy
“Voters in Tory heartlands want the government to do more to tackle the climate crisis, and support measures that many backbench Conservative MPs have balked at, from ditching gas boilers to taxing flights, new polling shows….
…a poll of 41 constituencies in the “blue wall” – long-term Tory-held seats, tilted towards the south but with some in the north of England – has found that a majority of voters there believe the UK should be a world leader on climate, and that the costs of inaction outweigh the costs of action. Six in 10 support the phasing out of gas boilers, while more than half (54%) want a tax on frequent flyers and a similar number (54%) support the phasing out of petrol and diesel vehicles.
Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at Greenpeace UK, which commissioned the poll, said: “This polling shows that there is an electoral risk here for the government, in not following through on their promises on climate change. It is a clear mandate from voters in some of the most important Conservative constituencies for the government to go full throttle on climate action.”
Two thirds want to see more investment in electric vehicles, though replacing fuel duty with road pricing has less support, at about 45% of those polled. Six in 10 also want to see climate aid to poor countries, despite the government’s cuts to overseas aid.
Only 9% of the 1,000 voters surveyed said the government was doing too much on climate, while a quarter said the government was doing enough, and more than half wanted ministers to do more. More than seven in 10 would support new ambitious commitments on climate at the Cop26 summit in Glasgow this November, and a green new deal to invest in jobs….”.
The first and most obvious thing to note is that the Guardian provides no link to the poll, and I was rather hoping they would have done. As we all know, how you phrase opinion poll questions and the way the poll is conducted, as well as how the people polled are selected, can all make a huge difference to the results. I wanted to check those things out, but the Guardian has not given me the tools to do so. Undaunted I carried out an internet search using key terms – that proved fruitless. Still undaunted, I checked out the websites for both Greenpeace UK (who commissioned the poll) and Ipsos Mori (who conducted it) and still could find nothing. So now I am daunted, so to speak. An opinion poll that receives a big PR piece in the Guardian (and elsewhere on the internet – but again with no links) that can’t be checked for methodology and accuracy.
We do know (or we think we do) from the Guardian report, that only 1,000 people were surveyed, and they were spread across 41 constituencies, so fewer than 25 per constituency on average. That doesn’t strike me as very authoritative, and combined with the lack of information as to the methodology, I regard it as pretty meaningless.
And yet it’s all really rather sinister. In the build-up to COP 26 we can expect ever more of this sort of rubbish – PR puff pieces that are essentially meaningless, but which are designed to influence how politicians respond. Most particularly, it seems fairly obvious to me that it’s designed to put backbone into Boris regarding his “green” agenda and to undermine those concerned Tory backbench MPs who aren’t on board with the agenda and who fear it will end in tears (for them personally, probably, and for the country, certainly).
The soundbite from Rebecca Newsom of Greenpeace makes it clear that it has nicely served the purpose for which it was commissioned:
“This polling shows that there is an electoral risk here for the government, in not following through on their promises on climate change. It is a clear mandate from voters in some of the most important Conservative constituencies for the government to go full throttle on climate action.”
Stick to your guns, Boris and don’t listen to those Moaning Minnies on the backbenches. Why, only 9% of Tory voters think you’re doing too much on climate! Look at all the votes you’ll lose if you don’t keep at it!
It’s rubbish, of course. It doesn’t matter what the Tories do and say about climate change, they will always be outflanked by the climate extremists in the Labour, LibDem and Green Parties, plus SNP and Plaid Cymru in Scotland Wales, and climate worriers will never vote Tory. There are NO votes for the Tories in this, only lost votes from disgruntled traditional Tories.
LikeLike
The Times : All of Britain’s electricity to be Green by 2035
LikeLike
The first of the 5 PrinceWilliam/Attenborough sermons was on BBC1 primetime
The publicity before it was massive
Why did Discovery Networks do a 10 tweet thread promoting a BBC show ?
LikeLike
The Times TV guide their #2 is Earshot the Prince William /Attenborough series of 5 Global Warming sermons
I think they have pulled a trick; they know that 6p slot is the Sunday biggie as people stop watch their local news and then Countryfile so they’ve moved them to an hour early and given Prince William the prime spot.
Flipping Attenborough is not only on at 6pm, he was on at 3:40pm too
Then Packam and daughter were on BBC2 at 8:30pm
=====================================
pg 8 of the Times is used for their Green campaigning
So they plugged the Prince William/ Attenborough prog there too.
As well as an item “90% of us breathe unclean air everyday”
.. What does that even mean ?
We don’t breather CLEANED air we breathe natural air
And natural air is intrinsically UNCLEAN, yet our lungs have evolved to cope with the particles and poisons it contains.
LikeLike
Apparently BoJo’s speech will be about investment in renewables and nuclear. Let’s hope he’s concentrating on nuclear, or we’re stuffed.
LikeLike
More on nuclear:
“Surging gas prices and fuel bills focus Tory minds on the nuclear option
Growing fears of energy security are leading a rethink on Chinese involvement in atomic plans. But what alternative are there?”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/04/surging-gas-prices-and-fuel-bills-focus-tory-minds-on-the-nuclear-option
“Among the subjects preoccupying delegates at the Conservative party conference in Manchester on Monday, energy will be near the top of the list.
Soaring global gas prices, a lack of windpower and surging household bills have focused minds on Britain’s energy needs – and the role of nuclear power in particular.
For the past decade, Britain’s ambitions to build more nuclear power plants have been entwined with China’s. Hinkley Point C, the long-delayed and over-budget £23bn plant in Somerset that will be the first new power station in a generation, is being bankrolled with Chinese cash.”
LikeLike
“Sicilian coffee dream a step closer as climate crisis upends farming
As temperatures rise, one family hopes to establish the world’s northernmost coffee plantation”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/04/sicilian-coffee-dream-a-step-closer-as-climate-crisis-upends-farming
You might think that sounds like good news, but the whole article is riddled with the words “crisis” and “emergency”. No, it’s called change and adaptation.
LikeLike
I don’t see the scope for substantial new nuclear inside 14 years. Such would be fought tooth and nail by the very zealots he is trying to appease with this announcement. Whether the wind is subsidy free or not makes no difference to the resulting rise in electricity costs, because cheaper options will be shut out of the system.
LikeLike
10am local radio news :
“And rail companies have a new way of dealing with leaves
spraying them with dry-ice”
They never mentioned that’s carbon-dioxide
LikeLike
The BBC sent Justin Rowlatt upto Grimsby and Hull to do a PRasNews item to promote the wind industry
100 people complain he said Grimsby is in East Yorkshire
50 complain he and the BBC map used the description Humberside
That hated county name was abolished 30 years ago
Then the blade manufacturer tweeted him to say The name of the company is not Siemens
“Ahem, Justin – that’s Siemens Gamesa”
LikeLike
Oh he went by helicopter
Harra is part of the PR campaign
LikeLike
Impartial my ass
LikeLike
Flipping heck another Rowlatt PR tweet
LikeLike
Tweeter : If you put a wind farm in an area
then it absorbs some of the wind
meaning that areas downwind get less wind cooling
so warm up
aren’t we supposed to be stopping global warming ?
Are windfarms warming the sea ?
LikeLike
“Poland’s solar power sunburn
The government is scaling back generous subsidies following an unexpected PV boom.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-solar-power-subsidy-program/
“Poland’s subsidy program has led to a boom in small-scale photovoltaic projects — which is turning into a problem.
The program has been so successful — the country generates 5.4 gigawatts of power from solar, above its minimum 5 GW target for 2025 — that now the government is planning to revamp its subsidy scheme.
Poland already has 700,000 domestic solar installations, and Deputy Climate and Environment Minister Ireneusz Zyska expects that to rise to 1 million by the end of the year.
“This all creates risks, especially for the grid,” Zyska said at a regional economic conference last month.
That’s why the government is working on legislation that changes the rules for small-scale prosumers — people who both generate and use power.
Currently, the successful “My Electricity” program subsidizes small individual PV installations ranging from 2 kilowatts to 10 kW in capacity, with a subsidy of up to 3,000 złoty (€660). Users also get to take back 80 percent of the power they put into the grid for their own use at no charge — essentially treating the national network as a personal battery.
The legislation would scrap that, forcing prosumers to sell any excess power to the grid at market prices, and to buy back any needed electricity — usually at times when their panels aren’t working — also at market rates.
“We have been forced to move away from subsidies … but we’re working to ensure that the new solutions will still be attractive for current and future prosumers,” Zyska said….
…Poland’s PV capacity ballooned 200 percent to nearly 4 GW last year, according a report by Poland’s Renewable Energy Institute, a think tank. According to SolarPower Europe, a lobby group, Poland was the EU’s fourth-fastest growing PV market in 2020, behind Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain.
“Micronstallations are the fastest growing PV segments in Poland and it’s just going to grow because saturation is still very low — there are millions of buildings on which you can put PV panels on,” said Dawid Zieliński, CEO of Columbus Energy, one of Poland’s leading suppliers of PV projects.
But getting more solar online means more government spending as well as completing long-delayed upgrades in the Polish grid to be able to handle variable renewables.
“With growth at the rates we’ve seen, what’s needed now is a response from the grid, otherwise there’ll be just too much capacity and many installations will be shut off by the system during peak generation times,” said Grzegorz Wiśniewski, head of the Renewable Energy Institute and a long-time promoter of solar power in Poland.
He said that his think tank had predicted that once the PV installations rise above 5 GW, that would create problems for grid stability. “That level has now been crossed,” he said, warning that means installations will be cut off at peak times to prevent surges. That happened for the first time on April 5, when there was a spike in power production thanks to strong winds and sun shine.
“The electricity grid has limited flexibility,” Zyska said. “It can’t be a storage for ever greater numbers of prosumers. Not making changes will lead to a catastrophe.”…”.
There are no simple solutions, it seems. Somebody should tell Boris and Insulate Britain.
LikeLike
Massive skeins of geese heading south over Cockermouth today. Do they know something we don’t? Is it going to be a cold winter?
LikeLike
Everytime solar is on TV, lots of naives say “but why doesn’t the government make it law to have solar panels on every house ?”
FFS cos solar is a bit crap for the money
LikeLike
Sunday viewing stats
3.5million for #RepairingOurPlanet,
about 6% of the population
LikeLike
DW
LikeLike
BBC News in raptures over a crappy melting sculpture composed of Antarctic ice that will melt during COP26. This is justified thus: “As an artist, Wayne needed visitors to see and hear the ice dripping away very slowly as that makes the point about global warming”. Someone tell Wayne that, far from melting away, Antarctic ice is actually increasing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Way off topic, but I see that they are claiming that the Facebook/Whatsapp/Instagram outage took so long to rectify because the ‘internal technical issue’ responsible for the outage also disabled the security system that allowed the IT team access to the building to correct it. Am I alone in finding that claim highly suspicious? I do happen to know a little about such things and I know that rule number 1 regarding security systems is that you don’t design in vulnerabilities such that failures to non-security IT systems can have such knock on effects. Even if it were a building power supply issue, the security system would operate on an isolated UPS. Either one of the world’s leading IT solutions suppliers knows diddly about IT security basics, or they are telling porkies and they are trying to play down a carefully planned security breach. I shall look forward to the full explanation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
John, I don’t think anything’s off topic on Open Mic – have at it!
Meanwhile:
“London flooding hits Tube services and roads”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58799222
It’s very sad for those affected, of course. Living in a town that floods periodically, I do genuinely sympathise, and don’t wish to belittle anything here. But I can’t help observing that a miracle has nevertheless occurred – I only skimmed the article, but I think the BBC has reported this without once mentioning climate change.
LikeLike
“EU countries warned to ‘not overreact’ to energy price surge
Capitals propose radically different strategies to keep gas and power bills in check.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-eurozone-finance-ministers-meeting-energy-prices-green-deal/
“Soaring gas and power prices are prompting fears of a backlash against the EU’s Green Deal policies, highlighted during Monday’s eurozone finance ministers’ meeting.
The bloc’s 2050 target of becoming climate neutral is already making it more expensive to emit CO2 and burn fossil fuels, but there’s worry that the project could be undermined by current jitters over energy prices.
“We have to take care of the situation very carefully at the moment,” said Finland’s Finance Minister Annika Saarikko. “We can’t forget our goals when it comes to climate change, but transition time is not an easy one.”
Spot prices for natural gas reached €92 per megawatt-hour on Monday on the Dutch TTF trading hub, up about 400 percent so far this year.
The price spike and its knock-on effects on power bills saw energy prices added to the agenda of Monday’s Eurogroup meeting in Luxembourg. EU finance ministers will discuss energy again over breakfast on Tuesday and the European Parliament debates power prices Wednesday.
Paolo Gentiloni, the economy commissioner, said the soaring prices will mean efforts to “address the most vulnerable households,” while also finding a “balance between the need of immediate response and having these responses not be in contradiction with our mid-term targets for the climate transition.””
Meanwhile some people continue to inhabit an Alice Through the Looking Glass world:
“That’s also leading to calls to speed up the green transition. The current situation “only reinforces the point to move away from fossil fuels, more towards renewables, to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and avoid these kinds of price fluctuations,” said Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis.”
Still, problems, problems:
“But that still leaves the short-term problem of the ongoing price spike. Higher natural gas prices are caused by a global supply crunch as economies recover from the pandemic, coupled with lower-than-expected gas supply from Russia as domestic production fell.
More than 40 MEPs have asked the Commission to investigate Russia’s Gazprom, the EU’s top supplier, for declining to offer additional volumes for sale in recent months.”
And:
“Greece has called for returning some of the revenues collected under the EU’s Emissions Trading System to offset price increases.”
LikeLike
“Global citizens’ assembly to be chosen for UN climate talks
100-member group will be representative of world’s population and will present their findings to Cop26”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/05/global-citizens-assembly-to-be-chosen-for-un-climate-talks
“One hundred people from around the world are to take part in a citizens’ assembly to discuss the climate crisis over the next month, before presenting their findings at the UN Cop26 climate summit.
The Global Citizens’ Assembly will be representative of the world’s population, and will invite people chosen by lottery to take part in online discussions that will culminate in November, during the fortnight-long climate talks that open in Glasgow on 31 October.
Funded with nearly $1m, from sources including the Scottish government and the European Climate Foundation, the assembly is supported by the UN and UK and run by a coalition of more than 100 organisations.”
Representative of the world’s population? Really? Online discussions only? How many poor people in sub-Saharan luxury have that luxury? More pointless and expensive virtue-signalling. Still, it generated another PR piece in the pre-COP 26 ramp-up, so job done, I suppose.
LikeLike
“Nobel in physics: Climate science breakthroughs earn prize”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58790160
“Three scientists have been awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work to understand complex systems, such as the Earth’s climate.
Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi were announced as the winners at an event in Stockholm.
Research by Manabe and Hasselmann led to computer models of the Earth’s climate that can predict the impact of global warming.
The winners will share the prize money of 10 million krona (£842,611).
It is incredibly difficult to predict the long-term behaviour of complex physical systems such as the climate. Computer models that anticipate how it will respond to rising greenhouse gas emissions have therefore been crucial for understanding global warming as a planetary emergency.”
I guess only time will tell if the models are actually correct, or even close to correct.
LikeLike
Meanwhile, lots more propaganda at the BBC today:
“Climate change: What do all the terms mean?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48057733
“Climate change is seen as the biggest challenge to the future of human life on Earth, and understanding the scientific language used to describe it can sometimes feel just as difficult.
But help is at hand. Use our translator tool to find out what some of the words and phrases relating to climate change mean.”
And
“Staffordshire woodland in climate change experiment”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-58805835
“For scientists trying to predict the impact of rising levels of carbon dioxide on our world it can be a complex task.
But in a woodland in Staffordshire, researchers from the University of Birmingham are not predicting the future – they are actually creating it.
Huge metal rings are pumping out CO2 around the trees to achieve the levels we are going to see in about 50 years time.
The experiments are measuring the flow of sap in the trees, the growth of the trees and have cameras in the soil – it is all part of research examining the impact of climate change on woodlands.”
That was regurgitated from 1st May 2019.
And
“Climate change: Where we are in seven charts and what you can do to help”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46384067
This one is regurgitated from 14th January 2020.
So, not news at all.
LikeLike
“Shipping firms vow to cut emissions if governments support low-carbon tech
Industry calls for levy to fund new technologies – but environmentalists say proposal blocks climate progress”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/05/shipping-cut-emissions-low-carbon-tech-climate
“The global shipping industry has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by mid-century – but only if governments impose a mandatory levy on shipping fuel to fund the development of new low-carbon technology.
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represents the majority of the global shipping industry, submitted the plans to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the worldwide regulator and part of the UN.
The industry group called for a carbon levy on shipping, a new fund for the development of low-carbon technologies and a 25% cut in emissions by 2030, moving to zero emissions from shipping by 2050.”
#MagicMoneyTree
Still, it’s never enough:
“Green campaigners said the plans were unrealistic, however, and accused the ICS of obstructing progress on alternative measures that were more likely to be effective.”
LikeLike
“‘Greta is right’: climate pledges must be matched by action, say Mars executives
The company will tie executive pay to emissions reduction and eliminate deforestation through its supply chain”
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/oct/05/corporate-net-zero-pledges-climate-crisis-mars-ceo
I’m glad I’m not an executive at Mars.
LikeLike
“The Government is in denial: levelling up and decarbonisation are incompatible
We are adding to the production costs of key industries in the full knowledge that it will make them less competitive than overseas rivals”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/10/04/government-denial-levelling-decarbonisation-incompatible/
“The Government now has two main strategic aims: levelling up and decarbonisation. Levelling up aims to encourage the creation of more high-skill, high-wage jobs in every corner of the land. The problem is that its second strategy, decarbonisation, is steadily destroying well-paid jobs. Worse still, the Government is refusing to admit the contradiction, preferring to claim that thousands of high-wage green jobs will emerge. Not facing up to inconvenient facts usually leads sooner or later to disaster, as the petrol-pump fiasco has surely reminded us….”
Behind a paywall, unfortunately, though you can register for a free one-month trial if you wish (I never do things like that).
LikeLiked by 1 person
BBC 6pm trailer : “shop and be green”
Shop Well for the Planet?
begins Thursday 14th October at 8pm on BBC One.
The gang help a family go green and save some cash.
Eco toilet roll and natural deodorant are put through their paces,
and how will the family get on with a new electric car?
The presenters of Shop Well for Less and Eat Well for Less join forces to see if we can live a greener lifestyle and save money along the way. Chris Bavin and Jordan Banjo look at our food choices, while Melanie Sykes and Joanna Page tackle our shopping habits.
This week, the team are in Essex to help the Fortington-Neave family go green and save some much-needed cash.
✅ posh name
Life is busy for mum Alison and dad Alex. They have a packed schedule looking after their two active sons, 7 & 11
Now the whole family want to try to help the planet, but they don’t know where to start.
– set up a pop-up shop filled with the family’s main areas of eco-concern and reveal their average carbon footprint.
They are shocked to find out how much over the national average they currently are.
To turn the family’s house green, the team swap their usual cleaning products for homemade versions and eliminate some of their single-use plastic.
Jordan and Chris take on committed carnivore Alex and try to convince him that going meat-free a couple of days a week doesn’t have to be painful.
Can they turn him around with their simple and quick veg curry?
✅ Pushing Veganism
Prog tests eco varieties of toilet rolls, natural deodorants, Fairtrade chocolate
As a dog owner, Jordan wants to investigate what the impact of our pets is on the planet.
He travels to Scotland(that’s not eco)
to meet the owner of an eco-friendly dog food business and find out what his secret ingredient is.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0010k49
LikeLike
If BBC programming isn’t black focused, it’ Green focused
Today on Radio4
9am GREEN : Jim Al Khalili nudged his flood expert guest to go on about *Climate change*
11:30am GREEN : *Philosopher* Timothy Morton explores our psychological relationship with the *climate crisis *
3:30pm GREEN : the weekly Green Agenda show
9:30pm GREEN : same as 9am
LikeLike
Mark Hodgson says:
05 OCT 21 AT 7:59 PM
“Nobel in physics: Climate science breakthroughs earn prize”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58790160
“Three scientists have been awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work to understand complex systems, such as the Earth’s climate.
Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi were announced as the winners at an event in Stockholm.”
Lubos Motl wasn’t too impressed:
https://motls.blogspot.com/2021/10/global-warming-nobel-prize-in-physics.html
LikeLike
Thanks Bill.
The following is I think worth quoting from Lubos. I fully agree.
—
But so far, the hard scientific prizes, and especially the Nobel Prize in Physics, were largely shielded from this toxic worthless garbage. This is over because the other one-half of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics was given to Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann
Wow, just wow. You may click at the names to confirm the expectation that these men did some influential early work on climate modeling. And I think that these men aren’t even the most radical activists who would love to exaggerate the projections more than others. But don’t make a mistake about it. The climate modeling hasn’t led to any new yet reliable insights. In those 50 years, while the short-term weather models have made some progress, the long-term models have made virtually none and it is especially the case of the question about the magnitude of the influence of CO2 on the climate. All the relevant quantities (like the climate sensitivity) remained about as uncertain as when these modelling efforts were launched and the claim about the “reliable prediction of global warming” is a pure lie.
LikeLike
Richard,
I think you miss the point. Back in the day, they thought they didn’t know what the climate sensitivity is. Now they know they don’t know. If that isn’t worth a Nobel Prize, I don’t know what is 🙂
On a more serious note, there is a proposition doing the rounds that the scientific understanding of the climate now matches the greatest of scientific achievements since Galileo. Indeed, the level of understanding matches that associated with the study of subatomic particles. For the record, the theoretical predictions of QED, and the corresponding experimental measurements, are in agreement to within less than ten parts in a billion. Meanwhile, for ECS…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow – climate science is racist and sexist:
“Climate change: Voices from global south muted by climate science”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58808509
“Climate change academics from some of the regions worst hit by warming are struggling to be published, according to a new analysis.
The study looked at 100 of the most highly cited climate research papers over the past five years.
Less than 1% of the authors were based in Africa, while only 12 of the papers had a female lead researcher.
The lack of diverse voices means key perspectives are being ignored, says the study’s author.
Researchers from the Carbon Brief website examined the backgrounds of around 1,300 authors involved in the 100 most cited climate change research papers from 2016-2020.
They found that some 90% of these scientists were affiliated with academic institutions from North America, Europe or Australia.”
LikeLike
I think this is truly appalling. The NHS has huge problems in treating sick people. That should be where every ounce of its energies lies. Not this distracting rubbish:
“Climate change: NHS staff fighting to make hospitals greener”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58804474
“The Welsh NHS needs to “lead by example” in the fight against climate change to avoid future health problems, say hospital staff trying to cut carbon emissions.
At Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, staff are volunteering after shifts during Covid-19 to work on green schemes.
Doctors said major overhauls were needed to ensure the health service stops adding to global warming.
NHS Wales boss Dr Andrew Goodall said progress was being made.
The outgoing chief executive added that while the health service was under huge pressure, it must focus on climate change alongside the Covid crisis.
The NHS accounts for about 2.6% of Wales’ emissions of planet-warming gases – a carbon footprint of approximately one million tonnes of CO2 equivalent a year.”
2.6% of b*gger all is b*gger all!
LikeLike
Oh, good grief, they’ve put two articles up about this ridiculous story:
“Climate change: NHS Wales ‘can transform services'”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-58809669
“NHS Wales must focus on cutting its greenhouse gas emissions, says outgoing boss Dr Andrew Goodall.
“We know we can change and transform our services,” he said.
“And I see even focusing on the climate change issues… is a complementary approach to the kind of recovery actions that we need to do as part of the Covid response.”
Green groups are being set up by hospital staff voluntarily to help cut emissions at sites around Wales.
Junior doctor Tom Downes said the healthcare sector should lead by example as part of a Wales-wide public sector drive to cut emissions to net zero by 2030.”
LikeLike
Here we go again with the “not paying enough tax = subsidy” line of argument. A business that pays taxes is NOT subsidised.
“Fossil fuel industry gets subsidies of $11m a minute, IMF finds
Trillions of dollars a year are ‘adding fuel to the fire’ of the climate crisis, experts say”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/06/fossil-fuel-industry-subsidies-of-11m-dollars-a-minute-imf-finds
“The fossil fuel industry benefits from subsidies of $11m every minute, according to analysis by the International Monetary Fund.
The IMF found the production and burning of coal, oil and gas was subsidised by $5.9tn in 2020, with not a single country pricing all its fuels sufficiently to reflect their full supply and environmental costs. Experts said the subsidies were “adding fuel to the fire” of the climate crisis, at a time when rapid reductions in carbon emissions were urgently needed.
Explicit subsidies that cut fuel prices accounted for 8% of the total and tax breaks another 6%. The biggest factors were failing to make polluters pay for the deaths and poor health caused by air pollution (42%) and for the heatwaves and other impacts of global heating (29%).
Setting fossil fuel prices that reflect their true cost would cut global CO2 emissions by over a third, the IMF analysts said. ”
And would probably be responsible for more early deaths than the dubious claim of 29% attributed to heatwaves and impacts of global heating and 42% attributed to air pollution.
LikeLike
Re: The Nobel Prize
It is also perhaps worth reflecting upon the role played by uncertainty here. Parisi won his part of the Noble Prize by studying the aleatory uncertainties associated with spin glass. His achievements were only possible, however, because the epistemic uncertainties associated with his physical models were low. It was therefore a situation in which aleatory techniques for analysing physical uncertainties (techniques such as Monte Carlo simulations and Gaussian distributions) are perfectly applicable. The others won their part in the prize because of their work in climate modelling, in which the epistemic uncertainties in the models are almost entirely overwhelming, severely undermining any attempt to apply aleatory techniques. As I have pointed out on many occasions, most climate scientists don’t even appreciate the important distinction to be made here and pursue calculations that treat everything as aleatoric, including the model uncertainties! The Nobel Prize seems to have been awarded here for mathematically demonstrating that aleatory techniques can still be applied in climate modelling – but that’s only if you are not too worried about the lack of epistemological justification for trusting the results.
LikeLiked by 1 person
R4 9:30am accidentally states that skeptical thinking is better
The Power of Doubt : we should rehabilitate doubt as a strength rather than a weakness in leaders.
aren’t the best leaders not the ones that say they have all the answers,
but those who know they don’t?
Not those who say they see it all, but those who ask whose perspective is missing?
Rather than a deficiency to be hidden, maybe doubt should be seen as a power to be harnessed?”
Nicola Reindorp is CEO of Crisis Action
LikeLike
The BBC says that climate change represents the greatest threat to mankind. I think not. Do you want to see a hockey stick?
LikeLike
People think ‘feelings are more important than facts’ when it comes to renewables
LikeLike
R4 now : Research reveals most people confused about green choices
The consumer association Which? say that most people are confused about green choices and it is a barrier to helping the UK meet its emission targets.
They are urging more financial help from government and clearer advice and labelling from companies to make it easier to switch to better tech and purchases..
eg frustrated Air source heat-pump man
House only has 60A fuse , so is heat pump might take it over the limit
The 100A fuse will cost £300, but typically takes 6 months
Pump costs £12,600 MORE than a gas boiler,
So so far he is £12,900 down and still paying gas bills and won’t have lower ones until winter 2022/23
Which-lady claimed the government isn’t doing enough to help PRIVATE electric companies install electric car chargers for PRIVATE customers.
AFAIK when you buy the gimmick , I mean car the seller gets you a charging point installed.
Of course after a while the substation on your street is not big enough ..and that is a problem for the electric companies.
Listener comments
“lots of people say that heat pumps are more complex than expected, you have to install bigger radiators etc.”
that bit was rushed ..then she read a long comment by someone who said his heatpump is great.
LikeLike
“Green Policies” = “Spend MORE & get LESS”
LikeLike
John,
Don’t forget Taiwan’s National Day is the 11th of October.
LikeLike
ITV local news , heres the failed GMB presenter with an item about shopping for Climate.
That item like a lot of TV gave bold numbers that are probably wrong
“One third of food in the world grown is not eaten”
hmm even the small percentage of food not going into the food chain usually goes to feed animals.
LikeLike
“Climate scientists hit with steep COP26 bill
Shortages of essential goods push price tag for events pavilion over £500K.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/cop26-climate-talks-glasgow-scientists-organizations-bill-pavilion-orientations-events/
“The world’s preeminent climate science organizations plan to downgrade their presence at next month’s COP26 climate talks after being told they would be charged over £500,000 for their pavilion due to shortages of material and labor.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the U.K. Met Office cut the size of their joint space and events program in half after receiving the unexpectedly large quote, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
The temporary booths used by business, science and civil society organizations to promote their messages are a key feature of the annual U.N. climate talks. At the COP25 conference in Madrid in 2019, the IPCC and WMO pavilion hosted 47 events over the course of two weeks.
The science bodies were informed about the cost by orientations.events — the company contracted to provide construction services for pavilions at this year’s summit in Glasgow — after they submitted their designs for the events hub.
The charge includes a £70,000 fee for the floor space to be paid to the U.K. government, which it said is based on the average of the past five climate conferences.
The overall price is roughly double what the organizations had expected to pay based on previous conferences. There is no suggestion the science organizations are being charged more than other participants at COP26 and the U.K. government acknowledged that others were also affected.”
LikeLike
10pm BBC4 Another eco-catastrophe doco 1/3
“The extent of nature’s resilience, and its adaptability in the face of extreme threat is astonishing. We see that ecosystems devastated by human beings can be revived, with the right care…”
Blurb : Filmed on seven continents, THE AGE OF NATURE presents creative ideas from around the globe for dealing with such pressing issues as climate change, animal extinction, and environmental degradation.
Butt you’ll need another TV set so you can watch BBC1 at the same time to catch at 10:35pm the Air Pollution episode of Earthshot 3/5 the Prince William/ Attenborough sermon
LikeLike
Stewgreen: “People think ‘feelings are more important than facts’ when it comes to renewables”
For anyone who has read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, that phrase resonates. We seem to be getting closer to that dystopian future…..
LikeLike
gov has Ruled out bailing out energy suppliers
LikeLike
Lowest ever Butterfly Conservation count “down by upto two thirds”
“extremely susceptible to Climate Chane and Extreme Weather””
… Hmm been plenty of butterflies around here
LikeLike
BBC Eco-warriors murdering trees to make paper for their propaganda
LikeLike
The daily radio4 show has another 5 episodes from the 18th
Mon 18 Oct Zero Carbon Flight
Tue Local Wisdom
Tom Heap discovers how indigenous knowledge can help us fight climate change.
Wed Floating Solar Power
Most of the surface of this planet is water. Can we cover it with solar panels?
Thu The Happiness Index
Do we need an alternative way to assess a nation’s success and growth?
Fri : Five Cunning Carbon-Cutting Ideas
Tom Heap presents five more ideas to reverse the march of climate change.
LikeLike
R4 Twitter just plugged Ed Hawkins bands again ?
LikeLike
Greens are on 9%
I bet Boris and the Blue Socialist Party are afraid of a Lab Green alliance
LikeLike
2:15pm trailer Jim Al Khalili
“We are on the run up a hugely important Climate event : Cop26
… BBC Radio4’s Day Of The Scientists”
Next Tuesday”
LikeLike
Stew,
Yes, the BBC’s recent adoption of the Ed Hawkins warming stripes has been very apparent. You already all know my opinion of them: “Not even close to scientific”. Still, whenever has that stopped the BBC?
LikeLike
9am The Life Scientific 10th Birthday
How damaging is the stereotype of white males in white coats?
Guests the normal activist scientists
: Sir Paul Nurse; geologist Christopher Jackson (black guy, did Xmas Lectures)
Dame Sue Black.
Dame Ottoline Leyser boss of UK Research and Innovation
10am Woman’s Hour : blurb blank
11:00 The Black and the Green
Exploring the uneasy relationship between Black and Green political movements and ideas.
* That’s not science *
11:30 The End of the World Has Already Happened
2: The Hurricane In Your Cereal Bowl
2/3 How might we get to grips with the terrifying scale of the climate crisis?
Hyperbolic repeat from 9 Jan 2020 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000czds
15:30 Costing the Earth
Earthshot: More Fresh Ideas for the Environment
Meet the people with brilliant ideas to help nature heal from centuries of abuse.
16:00 2/3 Katy Long continues her history of 100 years of refugee politics.
16:30 A Good Read
Adam Rutherford
Farrah Jarral is she a scientist ? AFAIK she is a GP studying for her PhD
Like Rutherford she is a Guardianland
Books with a science theme are on the menu.
8pm Jim interviews Patrick Vallance
blurb “Shockingly, only about 10% of civil servants have a scientific training. ”
What does that mean ?
I have a Physics and Maths A’levels’ an engineering degree involving labwork
won’t many civil servants be like that ?
Most will have a science A level
9;30pm Another Guardian man Alok Jha examines ARIA, the UK’s new body for cutting edge scientific research and explores DARPA, the US’s
a repeat from August
.. the day seems to have just as many black/refugee progs as Scientist
LikeLike
Stew/John: It’s graphical malfeasance. Colour me derisive.
LikeLike
5pm news Alok Sharma has said that more renewables will guard against gas price rises.
LikeLike
8:00pm tonight, #TheBriefingRoom @BBCRadio4 @DAaronovitch and @RachSalv
discuss the filthy state of England’s rivers.
LikeLike
7:30pm ITV “How Green Is Your Supermarket”
.. a preview took up a large slice of our local ITV news as well.
dialogue “WE NEED TO GET TO NET ZERO !” etc.
A claim that meat/dairy are 14% of world GHG
and that 25% of a British persons CO2 comes from food
most caused by meat/dairy .
They throw such figures around
but I take them with a pinch of salt
LikeLike
“if your food has come by ship that is OK
but if it came on a plane, that is a total carbon disaster”
LikeLike
Next week’s prog is more Green PR : “The Right To Repair”
LikeLike
If you believe that Carbon Dioxide is a major pollutant, you really shouldn’t eat salads, because anything grown in a commercial glasshouse, tomatoes, peppers. cucumbers etc etc is grow in an atmosphere with at least 3 times as much CO2 as normal.
LikeLike
Anyone know how many times as much ?
cos 3 times would still be 99.88% non-CO2
LikeLike
There is a treatise on the subject here:
https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/greenhouse-carbon-dioxide-supplementation.html
LikeLike
Every morning the Radio Humberside news team deliberately include a green PR item
Today “Vicars from around the Diocese of York will be attending an online Green conference about the church getting to net Zero by 2030, here’s the church’s green ambassador talking about electric cars”
FFS how is this news ?
The churches own page is considerably less hyperbolic than the BBC news item was.
https://dioceseofyork.org.uk/running-your-church/environment/events/saying-yes-to-life-environment-conference/
LikeLike
Stew: Interesting. My copy of “Climate Rationality” is due to be delivered by Amazon today. Because it’s by a lawyer I’m thinking of passing it on to a close friend (from school and university) who was a senior lawyer but also helped the Church of England draft their lamentable statement on the climate situation a few years back.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh almost another fallow day ..out on the bike and lost by lock key and the wheel bearing broke
Anyways check his tweet
LikeLike
That org “@CuriaUK
Giving a voice to your community, Curia is cross-party, connecting community leaders, charities and companies together to deliver change. Launching 2021!”
I expect that is ambush naming and that they are a metroliberal front org for people who want to SELECT voices that amplify CC alarmism rather than all the communities voices.
“Giving a voice to your community, @CuriaUK
is launching alongside Chamber Broadcasting later this year.”
LikeLike
This is their very first tweet
I’m guessing they are really Tory Party Greens
Oh look they have never used the word Labour yet used the #CPC21 (Conservative Party Conference tag) 12 times
LikeLike
A new website to add to climate sceptics’ favourites:
https://www.netzerowatch.com/
LikeLike
Four days away hill-walking in Scotland (in one of its two national parks, so glory be, not a wind turbine in sight) and I find that I could spend the day posting all the Guardian and BBC rubbish that I’ve missed while I’ve been away from the internet. I’ll start slowly, so as not to overwhelm Open Mic:
“Climate change: Prince of Wales sympathetic to protesters’ anger”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58847456
“The Prince of Wales has told the BBC he understands why campaigners from organisations like Extinction Rebellion take to the streets to demand action on climate change.
In a hard-hitting interview Prince Charles said actions like blocking roads “isn’t helpful”.
But he said he totally understood the “frustration” climate campaigners felt.
And he warned of a “catastrophic” impact if more ambitious action isn’t taken on climate change.
Speaking in the gardens of his house on the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire, the prince said it had taken too long for the world to wake up to the risks of climate change.
And he worried that world leaders would “just talk” when they meet in Glasgow in November for a crucial UN climate conference.
“The problem is to get action on the ground,” he said.”
Says the man who makes umpteen private flights every year and own several large homes.
LikeLike
There’s more from that Prince Charles article – the gift that keeps on giving:
“Challenged about his own efforts to reduce his carbon footprint, the Prince Charles said he had switched the heating of Birkhall to biomass boilers, using wood chips from trees felled in the estate’s forest.
He has installed solar panels at Clarence House, his London residence, and on the farm buildings of his Gloucestershire home, Highgrove.
He said he had installed heat pumps at some of his properties and a hydroelectric turbine in the river that runs beside Birkhall.
He was also challenged on his long-standing love of cars, and asked if he was “a bit of a Jeremy Clarkson, a bit of a petrol-head?”
“Well, yes”, the prince acknowledged: “But that was before we knew what the problems were.”
He said he had converted his favourite vehicle, an Aston Martin he has owned for 51 years, to run on what he describes as “surplus English white wine and whey from the cheese process”.
His Aston Martin has been modified to run on a fuel called E85 – made up of 85% bioethanol and 15% unleaded petrol.
Bioethanol can be derived from different sources – including in the case of the prince’s car – surplus wine and alcohol extracted from fermented whey.”
LikeLike
Yet another of these pointless stories – not news, but hype and PR, paid for by your licence fee:
“Climate change: Artist carrying polar bear to COP26 to encourage talking”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-58857018
“An artist who is carrying a polar bear sculpture to the upcoming UN climate change conference has said the trip is about “talking and making connections”.
Bamber Hawes, who set off with a team from Bishops Castle, Shropshire, earlier, is aiming to walk to Glasgow for the start of COP26 on 31 October.
The 10ft (3m) bear, called Clarion, was made from bamboo, willow and “many layers” of tissue paper, he said.
He said he hoped people would join him during the walk to discuss the issues….
…The artists and campaigner told BBC Radio Shropshire he was moved to make the journey after becoming increasingly concerned about the issue.
“We seem to be rushing to the edge of a cliff with most people not really being too bothered by it,” he said….”.
Most people not bothered, eh? Isn’t that the opposite of what the various commissioned opinion polls with carefully drafted leading questions tell us, according to the BBC and the Guardian? However, I suspect Mr Hawes is right.
LikeLike
Twitter now : News 4 hours ago
Acute coal shortages in India spark state blackout fears
Trending with Coal
Acute coal shortages in India spark state blackout fears
Record-high rates of coal combined with excess rainfall have prompted a looming energy crisis in India.
Many states and territories, including Delhi, Maharashtra and Punjab, have been hit by supply shortages with utility providers resorting to unscheduled power cuts.
More than half of the country’s plants have been placed on outage alert, sparking concerns about the power supply, despite government officials clarifying that ample coal is available to meet power plant demands and power supply.
Shortages in India, the world’s second-largest coal-consuming country, follow widespread power outages in Lebanon and China, leaving homes and factories without power, impacting production and global supply chains.
LikeLike
The taxpayer funded Energy Saving Trust talking bunk on its curren questionaire
When you get to question 4 it says
Switch off standby
Consumer electronics – devices like your TV, DVD player and video game console
– use around 31% of your home’s total electricity use.
Turning your devices off standby can reduce how much energy they use,
but how much could you save on your bills by turning everything off standby?
Ans : £35
The average UK household spends £35 every year powering devices that are left on standby.
This is the energy used by certain appliances when they’re not in use, but when they’re still switched on at the plug.
Other tips include choosing a laptop instead of a desktop PC, as laptops typically use 85% less electricity over a year than desktops, as well as reducing the brightness on your TV to save energy.(That last bit sounds like bunk too
I guess its the size of your screen and your brightness setting, that counts)
Not sure about the 31% claim there ..it would make a huge difference if your house has electric cooking and electric heating
I guess the info is quite old anyway
£35 number is bunk
Current standby is way less than 0.5W per device
it probably takes you 400 hours to use 1KWh
that’s 20hours/day for 20 days so that is 18KWh per year
I reckon a house uses say £2-5 per year
LikeLike
I go to give the source and see other info in that Twitter thread started by @charlesarthur The Guardian’s Technology editor 2009-14
Joffe Head of Carbon Budgets @theCCCuk (The UK’s independent adviser on tackling climate change)
joins in with a cosy chat
£35 …”It was probably true once, but regulation has sorted the problem”
Charles Arthur replied “A LONG time ago”
10p per day is about 1KWh
If the devices are on standby 20 hours/day that’s 50W per hour
I doubt the average house has ever been using 50W per hour on standby
LikeLike
About Rigged surveys
I tweeted this about the National Grid COP26 “survey”
I’d posted a set of notes on Sept20th but they seem to have gone AWOL
but this covers my main point
LikeLike
More pre-COP propaganda from the BBC:
“Climate change: Is the UK on track to meet its targets?
By Reality Check team”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/58160547
For me the interesting part is the chart near the start of the article, showing the changing sources of UK electricity. Does the rapidly growing grey band representing “other” show imports via the interconnectors? If so, that should be a cause of concern for anyone in power concerned with keeping the lights on, especially at the very time we’re supposed to be relying ever more heavily on unreliable renewables.
LikeLike
“‘Green’ Energy’s Epic Fail: Wind Gods Conspire to Ruin Europe’s Wind Power ‘Transition’”
https://stopthesethings.com/2021/10/11/green-energys-epic-fail-wind-gods-conspire-to-ruin-europes-wind-power-transition/
“Europe’s ‘green’ energy transition has turned into high farce, with wind power output collapsing across the continent. The wind Gods are clearly angry. Britain and Germany have been in the doldrums for weeks; the gas needed to plug the gaps is in short supply, with the price of both gas and electricity, skyrocketing. The power market is nothing short of perfect pandemonium.
A while back, Boris Johnson – promoting his push for an all wind powered future – claimed that “it’s easy being green”. Now, at the mercy of the wind Gods, his grid managers are in a constant state of dread and panic, waiting for the moment when the entire UK power grid collapses into a full ‘system black’.
And Boris’ concept of “being green”, apparently includes firing up old coal-fired power plants, as the only reliable generation system, in town.
However, as The Australian’s Economics Editor, Judith Sloan details below, it’s not just Britain that’s suffering the inevitable consequences of the ‘inevitable transition’ to an all wind and sun powered future. The malady appears to have struck every country that has plumped for wind and/or solar as meaningful power generation sources.”
LikeLike
“Energy Experts Warn Of “A Catastrophic Energy Emergency” If German Leaders Don’t Wake Up To Reality”
https://notrickszone.com/2021/10/02/energy-experts-warn-of-a-catastrophic-energy-emergency-of-german-leaders-dont-wake-up-to-reality/
“Currently Germany is struggling with its Energiewende (transition to renewable energies) as it moves to phase out its nuclear and coal fired power plants. This transition, however, is threatening to lead to major power shortages as random wind and sun are proving to be unreliable in terms of supply steadiness.
“We are heading for a catastrophic state of emergency.” Vahrenholt says in the round, and that this is so even without accounting for moving to electric mobility. He also thinks that Germans will need to brace themselves for a tripling of electricity prices, and wonders if the proponents of green energies are out of their minds.
On shutting down the baseload capacity from nuclear and coal and relying instead on wind and sun, Vahrenholt warns: “It’s going to take two to three years; these are going to be very difficult years. We are going to have to cross a very deep valley of energy shortages.”
Power plant expert Frank Hennig told “more gas is being burned to produce power” as wind and solar are failing to meet demand. Hennig predicts there will be power shortages due to the shutdown of the nuclear and coal power plants.” He sees even more problems with wind power: “Even if there is wind, wind turbines may shade each other.” He warns that it is impossible to meet Germany’s electricity needs in this way.
The power shortages in Germany risk becoming so acute that converting over to electric mobility will be nothing more than a fantasy. “When it comes to e-cars, the top manager of VW can forget it,” Vahrenholt says. ” There isn’t going to be any electricity for it. The power isn’t going to be there!”…”.
LikeLike
“Revealed: How Scots ministers have been breaching international law for ten years”
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/19637391.revealed-scots-ministers-breaching-international-law-ten-years/
“SCOTTISH ministers have come under fire as it emerged they have breached international law for ten years by failing to put in place vital measures to protect the nation’s precious environment, landscape and wildlife.
An analysis to the United Nations economic commission for Europe which meets from Monday confirms that Scotland is continuing to fail to put in place proper legal processes to properly protect the nation’s natural environment, wildlife and air and water quality.”
LikeLike
“The advertising industry is fuelling climate disaster, and it’s getting away with it
Andrew Simms
Overconsumption is inevitable when adverts are so ubiquitous and sophisticated. There must be a pushback”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/11/advertising-industry-fuelling-climate-disaster-consumption
“To confront the climate emergency, the amount we consume needs to drop dramatically. Yet every day we’re told to consume more. We all know about air pollution – but there’s a kind of “brain pollution” produced by advertising that, uncontrolled, fuels overconsumption. And the problem is getting worse.
Advertising is everywhere, so prevalent as to be invisible but with an effect no less insidious than air pollution.”
LikeLike
“Renewables won’t keep the lights on
The government’s clean-energy targets are a recipe for more shortages.”
https://www.spiked-online.com/2021/10/10/renewables-wont-keep-the-lights-on/
“…In 2020, 43.1 per cent of the UK’s electric power was supplied by renewables.
Even the BBC’s greener-than-thou environment correspondent, Roger Harrabin, is sceptical. ‘Hitting the 2035 goal won’t be easy – especially at a time when finances are squeezed. And the public won’t appreciate any home-grown energy shortages’, he argues.
In fact, without baseload power from nuclear, gas and other fossil fuels, those ‘home-grown shortages’ will become more likely as we move towards renewables. The intermittency, unpredictability and low efficiency of wind and solar power are well documented. Storing energy from these sources in batteries remains difficult and expensive. And so we will still need sources that produce energy continuously and are available on demand to provide reliable backup for the shaky output of wind and solar farms.
What’s more, many of these so-called clean sources are not really as advertised. When politicians talk about ‘renewables’ they want us to imagine wind and solar. But officially, renewables include biomass – creating energy from burning wood and plant waste. In fact, around 22 per cent of the renewable electricity we used last year came from biomass. The ‘renewables’ umbrella also covers biogas – gas produced by landfills and sewage. Biogas made up roughly another nine per cent of our renewable electricity use last year. In other words, nearly a third of what the government classifies as ‘renewable electricity’ stems from carbon-based sources rather than from the wind or the sun….”
LikeLike
Suzanne Moore article is heavily CCBGBed as it defends libmobs warriors Packham and J Vine
smearing their opponents as “thugs”
She falsely claims “a gang of thugs” had turned up on Vine’s doorstep.. the video showed this is false.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2021/10/12/cant-persuade-us-views-now-turning-thuggery/
It’s outside the paywall so all is visible including the comments
One part of her article uses the power smear label to shut down people who question Climate Alarmism
The trouble comes when people cannot tell the difference between facts and feelings and produce a whole world of “alternative facts” usually drawn from “deep research”
– a couple of Youtube videos.
Climate change denial depends on similar nonsense.
LikeLike
“Greta Thunberg: I’m open to meeting Biden at Cop26 but don’t expect much
The activist says she will continue to repeat her message until governments take meaningful steps to address the climate crisis”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/12/greta-thunberg-cop26-interview
“The suggestion that Biden has not only spoken strongly about the climate crisis but also is trying to pass the most ambitious climate legislation in US history does not impress Thunberg. The climate measures in the Democrats’ spending plan now under ferocious negotiation in Washington have “been so much watered down by lobbyists”, she said, “so we should not pretend that this would be a solution to the climate crisis”. Biden’s political problem – that as president in a democracy, he shares power with a legislative body where he faces unanimous Republican opposition that is determined to block his agenda – does not interest her. She judges by results only: “Emissions are still going up.”
The notion of meeting with the president of the world’s other climate change superpower, Xi Jinping of China, seemed even more distant to Thunberg than a meeting with Biden. Calling Xi “a leader of a dictatorship”, she nevertheless did not rule out the idea. She stressed, however, that “democracy is the only solution to the climate crisis, since the only thing that could get us out of this situation is … massive public pressure.”
Wearing a grey hoodie and speaking from her kitchen table in Stockholm, Thunberg said that she will attend November’s Cop26 despite the summit’s potential for “empty talk” and “greenwashing”, because the gathering of thousands of government officials, activists, scientists and journalists is an opportunity “to show that we are in an emergency, and … we are going to try to mobilize people around this”.”
Well, that’s all mighty big of you, Greta. By the way, speaking of democracy – who elected you? And if democracy is the only thing that will get the world out of the “crisis”, then what’s your answer, given that some of the world’s largest emitters are either obviously not democratic or operate under systems that are pale shadows of democracy?
LikeLike
The BBC local enviro reporter seems to get a all his stories from Green PR tweets
Look at the state of his tweets
He then tweeted the 1 min video from the 5 mins in the prog
LikeLike
Liam Norton the Insulate Britain spokes
is quoted as saying some ridiculous things
I haven’t got the house insulated “cos I am a hypocrite” 1 minute clip
“I don’t particularly care about insulation”
A time link to the full 26 minutes
where he he is saying Insulation will cost 5% of GDP, but he doesn’t know how much in cash terms
‘It’s like fighting the Nazis we don’t ask how much it costs’
… https://youtu.be/r0HSDU2eq_Y?t=675
LikeLike
Top bbc Stories
‘Adapt or die’ warning over UK climate change
The Environment Agency says hundreds could die in a flooding event at some point.
…. Covid response one of UK’s worst health failures
LikeLike
stewgreen, thanks for posting that Environment Agency story. I was going to do it, but the BBC has suddenly started to demand that I register/log in before I can see its Science & Environment stories. Am I being watched?
The curious thing is that surely it’s the Environment Agency’s job to try to prevent people’s property from flooding. So are they admitting they’re not doing their job properly? Or is it a bit of hype to try to get a substantial increase in their budget? #Magicmoneytree.
LikeLike
“Cop26: Ed Miliband urges UK PM to ‘get off the sun lounger and start being a statesman’
Shadow business secretary hits out at Boris Johnson and says Britain is stalling on climate pledges”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/12/cop26-ed-miliband-uk-pm-business-boris-johnson-britain-climate-pledges
“With Johnson on holiday in Spain, the shadow business secretary will say the UK is in danger of allowing “greenwashing” at Cop26, with insufficient pledges from countries across the world so far to make the summit a success.
Speaking at a Green Alliance event, the former Labour leader will ask why there is little public clarity on what Johnson is hoping to achieve at Cop26, with the government having failed to put forward its net zero strategy for the UK so far and stalling “miles away from where it needs to be” on international pledges.”
Perhaps Ed should talk to President Xi?
LikeLike
“Brussels responds to the energy crisis with a policy guide
The Commission is set to unveil a set of measures to help governments address record energy prices.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-energy-crisis-policy-guide/
“EU governments wanted Brussels to fix the energy price crisis. The European Commission is handing them a DIY guide.
Since early fall, energy prices have hit record highs, causing widespread discontent and ramping up pressure on national governments.
The reasons for the spike are wide-ranging — the combination of a strong post-COVID economic recovery, insufficient natural gas supply tied to soaring global demand, price increases on the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS), low winds affecting wind power production and the peculiarities of the EU’s electricity market. That’s sent natural gas prices up by more than 400 percent this year, while wholesale electricity prices are up by 200 percent.
In response, panicked energy ministers have been demanding that the Commission take the lead and provide some solutions.
On Wednesday, Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson is set to respond to their pleas not with new legislation, but rather with a so-called “energy price toolbox,” a comprehensive guide of steps that capitals can take to lower energy bills without violating EU law.
In a draft version of the communication seen by POLITICO, EU countries are reminded that they can mitigate the impact of higher prices by slashing taxes, tweaking and temporarily extending help to beleaguered industries as long as that aid doesn’t violate EU rules.
Low-income households can also be given vouchers financed with ETS revenues, while countries can let consumers temporarily defer electricity payments.
Beyond those existing measures, the Commission will explore if the bloc can make joint purchases of gas, much in the way that it acquired vaccines during the COVID crisis.”
Of course that went well, didn’t it? And Remainers wonder why the UK voted for Brexit.
Meanwhile:
“Nevertheless, the communication will serve as cover for ministers who have come under fire from consumers and opposition parties crying out for more action; capitals can now point to the toolbox and say that they’ve taken all the steps permitted by the EU.”
Cover for ministers, indeed. I have long thought that EU membership fails democracy, since it allows domestic politicians to shrug their shoulders and say “Not my fault, guv – we had to do it/can’t do it because the EU says so”. The other problem is that being part of the EU has meant that for far too long UK politicians and civil servants have been content simply to act as facilitators for the laws and edicts sent to them by the EU to implement. They have ceased to be capable of independent thought and action, as the current situation shows, with politicians and MPs seemingly incapable of resolving issues that hit them. They can’t look to Mummy to tell them what to do any more.
LikeLike
That was a direct quote from the EA’s Chair, Emma Howard Boyd, who also said: “I really have no idea how I got this job.”
LikeLike
In other news, sad to report that Peter Ridd lost his academic freedom case.
LikeLike
Spiked this morning. Good old Spiked. If only we had an opposition willing to kick a ball into an empty net.
https://www.spiked-online.com/2021/10/13/the-madness-of-the-green-agenda/
LikeLiked by 1 person
JIT, that is sad news. I’m assuming that’s the end of the appeal process, either because it’s costing too much, or because there’s no higher Court for him to appeal to. The death of academic freedom isn’t a good thing to watch.
LikeLike
So sorry to hear that about Peter Ridd.
We will remember them seems the only phrase with the right feel.
LikeLike
More on Packham & that Suzanne Moore article
FFS her view is “look at them righties over there they don’t live in the REAL WORLD”
…. is she projecting ?
Of course she is
The subheading at the top is
“Chris Packham’s car was blown up by masked men”
No it wasn’t, it wasn’t his car and it wasn’t blown up
so she is doing 2+2=5 thinking
Packham released CCTV footage of 2 masked men getting out of a newish Land Rover
and setting it alight
It is on a lane and at some point flames get close to the solid wooden gates
he says these are his gates
#1 They are quite different to the 5 bar front gate he was pictured with in the “dead animals were placed on my front gate” story in 2019
#2 despite newspaper headlines saying a gate was destroyed, the afterwards photos are of the same intact gate with no pic of any clear destruction.
#3 the burnt out shell of the car in the photos appears to have always been 10 feet away from the gate, never up against it.
The scene is the same as when robbers dump a car in the countryside after a robbery and set it on fire to conceal evidence.
================
The Moore article ends
\\It was C.S. Lewis who said
“One of the most cowardly things ordinary people can do is to shut their eyes to facts”.
If cowards think they have a free run, we all need to open our eyes, stand our ground
and insist that *feelings* are not facts, however uncomfortable that fact may be.
She’s *projecting* ; the Guardian-Master-Race dictate our lives
THEIR FEELINGS like GreenDream, Climate Alarmism, wokism are dominant, over real world facts.
LikeLike
Scotland Against spin is a good source for windfarm news
They post 2 Times screenshots
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ScotlandAgainstSpin/permalink/5028290057200016/
LikeLike
stewgreen,
Thanks for bringing that link to our attention. I have been visiting it for some time, and commend it to our readers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Norway’s oil and gas sector will not be dismantled, new government says”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58896850
“Norway’s incoming centre-left government has said it will seek to grow the country’s lucrative oil and gas industry while striving to cut carbon emissions.
The Labour Party-led coalition unveiled its energy policy before taking office after last month’s general election.
The government said it wanted to slash net emissions by 55% by 2030.
But it said the move to green energy would be gradual in Norway, western Europe’s largest oil and gas producer.
“The oil and gas sector will be developed, not dismantled,” the coalition said in a policy document released on Wednesday.
The minority coalition of the Labour and Centre parties will replace the conservative-led government that ruled Norway for eight years.
The transition towards renewable energy and away from oil and gas – the backbone of Norway’s economy – will be one of the new government’s biggest challenges.
The petroleum sector accounts for about 40% of Norway’s exports and 14% of its gross domestic product (GDP).
While Norway’s reliance on oil and gas drew scrutiny during the election campaign, the new government said it had to balance social and economic considerations with climate change targets.
“Climate policy must not be moralising and must be fair,” the coalition’s policy paper said.”
Oh for UK politicians with that much sense!
LikeLike
“COP26: Cruise ship arrives on River Clyde to accommodate summit goers”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-58897151
“The first of two cruise ships that will provide accommodation for people attending the COP26 summit has arrived in Scotland.
The Latvian-flagged Romantika has berthed at King George V dock, next to Braehead Shopping Centre in Renfrew.
A second vessel, the MS Silja Europa, will arrive from Estonia in the coming days.
Up to 25,000 government representatives, media and campaigners are expected to be in Glasgow.
Concerns have been raised about the cost and availability of accommodation in the city for the climate summit, which takes place from 31 October until 12 November….
…Nearly 700 households have signed up to the COP26 Homestay Network.
Operated by the third sector, the initiative is asking people to open their doors and provide affordable or free accommodation to COP26 attendees.
But Jillian Evans, the head of health intelligence at NHS Grampian, told BBC Scotland she had some concerns about this plan.
She said: “People coming from different parts of the world, some where the vaccination programme is not the same as ours, there are risks associated with that.
“Then you put people in touch with one another, in folk’s homes, and that increases the risk even more.”…”.
LikeLike
“Gloucestershire College embarks on £4.8m bid to be carbon neutral”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-58883958
“Gloucestershire College has started a £4.8m project as it aims to become carbon neutral by 2030.
On Friday engineers began drilling 40 boreholes at its Cheltenham campus.
The holes will be 40m (130ft) deep and house heat pumps to harness natural heat from the earth and provide a source of renewable energy for the campus buildings.
College principal Matthew Burgess said: “Becoming carbon-zero is the biggest and most important goal we can have.”…”.
I should have thought that your biggest and most important goal was teaching your students, but I suppose that’s just me being old-fashioned.
LikeLike
“COP26: Huge scarf being stitched together for climate conference”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-58891662
“A group of knitters from across the UK are making a scarf which will be 1.5 miles (2.4km) long to mark a UN climate conference taking place in Glasgow.
Different segments have been made by hundreds of knitters and it is all being stitched together now ahead of COP26.
The segments have messages about climate change and the environment which ask the delegates to take urgent action.
The length reflects the 1.5C of the Paris Agreement – the goal to limit global warming to 1.5C compared to pre-industrial levels.
It is the idea of a woman from Edinburgh and will be featured in Glasgow Green during the conference.”
That is Science & Environment news, apparently.
LikeLike
Any unnecessary production uses Earth’s resources an has an ecological footprint
so this scarf has that
LikeLike
ITV local news #PRasNews “An eco charity says”
item is branded “CLIMATE CHANGES”
there’s a video ..https://twitter.com/itvtynetees/status/1448211300581056514
article … https://www.itv.com/news/channel/2021-10-13/climate-series-fast-fashion-and-the-impact-on-the-environment
and about a dozen ITV tweets
LikeLike
From the US Politico website comes this perspective on COP26. It’s all about Davos crowd branding and celebrities’ Fear of Missing Out.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/13/the-davos-crowd-takes-over-cop26-climate-conference-glasgow-scotland-515849
The global elites are headed to Scotland. Call it climate FOMO.
Many governments are afraid to lock in climate commitments, but CEOs and celebrities are going big on Glasgow this November.
With less than three weeks until the biggest climate event since Paris 2015, conference organizers have failed to squeeze new pledges out of heavy polluters, including China, India and Australia, but they have told POLITICO they’ve been swamped with inquiries from the rich and powerful, the famous and famous-adjacent. Call it climate FOMO. “It has reached a critical mass moment,” said a British official not authorized to speak to media. Names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos are anticipated.
For the world’s multinational corporations, COP26 is both a time for action, and a branding opportunity. One grouping called “Glasgow is our Business,” includes top executives from Amazon, McDonald’s, Mars, Starbucks, LinkedIn, Microsoft and United Airlines, and has begun issuing statements such as “the future is watching.”
“The true nightmare scenario for organizers is the security of Greta Thunberg,” the Swedish climate activist, said a Spanish official involved in organizing the previous COP conference, COP25, which took place in Madrid in 2019. “Everywhere she went, she was followed by hundreds of people. We tried to get her people to agree to an itinerary so we could protect her. They refused.
LikeLike
“the future is watching and laughing its head off.”
LikeLike
“Adapt or Die says the UK government promoting RCP8.5 projections
So much wasted effort based on implausible scenarios
Stubborn commitment to error”
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Biden plans to expand offshore wind turbines to US coasts”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58906955
“The Biden administration has unveiled plans to expand offshore wind energy in a move that could see turbines built along much of the US coastline.
Seven areas on both coasts and the Gulf of Mexico will be auctioned for wind farms in the next few years, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said on Tuesday.
It comes as President Joe Biden pushes to reduce US fossil fuel use and expand the green energy economy.
Experts say dramatic action is needed to meet Mr Biden’s climate goals.
The wind farms are part of Mr Biden’s plan to generate 30 gigawatts (gw) of offshore wind energy – enough to power 10m homes – by 2030.”
Aren’t these areas that climate worriers tells us are in the track of ever-more frequent and ever-more intense storms?
“The plan is expected to meet a backlash from some coastal and fishing communities – and it needs approval from state, local and environmental groups before any construction begins.”
Oh, who cares about them? Oiks!
LikeLike
potentilla,
All those wallies in one place at one time…
Such a tempting target…
Where’s the Angry Brigade when you need them…
LikeLike
Bill, I’m sure your comment was light-hearted and a joke, and I know I can be too serious, but for the record we abhor violence (well, I do, anyway).
Meanwhile:
“ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper strike confirmed during COP26”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-58917265
“Scotland’s rail network will be hit by strikes during the UN climate summit in Glasgow, a union has confirmed.
The RMT said members who work for ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper will stage industrial action during COP26 in an ongoing row over pay.
ScotRail staff will strike from 00:01 on Monday 1 November until 23:59 on Friday 12th November.
The summit, which is expected to drawn thousands of people to Glasgow, runs from 31 October until 12 November.
Sleeper staff will strike on Sunday 31 October from 11:59 until 11:58 hours on Tuesday 2 November and again for 48 hours on Thursday 11 November from 11:59.
GMB cleansing workers in Glasgow and Unite’s Stagecoach staff have also voted to strike during COP26.”
Will those who were going to travel by train now decide not to go, or will they fly or drive to Glasgow instead?
LikeLike
It appears that Bristol’s climate worriers’ diversity problem continues:
“Bristol’s climate debates lack diverse voices, study finds”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-58848938
Although this appeared on the BBC website 3 hours ago, it looks like a re-run of something the BBC posted a few days ago. Is this lazy journalism, propaganda or incompetence? It certainly isn’t news.
LikeLike
“COP26: Protesters who block major roads ‘will be moved’ by police”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58915705
“Protesters who block major roads during the UN climate conference in Glasgow will be moved and may face arrest, police have said.
Police Scotland said this would apply even if the COP26 protests are peaceful as they could be unlawful and unsafe.
Dep Ch Con Will Kerr told BBC Scotland officers have a “whole range of tactics” to use in such circumstances.
Although disruption is expected, DCC Kerr insisted emergency services would still respond to those who need them.
“Some protesters will inevitably try and block some roads. If it’s not a main arterial route, we’ll take a sensible proportionate approach to it.,” he said.
“If it’s a main route, if it involves movement plans for the world leaders, if it involves major disruption to the life of the city, then we will move in and if the protesters won’t move, we will remove them.””
It’ll be interesting to see whether protestors blocking roads at COP 26 are treated more or less favourably than the Insulate Britain protestors. It’ll be interesting to see if they’re moved more, or less, quickly than the Insulate Britain protestors. I note the difference in tone – apparently police officers at COP 26 have a “whole range of tactics” to use in such circumstances. Compare and contrast the rather limp words used by senior police officers when explaining why they weren’t doing more about the Insulate Britain protestors.
LikeLike
“Norwich: Water-powered heat pump for 85 homes approved”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-58910488
“A £1.8m water-powered heat pump will provide heat and hot water for 85 homes after a council approved plans.
The pump will use the River Wensum in Norfolk for the homes on Barnards Yard, near Duke Street in Norwich.
A current system, which uses natural gas and emits carbon, will be removed from the site.
Gail Harris from Norwich City Council said the Labour-led authority was “prepared to take bold decisions”.
A water-powered heat pump works by dragging residual heat from a water source and concentrating it to warm homes and water.
The pump itself will be powered by renewable electricity and no river water will be mixed with water destined for homes.
It is expected to require an extensive amount of work but will cost less than the current system, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service.”
That’s an interesting claim, considering it works out at more than £21,000 per home. Will our East Anglian CliScep correspondents be able to keep an eye on developments for us, please?
LikeLike
It’s increasingly clear that the BBC has a major push on ahead of COP 26. This article has just (re)appeared on the “Science & Environment” section of its website:
“Foals keyboardist Edwin says ‘tour differently’ to help climate”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55047469
It’s dated 3rd December 2020.
LikeLike
Full-on from the Guardian today:
“The climate disaster is here
Earth is already becoming unlivable [sic]. Will governments act to stop this disaster from getting worse?”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2021/oct/14/climate-change-happening-now-stats-graphs-maps-cop26
It includes this:
“The last time it was hotter than now was at least 125,000 years ago”
That struck me as an extreme claim, so I thought I would check out the link offered in support:
Click to access IPCC_AR6_WGI_SPM.pdf
In other words, AR6, Summary for Policymakers. Even knowing that the various assessment reports each seem to be more extreme than the last, that surprised me, so I searched for the claim. In fact AR6 doesn’t say that, it says this:
“Temperatures during the most recent decade (2011–2020) exceed those of the most recent multi-century warm period, around 6500 years ago13 [0.2°C to 1°C relative to 1850– 1900] (medium confidence). Prior to that, the next most recent warm period was about 125,000 years ago when the multi-century temperature [0.5°C to 1.5°C relative to 1850–1900] overlaps the observations of the most recent decade (medium confidence).”
Call me a pedant (I am!) but that’s rather different than the claim made by the Guardian.
LikeLike
Mark:
“COP26: Protesters who block major roads ‘will be moved’ by police”
“Protesters who block major roads during the UN climate conference in Glasgow will be moved and may face arrest, police have said.
Police Scotland said this would apply even if the COP26 protests are peaceful as they could be unlawful and unsafe.”
That will be fun then…
With all those luvvies and their FOMO flying in to
standsit with their mates in the protests.https://www.spiked-online.com/2021/10/13/insulate-britain-is-in-bed-with-the-establishment/
LikeLike
Bill, great link. As ever, well done Ben Pile.
LikeLike
Mark says:
“Bill, I’m sure your comment was light-hearted and a joke, and I know I can be too serious, but for the record we abhor violence (well, I do, anyway).”
Net Zero Carbon IS violence. Many people are going to die if is forced through.
LikeLike
Bill, I don’t disagree with that last comment. But two wrongs don’t make a right, IMO.
LikeLike
Mark: And well done Spiked generally, given I immediately spot articles by Tom Slater and Joanna Williams in support of Kathleen Stock. I’ve been reading so little ‘current affairs’ including Twitter of late. But the horrible threats against ‘DocStock’ I did pick up. Janice Turner in The Times has as usual also done a sterling job to highlight what’s been happening. Anyway, not climate-related but the ‘thuggery of the woke’ may well end up transferring.
(And Net Zero isn’t violence as murder is, for example, Bill. It’s very nasty , and very stupid, but it ain’t that.)
LikeLike
Three hours ago Bishop Hill tweeted:
Tens of thousands of green activists coming to Glasgow. No vaccine passports, no quarantine, no nothing. Meanwhile, the local care home remains shut, and families prevented from seeing their loved ones, because somebody got a positive test back in August.
An hour later Dr Jordan B Peterson replied:
But they think important thoughts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good old JP.
LikeLike
“Climate change: Diesel and petrol cars widespread in public sector”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58912068
“Diesel and petrol cars are widespread in Wales’ public sector, despite a push to be carbon neutral within nine years.
Some councils, health boards and other government-funded organisations are yet to install a single charging point on their land for electric vehicles.
Just 9% of owned and leased vehicles are fully electric – opposition parties said this should be a “wake-up call”.
The Welsh government said it’s working with local authorities to “accelerate” the move towards green vehicles.
BBC Wales asked all 44 public bodies subject to the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act for information on their car fleets.
Under the unique Welsh law, they are obliged to consider the environmental impact of all decisions.
A total of 4,485 cars were recorded – 3,749 use fossil fuels (84%), 417 are electric (9%), 315 hybrid (7%) and just four are hydrogen (0.01%).
Meanwhile, 513 electric vehicle charge points have been installed on land owned by the public bodies.
Of the 42 organisations that responded, eight are yet to install a single one.”
LikeLike
“Super-sized wind turbine race happening ‘too quickly’”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58704792
“Next year, Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas will put up a gargantuan prototype – a 15-megawatt (MW) wind turbine that will be powerful enough to provide electricity to roughly 13,000 British homes.
It will be the biggest such turbine in the world, though potentially not for long. Wind turbines just keep getting bigger – and it’s happening faster than almost anybody predicted.
Chinese firm, MingYang, recently announced plans for an even more powerful device clocking in at 16MW, for example. Just four years ago, the maximum capacity of an offshore turbine was 8MW.
“It’s happening quicker than we would wish, in a sense,” says Aurélie Nasse, head of offshore product market strategy at Vestas. The firm is one of a handful that have led the development of super-sized turbines – but headaches associated with building ever larger machines are beginning to emerge.
“We need to make sure it’s a sustainable race for everyone in the industry,” says Ms Nasse, as she points out the need for larger harbours, and the necessary equipment and installation vessels required to bring today’s huge turbine components offshore.
Then there’s the hefty investments required to get to that point. “If you look at the financial results of the [manufacturers], basically none of us make money anymore,” explains Ms Nasse. “That’s a big risk.””
When will this madness stop?
LikeLike
“Queen ‘irritated’ by world leaders talking not doing on climate crisis
Overheard comment suggests anger at possible no-shows at Cop26 by leaders of countries with worst CO2 emissions”
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/14/queen-irritated-by-world-leaders-talking-not-doing-on-climate-change
“The Queen has criticised world leaders’ inaction on addressing the climate crisis, admitting she is “irritated” by individuals who “talk but don’t do”.
She made the remarks, which were picked up on a livestream, at the opening of the Welsh parliament in Cardiff on Thursday.
During a conversation with the Duchess of Cornwall and Elin Jones, the parliament’s presiding officer, the Queen referred to the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow starting on 31 October, which she is scheduled to attend along with other members of the royal family.
She said: “Extraordinary isn’t it. I’ve been hearing all about Cop … still don’t know who is coming. No idea.
“We only know about people who are not coming … It’s really irritating when they talk, but they don’t do.””
It seems it runs in the family.
LikeLike
UK Government’s energy policy pins hopes on global warming!
“Mild winter could protect households from soaring energy bills, says Kwasi Kwarteng
Business Secretary shares internal long-term forecasts, which show wet and warner spells expected, with energy companies”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/10/14/mild-winter-could-protect-households-soaring-energy-bills/
Before it disappeared behind the paywall, the article told me that Kwarteng has shared with energy companies the Met Office’s forecast that the winter will be mild and wet. That’s us stuffed, then. If the Met Office thinks that, my money is on an anticyclone settling over the country (and western Europe) for an extended period, with the result that it will be cold, and renewables will generate very little.
LikeLike
Richard Drake:
“And Net Zero isn’t violence as murder is, for example, Bill. It’s very nasty, and very stupid, but it ain’t that.”
One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic.
Joseph Stalin
LikeLike
Morning BBC local news
R Humberside “a brewery has signed a Climate pledge”
R Lincolnshire “another new solar farm has been proposed … the county council oppose it”
LikeLike
The front page of the FT has this: “Kwarteng hopes mild winter will ease cost of living fears amid energy crisis.”
This might be considered grounds for a sacking, but it seems everyone in gov’t is living in the same fantasy.
LikeLike
More wheels falling off the Net Carbon Zero bus?
https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/2021/10/13/freightliner-to-withdraw-entire-electric-fleet
LikeLike
Simon Webb h video for today
LikeLike
I see that in the run-up to COP 26 the Guardian is now running a daily piece on the planet’s “vital statistics” (atmospheric CO2, Arctic sea ice) and also “low-carbon electricity in the UK, stated as a percentage of daily production. Today’s edition has yesterday’s number and claims 59.8% as the proportion of UK electricity that was low-carbon (the information is provided by Drax Group).
Looking at the National Grid right now (admittedly an after-dark snapshot at a moment in time) I see that it’s made up as follows just now:
Coal: 2.8%
Gas: 55.7%
Solar: 0% (obviously);
Wind: 4.1%
Hydro: 2.6%
Pumped storage: 5.2%
Nuclear: 10.8%
Biomass: 6.5%
Interconnectors: 9.4%.
That being the case, the numbers claimed by the Guardian look decidedly dodgy to me. I suspect they get there by using “low-carbon” rather than renewables. Thus they throw nuclear in to the mix. Secondly, they obviously count biomass, even though it isn’t remotely” low-carbon”). Finally, I suspect it’s a percentage of electricity generated in the UK, rather than electricity consumed, thus they can conveniently ignore the 10% or so that regularly comes through the interconnectors (some of which, admittedly, is generated by nuclear power, but some of which is fossil fuel generated).
LikeLike
“German coalition plan sets bigger green targets”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58924480
“Germany’s centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) have agreed ambitious new green energy goals with potential coalition partners, including an earlier exit from coal power and 2% of land to be allocated for wind farms.
The joint paper with the Greens and liberal Free Democrats (FDP) paves the way for formal coalition talks.
The SPD narrowly beat Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats in last month’s elections.
Germany has long relied on coal power.
But a so-called “traffic light” coalition – the red SPD, yellow FDP and the Greens – would bring the planned exit from coal power forward by eight years, to 2030.”
Are they blind to what’s going on in the UK?
LikeLike
Yesterday XR Cambridge used the motto ‘Rebel with kindness’. Today it tweeted this:
(Shades of XR’s reaction to the Notre Dame fire.)
If you fancy working with such people and are good at gobbledygook, you might be in luck. XR Cambridge is looking for a…
Other roles waiting to be filled with rebellious kindness at…
URL:web.archive.org/web/20211015195341/https://xrcambridge.org/roles
…include SOS Online Model, Inductions Coordinator, Listening Circle Coordinator and, of course, Fundraiser.
See also this website for the XR Empathy Circle Work Group Hub:
URL:web.archive.org/web/20201008172029/https://sites.google.com/site/empathycirclehub/
XR is addicted to corporate bafflegab (and to kindness, of course). I doubt that it’s the first cult to have been built on such language but it may well be the first anti-corporate cult to have been so built.
If so, well done, XR. You have proactively inducted affinity.
LikeLike
If I had time I’d write an article ; Climate Alarmism Bodycount
where we could all list different things
#1 stuff that loses out in the distraction eg cold winter deaths
#2 all those unborn children and cultural change, due to UK young adults changing plans and abandoning having babies , to save the planet.
LikeLike
“The same compassion & outrage must be extended to every victim of Tory austerity. 130,000 died because Tory MPs voted for austerity 2012-19.”
#ItIsntReallyAboutClimateIsIt …#MarxistFront
LikeLike
yesterday green neighbours had a problem with their oven
I showed them where the element was and they found it had burnt out.
I explained to them it’s quite cheap to buy an element on Ebay etc.or they could decide to buy a slighly more expensive branded one.
So what did they do today ?
Came back with a complete brand new oven for £230
“WE’ve got money why be cheap”
They’re Like Jerry and Margo from the Good Life
One reason I know the alarmists are the wrong uns are cos of their logical inconsistencies
They don’t follow the best ways of reducing CO2
they go for economy harming gimmicks
But the Marxists are slightly right
Capitalism/consumerism is a problem
every big shop means trees are cut down
LikeLike
Bill:
A cynical murderer of millions said that.
We should give it the contempt it deserves
Not all consequences are intended consequences.
Not everything called violence is violence.
— Joanna Williams alongside Ben Pile in spiked four days ago.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Belfied Britains biggest alternative YouTube channel blasts COP26
He’s a bit sweary but reaonates with a lot of people
LikeLike
ClimateDoomTV : Saturday 6:30pm-8pm Channel4
“A Year In The Ice : A polar icebreaker is frozen in the sea for a year to recover previously unattainable data on the effects of Climate Change now and in the future”
… doh you cannot collect data about the FUTURE
..Data is what has happened.
The line has come from the show’s PR cos multiple TV guides use it.
It’s already on PBS website, but blocked in the UK
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/arctic-drift
LikeLike
5:30pm BBC2 saved the planet by flying Bill Bailey around the world.. featured Attenborough
LikeLike
Interesting The Times have an account they normally use for TV-reviews @TimesTelevision
yet the Phil Jones prog is tweeted extensively by @TimesArts
@TimesArts tweet
It is hard to think of an actor working today with more range — and perhaps energy — than @Jason__Watkins, writes @BenDowell in @timesarts thetimes.co.uk
Jason Watkins: ‘Climate-change sceptics? I hope it does rub them up the wrong way’
LikeLike
I looked on Twitter for feedback on the Channel4 show
About 3 people loved it
but there were very few other tweets
That indicates that Climate Alarmism TV isn’t popular
LikeLike
Increasing volumes of non-news propaganda from the BBC as COP26 looms ever closer:
“Scottish climate expert Jim Skea warns ‘clock is ticking'”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58928933
“Scottish climate change expert Jim Skea has called on world leaders to “step up to the plate” at the COP26 summit in Glasgow at the end of the month.
Prof Skea, a member of the United Nations climate body the IPCC, said the scientists had spoken clearly and time was running out for governments to act.
He said “the clock is ticking” and carbon emissions needed to come down.
The climate expert said the Glasgow summit was the time for politicians to deliver on their promises.
Prof Skea, who was born in Dundee and went to Edinburgh University, is a member of the bureau of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the UK government’s Committee on Climate Change.”
And:
“Somerset teenager’s bid to amplify young BAME eco-activist voices”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-58887341
“An activist is encouraging teenagers from ethnic minority backgrounds to take up climate activism by showcasing other people who are paving the way.
Mya Rose-Craig from Chew Valley, Somerset has profiled 30 young activists in her book We Have a Dream.
“Many of the communities they are from are disproportionately affected by climate change, yet often aren’t heard in global conversations,” she said.
A recent study showed climate debates in Bristol also lacked diverse voices.”
And (in fairness, I suppose this is “news” – sort of):
COP26: How will road closures affect Glasgow?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58809709
“Glasgow will host the COP26 climate change summit at the end of the month and travel around the city is expected to be “significantly impacted”, with major road closures beginning in a week’s time.
About 25,000 delegates are expected be at the summit and security will be tight, especially around the attendance of about 120 world leaders.
And that is before any protests by climate change activists.
COP26 will be held over two weeks from 31 October – 12 November 2021 at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow.
But road closures start a full week before on Saturday 23 October, and last until Monday 15 November.
Some roads within the SEC campus site are already closed.
Some days are expected to be busier than others, with the biggest disruption expected on Saturday 6 November which has been designated as the Global Day For Climate Justice.
About 100,000 protesters are expected in Glasgow, with a march which begins at Kelvingrove Park at noon before making its way to Glasgow Green for about 15:00.”
Or, as Andrew Montford puts it in a tweet:
LikeLike
Ditto from the Observer:
“Gen Z on how to save the world: young climate activists speak out”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/17/gen-z-on-how-to-save-the-world-young-climate-activists-speak-out
“With courage and ambition, those born into the reality of global heating are leading the way in confronting it. Ahead of the crucial Cop26 conference, we talk to young activists around the world. Introduction by author Olivia Laing”
LikeLike
“young climate activists speak out” = “SELECTED young climate activists are promoted here”
LikeLike
Monday : Times TV Picks
.. as ever my asterisks highlight their spin
BBC1, 8.30pm The Trick
This excellent film tells the real story of the climate scientist Phil Jones, whose life was upended in 2009 when his computers were *hacked*,
leading him to be denounced for fabricating evidence about global warming.
*He did no such thing.*
Jason Watkins’s spellbinding performance captures the intensity of an experience that rendered Jones so traumatised he could barely speak.
The superb Victoria Hamilton as Jones’s wife, Ruth, and Jerome Flynn as the PR man Neil Wallis. who helped Jones to defend himself, head an Impressive supporting cast in a show that is deeply human and gripping.
LikeLike
ITV arepromoting another climateCult band
On Unscripted @NinaNannarITV chats to @wardthomasmusic
about Busking for Our Planet and how the climate crisis could mean an end to world tours.”
podcast : https://www.itv.com/news/2021-10-14/country-duo-ward-thomas-on-whether-climate-change-means-no-more-world-tours
Ahead of climate summit COP26, the twin sisters tell Nina about Busking For Our Planet, their pop-up street performances in aid of various environmental charities.
They also explain how their upbringing on a farm informed their climate change activism.
And in an increasingly environmentally conscious world, should musicians forsake international tours? Ward Thomas share their thoughts
LikeLike
If you decided to put Climate Cultist stuff on one channel called Desperate and Bonkers
..there’d be plenty of progs
Sunday 6pm BBC2
Climate Change: Ade on the Frontline
Ade travels through the stunning water world of Bangladesh’s Ganges delta, before heading into the remote Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan.
Ade discovers how Bhutan isn’t just carbon neutral, it’s carbon negative. (Green dream fake thinking)
BBC1 8:00pm – 9:00pm The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet
From Alexandra Palace in London, Dermot O’Leary and Clara Amfo host a star-studded event at which Prince William will hand out the first Earthshot Prize awards.
Five inspiring projects that are tackling urgent environmental challenges will receive £1 million each.
Performing guests include Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Yemi Alade, KSI and Shawn Mendes.
if achieved by 2030, will improve life for generations to come. Five £1 million prizes will be awarded each year for the next ten years.
9pm Channel4 has 90 minutes about stopping trash
where people will dress up in their own daily rubbish
Stupid idea cos the biggest waste is people buying crap they don’t need ..rather than the packaging
which can all be burnt safely to fuel incinerators anyway.
LikeLike
If these are the answers, not only do I not like the question, but I am both worried and unimpressed:
“Six things the UK could do to tackle climate change”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58885545
“…So what could be in the government’s net zero strategy?
1. Subsidise warmth…
2. Cut the burger rate…
3. Streetlamp charging…
…One way to help plug the gap, he says, would be to turn more streetlamps into charging points – something that’s being widely trialled already.
Charging is slower than at a custom-built charging points, but the installation can be relatively cheap.
Above all though the chancellor needs to backs local government financially to make sure charging points are rolled out for all, he says..
4. Climate accounting…
…The problem is most company bosses aren’t in the job long enough to think past the short term, he argues, and he wants new rules obliging firms to publish their longer term plans to reach net zero….
5. Taxing carbon
The UK already has a sort of tax on carbon because industry has to pay for emissions permits. There are fuel duties too.
Economists like the principle: charge people to burn carbon and you give them an incentive not to.
So we could raise these taxes further….
6. Throw money at it…
#MagicMoneyTree
LikeLike
That’s going well, then:
“Cop26 corporate sponsors condemn climate summit as ‘mismanaged’
Exclusive: NatWest, Microsoft, GSK and Unilever among firms to raise complaint over poor planning and breakdown in relations”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/17/cop26-corporate-sponsors-condemn-climate-summit-as-mismanaged
“Companies that stumped up millions of pounds to sponsor the Cop26 climate summit have condemned it as “mismanaged” and “very last minute” in a volley of complaints as next month’s event in Glasgow draws near.
The sponsors, which include some of Britain’s biggest companies, have raised formal complaints blaming “very inexperienced” civil servants for delayed decisions, poor communication and a breakdown in relations between the organisers and firms in the run-up to the landmark talks.
The Guardian understands that a letter to the organisers, written by broadcaster Sky and co-signed by senior leaders from other Cop26 sponsors, has raised concerns with them over these and other problems, and followed another co-signed letter in July.
The UK is running its Cop26 presidency from within the Cabinet Office, under the leadership of the former business secretary Alok Sharma, who is the Cop26 president, and the businessman Nigel Topping who was appointed the government’s high-level climate action champion last year. Sponsorship is expected to help defray a policing bill estimated to reach up to £250m.
Alongside Sky, the summit has 10 other major sponsors, including energy giants Hitachi, National Grid, Scottish Power and SSE, US tech titan Microsoft, and FTSE companies GSK, NatWest, Reckitt, Sainsbury’s and Unilever. Other lower tier “partners” include the car maker Jaguar Land Rover and the furniture retailer Ikea.
One source, employed by a Cop26 sponsor, said that “the biggest frustration” was the lack of information about how the event will run, and the role for its key backers, because important questions have gone unanswered and planning decisions have been delayed.
“They had an extra year to prepare for Cop due to Covid, but it doesn’t feel like this time was used to make better progress. Everything feels very last minute,” the source said….
…They have already been thrown into turmoil by suggestions that the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, will skip the event, threatening the chances of a global pact with the world’s biggest carbon dioxide emitter….
…But in multiple emails and official letters the companies have complained to organisers about unmet expectations, and deepening concerns over delays to the green zone plans. They have also raised complaints that ministers have not always been available for their events in the run-up to Cop26, as agreed as part of the sponsor deals….”
Oh, I see, money for access to power….
LikeLike
“£120,000 for wind farm silence
Homeowner claims he was offered ‘contribution’ to energy bills if he did not object to structures being built”
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/120-000-for-wind-farm-silence-5tg336vwm
“Scottish homeowners were offered £120,000 each if they agreed not to oppose a controversial wind farm close to Prestwick airport, it has been disclosed.
An Ayrshire resident said he and six neighbours stood to receive an annual payment of £3,000 from Community Windpower over the 40-year lifespan of its proposed Sanquhar II project on the border of Dumfries and Galloway and East Ayrshire.
Documents seen by this newspaper show that in return for a “contribution” to annual energy costs, residents would agree “not to make any complaint or raise an action for statutory nuisance or common law nuisance against the company”. The residents would have been sworn to secrecy under a non-disclosure clause but none accepted the deal….”.
Unfortunately the rest is behind a paywall.
LikeLike
The trash suits featured parts that had heavy glass bottles
but the prog gave the impression the suits were supposed to represent CO2 footprint.
In that case the weight of a waste item is not proportionate to its CO2 waste
eg mental tins have a lowish CO2 footprint cos 100% recycled material
But almost all waste can go in incinerators anyway
LikeLike
Climate Porn dominates the news bulletins these days
– local news : #1 Net Zero Bus is coming to town
#2 some other PR BS…
-R4 : #1 ‘Kerala has twice normal cyclones these days, look flood deaths”
#2 Earthshot prize ‘look these people grow coral’
LikeLike
“Israel: Hundreds strip naked by the Dead Sea”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-58950281
“Hundreds of people have stripped naked by the Dead Sea in Israel to draw attention to its dramatically receding shoreline.
The event was part of a live installation by the artist Spencer Tunick, who’s used similar photo-shoots around the world to highlight environmental change.”
Well, I’m sure that was useful. And I’m sure it merited an article on the Science & Environment section of the BBCwebsite.
LikeLike
“How smart appliances can help fix the energy gap” morphs, when you click on it, to “How energy flexibility can save us money and cut carbon”.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58898999
“Imagine your future home as an energy hub storing electricity from the grid when clean wind power is plentiful, and then selling it back – at a profit – when demand surges elsewhere.
For Sussex grandmother Kate Giammatteo, that future is happening right now.
She has batteries bolted to the front of her Worthing flat that do just that, and they are forecast to cut her energy bill by £173 a year.
And what’s good for Kate will be good for the country, because as the UK shifts to electric heating and electric cars to meet its climate goals, the demand for electricity is expected to double by 2050.
Already the sector is under pressure to ramp up renewables, because Prime Minister Boris Johnson has mandated that all electricity must come from zero-carbon sources by 2035.
Much of the extra energy will be generated by wind power, which is clean and cheap – but – of course – dependent on the wind.
That leaves an intermittent hole in supplies. This can be by increasing energy storage using batteries or other technologies – but experts say part of the gap can be filled by enabling consumers to use electricity more flexibly.
That’s where Kate fits in. The tale of her giant battery offers a glimpse of an energy future in which appliances will use power when it’s plentiful, and conserve it when it’s scarce.”
Oh well, at least it’s an admission that renewables are unreliable and that there is, consequently, and energy gap. I suppose that’s a start. Now we need them to wake up and realise that we need reliable energy, not on the hoof half-baked attempts to solve the problem bequeathed to us by over-reliance on unreliable sources of power.
LikeLike
“Does a climate summit need 25,000 people? And more questions”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58925049
No. Next!
LikeLike
Spencer Tunick has been doing this sort of ‘art’ for years now, and never before has it been to draw attention to environmental issues. It has always been a case of nudity drawing attention to Spencer. Now it’s a case of nudity and the environment drawing attention to Spencer. The same goes for all the celebrities. They are not using their celebrity to draw attention to the environment; they are using the environment to draw attention to their celebrity.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why is Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) making Climate Alarmism with the BBC
They tweeted
#39WaystoSavethePlanet, our collaboration with @BBCRadio4
, has returned for its final episodes.
In the first show today, Tom Heap meets some of the pioneers of zero carbon flight.
Tune in at 1.45pm every weekday until 29 October https://orlo.uk/Tyx8K
LikeLike
11:15pm @BBC2 : Climate Change on Trial
Wonder if you’ll mention that Norway is UK’s largest import source of Gas.
LikeLike
LikeLike
“Heat pump grants worth £5,000 to help replace gas boilers”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58959045
“Homeowners in England and Wales will be offered subsidies of £5,000 from next April to help them to replace old gas boilers with low carbon heat pumps.
The grants are part of the government’s £3.9bn plan to reduce carbon emissions from heating homes and other buildings.
It is hoped no new gas boilers will be sold after 2035. The funding also aims to make social housing and public buildings more energy efficient.
Experts say the budget is too low and the strategy not ambitious enough.
Ministers say the subsidises will make heat pumps a comparable price to a new gas boiler. But the £450m being allocated for the subsidies over three years will cover a maximum of 90,000 pumps.
Mike Childs, Head of Science at Friends of the Earth, said number of heat pumps the grants would cover “just isn’t very much”, and meant the UK wouldn’t meet its aim of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028.
“Investment will drive down the cost of heat pumps, and technical innovation plus skills training is a part of this, but so is scale. These grants will only incentivise the best-off households.”
Greenpeace UK’s climate campaigner, Caroline Jones, said the government needed to provide more money to speed up the switch from gas boilers to heat pumps.
“A clearer signal would have been a phaseout of new boilers before 2035,” she added.”
#MagicMoneyTree. And it won’t make any difference to anything, except to cost the taxpayer money and to make homes colder and more expensive to heat for those who take up the offer.
LikeLike
“Drax dropped from index of green energy firms amid biomass doubts
Doubts over sustainability of company’s wood-burning power plant mount within financial sector”
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/oct/19/drax-dropped-from-index-of-green-energy-firms-amid-biomass-doubts
“Drax has been booted from an investment index of clean energy companies as doubts over the sustainability of its wood-burning power plant begin to mount within the financial sector.
The FTSE 100 energy giant, which has received billions in renewable energy subsidies for its biomass electricity, was axed from the index of the world’s greenest energy companies after S&P Global Dow Jones changed its methodology.
The exit from the S&P Global Clean Energy Index is a blow to Drax, which has vowed to become the world’s first “carbon-negative” energy company by the end of the decade.
It comes amid growing scepticism about its green credentials after the financial services firm Jefferies told its clients this week that bioenergy was “unlikely to make a positive contribution” towards tackling the climate crisis.
Drax was once one of the largest coal power generators in Europe before it converted four of the generating units at its North Yorkshire site to burn biomass instead. It received more than £800m in government subsidies and tax breaks to support the conversion last year, and could expect billions more in the future.
The company claims that burning biomass to generate electricity is “carbon neutral” because the emissions from incinerating wood pellets are offset by the carbon dioxide absorbed when the trees they are made from grow.”
Being dropped from a “green” index may be a “blow” to Drax, but the real “blow” would be if the massive “green” subsidies were also dropped.
LikeLike
“John Kerry says Glasgow COP26 is the last best hope for the world”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58914524
Does that mean he’ll shut up when it’s all over, then?
LikeLike
“Heat pumps: Should I get one and how much will it cost me?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-57159056
“How much are they and will the government pay?
They are costly – between £6,000 and £18,000, depending on the sort you install and the size of your home.
From next April, homeowners in England and Wales will be offered subsidies of £5,000 to help pay for them, the government has announced. It also said no new gas boilers will be sold after 2035.
It’s not clear whether heat pumps could be cheaper to run than gas boilers.”
Actually, I think it IS clear – they are more expensive and won’t heat your home to the same temperature as a gas boiler.
LikeLike
“COP26: Strikes and closures during Glasgow climate summit”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-58940897
“Thousands of delegates are set to arrive in Scotland at the end of this month for the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.
But they face a city where tourist attractions are closed, rail services are cancelled and cleaners and refuse collectors are out on strike.”
A useful dress rehearsal, then, for the sort of world they seek to create.
LikeLike
Er, enjoy?
“Greta Thunberg sings Rick Astley hit at climate concert”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-58952383
“Greta Thunberg launched a global series of concerts highlighting climate change on Saturday, by singing Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”.
The Swedish climate activist took to the stage in Stockholm along with Fridays for Future’s Andreas Magnusson to perform the hit song.
Ms Thunberg has previously taken part in the internet phenomenon ‘rick-rolling’ by tweeting out what she said was a link to a new speech, but actually linked to the music video for the song.
The event was the first in a series of 19 global concerts called Climate Live 2021, which aim to raise awareness and put pressure on world leaders ahead of COP26, the global climate conference taking part in Glasgow in November.”
Not very green, really, is it, holding 19 concerts? Still, perhaps she’s lining up her alternative career for when humanity turns against net zero….
LikeLike
What an extraordinary thing to say:
“Earth’s demise could rid galaxy of meaning, warns Brian Cox ahead of Cop26
Unique events that led to civilisation mean its demise could ‘eliminate meaning in galaxy for ever’”
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/oct/19/earths-demise-could-rid-galaxy-of-meaning-warns-brian-cox-ahead-of-cop26
“Humans might be the only intelligent beings in our galaxy, so destroying our civilisation could be a galactic disaster, Prof Brian Cox has warned leaders in the run-up to Cop26.
Speaking at the launch of his new BBC Two series Universe, the physicist and presenter said that having spoken to the scientists around the world advising the show, he thought that humans and sentient life on Earth “might be a remarkable, naturally occurring phenomenon” and that was something that “world leaders might need to know”.
In Universe, Cox explores the idea of the so-called “Goldilocks” theory, which suggests that our planet’s location in relation to the Sun and the unique events over billions of years that created Earth made it “just right” for meaningful life to bloom and evolve.
“What we’ve discovered – I think it’s a reasonable working assumption – is that there are very few civilisations per galaxy,” said Cox.
When asked how important that discovery was for politicians dealing with the climate crisis, Cox said: “I think sometimes that perspective is necessary.
“I would say if our civilisation doesn’t persist, for whatever reason, and it might be an external event or it might be our own action, nuclear war, whatever it is we decide to inflict on ourselves, it is possible that whoever presses that button eliminates meaning in a galaxy for ever.
“And I think that’s something I would think world leaders might need to know. It might actually be quite an important act.”
He went on: “The more I learn about biology … the more astonished I am we exist at all”, adding that while astronomers said there were about 20bn Earth-like planets in the Milky Way galaxy, “so we might expect life to be everywhere”, “almost every biologist I speak to says, ‘Yes, but all it will be is slime at best.’ We live in a violent universe and the idea you can have planets which are stable enough to have an unbroken chain of life might be quite restrictive.”
Cox said there were very few places “where atoms can think … Meaning exists in our minds”, so the demise of Earth could wipe out meaning.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Apparently, the failure of COP26 could be a disaster of galactic proportions, warns Brian Cox:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/oct/19/earths-demise-could-rid-galaxy-of-meaning-warns-brian-cox-ahead-of-cop26
But why stop there? The total number of galaxies could be around 200 billion (give or take a few dozen), so if there isn’t sentient life on any of them apart from here on Earth, it could be a catastrophe for the entire universe. 😀
LikeLike
Mark, you beat me to it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seems like the gov’t blinked. The Net Zero strategy is not in fact a plan that has the slightest chance of getting us to Net Zero. It’s more of a sprinkling of hundreds and thousands designed to distract while achieving very little at cut price. Hope?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58899006
LikeLiked by 1 person
Missed a show
8pm ITV “follow three families as they renovate and retrofit their traditional homes with the latest green technology and we were delighted to have been involved in this series!”
LikeLike
ITV local news
🟢 #3 Humber capture projects
FFS this idea is PERPETUAL MOTION machine stuff
yet the telly presenters all cooed as if it was real existing technology.
Everyone in the world has been trying to get it to work at a level of putting less energy in than you get out, but so far no one has achieved it.
🟢 #4 Coal Authority say coal mines can be used as giant ground source heat pumps
And we can capture the heat from the hot underground workings using water and bring it to the surface
“Cleaner Greener” mentioned 15 times.
It’s always been possible to do this geothermal BUT BUT the energy loss in the process means corps have never put their own money in
There are risks of putting workers in danger etc.
LikeLike
Hope? Not among the mainstream political parties, unless the men in grey suits ditch Boris and Sunak takes over, but even then I worry about him. With the opposition parties immediately saying it’s not enough, and demanding ever more national self-flagellation, that’s not really too hopeful. Do we really all have to vote for UKIP?
On the other hand, the BBC has opened up the story to a have your say, and it’s fair to say that the highest-rated comments are not as they would wish. I continue to think that the greatest hope is in a national rejection of all this rubbish by the great British public. On the other hand, given that democracy is broken, how can the great British public practically revolt within the law (I repeat, surely we don’t all have to vote for UKIP, and I can’t see the public doing that in sufficient numbers anyway).
LikeLike
“Isle of Wight oil exploration drilling plan refused”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-58973987
“A plan for exploratory oil drilling on the Isle of Wight has been refused.
Council planning officers had recommended consent for two boreholes near Arreton, despite receiving more than 1,000 objections from residents.
However, the island’s planning committee unanimously rejected the UK Oil and Gas Investments proposal.
Members said the plan would cause “significant harm to the landscape… and thereby compromise the island’s tourism industry”.”
That may or may not be a fair response by the planning committee, but the difference between the way this application has been treated and the kid gloves used with regard to wind farm applications (which are much more intrusive and much more likely to be damaging to wildlife and tourism) is enormous.
LikeLike
“Amazon, Ikea and Unilever pledge zero-carbon shipping by 2040”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58970877
“Nine big companies including Amazon, Ikea and Unilever have signed up to a pledge to only move cargo on ships using zero-carbon fuel by 2040.
They hope the “aggressive” target will push the heavily-polluting shipping industry to decarbonise faster.
Cargo shipping produces one billion tonnes of climate pollution each year – as much as the country of Germany.
But critics say shipping firms are not doing enough to meet Paris Agreement goals on emissions.”
I think this what is called green-washing. They get a sound bite and a bit of publicity without doing anything meaningful.
LikeLike
“Net zero announcement: Obstacles facing the UK government’s plans”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-58967560
“The government has laid out its plans to reduce emissions sharply by 2035 and take the UK towards being a zero carbon economy by 2050. These including more electric cars, planting trees and moving away from gas-powered central heating.
But what potential hazards are there ahead for ministers?
Tory sceptics
Some in the prime minister’s own party doubt the economic arguments in favour of moving towards what they consider an over-reliance on renewable energy sources….
…Household costs
The Treasury accepts there will be an overall cost to achieving net zero emissions in the short term, but sources stress the cost of inaction would also be significant.
No overall figure is given but officials admit new taxes will be needed to recoup the revenue lost from the move away from petrol and diesel fuelled cars, for example.
The government raised £37bn from fuel duty and vehicle excise duty in the 2019-20 financial year, or about 1.7% of GDP.
A carbon tax could plug some of this, but the takings would dwindle as emissions fall, leaving a big shortfall.
In an assessment to go with the government’s carbon-cutting plans, the Treasury said that “as with all economic transitions, ultimately the costs and benefits of the transition will pass through to households through the labour market, prices and asset values”.
There is evidence of public support for stronger measures to tackle climate change, but if households end up having to spend a lot more money to go greener, there could be increased unease among voters that the government will not want ahead of a likely general election in the next couple of years.
In particular, it is feared this could go down badly in some of the former industrial areas of the the Midlands and northern England where the Conservatives made large gains from Labour in 2019….”
LikeLike
“Climate change: Action on green power ‘needed now'”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58959876
Looks like another interest group special pleading puff piece to me.
LikeLike
9:30pm GB News , Farage on Net Zero
use the YouTube livestream and wind it back for upto 13 hours
LikeLike
10:15pm 🟢 Channel 4 ‘How We Forgot To Save The Planet’,
will it be preachy ?
… Or will it take the mickey out of ecowarriors ?
Since TV these days is made by SCOOL BULLIES who have spent the last 10 years tormenting us, I won’t be watching to find out.
OK Channel4 commissioned a comedy prog, the maker used BBC studios
so the prog carries the BBC logo even though it is on Channel4
LikeLike
The Farmer’s Guardian just mailed me
2 Days to go until the first ever *Sustainability Innovator of the Year* award
all the nominated farmers seem to farm livestock
LikeLike
Mark Hodgson says:
“But what potential hazards are there ahead for ministers?”
Weather
A second La Niña this coming winter, a deep solar minimum for the next twenty years, and both the AMO and PDO going into negative phases. Not to mention China sucking up most of the available fossil fuels.
If this seems far fetched remember that one of the reasons given for the Tories winning the 1951 election was the inability of the previous Labour government to secure deliveries of coal from the newly nationalised mines during the hard winter of 1947.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“‘I’m worried how my business will fare with COP26′”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-58913244
“Glasgow businessman Mohsen Souli is in two minds about the COP26 summit.
The cafe and antiques shop owner is excited at the prospect of tens of thousands of people descending on Glasgow, potentially boosting his sales.
But he’s also worried. His businesses are only a short distance away from the SEC Campus, where COP26 is due to take place from the end of this month.
Road closures around Finnieston, where he is based, have left him wondering if shop footfall will grow or slump.
But he’s even more worried about security.
“I am concerned about what might happen if there are protests. I am hopeful that they will be very peaceful but if not, a broken window would cost me £5,000 to replace,” he says.
“I also don’t know what affect the closing of roads is going to have on my business – will it be good or bad?”
Mr Souli says he plans to stock up on goods for his cafe ahead of the summit, in case deliveries are affected by security and traffic measures.
“I can’t be sure whether I will be getting too many supplies – things are very uncertain at the moment.
“I have spoken to other businesses in the area and everyone has the same feeling of uncertainty. We will just have to see how it goes,” he adds.”
As if businesses haven’t suffered enough this year and last. But what do the great and the good care? They have a planet to save – allegedly.
LikeLike
“UK’s net zero strategy has a glaring omission: Rishi Sunak
Roadmap to end UK’s contribution to climate crisis is comprehensive but seriously underfunded”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/19/uks-zero-strategy-has-a-glaring-omission-rishi-sunak
“Amid the hundreds of pages of the UK government’s comprehensive net zero strategy, there is one glaring omission – Rishi Sunak.
The roadmap to end the nation’s contribution to the climate crisis by 2050 is comprehensive. But it is seriously underfunded and without Sunak’s backing, it could as easily become the route to climate hell as climate salvation.
As the prime minister, Boris Johnson, said on Tuesday: “I can deploy billions – with the approval of the chancellor.” Four ministers, the chief scientific adviser, and Alok Sharma, Cop26 president, all spoke up via the government’s press release. Sunak, or indeed any Treasury minister, was conspicuous by his absence….
…Overall, the good news is that the net zero strategy largely mirrors the guidance of the Climate Change Committee, the government’s official advisers. But whether it gets the funding it needs to become a reality, just in time for Cop26, is up to Sunak.”
I think we differ over what constitutes “good news”.
LikeLike
Shock, horror:
“Science Museum chooses fossil fuel company as new climate show sponsor
Campaigners say museum ‘doubling down’ on ‘reckless’ choices of funder with backing from arm of coal giant Adani”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/19/science-museum-chooses-fossil-fuel-company-as-new-climate-show-sponsor
“The UK’s Science Museum has “doubled down” on its sponsorship of climate exhibitions by fossil fuel companies, campaigners say, by taking funding from a subsidiary of the Adani Group.
Adani is a conglomerate with major holdings in coal, the most polluting fossil fuel. The Energy Revolution gallery, opening in 2023, will be sponsored by Adani’s Green Energy arm.
The museum said the gallery “will explore the latest climate science and the energy revolution needed to cut global dependence on fossil fuels”. Dame Mary Archer, chair of the Science Museum Group, said: “This gallery will take a truly global perspective on the world’s most urgent challenge. We’re hugely grateful to Adani Green Energy for the significant financial support.”
Campaigners called the decision “astonishing” and “reckless”. The Science Museum has attracted heavy criticism over sponsorship deals with oil and gas giants Shell, BP and Equinor. The Shell deal included a contract clause committing the museum not to “damage the goodwill or reputation” of the oil company.”
LikeLike
“Glasgow bin workers to strike during Cop26 climate summit
GMB union calls week-long strike from 1 November with rail staff also planning industrial action”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/19/glasgow-bin-workers-to-strike-during-cop26
“Bin workers in Glasgow have confirmed that they will strike during the Cop26 climate conference, amid growing anxieties that the city’s summit arrangements are falling into chaos with threats of industrial action across services and transport.
Glasgow city council urged the workers to reconsider causing disruption during a “busy and difficult time”, as the GMB union confirmed a week-long strike from 1 November, the first full day of the UN conference.
With refuse, cleansing, school caretaker and catering roles affected, the local government body Cosla said it would “continue with constructive negotiations”. But transport unions have pledged similar walkouts, adding to the risk of global embarrassment as the world’s attention is focused on Glasgow in less than two weeks’ time.
The RMT confirmed last week that members who work for ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper will stage industrial action for the duration of Cop26, which is expected to attract thousands of visitors to Glasgow, as the result of a pay dispute that has caused disruption to Sunday services for months.”
LikeLike
“Time we unfortunately don’t have.”
… using that phrase in a tweet shows our local BBC enviro guy is a cultist
.. https://twitter.com/BBCPaulMurphy/status/1447853634650349568
(The long argument is that sure this years Drax CO2 is not all absorbed by new trees this year, but once the project is 20-30 years old the older trees are bigger so the total biomass grown per year is close to balance )
LikeLike
12:20pm R4 “There a GREEN tinge to the prog today”
“Energy Co EV’s, Framework Laptop and Heat Pumps”
..trailer played 1 person loving his Heat Pump
and 2 complaining
Item #1 Power companies trying to push electric cars on you
LikeLike
Item #1 Power companies trying to push electric cars on you
Usually selling you a leasing plan.
The customer they aired was ecstatic.
“now the Octopus Energy woman”
‘oh scary, scary. There is a chip shortage , so deliveries are being delayed. so you’d better order your Electric Car right away.’
LikeLike
Green Blitzkrieg is being used to overwhelm us
As I look at the number of TV and radio progs each day that push GreenDream agendas, I cannot keep up.
I think that saturation PR is a trick that is used to STEAMROLLER things through
Nevertheless each individual green policy is usually bad and they should be resisted one by one
LikeLike
TalkRadio presenter sees through it
LikeLike
Heat pump item for the 3 homeowners
#1 completely passionate
#2 Rich woman “I did it for the planet, poor people won’t be able to afford it even with a grant”
.. she felt a bit exploited
#3 Other guy seemed a bit negative too
LikeLike
Finally item was about people using OIL boilers, cos their area doesn’t have gas
Why does the prog line-up not even mention this ?
And why would government policy not replace oil boiler before they replace gas ones
I guess there are grants to switch to biofuels etc,
strange the prog didn’t mention that.
LikeLike
Pupils do their bit for climate change with introduction of ‘Meat Free Mondays’
https://www.thecomet.net/news/education/meat-free-mondays-for-letchworth-school-8424374
LikeLike
The 97% is now 99.9% !!
“Case closed’: 99.9% of scientists agree climate emergency caused by humans”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/19/case-closed-999-of-scientists-agree-climate-emergency-caused-by-humans
“The scientific consensus that humans are altering the climate has passed 99.9%, according to research that strengthens the case for global action at the Cop26 summit in Glasgow.
The degree of scientific certainty about the impact of greenhouse gases is now similar to the level of agreement on evolution and plate tectonics, the authors say, based on a survey of nearly 90,000 climate-related studies. This means there is practically no doubt among experts that burning fossil fuels, such as oil, gas, coal, peat and trees, is heating the planet and causing more extreme weather.”
Note how the Guardian slips in “and causing more extreme weather”. The so-called “research ” by Mark Lynas, the well-known journalist, concludes nothing of the sort. It is simply a word count analysis to identify the percentage of published papers that support anthropogenic-caused global warming. There is noting mentioned in the paper about the percentage of scientists that have concluded that global warming causes more extreme weather and catastrophic climate change.
This type of lying by extending one fairly uncontroversial finding into projecting catastrophe has become much too common and is dangerous for free speech. Look what is said later in the article:
Lynas said the study should encourage them to review their policies. “This puts the likes of Facebook and Twitter in a quandary. It is pretty similar to vaccine misinformation; they both lack a basis in science and they both have a destructive impact on society. Social networks that allow climate misinformation to spread need to look at their algorithms and policies or to be forced to do so by regulators.”
LikeLike
Lembit is on our side
LikeLike
stewgreen says:
(The long argument is that sure this years Drax CO2 is not all absorbed by new trees this year, but once the project is 20-30 years old the older trees are bigger so the total biomass grown per year is close to balance )
…but the more CO2 that’s in the atmosphere the shorter the time until the trees can be harvested.
This is a good thing no?
LikeLike
So net zero IS expensive and damaging after all, MPs acknowledge:
“MPs urge pension schemes to cushion economic effects of UK’s net zero plan
Cross-party group says regions could be devastated by a rapid switch to low-carbon technologies”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/20/mps-urge-pension-schemes-cushion-economic-effects-uk-net-zero-plan
“UK public sector pension schemes could deepen divisions in society unless they use their billions of pounds of investment to cushion communities pivoting away from carbon-intensive industries such as steel and carmaking, MPs have said.
The cross-party group argues towns and regions across Britain could be devastated by a rapid switch to low-carbon technologies, leaving them to face the same future as mining towns hit by pit closures in the 1980s, unless pension funds take account of the impact of investments on vulnerable households and businesses.
In a report that focuses on the investment decisions made by the local authority schemes, the MPs said submissions made by pension experts, thinktanks and members of parliament indicated “that the failure to understand both the social and economic dimensions to net zero risked a political backlash”….
…The report said: “Reference was made to the Gilets Jaunes protests in France and to other public protests, such as opposition to the closure of coalmines in Poland and the fuel protests in the UK.
“The inquiry heard several times that in the absence of a just transition there could be resistance to climate action. As Lord Deben, the chair of the CCC, told the inquiry: ‘We are not going to do the transition if it isn’t just, because society won’t accept it.’”
The five-strong group of MPs said the government should “explicitly recognise and articulate a high-level commitment to a just transition”….
…Unions and business leaders have privately shared their concerns that a rapid move towards carbon taxes and green investment that excludes industries that use high levels of fossil fuels will wipe out parts of Britain’s manufacturing industry, unless they are offered financial support to update equipment and develop new technologies.
Clive Betts, the chair of the all-party parliamentary group for local authority pension funds, said: “Major industrial changes are rapidly coming down the track. To avoid repeating the mistakes of the 1980s which left workers and communities behind, government urgently needs to be planning for an orderly and just transition to net zero.”
Councillor Doug McMurdo, the chair of the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum, said: “As responsible long-term investors we have to ensure our work to achieve net zero actively support a just transition. However, we cannot do it alone. The scale of challenge and potential opportunities requires sustained commitment across society and from government.””
LikeLike
“Climate plan urging plant-based diet shift deleted”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58981505
“A government research paper recommending people “shift dietary habits” towards plant-based foods has been hastily deleted.
The paper focuses on changing public behaviour to hit climate targets and also suggests promoting domestic tourism and portraying business travel as an “immoral indulgence”.
It was deleted soon after publication by the Department for Business.
Beis said the paper was academic research and not official policy.
“We have no plans whatsoever to dictate consumer behaviour in this way. For that reason, our Net Zero Strategy published yesterday contained no such plans,” it said.
The Behavioural Insights Unit, also known as the Nudge Unit, wrote the document.
The unit is most known for its role in the design of the sugar levy and early comments on the pandemic “herd immunity” strategy.
The document was swiftly deleted and has been replaced with a note saying it was published in error, but BBC News obtained a copy.”
A copy has been made available online, for those who are interested:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-NhoheMrPtvm6Cf42LKPNZvCaeJFphrh/view
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mark: Is the implication that the pension funds should invest in local green technologies?
“UK public sector pension schemes could deepen divisions in society unless they use their billions of pounds of investment to cushion communities pivoting away from carbon-intensive industries such as steel and carmaking, MPs have said”
The primary objective of pension funds should be to maximize returns particularly by diversification. Local green schemes may not provide much of a return and may go bust in which case the locals lose two ways. No jobs and less money in the pension.
LikeLiked by 1 person
potentilla, yes I think you have alighted on something of a problem here. The MPs seem to think that public sector pension funds, because they relate to the public sector, should be used to support Government policy, or at least to ameliorate the worst effects of public policy. That does rather overlook the legal obligations of pension fund trustees to seek to maximise profits from investments and to minimise risks to the funds.
But then what else would we expect from a bunch of people who broadly support all this craziness?
LikeLike
And here is revealed the lack of reality of all these discussions at the BBC, Guardian, Parliament, CCC, etc:
“Is the UK’s green plan enough to halt climate change?
By Roger Harrabin
BBC environment analyst”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58973826
OF COURSE IT ISN’T! If we achieved net zero tomorrow, it would make no difference, so long as China, Russia, Brazil, Indonesia, Middle eastern oil states et al carry on as they apparently intend to.
What is it with these people that they think that actions taken by the UK can “halt climate change”?
Then there’s this:
“And finally the third question – are the new policies tough enough to help rein back climate change? The prime minister hopes to persuade others to help him freeze temperature rise at 1.5C.
When that target was first mooted, scientists considered it the threshold to dangerous climate change. After a year of freak weather events with just 1.1C warming the climate is heating faster than our attempts to control it.
That’s what infuriates environmentalists so much. They say every lever in society must be pulled to face a global threat.
And they are contemptuous of a clutch of government policy areas that will allow emissions to actually grow.
These include building the £120bn rail project HS2, with all its energy-intensive concrete; construction of £27bn worth of roads; allowing the continued sale of gas guzzling SUVs; allowing aviation to grow even though the public wants it curbed; and allowing mining for oil, gas and coal drilling in defiance of international advice.
Any one of these issues could undermine the PM as he touts his green revolution in Glasgow.”
Who says the public wants aviation to be curbed? (I note no link is offered in support of that statement). You’re not relying on the WWF/Demos poll/survey, are you Rog?
LikeLike
“German green leader Baerbock opposes Nord Stream 2 permit, calls out Russian ‘blackmail’
‘We can’t allow ourselves to be blackmailed’ by Russia, Annalena Baerbock said.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/baerbock-against-operating-permit-for-nord-stream-2/
“Germany should not grant the Nord Stream 2 pipeline regulatory approval and resist Russian “blackmail” on energy prices, Annalena Baerbock, the co-chair of the German Green party, said in an interview published on Wednesday by the Funke media group.
“We can’t allow ourselves to be blackmailed” by Russia, Baerbock said, adding that Moscow plays a “poker game” and is partly responsible for the high gas prices in Europe. “Gas deliveries have been driven down considerably”, she said.
This is a situation “intentionally brought about” in order to “force the rapid commissioning of Nord Stream 2″, Baerbock concluded.”
I do rather agree with her. The problem is, her plans will see the lights going out in Germany.
LikeLike
“EU accused of greenwashing football’s oil and gas sponsors
Campaigners call the EU-UEFA campaign a “massive own goal” for the Commission.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-uefa-football-oil-and-gas-sponsors-climate-change/
“On Tuesday night, the EU’s new climate advertisement will air during televised football games involving clubs owned by petrostates Qatar and Abu Dhabi, in a competition sponsored by Russian gas company Gazprom.
The campaign asking people to think about what they can do to combat climate change was launched with European footballing body UEFA on Monday and tweeted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. But Pascoe Sabido from Corporate Europe Observatory called it a “massive own goal” for the EU.
Andrew Simms, co-director of the New Weather Institute who authored a recent study on fossil fuel advertising in sport, called it “jaw-dropping.”
A Commission spokesperson said the ad would reach an audience of up to 40 million people per game, informing them about the EU’s Green Deal project to make the Continent climate neutral by 2050. UEFA is providing air time during all of its men’s club games, plus women’s and international games, to the Commission for free as part of a three-year deal.
“Those messages mustn’t play into the hands of fossil fuel companies who are part of the problem,” said Simms.
UEFA has deep economic ties to the oil and gas industry, with Gazprom a major sponsor of its flagship Champions League competition and several clubs that play in it. Qatar Airways was a sponsor of its recent Europe-wide competition. Several of the Continent’s most powerful clubs are owned by Gulf states or their sovereign wealth funds. Being involved with football is a big plus for companies and countries with controversial records, something that also applies to climate change.”
LikeLike
🟢 ITV local news shoving another green lecture down your throat.
As usual they mix up Climate and plastic
claiming : Saving plastic is reducing CO2
CO2 is one environmental issue … Microplastics is another ..which to me is not bigger problem than stone dust, otherwise there’d be lots of dead animal bodies everywhere
The item featured a WWF PR person, so probably originated out of them.
LikeLike
🟢 10pm BBC4 another Climate Change prog
“Restoring the Earth: The Age of Nature
Global warming is changing our planet faster than ever before, but we’re also increasing our understanding of nature to help us manage it.“
LikeLike
“‘Tired of broken promises’: climate activists launch hunger strike outside White House
The protest comes a day after Joe Biden appeared ready to settle for a smaller environmental proposal ahead of the COP26 summit”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/20/sunrise-movement-climate-activists-hunger-strike
“With little more than sun hats, placards and folding chairs, five young activists have begun a hunger strike in front of the White House urging Joe Biden not to abandon his bold climate agenda.
The protest came a day after the US president threatened to water down his $3.5tn social and environmental legislation and with Washington’s commitments about to face scrutiny at the COP26 summit in Glasgow.
The five protesters said they will eat no food and drink only water. They intend to gather in Lafayette Park every day from 8am to 8pm until their demands – which include a civilian climate corps, clean energy performance program and funding for environmental justice – are satisfied.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here’s a YouTube search for BBC Climate
I ordered by latest
and that shows 5 new videos per day
of that 1 tends to be by another org and 4 tend to be BBC
Of the proportion 1 BBC News, 1 BBC Learning English, 2 BBC Indian languages
.. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=climate+bbc&sp=CAI%253D
LikeLike
Part 2 of “The hack that changed the world” is now out on BBC sounds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00114bd
In the middle of the 15 minutes there is about 1 minute of Roger Tallbloke talking about the Police raid on his computers (recall that he was one of the bloggers who got the climategate 2 link in 2011). The only thing I learnt was that the original Cru server has been wiped.
In part 3 they are going to look at Mr FOIA’s 20130 “confession”.
It seems odd that the beeb is digging up climategate again now. It can only distract attention from cop26.
LikeLike
Harrabin and the BBC are obsessed by the proposed Cumbrian coal mine. At 2.03pm today, this headline to a BBC story appeared on the website:
“Why the battle for British coal matters to the world”
Click on it and the headline changes to:
“Cumbria coal mine: What is the controversy about?
By Roger Harrabin
BBC environment analyst”
It’s dated 1st March [2021]. So why regurgitate it now? It’s not news. It’s propaganda, pure and simple. And all day long the BBC has been pushing one of its main stories on its website:
“COP26: Document leak reveals nations lobbying to change key climate report”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58982445
Well, the BBC certainly knows a thing or two about lobbying. It’s been lobbying the British public relentlessly for ages now with its endless stream of climate change and COP-related propaganda.
LikeLike
“Split over surge in energy prices overshadows EU climate strategy
Viktor Orbán claims bloc’s approach is ‘utopian fantasy’ that will increase prices and ‘destroy the middle class’”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/21/split-over-surge-in-energy-prices-overshadows-eu-climate-strategy
“European Union leaders have exposed their differences over how to tackle a surge in energy prices, as Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, dismissed some of the bloc’s plans to confront the climate emergency as “utopian fantasy”.
Ahead of crucial UN climate talks in Glasgow, EU leaders plan to issue a declaration saying it is “essential to keep the 1.5C global warming limit within reach” and calling on all countries “to come forward with, and implement, ambitious national targets and policies,” according to a leaked draft of the summit communiqué….
…Yet the consensus on the EU’s international climate diplomacy risks being overshadowed by internal splits over how to manage soaring energy prices.
Arriving at the two-day summit on Thursday, Orbán stepped up his attack on the EU official in charge of the bloc’s green transition, Frans Timmermans.
“What Timmermans and others propose will kill the middle class of Europe: raising prices, having new regulations, rocketing prices to the sky, destroying the middle class everywhere in Europe, not just in the east, but in the west as well,” he said.
“Utopian fantasy kills us, that’s the problem with energy prices as well,” he added, citing controversial European Commission proposals to curb emissions from transport and housing.
The commission wants to drive down emissions in transport and buildings with a cap-and-trade scheme, an idea that many climate change activists oppose because they fear it will load too many costs on poorer consumers.
The German chancellor, Angela Merkel – attending her 107th EU summit during 16 continuous years in power – pushed back against Orbán’s critique, saying that energy prices were a separate discussion to broader climate change issues.
On the eve of the summit, Poland called on the EU to consider revising or postponing any aspect of the green deal that could have “a negative impact on the energy price”, including plans to increase taxes on fossil fuels, and a proposed overhaul of the bloc’s emissions trading scheme, which puts a price on industrial pollution….”.
LikeLike
“Your green credentials may be linked to your genes, study says
Identical twins have more similar views on environmental issues than non-identical ones, research finds”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/20/your-green-credentials-may-be-linked-to-your-genes-scientists-say
“Some people are more environmentally conscious than others, and scientists say the reason could be in their genes.
A study has found that identical twins have more similar views on conservation and environmentalism than non-identical twins. The researchers say this suggests there could be a link between people’s genetic makeup and their support for green policies.
“The goal is to understand why people are different, and such differences come from the combination of genes and environments,” said Chia-chen Chang, a research fellow at the National University of Singapore and lead author on the paper, published in the journal BioScience.
“Considering genetic components provides us with a more holistic answer to this question, but genetic results are just about probability, not determinism.”
The researchers used data for more than 1,000 twins from the TwinsUK registry, the country’s largest twin database. They examined responses from identical and non-identical twins to questions about their concern for nature, environmental activism and how environmentally friendly their own behaviour was.”
The report can be found here:
https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biab103/6381262
Presumably somebody funded it, though I have no idea why. Then again, presumably it has something to do with the buzz words in the abstract, which seem to be key to unlocking research funds for pretty much anything:
“Earth is undergoing a devastating extinction crisis caused by human impacts on nature, but only a fraction of society is strongly concerned and acting on the crisis. Understanding what determines people’s concern for nature, environmental movement activism, and personal conservation behavior is fundamental if sustainability is to be achieved. Despite its potential importance, the study of the genetic contribution to concern for nature and proenvironmental behaviors has been neglected. ”
I can’t say I share the authors’ belief in its potential importance.
LikeLike
Surprise, surprise:
“Language used to describe the climate becoming more urgent, study finds
Oxford English Dictionary found between 2018 and 2020 use of ‘climate crisis’ increased nearly 20-fold”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/21/language-used-to-describe-the-climate-becoming-more-urgent-study-finds
“Another key finding of the research, carried out ahead of global climate summit Cop26, which starts at the end of this month, was that the words we are using to describe the climate are becoming more urgent – between 2018 and 2020, the use of “climate crisis” increased nearly 20-fold and “climate emergency” 76-fold over the same period.
Trish Stewart, science editor at the Oxford English Dictionary said it had been “fascinating, if at times somewhat alarming, to delve deeper into the language we use, both now and in the past, to talk about climate and sustainability”.
“The very real sense of urgency that is now upon us is reflected in our language. What happens next depends on so many factors but, one thing we can be sure of is that our language will continue to evolve and to tell the story,” she said.”
I disagree. I think that, starting with a deliberate and freely-admitted decision at the Guardian, lobbying organisations such as the Guardian and the BBC have ramped up the language they use, and that is what is behind these findings.
LikeLike
Here’s another example of it being a “leak” (and therefore a good thing) when the media organisation in question approves of the action taken in leaking the information (as in, the release of the CRU emails would never, ever be described by the BBC or the Guardian as a leak):
“Australia sought to weaken UN climate report on need to close coal-fired power stations, leak suggests
Emissions reduction minister Angus Taylor says commenting on draft IPCC report doesn’t equate to running interference, as Greenpeace claims”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/21/australia-opposed-climate-report-finding-that-coal-fired-power-stations-should-close-leak-suggests
LikeLike
🟢 8pm BBC1 Shop Well for the Planet
LikeLike
🟢 7:30pm ITV Air Pollution
Seemed less focused on cars and more on woodburners , and home chemicals
… That seems better science than the usual PR BS
eg featured Jon Grigg video about home chemicals https://twitter.com/ITVTonight/status/1451216719897190408
“The latest government data claims domestic fires create more than THREE TIMES the tiny particulate pollution than all of the road transport in the UK! ”
Professor Frank Kelly of @imperialcollege talks about wood smoke emission in #ITVTonight at 7:30
video : https://twitter.com/ITVTonight/status/1451194059859578880
Green TV progs don’t generate much Twitter interest, but a few activist orgs were tweeting
eg ClientEarth
eg BBC presenter @ConnorPhillips (yes on ITV)
LikeLike
https://www.itv.com/news/2021-10-20/air-pollution-what-you-need-to-know
LikeLike
The ITV presenters tweet is false and alarmist
Air is much cleaner than 40 years ago
UN limits are probably too low
and no country makes them
… https://twitter.com/joe_crowley/status/1451206589491421191
LikeLike
“Climate change will bring global tension, US intelligence report says”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59004088
“Climate change will lead to growing international tensions, the US intelligence community has warned in a bleak assessment.
The first ever National Intelligence Estimate on Climate Change looks at the impact of climate on national security through to 2040.
Countries will argue over how to respond and the effects will be felt most in poorer countries, which are least able to adapt.
The report also warns of the risks if futuristic geo-engineering technologies are deployed by some countries acting alone.
The 27-page assessment is the collective view of all 18 US intelligence agencies. It is their first such look-ahead on what climate means for national security.
The report paints a picture of a world failing to co-operate, leading to dangerous competition and instability. It has been issued just ahead of President Joe Biden attending next month’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, which is seeking international agreement.”
Issued just ahead of COP26. I wonder why?
LikeLike
“The climate crisis is global, but councils can offer local solutions
Stephen Smellie
With government support, councils can lead the way in generating clean energy, insulating housing and reskilling staff”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/22/climate-crisis-global-councils-local-clean-energy-housing
“Of course, to initiate these schemes, councils require government investment. ”
Of course! #MagicMoneyTree
LikeLike
“NS&I green saving bonds go on sale with fixed 0.65% interest rate
Treasury hails scheme ahead of Cop26 summit, but personal finance experts say better investments are available”
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/oct/22/nsi-green-saving-bonds-go-on-sale-with-fixed-065-interest-rate
“A “world first” green savings bond from National Savings and Investments (NS&I) goes on sale today, giving people the chance to back the government’s environmental projects and join the fight against climate breakdown.
But at 0.65% fixed for three years, the interest rate prompted widespread disappointment, with the MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis labelling it “pants” and “paltry”.
A rate of 0.65% is well below the return offered by the top-paying standard fixed-rate savings bonds. On Thursday it was possible to obtain a rate of up to 1.81% on a three-year bond, while Zopa and Atom Bank were offering 1.6% and 1.45% respectively over three years.
“Someone investing £20,000 at 0.65% will earn £130 a year in interest with NS&I compared with the best-buy deal from JN Bank at 1.81% which pays £362 per annum – a difference of almost £700 over three years,” said Andrew Hagger, a personal finance expert at the website MoneyComms.
The new bonds can be bought online from today – just days ahead of the Cop26 climate summit – and will be on sale for at least three months.
The money invested will help finance green projects chosen by the government, which could include zero-emission buses, offshore windfarms and flood defences, and tree-planting and environmentally sustainable farming schemes.
The bonds, announced by the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, in the spring budget, have a minimum investment of £100 and a maximum of £100,000. Savers’ cash cannot be withdrawn during the three years.”.
This sounds about standard for “green” investments”. Given the current levels of inflation in the UK, in real terms this means that at the end of three years, including the paltry interest earned, the Government will give you back rather less of your money than you handed over in the first place. Interest rates are pathetic for savers at the moment, but it’s easy to earn 0.65% p.a. interest by investing in a one year bond at quite a few places. Why would you lock money up for 3 years at that rate with the prospect of higher interest rates coming imminently down the line?
LikeLike
Spectator : Electric cars shortage shock at COP26
If absurdity were a source of renewable energy, the COP26 climate change summit might achieve its aim of saving the planet. Yesterday Mr S brought news that local lawyers are set to join rail engineers, transport
Link to the comments ..click the title to get to the article
https://disqus.com/home/discussion/www-spectator-co-uk/electric_cars_shortage_shock_at_cop26/
LikeLike
Spectator : https://disqus.com/home/discussion/www-spectator-co-uk/the_void_at_the_centre_of_britains_net_zero_strategy/
also : https://disqus.com/home/discussion/www-spectator-co-uk/is_the_media_scrutinising_the_cost_of_net_zero/
https://disqus.com/home/discussion/www-spectator-co-uk/cop26_hit_by_yet_another_strike/
LikeLike
Local BBC news is plugging the Hull Floodlights festival
“Goby Fish lantern (fish of the Humber) almost ready for a water themed parade highlighting climate change”
The breakfast show was also plugging it and a Withernsea climate change film.
The news had a long item about the Ferriby floodbarrier work
They never explained the true context.
That land used to be marsh well below high-tide level, 400 years ago
but they put up banking higher than the tide with sluices
so the land drained at low tide, but never tops up at high tide.
All the houses were then built at that low level
which is why they need flood protection now
In the old days the downstairs used to flood once every few years and then dry out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
FFS a BBC-advert has just come on
“I Pledge to Change”
It gives a number of Global warming tasks we can do
“Something that will REALLY make a difference”
the final is “I pledge to SWITCH OFF my laptop and not leave it on charge”
FFS no you laptop doesn’t use any significant power whilst on charge
The only time it uses power is during update procedure
and for that girl that will happen in the morning when she switches on, so she won’t save any power”
I can’t find the campaign on BBC web or Twitter, so I think it is something made up by the climate enthusiast staff at BBC Radio Humberside.
LikeLike
Now item on “Floodlights festival” an artist is explaining an exhibit
“It’s all about MERMAIDS and how they have had to move cos of Global Warming”
A giant floodlight projector show
As global warming impacts the habitats of humans, animals and sea creatures we see fish populations diminish, go extinct or move to better living and feeding grounds.
Mermaids are not exempt from this destructive process. In various parts of the world they have been forced to migrate to better feeding grounds in order to survive.
Moving closer to urban environments helps them to live of human food waste, but the Sirens’ appearance is a symptom of worse things to come…
https://www.absolutelycultured.co.uk/davy-kristin-mcguire/
LikeLike
video : SkyNews Climate hyperbole has caused huge reduction in viewers
LikeLike
Local radio items in last 24 hours
– economic analyst talking about #heatpumps
– Hull corp talking about their 100% Recycled Christmas Trees
– school CLIMATE CHANGE FILM
– an all-day climate-themed hackathon sponsored by the Danish state windfarm corp
– feature today by @RadioHumberside on hydrogen boilers.
They’ve also had lots promoting more lockdowns
..then contradicted that by promoting children going to the COP26 …which looks like turning into a Covid super spreader event
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Climate change: ‘More homegrown timber needed’ to cut emissions”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58995981
“Building the homes of the future will require Wales to become a “forest nation”, according to industry experts.
They said much more homegrown timber is needed to cut carbon emissions from construction, and would also lead to greener homes and jobs in rural areas.
A group of forestry, manufacturing and social housing firms said working with wood could become a “main industry” comparable with steel.
Currently the UK imports about 80% of its timber, second only to China.
Woodland covers just 15% of the land in Wales – compared with a European average of 46%.
Timber manufacturers, such as Castleoak in Ebbw Vale, said it sourced all its timber from sustainable sources, but all from Europe.”
Ah, China again…..
LikeLike
6:25pm ITV Green Part Party Political broadcast
LikeLike
Last week the Times ran “Pledge to slash cost of green heat pump cost”
… of course Times commenters slaughtered the article
BUT WHY DID THE TIMES put the article outside the paywall ?
As if all Green agenda is a giant advert
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Covid: Should I get rid of my car and join a car club?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58888592
“You take your mobile phone out, walk up to a car, press your screen and the door opens.
Yes, yes, it’s 2021, we know phones can do magic, right? But here’s the catch: It’s not your car.
The wonders of modern technology have meant that for those wanting to opt out of car ownership but still have access to a vehicle when necessary, joining a car club might just be the answer.
With coronavirus ending commuting for some and home deliveries booming, that car which once racked up hundreds of miles a week is doing next to nothing – so do you still need it?”
This, it seems, is the ultimate objective. They don’t want the peasants to own cars.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“COP26: Disruption forecast in Glasgow as busy roads begin to close”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-59010196
“Disruption is expected in Glasgow over the weekend as the first major road closures for COP26 take effect.
Routes including the Clyde Arc and part of the Clydeside Expressway will close on Saturday while Finnieston Street will only allow local access on Sunday.
Diversions are in place to keep traffic moving but some commuters say the measures are “haphazard” and there will be “major challenges” for vehicles.
The summit, which is expected to draw 25,000 delegates, begins on 31 October.
Security is expected to be tight, particularly around the attendance of some 120 world leaders, and police have announced how they plan to approach disruptive climate activists.
Road closures begin on Saturday and last until Monday 15 November, however some roads in the SEC campus are already closed. The Clyde Arc and part of the Clydeside Expressway will be shut from 21:00.
Some days are expected to be busier than others, with the biggest disruption expected on Saturday 6 November which has been designated as the Global Day For Climate Justice.
About 100,000 protesters are expected in Glasgow, with a march which begins at Kelvingrove Park at noon before making its way to Glasgow Green for about 15:00.
People across the city can expect to be affected by delays, diversions or road congestion, from pedestrians and cyclists to drivers and those using public transport.”
I wonder what Glaswegians will think about all the disruption to their daily lives, and I wonder what spin the BBC and the Guardian will put on it after the event?
LikeLike
“Cop26 climate deal will be harder than Paris accord, admits Sharma
Summit president says 2015 global emissions agreement a ‘framework’ but rules were left for future talks”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/23/cop26-climate-deal-harder-than-paris-accord-admits-alok-sharma
“…But Glasgow did not represent the last chance of meeting the 1.5C aim, he added. Countries could still strengthen their commitments in future years. “If there is a gap, and there may well be a gap between [NDCs] and where you need to be in terms of 1.5C, we need to find a way of how we address that gap.”…”.
So it’s not the Last Chance Saloon, after all! They’ll be able to hype it all up again next year. What a surprise.
“…Sharma said he was still awaiting an NDC from China, the world’s biggest emitter. “They signed up to the communique in July that we negotiated in Naples, that all the G20 would come up with enhanced NDCs before COP – I reminded them they needed to deliver on that.”
There have been questions over China’s commitment to climate action, as the government signalled it could increase coal production in response to high energy prices.
Chinese experts downplayed these fears, pointing to the country’s increases in renewable energy generation, but doubts remain over whether China will stick to a relatively unambitious goal of causing emissions to peak by 2030, which scientists fear would be too late to allow the world to stick to 1.5C.
China’s president, Xi Jinping, and Russia’s Vladimir Putin are almost certain to miss the talks…”.
LikeLike
“Cop26 menu focuses on plant-based dishes with 80% Scottish food
Each item will have an estimate of its carbon footprint, so visitors can make ‘climate-friendly choices’”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/23/cop26-menu-plant-based-dishes-scottish-food
“Plant-based dishes will dominate the menu at the Cop26 climate conference, where 80% of the food will be from Scotland.
The low-carbon menu includes 95% British food, especially locally sourced Scottish produce, and each menu item has an estimate of its carbon footprint, “helping attendees make climate-friendly choices”.
Delegates will be served dishes such as potato, leek and rosemary chowder, smoked salmon and “a spiced mushroom and onion burger served with a vegan tomato mayo, slaw and shoots”.
Caterers are using sustainable suppliers including Edinburgh’s Mara Seaweed, which is abundant, entirely sustainable and does not require fertiliser, fresh water or soil to grow, and carrots and potatoes from Benzies, which uses wind turbines to power their cool storage, biomass to provide heating and recycles the water used.
Hot drinks will be served in reusable cups that can be washed 1,000 times, which organisers say will save 250,000 single-use cups.
The Cop26 president-designate, Alok Sharma, said the choice of food served was important.”
What a virtue-signalling farce. Surely far more important by way of “climate-friendly choices” would have been for 25,000 hangers-on not to fly to Glasgow to add nothing of value to the process?
LikeLike
“Crown gives go ahead to rival ‘net zero carbon’ North Sea schemes
Exclusive: crown estates accused of greed in selling rights to ‘incompatible’ carbon capture and windfarm projects”
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/oct/23/crown-gives-go-ahead-to-rival-net-zero-carbon-north-sea-schemes
“A clash between two multibillion pound “net zero carbon” schemes is brewing in the North Sea after the Queen’s property manager granted development rights for one patch of seabed to two different projects at the same time.
The crown estate will earn millions of pounds after agreeing to lease an area off the Yorkshire coast to the latest phase of the giant Hornsea offshore windfarm, as well as to a scheme led by BP which plans to begin storing carbon dioxide under the seabed. This has prompted concern that the giant wind turbines could interfere with seabed sensors for the carbon storage project.
The carbon capture scheme was granted “fast-track status” by the government as part of the long-awaited net zero strategy it set out earlier this week, meaning developers will need to begin trapping, piping and storing carbon beneath the North Sea from a cluster of nearby factories by the mid-2020s.
The crown estate granted the East Coast Cluster project an agreement in 2013 to lease the plot while it develops plans to capture emissions from factories in the Teesside and Humber industrial clusters and store the carbon securely beneath the seabed.
It had already auctioned off the right to develop an offshore windfarm on an area that sits above the carbon capture site in 2010. The windfarm rights were later bought from the consortium by Danish developer Orsted in 2015 to host part of its Hornsea windfarm which will include 180 turbines on a plot which is 190 square miles.
The green developers are in early talks to find a way to “coexist” in close quarters but have no firm plans to manage the clash, and face a tighter deadline to find a solution due to the East Coast Cluster’s fast-track status.
“Put simply, the crown estate has been a bit greedy and leased one area to two projects at the same time,” said an industry source involved in one of the schemes.”
Whoever thinks the “green” agenda is about helping poor people is seriously deluded. It’s a marvellous device to transfer money from the poor to the rich.
LikeLike
“‘We’ve been caught half-dressed’: ambivalent Glasgow awaits Cop26”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/23/weve-been-caught-half-dressed-ambivalent-glasgow-awaits-cop26
“…Glasgow city council sent 9,000 letters to residents and businesses in the areas of the city most likely to be affected by the unprecedented influx of politicians, security, advocates and protesters. The Get Ready Glasgow website and regular e-newsletters have been running for months, though critics say information has been too web-centric, but there have been drop-ins, community council meetings and door-to-door visits too.
Along Argyle Street, regularly spoken of as one of the UK’s hippest neighbourhoods, locals are ambivalent. The pizza shop is worried about how its delivery drivers will pick up orders. The vegan cafe has taken on extra staff. The high-end restaurants report block bookings: “In November, every day’s a Saturday,” says one chef….”.
Block bookings for high-end restaurants, eh? This is all about wealthy people on yet another junket, and we’re all paying for it.
LikeLike
Mark Hodgson says:
“Cop26 menu focuses on plant-based dishes with 80% Scottish food
Each item will have an estimate of its carbon footprint, so visitors can make ‘climate-friendly choices’”
Will this mean they are going to serve the traditional Atholl Brose for breakfast?
LikeLike
🟢 Sunday 9pm Channel 4 Joe Lycett vs The Oil Giant
One hour special against Shell
Made in conjunction with XR
but Ofcom think that is the right kind of bias
… https://www.twitter.com/XRLondon/status/1446398692127301657
LikeLike
Yet again YOU dear public have paid for a 4 page wrap around advert for the Times Weekend section
through the Smart Meter advert
..this time ostensibly highlighting “8 pioneers who made our world”
8 women you have never heard of.
LikeLike
“Greta Thunberg: ‘We need public pressure, not just summits'”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59022846
“Climate activist Greta Thunberg has told the BBC that summits will not lead to action on climate goals unless the public demand change too.
In a wide-ranging interview ahead of the COP26 climate summit, she said the public needed to “uproot the system”.
“The change is going to come when people are demanding change. So we can’t expect everything to happen at these conferences,” she said.”
Her big problem is that, other than a vanishingly small – but very vocal – number of climate activists, people aren’t demanding change. More than that, when they realise what the sort of change Greta calls for will mean for them – poorer both in wallet/purse and lifestyles – she can forget any idea of mass support.
LikeLike
Deben’s at it again:
“New trade deals ‘are unfair on farmers and won’t help emissions’
Chair of the UK’s Climate Change Committee condemns New Zealand and Australia agreements as unworkable”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/23/new-trade-deals-are-unfair-on-farmers-and-wont-help-emissions
“The chairman of the government’s climate change advisory board has condemned trade deals with Australia and New Zealand as “totally offensive” as he warned they would undermine attempts to tackle emissions.
Lord Deben, the former Tory cabinet minister who chairs the Climate Change Committee, said that the agreements were “entirely unacceptable for climate change purposes”. He warned they would damage efforts to ask UK farmers to help consumers shift to eating less meat, but of higher quality.
“I do see that you can do all sorts of things to encourage people to buy better meat, and I think we ought to be,” he told the Observer. “That’s why I’m so deeply opposed – and find totally offensive – the agreements with both Australia and New Zealand, which are entirely unacceptable for climate change purposes.
“You cannot ask farmers to do in this country what we are going to ask them to do and import goods from people who are not [meeting the same standards]. The government promised it wouldn’t do that – and it is doing it. It is entirely against its promise.
“I shall go on fighting until we stop it. There has to be, internationally, standards that enable you to carry through climate change rules.”…
…The Tory peer called on the government to ask schools, hospitals and the armed forces to cut down on the amount of meat they were using in meals as an example to the public. He said ministers would soon need to “bite this bullet” and find ways to encourage the public to make changes to their diets and lifestyles to help reduce emissions. “The only way through it is to do it through its own procurement,” he said. “I think that rather than saying ‘we ought to eat 20% less meat’, we should be pressing for schools, hospitals, prisons, and the Army, Navy and Air Force to do all those things.
“You do not tell other people to do it – you do it yourself and you tell everybody that you are doing it. That’s probably the way you start to get behaviour change without it being a nanny state situation, in a context where so many people are fed up with being told what to do.”
He said that he was encouraged by £5,000 grants to help people switch to low-carbon heat pumps for home heating, adding that his committee would “come down like a ton of bricks” on the government if its plans to create a better market for cheaper heat pumps failed to drive up demand.
However, he said he was concerned about the failure of the strategy to set out clear plans for restoring peat lands and vegetation that could help draw carbon out of the atmosphere….”.
Perhaps he should have something to say about the damage caused to peatlands by giant wind farms?
LikeLike
“Hospital Appointments in Glasgow Being Cancelled to Reduce Road Traffic during COP26”
https://dailysceptic.org/2021/10/23/hospital-appointments-in-glasgow-being-cancelled-to-reduce-road-traffic-during-cop26/
“NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said it would be increasing the number of virtual consultations and moving some face-to-face consultations to different times of the day in order to accommodate a “temporary increase in population” in the city over the two-week climate summit.
Patients began receiving letters over the past week notifying them of changes to their appointments.
It comes amid warnings that the event itself could trigger a fresh spike in Covid cases, piling preassure on an already overstretched NHS.
Health cheifs at neighbouring NHS Lanarkshire – where the majority of non-urgent elective surgeries have been paused since August – have now escalated its risk status to ‘Black’ and confirmed that a number of cancer procedures will be postponed. These will be rescheduled “as soon as possible”, they said.
One Glasgow patient with long Covid symptoms, who is due to see several specialists, told the Herald their face-to-face appointments had been changed suddenly to telephone consultations after months of waiting. …
[They said] that it was ironic patients were being switched to phone and video appointments to free up roads for climate deligates flying into Scotland who “really should have held their meetings virtually”.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
“EU leaders signal alarm over Chinese magnesium crunch
Germany’s Merkel and Czech PM Babiš fear Europe’s car industry will be hit hard.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-leaders-alarm-china-magnesium-crunch/
“Fears are growing among European leaders that the EU’s industrial recovery from the pandemic is about to be undercut by yet another supply shock: a shortage of Chinese magnesium, which is vital to sectors such as cars, planes and electronics.
More than 95 percent of Europe’s magnesium comes from China but the country is slashing back output amid nationwide energy shortages. China is, by far, the world’s biggest producer, meaning it would be hard for smaller producers such as Russia and Israel to step in and fill huge shortfalls.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš — revealingly, leaders from top car-making countries — raised the issue on Thursday during an EU leaders’ summit, according to a diplomat familiar with the discussion.
“Merkel [said] it’s become too costly to produce it [in China] because of the high energy prices,” the diplomat said, adding that the outgoing chancellor also warned about the knock-on effect on car production in Europe.
Babiš was even more direct, saying the auto sector is facing a “disaster.”
“After the semiconductors crisis, now we have the magnesium crisis,” Babiš said in the European Council summit, according to the diplomat.
China has built up close to a global monopoly of magnesium in the past two decades, having forced out European rivals through what its competitors describe as large-scale dumping. The subsequent dependence on China is yet another embarrassment to the EU as it tries to set itself on a course of “strategic autonomy” by breaking free of Asian and U.S. supply chains.
The immediate problem is that China’s factories are now partially closed owing to nationwide energy shortages, and exports of magnesium are plummeting. In the EU, stock of the mineral now risks running out by the end of November, according to a joint statement issued on Friday by a dozen industry groups, including European Aluminium and the European Steel Association….
…EU officials said they had been in touch with their Chinese counterparts over the issue, but there are few guarantees from Beijing. “We are raising this issue with our Chinese counterparts in order to address immediate shortages and are assessing long-term solutions to tackle this strategic dependency,” an EU official said ahead of the EU leaders’ meeting.
The shortage also calls into question the EU leaders’ plans to put pressure on China to adopt drastic measures to cut the use of coal ahead of the upcoming international COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow in November. Coal will continue playing a major role in China’s energy mix, in a bid by Beijing to stop the energy shortage causing power cuts during the winter.
Citing a conversation with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang this week, Merkel said he “asked the EU not to force China to close coal fired plants too soon,” saying gas prices would face an “enormous increase.””
LikeLike
BBC 4 Trailers
Announcer plugged “On Iplayer watch the Earthshot Prize
…. and Radio4’s 39 Ways to Save The Planet”
Then a full trailer
“Coca Cola’s eco problem BBC1 7:30pm Monday”
LikeLike
“Cop26: ‘World conflict and chaos’ could be the result of a summit failure
Top climate official issues strong warning on effect of unchecked greenhouse gases ahead of summit”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/24/world-conflict-and-chaos-could-be-the-result-of-a-summit-failure
“Global security and stability could break down, with migration crises and food shortages bringing conflict and chaos, if countries fail to tackle greenhouse gas emissions, the UN’s top climate official has warned ahead of the Cop26 climate summit.
Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said: “We’re really talking about preserving the stability of countries, preserving the institutions that we have built over so many years, preserving the best goals that our countries have put together. The catastrophic scenario would indicate that we would have massive flows of displaced people.”
The impact would cascade, she said, adding: “It would mean less food, so probably a crisis in food security. It would leave a lot more people vulnerable to terrible situations, terrorist groups and violent groups. It would mean a lot of sources of instability.”
She told the Observer in an interview: “It doesn’t only speak to the environmental side. It is also about the whole system we have built. We know what migration crises have provoked in the past. If we were to see that in even higher numbers – not only international migration, but also internal migration – [it would] provoke very serious problems.”
The unusually strong warnings from the normally reserved Espinosa comes as world leaders make their final preparations for the Cop26 talks in Glasgow. The leaders of the G20 nations of the world’s largest developed and developing economies will gather in Rome next weekend for two days of preliminary talks, then fly to Glasgow, to join about 100 other heads of government for the Cop26 climate talks on 1 November.”
Do I sense a whiff of panic in the air, a realisation that it’s going to be nothing more than yet another pointless gabfest?
LikeLike
“Why aren’t we in prison, ask Insulate Britain protesters”
Why indeed?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/24/why-arent-we-in-prison-ask-insulate-britain-protesters
“Climate protest group Insulate Britain has revealed its “absolute disbelief” that its members have been allowed to repeatedly disrupt the motorway network, saying it had originally expected its campaign of direct action to last just two days.
As the group prepares for a fresh wave of protests this week, organisers admit they are baffled over why the police have effectively allowed them to keep closing major routes.
Activists have so far orchestrated a five-week campaign that has provoked clashes with angry motorists and government threats. Following a 10-day pause, it is about to restart.
During 14 separate days of direct action, hundreds of group members have been arrested yet, despite some being apprehended 10 or 11 times, none has been detained on remand. On Friday, the Metropolitan police said it had arrested 207 activists, with many other arrests occurring outside the force area.
A spokesman for Insulate Britain said that the group had initially expected the campaign to be extremely short-lived because all its members would be in custody.”
LikeLike
“How global heating’s children view the world, 12 years on
In the run-up to the global summit in Glasgow, we revisit families with children – now teenagers – born at the time of the 2009 climate conference”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/24/how-global-heatings-children-view-the-world-12-years-on
“They are entering their teenage years and aspire to bring about positive change when they grow up. But the dreams of these three children, each born in different corners of the world in the weeks leading up to the Copenhagen climate conference in 2009, are beset by worries of how global heating might shape their futures.
Following their births, and again in 2015 ahead of the Paris climate summit, the Observer heard from the families of Maria, Olomaina and Denislania about how they were coping with the impacts of climate change.
Now, as the UK prepares to host the latest climate summit, Cop26, in Glasgow, they describe in reports gathered by the charity Cafod what is at stake should world leaders fail to deliver on their latest commitments….
…”Maria’s parents hope to keep their youngest daughter in education but their lives are blighted by rising sea levels and extreme temperatures. Living close to the Payra river on low-lying land means their home is often flooded. Maria says: “From April to September there is a lot of rain. Our house was torn and broken, and rainwater fell through the roof.” Tayab says tidal floods and cyclones are also causing them financial ruin and mental anguish. The saline water from the sea damages crops and contaminates the drinking water in a nearby well, causing his children to frequently fall ill.”
Perhaps the Guardian should take a brief lesson from Wikipedia:
“Bangladesh is a land of many rivers. It is very prone to flooding due to being situated on the Brahmaputra River Delta (also known as the Ganges Delta) and the many distributaries flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Due to being part of such a basin and being less than 5 metres above mean sea level, Bangladesh faces the cumulative effects of floods due to water flashing from nearby hills, the accumulation of the inflow of water from upstream catchments, and locally heavy rainfall enhanced by drainage congestion. Bangladesh faces this problem almost every year. Coastal flooding, combined with the bursting of river banks is common, and severely affects the landscape and society of Bangladesh. 80% of Bangladesh is [floodplain], and it has an extensive sea coastline, rendering the nation very much at risk of periodic widespread damage. Whilst more permanent defenses, strengthened with reinforced concrete, are being built, many embankments are composed purely of soil and turf and made by local farmers. Flooding normally occurs during the monsoon season from June to September. ”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floods_in_Bangladesh
What they describe is situation normal, not climate change.
Next?
“Denislania’s birth came amid a victory for the Macuxi indigenous people to which she belongs. In 2009, Brazil’s supreme court ruled in their favour following a long-running dispute with farmers who wanted to turn the Surumu region’s marshlands into rice plantations….
…However, the savannah land they depend upon is under threat from the changing climate. Back in 2015, her mother, Elisa, was extremely concerned about the constantly dry weather. Fortunately, over the last year the weather patterns have been more stable, she says. ”
Hmm, doesn’t quite fit the narrative. And, as I explained in “There’s An Awful Lot of Coffee in Brazil”, these issues go back centuries. Again, it’s situation normal, not climate change.
Finally:
“Noomirisho Mutonka named her son Olomaina – meaning “blessing” in Maasai – hoping he would bring prosperity. But since his birth in 2009, his family has been stuck in a cycle of poverty caused by continuous droughts. Over the years, they’ve owned 284 animals but this has diminished to just a few goats and one cow.
Changing weather patterns in the semi-arid region south of Nairobi have been causing Noomirosho increasing concern. “Even if the rains come, it rains for a very short while and within no time the grass is dry, and the livestock die.””
Again, it’s situation normal. Here’s the Kenyan Meteorological Service:
“Kenya is a highly drought prone country, because of its peculiar eco-climatic conditions as only about 20% of the territory receives high and regular rainfall. The rest, i.e. 80% of the territory, is arid and semi-arid lands where annual rainfall varies from 200 to 500 mm, and periodical droughts are part of the climate system.
The root cause of the country’s vulnerability to drought is in its dependence on rainfall for its economic and social development. Agriculture, the mainstay of the economy, is almost entirely rain-fed. Water for human consumption and other uses is derived from rivers whose recharge depends on rainfall. Kenya is a water scarce country, whose per capita water availability is one of the lowest in Africa, making access to clean water a problem in many areas of the country, including the capital, Nairobi.”
Click to access UNW-DPC_NDMP_Country_Report_Kenya_2014.pdf
LikeLike
BTW a few pages on : HALF PAGE Drax advert
“Lighting The Way To Net Zero”
LikeLike
A similar story has run about 10 days ago
Seems an XR tactic is to get arrested and become martyr
“Look here’s a climate conference but the evil Tories actually have Gren in prison during it”
When XR were endangering road users the other day
I see a guy tied one of them to the railings meaning he couldn’t jump back on the road.
LikeLike
FullFact have put together a Gotcha against Farage on wind.
You can see from the photo it’s a hit piece and has a number of flaws straight off
bBBC longer discussion here
https://biasedbbc.tv/blog/2021/10/22/weekend-thread-23-october-2021/comment-page-2/#comment-1146860
LikeLike
The Fullfact twitter thread is dominated by hates of Farage, whoo take the narrative and run
This is school bully gang stuff again
LikeLike
You can either live in the real world
or you can live in a PR BS world.
The Iceland boss has taken his fathers supermarket chain and runs it as a Green campaign
9:15am he was on R4 “blah, blah plastic ..blah blah etc
then he says “You know turkey sales are up 400%”
.. The thing is that is a non-story : is the old principle of 4 times nothing is nothing
In December when you are selling 1000 turkey’s/day and increase to 5,000 is something
but in October when you are selling 2 per day and increase to 10 is still pretty small fry.
The BBC guy was swept along
but to be fair for once he was trying to interject “we don’t want to cause panic buying”
LikeLike
“COP26: Disruption warning as road closures come into effect”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-59029409
“Disruption is expected in Glasgow over the weekend as the first major road closures for COP26 climate change conference take effect.
Closures began on Saturday night and will last until Monday 15 November. The Clyde Arc and part of the Clydeside Expressway shut from 21:00, while Finnieston Street will only allow local access on Sunday.
The conference is expected to draw 25,000 delegates from around the world and runs from 31 October to 12 November.
Some days are expected to be busier than others, with the biggest disruption expected on Saturday 6 November which has been designated as the Global Day For Climate Justice.”
LikeLike
Hull BBC local news item #2
summary : t wasn’t news Mere the local politics show had had the head of Wind PR on, and she had said there should be more onshore wind power.
“the DEFEATED Grimsby Labour MP, who now works promoting wind farms , was on the BBC Politics show saying there should be MORE ONSHORE wind farms”
… Is that news ?
Onshore wind farms are not banned
If you want to put one up buy some land and apply for planning permission.
What deters people is there is NO SUBSIDY for onshore wind.
“Recent years have seen a lot of offshore, but many onshore have faced opposition from local residents”
… Em many offshore have also faced opposition from residents too
“Melanie Onn told BBC Politics North that public opinion was behind the expansion in wind energy”
Tosh
Onn “Surveys say that the public are supportive of onshore wind turbine !”
“and people living near them support them more”
… Tosh .. surveys have questions skewed to get the required answers
Presenter “See BBCiplayer for the rest of that show”
LikeLike
“Climate change: How do we know it is happening and caused by humans?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58954530
“But wasn’t it warmer in the past?
There have been several hot periods during the Earth’s past.
Around 92 million years ago, for example, temperatures were so high that there were no polar ice caps and crocodile-like creatures lived as far north as the Canadian Arctic.
At times in the past, sea level was 25m (80ft) higher than the present. A rise of 5-8m (16-26ft) is considered enough to submerge most of the world’s coastal cities.
There is abundant evidence for mass extinctions of life during these periods. And climate models suggest that, at times, the tropics could have become “dead zones”, too hot for most species to survive.
These fluctuations between hot and cold have been caused by a variety of phenomena, including the way the Earth wobbles as it orbits the Sun over long periods, volcanic eruptions and short-term climate cycles such as El Niño.
For many years, groups of so-called climate “sceptics” have cast doubt on the scientific basis of global warming.
However, virtually all scientists who publish regularly in peer-reviewed journals now agree on the current causes of climate change.
A key UN report released in 2021 said it “is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, oceans and land”.”
Thanks BBC. I suppose “so-called climate sceptics” is ever such a slight step up from denier.
LikeLike
The push is on big-style now:
“Climate change quiz: Test your knowledge of how to reduce emissions”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58996348
And:
“The former coal villages turning green”, which, when you click on it, becomes “Energy: Are the Welsh coalfields turning green?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59016647
And:
“Climate change: Tata Steel wants roadmap to make industry greener”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59010674
“Renewable energy: £1.7bn plan for Swansea led by Bridgend’s DST”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59010675
“Durham University study finds migrating birds spending longer in Europe”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-59030910
“Climate Change: £1.7bn renewable energy project for Swansea Bay”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-59017940
(Because one article isn’t enough).
“COP26: Nicola Sturgeon says credible action needed on climate crisis”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-59031016
“Climate change: How can I reduce my carbon footprint?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58735561
That’s all just in the last 12 hours or so.
LikeLike
“‘We’re all climate journalists now’: how the weather took over everything
From the business section to the food magazine, Guardian editors are becoming focused on one dominant story”
https://www.theguardian.com/membership/2021/oct/25/were-all-climate-journalists-now-how-the-weather-took-over-everything
“Once upon a time, it was really only environment journalists who covered the climate crisis. At the Guardian, this is rapidly changing, as the emergency sprawls into more and more aspects of our daily lives, from food to fashion, football to finance, art to agriculture.
Here, 10 Guardian journalists describe how the climate crisis is changing their job.”
Well, I suppose it’s sort of honest – news reporting is now secondary to inserting climate change in to pretty much every story, whether it’s appropriate to do so or not. On the plus side, it will give me a never-ending source of articles to expose biased reporting and half-truths, lying by omission etc.
LikeLike
And a blitz in the Guardian letter’s page:
“Heat pumps are practical and necessary”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/24/heat-pumps-are-practical-and-necessary
Well, they can say what they like, but we stayed a few short years back in an “eco-house” while on holiday in the Scottish Highlands. It was July, but it was a cold July. The house was “heated” by a heat pump. In the evenings, after a hard day on the hill, when it would have been nice to relax in the house, we were forced either to go out or to sit under a duvet, because it was so cold. We turned the thermostat ever higher in a vain attempt to generate some warmth, but nothing happened.
LikeLike
“Tories received £1.3m from fossil fuel interests and climate sceptics since 2019
Gifts and donations were from oil companies, airports, petrostates and climate-sceptic thinktanks”
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/25/tories-received-13m-from-fossil-fuel-interests-and-climate-sceptics-since-2019
“The Conservative party and its MPs have registered £1.3m in gifts and donations from climate sceptics and fossil fuel interests since the 2019 general election, an investigation by the Guardian can reveal.
Oil companies, petrostates, airports and businesses linked with Russian energy tycoons are among this set of donors, who have either made money from fossil fuels or stand to lose economically or politically from cutting emissions.
Their donations, all legally given and declared to the Electoral Commission or in the House of Commons register of interests, are overwhelmingly to the ruling party.
In the past two years combined, they have given about £812,000 to the Conservative party, compared with £18,400 registered by the Labour party.
Conservative MPs also received about 99% of the £479,000 these donors gave to individual politicians, a far higher share than their 56% of the seats in the House of Commons.
The research highlights the legitimate lobbying activities of outside organisations who give money in return for access or influence, or to support policies and ideologies.”
They’re not getting value for money, then!
LikeLike
Apologies I also just posted this at Paul’s & bBBC
So that is a triple repeat ..but I am trying to raise awareness
8pm Monday Radio4 a new 3 part series
A Summer of Fire and Flood https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0010wq7
That is assertion not science
Every year since the dawn of time a whole lot of places have had
an unlucky weather episode.
To claim that this years cherry picked places would not have been unlucky without you using petrol ..is not science
LikeLike
R4 now is promoting a eco-train service from London to Edinburgh @LumoTravel
#1 They say it is unsubsidised
Actually I would guess they are not paying the full cost of track
so that is a subsidy
#2 When asked about cycle places they say the whole train can carry 2 bikes.
People can bring more fold-up bikes
“We need the space to break even”
#3 En route It stops at Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth only
#4 They said it is GREEN cos it runs on electricity
… em that is not really new is it ? and electricity always comes mostly from non-solar/wind
#5 It’s not really independent, it’s owned by First
It has specially allowed as the claim is it won’t compete with existing brands but rather
bring in people who normally FLY.
Yet there is no early train
Normal price will be £20 to £69
60% at £30
I would have thought they could get extra money by selling on those customers , cos they will buy big green gimmicks
LikeLike
Tonight’s Panorama is done with NGO Break Free From Plastics
The R4 preview gave the impression it’s a hitjob against Coca Cola
They go on about Samoa ..FFS it’s only got 200,000 people
The clips seem like an advert for the NGO, scary background music etc,
They seem to be campaigning for bottle deposit schemes
To me that is dumb cos that will hit the 95% of people that already put the bottle in the right bin
and the 5% that don’t will probably still not bother.
Is that NGO a front ? Most early tweets are from Greenpeace Asia
but on Sept 13th 2016 the hashtags #breakfreefromplastic and #breakfreefromplastics first appeared
with a video saying it came an NGO meeting in the Philippines.. https://youtu.be/eICvR2CdDyc
… Many of their tweets are them wanting a 100% ban on plastic
LikeLike
Paradise Papers : Prince Charles’ private estate held an undisclosed interest in an offshore company that could have benefited from his campaigning for changes to climate change rules,.
The BBC and the Guardian reported on Tuesday that the prince’s estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, “secretly bought shares worth $113,500 in a Bermuda company,” Sustainable Forestry Management, that was directed by a friend of the prince.
https://www.icij.org/investigations/paradise-papers/another-british-royal-found-offshore-connections/
LikeLike
Stew, Charlie’s offshored Sustainable Forestry Management scheme was a Swingland thing. Here’s a gushing 2012 interview with the prematurely emeritused prof:
URL:web.archive.org/web/20211025150943/https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/people/kent-life-interviews-professor-ian-swingland-obe-7100664
Alas, Professor Swingland, friend of royalty and of giant tortoises, possessor of a planet-sized brain and of an ego to match, has vanished from public view since his conviction for fraud related to a similarly offshored ‘green’ forestry scheme a few years ago. I’d love to know what he’s been up to recently. Anyone got any pointers?
And his retirement from Kent Uni in 1999 – was it really because of a health scare?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good grief:
LikeLike
I think it’s supposed to be a seal, though my wife thinks it’s a rat, which might be more appropriate, given the state of Glasgow’s rubbish just now…
LikeLike
“COP26 climate summit: Sign up for alerts on the UN’s climate change summit”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/help-59040395
“You can get extra news, analysis and in-depth reporting from the BBC’s teams covering the climate change summit in Glasgow in November direct to your smartphone by signing up below.
Tap here to receive alerts on the COP26 summit.”
You know you want to…..
LikeLike
“Anger over Lincolnshire Wolds oil drilling plan”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cl00zp922ewo
“Controversial plans to drill for oil in the Lincolnshire Wolds have been recommended for approval.
Egdon Resources has applied for permission at a site in the village of Biscathorpe, which is believed to contain more than 30m barrels of oil.
Planning officers at Lincolnshire County Council have recommended the application is given the go ahead.
The proposal has attracted objections from residents, local MP Victoria Atkins and environmental groups.
Paul Milner, from the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said the charity was “very concerned” about the plan and urged the council to reject it.
“It’s very clear in the government national planning policy that the protection of the landscape and scenic beauty should be given great weight in Areas Of Outstanding Natural Beauty,” he said.
“Therefore we see no justification for oil drilling in the Lincolnshire Wolds.”
More than 200 residents have lodged objections and a petition against the plan has attracted more than 1,200 signatures.
Local protester Amanda Suddaby said: At this point in history I think it’s fairly shocking that we are moving in that direction.
“It’s totally contrary to everything that we should be trying to achieve at this stage in the climate crisis.”
Council planning officials said they were unable to consider climate change when assessing the development, only if it met “acceptable land use in planning terms”.
“The impacts of the proposal on landscape character and visual impact are considered by officers to be minor in nature given the duration of the proposal and that it is entirely reversible,” the officers’ report said.
Mark Abbott, Egdon’s managing director said despite a move towards renewable energy “oil remains a critical resource to heat our homes and businesses”.
Mr Abbott said the planned development was on an existing site. “Biscathorpe was drilled in 2018 without any impact on the environment or local people,” he said. “We recognise this is a very sensitive area. If granted planning consent we will carefully manage our operations, working closely with the County Council and the Environment Agency. ”
The decision on whether to give approval is due to be made at a council meeting next week.”
I notice that Govey seems to be delaying his decision on the Cumbrian coal mine until after COP 26. Maybe when the whole farce is over, life can begin to get back to normal.
LikeLike
“Climate crisis: greenhouse gas levels hit new record despite lockdowns, UN reports
The data send a ‘stark’ message to the nations tasked with increasing action at the Cop26 climate summit, UN meteorology chief says”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/25/climate-crisis-greenhouse-gas-levels-hit-new-record-un-reports
“Levels of climate-heating gases in the atmosphere hit record levels in 2020, despite coronavirus-related lockdowns, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization has announced.
The concentration of carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas, is now 50% higher than before the Industrial Revolution sparked the mass burning of fossil fuels. Methane levels have more than doubled since 1750. All key greenhouse gases (GHG) rose faster in 2020 than the average for the previous decade and this trend has continued in 2021, the WMO report found.
The data shows the climate crisis continues to worsen and send a “stark” message to the nations meeting at the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow in a week’s time, according to WMO chief Prof Petteri Taalas: “We are way off track.”
The negotiators at the summit must deliver action to keep alive the goal of ending GHG emissions by 2050 and avoiding the worst climate impacts. Only stopping emissions will stabilise the levels of the gases and halt the temperature rises that drive the increasing damage from heatwaves, floods and droughts.”
On and on it goes.
LikeLike
“Eco-activists Insulate Britain at it again, as they blockade major London streets after 10-day pause in protests”
https://www.rt.com/uk/538366-eco-mob-insulate-britain-back-protest/
“Insulate Britain has resumed its protest after a 10-day hiatus, with its environmental activists blockading major roads in London to demand that Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government insulate the country’s homes.
A total of 61 members of Insulate Britain made their return on Monday by obstructing busy streets in the capital at Limehouse causeway, close to Canary Wharf, Liverpool Street and Southwark.
Footage uploaded on Twitter showed police attending to activists near Southwark Bridge, some of whom had glued their hands to the road. One law enforcement officer warned a demonstrator that he would “use force” to move her if she did not remove herself from the path.
…In a statement released on the same day confirming their return, one activist lashed out with accusations that the government “is actively following a path that will lead to the death of millions,” saying this is “genocide.”
He went on: “If you know this and are not joining nonviolent civil resistance then you are complicit. We can’t be bystanders. Short-term disruption or genocide – that’s your choice.”…”
Hmm. Are we supposed to take that seriously?
LikeLiked by 1 person
The replies…. it’s been recycled and had a gender adjustment
LikeLike
Monday 🟢 8pm ITV My beautiful GREEN Home
Look at the presenter with her ClimateCrisis hashtag
LikeLike
Viewer impact on Twitter was pretty small
“£43,000 to save £600 a year are you out of your mind”
etc.
LikeLike
The other presenter got JUST 5 Likes to his tweet, she got 1
LikeLike
The push continues. I suppose it was inevitable that they would wheel Attenborough out:
“Climate change: Sir David Attenborough in ‘act now’ warning”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59039485
“”If we don’t act now, it’ll be too late.” That’s the warning from Sir David Attenborough ahead of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.
The broadcaster says the richest nations have “a moral responsibility” to help the world’s poorest.
And it would be “really catastrophic” if we ignored their problems, he told me in a BBC News interview.
“Every day that goes by in which we don’t do something about it is a day wasted,” he said.
Sir David and I were speaking at Kew Gardens in London during filming for a new landmark series, The Green Planet, to be aired on BBC1 next year.”
That’s it, then, it’s official, from the living saint himself. When this year’s COP is another failure, that’s it, it’ll too late, finished, game over, no more COPs, we can get back to some sort of normality, and the Government can put net zeor back in the box it came from. But I bet that’s not what’ll happen, even when the COP is a failure.
LikeLike
“Greta Thunberg to march at Glasgow climate protest”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-59047342
“Greta Thunberg has invited Glasgow workers who plan on striking during COP26 to join her on a protest march.
The Swedish activist confirmed she would come to the city during the UN summit to take part in a climate strike on Friday 5 November.
Railway staff, council cleaners and refuse workers have said they would take industrial action during COP26.
Ms Thunberg wrote on Twitter: “Climate justice also means social justice and that we leave no one behind.”
She added: “So we invite everyone, especially the workers striking in Glasgow, to join us. See you there.”…”.
Well, she did say we have to strike for the climate…
LikeLike
Has the BBC finally taken leave of its senses?
“Eco-friendly sex: What is it and how does it impact on climate change?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59046518
“When we think about the different ways we can reduce our carbon footprints, our sex lives are not usually at the top of the list.
Yet web searches for sustainable products such as vegan condoms and waste-free contraception have been steadily on the rise in recent years.
“For some, being eco-friendly sexually means selecting lubes, toys, bed sheets and condoms that have less impact on the planet,” explains Dr Adenike Akinsemolu, an environmental sustainability scientist from Nigeria.
“For others, it entails reducing the damage in the creation of porn to workers and the environment. Both examples are valid and of importance.”
The UN Population Fund estimates around 10 billion male latex condoms are manufactured each year and most are disposed of in landfills.
That’s because most condoms are made from synthetic latex and use additives and chemicals, meaning they cannot be recycled….
…However, caution must be taken with some greener products, as some can’t be used with most condoms because they may cause breakage. And before making any decisions around contraception, it is advised that you speak to a doctor or family planning professional….
…Sex toys are another area where the use of plastic is widespread. Steel or glass alternatives are available, while the option of buying rechargeable toys also helps reduce waste. There are even solar powered sex toys on the market.
Companies such as LoveHoney also offer a sex toy amnesty where they assist in recycling old and broken toys that cannot go through typical recycling routes.
Then there are less obvious parts of our sex lives where changes can be made to reduce waste.
Purchasing ethically made lingerie and clothing, avoiding shower sex, using less hot water, keeping the lights switched off and opting for reusable washcloths are all ways to reduce our impact on the planet.
Like most things we buy, packaging often leads to waste. Lauren Singer, an entrepreneur and zero-waste influencer from New York, says this is where most companies can make a difference.
Condoms, lube and daily contraceptive pills are all products that can generate packaging that ends up in landfills. IUDs (intrauterine devices) and implants are longer-term contraceptive options, which have less waste but come with their own risks….”.
LikeLike
“Insulate Britain: New injunction after rush hour protest”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59045186
“A new temporary injunction has been granted against environmental group Insulate Britain after protesters brought parts of London to a standstill.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the injunction covered the “entire strategic road network”.
“Tonight this has been granted on a temp basis by the High Court,” he tweeted on Monday evening.
Earlier police arrested more than 50 people, some glued to the road.
In a post on Twitter, Mr Shapps accused Insulate Britain, who blocked roads on 14 days over the five weeks to 14 October, of “risking lives and ruining journeys”.
There are already three specific injunctions in place against the group.”
Forgive me for being smug, but this is what I said they should have been doing from the start. Why has it taken so long for Government and its advisers to obtain an injunction covering the “entire strategic road network”?
LikeLike
Such a shame, as I’ve always liked Joanna Lumley. Now it seems she may be as bad as the rest of them – demanding that the little people sacrifice their lifestyles, after she has spent a lot of time jetting round the world making TV programmes as far afield as Japan, India, and Siberia:
“Joanna Lumley says wartime-style rationing could help solve climate crisis
Actor proposes system under which people would have limited points to spend on holidays and luxury items”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/26/joanna-lumley-wartime-rationing-solve-climate-crisis
“Joanna Lumley has suggested that a system of rationing similar to that seen during wartime, under which people would have a limited number of points to spend on holidays or lavish consumer goods, could eventually help to tackle the climate crisis.
The Absolutely Fabulous actor, who has long campaigned against single-use plastic, said legislation could be the only way to curb the amount of waste produced by the public. “These are tough times, and I think there’s got to be legislation,” she told the Radio Times.
“That was how the war was – stuff was rationed – and at some stage I think we might have to go back to some kind of system of rationing, where you’re given a certain number of points and it’s up to you how to spend them, whether it’s buying a bottle of whisky or flying in an aeroplane.”…
…“Perhaps people have got to think a bit harder,” she said. “Maybe more of our holidays should be at home or taking trains, and not hopping on a plane to Magaluf for the weekend … Every plastic bottle you don’t buy, every piece of litter you pick up, every piece of meat you don’t eat, every small thing counts.”…”
LikeLike
“UK net zero plan ‘achievable and affordable’, say climate advisers
Advisers say strategy boosts UK credibility before Cop26 summit, but more needed to protect low paid”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/26/uk-net-zero-plan-achievable-and-affordable-say-climate-advisers
It boosts credibility only if one thinks the CCC has credibility, and given the amount of time and money they have spent fighting a perfectly reasonable FOI request, they lack credibility in my eyes.
Still, the Guardian thinks it’s good, but of course it isn’t enough (nothing ever is):
“The UK strategy to reach net zero emissions by 2050 is “achievable and affordable”, according to the government’s official climate advisers. The Climate Change Committee said the plan is the most comprehensive in the G20 and strengthens the position of the UK as it prepares to preside over the Cop26 summit.
The CCC, which is independent, said the strategy was a big step forward from setting targets to planning their delivery, but said implementation would be a huge task.
The strategy is “very market-led” and focused on technology, the CCC said, from heat pumps to electric cars to low-carbon jet fuel. But it said much more action was needed to protect those on low incomes from the costs of going green.
The CCC also said the strategy had “nothing to say” on reducing the amount of meat and dairy people eat or on limiting growth in flying, which made hitting the climate targets more difficult and riskier. The government published a research paper on behaviour change but then swiftly withdrew it, saying it had been put out by mistake. Boris Johnson’s foreword to the strategy said there was not a “hairshirt in sight”.
There is no specific plan for farming and land, which produces 10% of UK emissions, the CCC said. Action is urgently needed, the CCC said, for example immediately ramping up woodland creation, which needs to triple to meet government targets.”
I am perplexed, however, by the need to “protect those on low incomes from the costs of going green.” I thought this stuff was supposed to be cheap and to make economic sense.
LikeLike
Mark,
“That’s it, then, it’s official, from the living saint himself. When this year’s COP is another failure, that’s it, it’ll be too late, finished, game over, no more COPs, we can get back to some sort of normality, and the Government can put net-zero back in the box it came from. But I bet that’s not what’ll happen, even when the COP is a failure.”
But will all the lemmings head for the cliff?
LikeLike
ITV local news
“As COP26 opens Sheffield is to have Clean Air Zone charging £10 /car”
#1 Climate & clean air are DIFFERENT
A heavy electric car might mean more air pollution than a light petrol
.. Taxi driver is on saying the cost of a compliant vehicle is too high
Now they just said the plan needs to go to a final vote next year.
“Oh actually “On our social media it is hard to find a positive comment on this”
LikeLike
Item #2 Rageh Omaar trailing a COP26 propaganda show at 10:45pm
LikeLike
“Climate change: Make people fly less, ministers told”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59045851
“The government has been blamed for failing to reduce demand for flying and meat-eating as part of its plans to rein in climate change.
The Climate Change Committee advisory body says ministers also have not shown how to achieve their ambition of cutting the demand for road travel.”
We’re getting to the nub of it now. We have to change our entire way of life if these people are to be satisfied. And even if we do, it won’t make a jot of difference to climate change. Remind me again – who voted for the Climate Change Committee?
LikeLike
“Climate activists hold Science Museum protest over fossil fuel sponsors”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-59055942
“Student climate activists are holding a protest inside London’s Science Museum over its sponsorship deals with fossil fuel companies.
Members of the UK Student Climate Network (UKSCN) said they were staying the night for “victims” of Shell, BP, Equinor and Adani.
The Metropolitan Police said it was in attendance. No arrests have been made.
The protest comes after the museum announced a new gallery supported by a subsidiary of the Adani Group.
Adani is a multinational business involved in coal extraction and coal-fired power stations.
The museum has also faced criticism for partnering with Shell to fund an exhibition about carbon capture and storage, and nature-based solutions to the climate crisis.
A vigil was held outside of the museum while the protest group shared pictures of members making origami shells and sleeping inside the attraction during the night.”
LikeLike
Today’s pre-COP push by the BBC on what they laughably call the science & environment section of their website:
“How does our online usage affect the climate?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-merseyside-59055239
“Even logging onto your computer and streaming video affects climate change.”
And
“Ros Atkins on… India’s climate challenge”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-india-59049691
“Ros Atkins look at how India is trying to balance banishing poverty with meeting its climate commitments.
The COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow in November is seen as crucial if climate change is to be brought under control. Almost 200 countries are being asked for their plans to cut emissions, and it could lead to major changes to our everyday lives.”
And
“The CEO who burst his climate change ‘bubble'”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59043478
“Rich Lesser, head of global firm Boston Consulting Group, thinks CEOs of large companies exist in a “bubble”. He explains why he had to burst his own in order to grasp the importance of climate change, for our business advice series, CEO Secrets.
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a management consultancy firm employing more than 22,000 people in offices dotted around the world, with annual revenues of more than $8bn.”
He got a nice advert out of that – two, in fact, since the BBC thinks it’s so important, they ran two pieces on it. Not that the BBC lives in a bubble, of course.
And
“Life at 50C: Surviving in Kuwait’s ‘unbearable’ heat”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-middle-east-59054893
“The Middle East is warming faster than much of the world, and Kuwait is careering towards unbearable temperatures.
With the mercury topping 53C, three Kuwaiti citizens – an influencer, a weather forecaster and a retired civil servant – raise the alarm.”
And
“Climate change: Electric taxis trialled in Denbighshire”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59053076
“Electric taxis have been rolled out in a north Wales county as part of a trial to cut carbon emissions.
The Welsh government plans to decarbonise the entire taxi fleet by 2028.
Rhyl firm Busy Bee has taken on two green vehicles, each costing £50,000.”
And
“COP26: Essex women help thousands live eco lifestyle”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-essex-58914990
“The founders of an eco-lifestyle social media group that now has thousands of members have said action on climate change needs to start at home.
Hannah Dalton and Sam Pitman started Eco Essex three years ago with a small group of mums as a way of sharing environmentally friendly tips, and now run several groups with more than 4,000 members.
“We have all caused this problem, and we all need to try and fix it,” said Ms Pitman, from Rochford, Essex, speaking ahead of the COP26 climate change political summit on 31 October.”
That’s all in the space of a few short hours. Just another day – business as usual – at the BBC.
LikeLike
And the useful idiots at the Guardian have this:
“China will honour its climate pledges – look at the changes we have already made
Zheng Zeguang”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/27/china-climate-pledges-cop26-emissions
It’s worth a read – it’s quite a laugh. I particularly liked this:
“China and the UK should work together to implement the important understanding between the leaders of the two countries, so as to strengthen the synergy between Cop15 and Cop26, contribute to a successful conference in Glasgow, and promote full and effective implementation of the Paris agreement.”
Yes, China (defined as a developing country by various agreements made at various COPs) is very keen that we stick to the rules already set down – China continues to enjoy the benefits of being a developing country (so-called) and the developed world continues to commit industrial & economic suicide.
LikeLike
“Insulate Britain: Protesters block roads leading to M25”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-59061509
“Insulate Britain protesters have blocked major roads connecting to the M25 despite a new court injunction.
Demonstrators from the environmental group obstructed the A40, which connects with the M40 and M25, in west London during rush hour on Wednesday.
Kent Police arrested 14 protesters blocking the A206 at Crossways Boulevard in Dartford. Traffic is flowing on the road in both directions.
There are four court injunctions in place against the group.
The Department for Transport said the injunctions cover the “entire strategic road network”.
Insulate Britain said in a statement: “We are not concerned with endless injunctions. We are not concerned with our fears.
“We are concerned with fulfilling our duties and responsibilities at this ‘period of consequence’.
“Starting from 07.00 BST on the morning of Wednesday 27 October, the M25 will become a place of non-violent civil resistance to stop our government committing crimes against humanity.”..”.
I generally try to avoid using controversial language, but given that these people have talked about genocide and crimes against humanity (in the context of the Government not spending billions of pounds insulating homes, many of which aren’t suitable for things like cavity wall insulation anyway), I seriously wonder if some of them are insane? Maybe, instead of faffing around with injunctions, the Government should make use of the Mental Health Act (I say that tongue in cheek, but still….).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mark: It’ll be the first genocide where the perpetrators are every single human being who has ever existed (for we all breathe out CO2) and the victims, if any, are in the distant future and a far lower number than those committing the crime. Which of course includes themselves.
It would be hilarious nonsense if real genocide was a joke subject.
LikeLiked by 1 person
When a motorist got his bagpipes out and played right in the protesters faces , the police physically moved him out of the way and intimidated him from playing even a few metres away.
.. https://twitter.com/IvorBennett/status/1453283959798968326
LikeLike
Magda Cater – did she die in vain?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mark,
You’re not wrong about the suitability of homes for cavity wall insulation. I was having an interesting conversation with my brother last night. Amongst his previous jobs, one happens to have been as a surveyor working for the UK’s biggest company charged with ensuring that the government’s grants for insulation, solar panelling, etc. were properly spent. His job was to physically assess the suitability of the homes of those who had applied for the home improvement grants. As a result of this experience, he quickly came to realize that the quality of housing stock in the UK was ‘woeful’ with many examples of building malpractice that rendered homes unsuitable for operations such as cavity wall insulation. In many cases, it was the original builder’s fault. For example, many cavities are already partly filled in with building debris that should have been properly disposed of. You can’t insulate with this debris present. In other cases it was just the poor standard of cementing, resulting in many so-called ‘snots’ of cement protruding internally that would impede the process of insulation, leading to too many isolated spots of unfilled cavity. In other cases, it would be the fault of builders putting in new patios that did not leave sufficient ground clearance for the building’s exsiting damp course (you can’t put in cavity wall insulation if the run of the damp course is interrupted at any point). My brother alledged that, as a result of these problems, he failed more properties than he passed. So asked what are the prospects for the UK insulating its homes as the protestors demand, his answer was ‘fat chance, the government is just not living in the real world’.
The other side of this issue is the capricous nature of the whole business. My brother’s employer had at the time employed 2,000 people, and then, literally overnight, they were all sacked when the Cameron government terminated the various grants schemes. Those employees who had company vehicles were called from all over the country to the head office for a meeting. At that meeting, the directors moved their own Range Rovers to block the exit from the car park, instructed everyone to hand over their car keys, and told them they were sacked forthwith and that they would now have to work out for themselves how they might get home. Customers faired little better. Grants for solar panels had been awarded with the intention of installing the very next day. Instead, the very next day they were told that the grant had been withdrawn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
ITV local news forces another long Alex Beresford COP26 Climate sermon at me
CCBGB
Series thread : https://twitter.com/KidbyJo/status/1453363217829400581
LikeLike
his tweet plugs another lecture show
As part of @ITV’s Green Week I got to explore Orkney with
@JuliaBradbury this summer. Amazing place and people stunningly leading the way to a greener future. Tuesday 2nd November 8:30pm.
LikeLike
Tuesday BBC local news : item The local enviro reporter and Chris Packham claiming substantial numbers of birds are no longer migrating cos of global warming.
I doubt the “substantial” bit
LikeLike
“Climate change: How could Wales get to net zero carbon emissions?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59066167
“A push to help people live more environmentally friendly lives is at the heart of a major new strategy to tackle Wales’ carbon footprint.
People are being asked to cut energy use, drive less and buy local food.
The Welsh government said a “decade of action” was required to meet climate change targets.
It comes as ministers prepare to travel to Glasgow to join global leaders for the COP26 summit.
They said their new plan was the start of a “journey” towards a net zero economy by the middle of the century.
But it focuses specifically on the period between 2021 and 2025, when a 37% reduction in planet-warming gases is required to meet the Welsh government’s second carbon budget.
The measures will cost an estimated £4.2bn to implement over five years.”
There is so much wrong with this. Even if they succeed in their aims, it will make no difference to the climate. £4.2Bn is a lot of money – imagine the good that could be done if it was spent on ameliorating, instead of exacerbating, poverty. And as we know, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is often achieved by measures that are the opposite of “environmentally friendly”.
LikeLike
Are the people of Glasgow not suffering enough already?
“COP26 protesters planning high-impact disruption”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-59071603
“Climate change protesters from Extinction Rebellion say they are planning high impact “deliberate disruption” during the COP26 summit.
World leaders and delegates will gather in Glasgow next week in a bid to hammer out a deal to tackle climate change.
Extinction Rebellion uses what it calls “non-violent direct action” to call on leaders to take urgent action on the climate emergency.
Its activists say they are prepared to be arrested.
But they will try not to affect the wider community by blocking routes used by emergency vehicles.”
Well, that’s mighty big of them.
LikeLike
“Climate change puts Scotland’s coastal wild camps at risk, say researchers”
https://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2021/10/28/climate-change-puts-scotlands-coastal-wild-camps-at-risk-say-researchers
“Some of Scotland’s best coastal wild camping areas could disappear because of increased coastal erosion, research suggests.
Climate change has increased the effects of wave action, coastal flooding and rising sea levels, putting the sites at risk of being unusable by 2050.
The Centre of Expertise for Waters, collaborating with researchers from the University of Glasgow, found that almost half of Scotland’s ‘soft coast’ is affected, an increase of 38 per cent over 2017 figures. The rate of erosion, currently 43cm a year, is likely to accelerate, as well as affecting more areas.
If greenhouse-gas emissions continue at a high rate, 84 per cent of soft shorelines will be at risk of erosion by 2100. Even if emissions are cut to a low level, 56 per cent are likely to be eroded.
Port Glasgow-based outdoor brand Vango asked the university to map at-risk coastal areas to mark the staging of the COP26 climate summit, which begins at the weekend.”
Interestingly:
“Larissa Naylor, professor of geomorphology and environmental geography at the University of Glasgow, said: “Even with net-zero our sea levels will continue to rise and continue to erode key coastal assets like wild camping beaches and critical transport infrastructure.”
But:
““It is thus imperative that we act now to, in the first instance, achieve net-zero, and beyond, rapidly and secondly, adapt society to better live with coastal climate change impacts like flooding and erosion.
“The map is just a snapshot of some of the locations under threat; the tip of the iceberg. Many more wild camping sites will shrink in area or disappear in the coming decades, as sea level continues to rise and climate change impacts accelerate.”
As part of its awareness campaign, Vango also commissioned a series of computer-manipulated images depicting an imagined, dystopian sunken world beyond 2300. One shows a sunken campsite and the second Castle Tioram on Loch Moidart. Currently, the castle is accessed on foot at low tide, but is anticipated to be inaccessible from the land by 2100, along with the loss of local wild camping sites along the Ardnamurchan coast.”
Nowhere is immune from the climate frenzy – not even the website I visit most days to see what’s going on in the great outdoors.
LikeLike
10am LOCAL news
Attenborough has done announcements for new ship named after him
They used the opportunity to play a clip of a scientist “Southern oceans, CO2… Global Warming etc.”
LikeLike
“Olympians among protesters blocking Fawley oil refinery”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-59074870
“A group of activists, including two British Olympians, are blocking the entrance to the UK’s largest oil refinery in a climate change protest.
About 15 Extinction Rebellion (XR) demonstrators got on to the site at Fawley, Hampshire, at about 06:30 BST.
They include sailor Laura Baldwin and gold medal-winning canoeist Etienne Stott. Other XR protesters have scaled two 50ft (15m) oil silos on the site.
Police said they have officers on scene and will take action if necessary.
The protest comes as Boris Johnson prepares to welcome world leaders in Glasgow for the UN climate summit, COP26, which starts on Sunday.
XR said its activists cut through electrified perimeter fences under the cover of darkness before spreading across the site in small groups to lock on to structures.”
I wonder what their little pink boat is made from and how it is powered?
LikeLike
“World is failing to make changes needed to avoid climate breakdown, report finds
Pace of emissions reductions must be increased significantly to keep global heating to 1.5C”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/28/world-failing-make-changes-avoid-climate-breakdown-report
This paragraph is a great example of how statistics can be used to create a false impression:
“There are some glimmers of promise: the global share of electricity generated from solar and wind has grown at 15% annually over the past five years and renewables have become the most cost-effective replacement for coal in most places. Electric vehicle adoption is on the rise, reaching more than 4% of worldwide car sales last year.”
If the global share of electricity rises at 15% compound over 5 years it will double, which might seem significant. According to this website:
https://yearbook.enerdata.net/renewables/wind-solar-share-electricity-production.html
It reached 15% of global electricity production in 2020, meaning it increased from roughly 7.5% over 5 years to that 15% figure. So far so good, but electricity represents around 1/5 of global energy consumption, according to the IEA:
https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2019/electricity
In other words, solar and wind-generated electricity globally have increased over 5 years from around 1.5% of the world’s energy needs to around 3%. That doesn’t really sound very impressive.
Similarly, it’s not surprising, with many countries penalising the use of diesel and petrol cars and subsidising the use of electric cars that their share of the new car market has increased, but to just over 4% of new global sales is in the circumstances paltry. And of course, since almost all cars sold before the last year worldwide will be petrol or diesel fuelled, the number of electric cars on the roads worldwide must be a tiny percentage of a fraction of 1%.
So the reality is that even the “good news” for climate worriers in this doom saying Guardian article is actually bad news for them. The reality is they live in Cloud Cuckoo Land and their plans are a pipe dream. A very expensive and ruinous pipe dream if they’re allowed to keep pushing them.
LikeLike
“Hold a referendum on whether to keep the 2050 net zero target”
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/599602
LikeLike
Signed. Up to 1,250 signatures. Only 98,750 to go to get a debate.
LikeLiked by 2 people
R4 YouAndYours talking about the Citroën Ami
A tiny Chinese electric car, £5K, 50mile range, 28 mph max , so banned on dual carriageways
They didn’t even mention it’s only a two seater
It’s an electric bubble car I guess.
LikeLike
The metroliberal universe is having a massive sneerfest at TalkRadio’s Mike Graham for saying concrete can grow.
That made me instantly think that The Great Barrier Reef is basically a huge cement forest growing underwater
OK it’s a 1000 times slower that wood growing
and isn’t commercial farmed as a construction material
I suppose some building have been made from coral rock blocks.
Actually there is ancient coral beds which got compressed and become coral-rag rock
it’s used as a building stone
eg around Oxford
Pictures : https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/coral-rag-architecture.html
LikeLike
Stew: From what I saw it was nonsense. Talking to a carpenter.
“Now we know the climate deniers’ nonsense can be debunked”
Well, if you take the most stupid, at his most stupid … of course.
I haven’t read the article but does Zoe Williams say: this doesn’t apply to everyone who is questioning the government’s commitment to Net Zero. There are some really thoughtful critics who I wouldn’t call deniers.
Somehow I doubt it. On how social media has stripped us of all nuance and made us into warring tribes try these three gents, published three days ago:
LikeLike
ITV local news 3 enviro stories
This month they have become eco-maniacs
#1 Water companies over-discharging sewage
Yes they have been breaking the law by doing it at times when it’s not been flooding
.. but I hardly think its a catastrophe.
The “show me the bodies” rule applies
..and they are not showing lots of dead animals never mind humans.
The item is really a big trailer for the ITVtonight show at 7:30pm
#2 These 30 football stadiums could all be underwater due to Climate Change
Example give is Lincoln’s Sincil Bank
#3 Claim Insects are declining due to Climate Change and LED streetlights
example was at a moth farm
LikeLike
“New wind farm to power Amazon’s operations”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-58981631
“A new Scottish wind farm has started providing green power for Amazon’s operational centres across the UK.
The 50MW, 14-turbine Beinn an Tuirc 3 wind farm on the Kintyre peninsula was built by ScottishPower Renewables.
Amazon is buying 100% of its output to power its data centres, corporate offices and fulfilment centres under a Power Purchase Agreement.
ScottishPower said Beinn an Tuirc 3 was the largest wind farm in its portfolio to be built without government support.”
Two questions:
1. What does “built without government support” mean? Does that mean not a subsidy in sight? Does it mean no constraints payments? Does it mean they pay their fair share to the cost of back-up for when wind power fails up, and all the costs associated with intermittent energy supply?
2. How can Amazon buy all its electricity from this wind farm and this wind farm supply all the electricity it produces only to Amazon? Surely it all goes via the National Grid?
Meanwhile, grieve for the Scottish countryside:
“In a separate development, the Scottish government has said it strongly supports upgrading existing wind farms with more advanced turbines as part of plans to double onshore wind capacity by 2030.
A consultation has been launched on how to secure an extra eight to 12 gigawatts (GW) of onshore wind by the end of the decade.
Scotland currently has 8.4GW of installed wind generation, although up to 2.5GW of this is expected to reach the end of its consented life by 2030.
The consultation document says ministers want to see “repowering” – installing more modern and powerful technology – rather than life extension or decommissioning, as well as bringing new sites online.
Increasing onshore and offshore wind was part of the SNP-Green co-operation agreement signed earlier this year.”
LikeLike
The onslaught on the public’s lifestyles continues:
“Climate change: Oranges ‘a luxury’ in bid to cut carbon”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59066167
“Wales’ Climate Change Minister Julie James told Radio Wales Breakfast: “If you’re buying oranges out of season, they should be a luxury treat, not something you take for granted.”
Er, when are oranges IN season? Surely they grow at various places round the planet all year long? The issue is transporting them long distances, surely?
LikeLike
“Environmental murals unveiled ahead of COP26”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-59076202
“Street murals highlighting biodiversity loss and climate change have been unveiled around the country ahead of the COP26 conference.
One of the artworks, which were all designed by young people, is called The Future, It’s Up To You.
The Leicester mural shows a hedgehog, bumblebees and a great crested newt, alongside a polluted cityscape.
The seven mural designs were all winning entries to the Grantham Institute’s Climate Art Prize.”
Just out of curiosity, what is paint made from?
LikeLike
the ITVTonight sewage prog ended with a mention that next Tuesday weather girl Laura Tobin will be doing a climate special
Her twitter shows she is obsessed with Ed Hawkins
then Google links her to Charlotte Mary Hawkins a GMB presenter, but that must be a maiden name cos her husband is Mark Herbert.
Could Ed be her brother or cousin or something ?
Blurb : Scientist* and weather presenter Laura Tobin explores what a carbon-zero Britain will look like, and asks if the country is ready to ditch fossil fuels and switch to green energy.
Could our coal mining past help pave the way for a greener future,
and as energy costs continue to increase, what can people do to *save money* and save the planet?
* “Scientist” That’s stretching it ” degree in Physics and Meteorology (Reading).,also completed a World Meteorological Organization course on climate.
LikeLike
Anyone would think COP26 was just round the corner, or something. Three items on the front of the news section of the BBC website this morning:
“Glasgow: The last best hope to fight climate change
By Calum Watson”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/extra/e8vkjmttbw/glasgow-scotland-the-last-best-hope-to-fight-climate-change
But they’ll claim the same thing for COP 27 and for COP 28 and so on ad infinitum.
“COP26: Arnold Schwarzenegger angered by world leaders’ climate policies”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59036814
Why is this news? Who cares?
“Pope urges ‘radical’ climate response in exclusive BBC message”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59075041
Why exclusive to the BBC? Because they’re guaranteed to plug it for they’re all worth, presumably.
LikeLike
“COP26: Young farmer urges Veganuary to be summer trend”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-tyne-59077623
“A young farmer is calling for the Veganuary trend to take place in the summer in a bid to reduce our food miles.
Robyn Hogg, 23, from Cramlington in Northumberland, says going vegan in July would benefit the environment, as British fruit and veg is more accessible at that time of year.
Choosing a vegan diet in January means more of the produce has to be flown in from places as far away as Australia, she says.
Robyn is this year’s North East and Cumbria BBC Young Reporter, which is a competition that gives young people the chance to tell their story on TV, radio, online and on social media.
This time, the scheme is focusing on environmental issues ahead of the COP26 summit, which starts on Sunday.”
Apart from my irritation at the ongoing plugging of COP 26, I think she actually makes a sensible point, if we have to put up with such things as “Veganuary”.
LikeLike
“Climate change: Green Party leader Clare Bailey offers to adapt bill”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-59083204
“Green Party leader Clare Bailey has told the agriculture and environment minister she does not believe further discussion on a compromise climate change bill would be productive.
In a letter seen by BBC News NI, she has written to Edwin Poots offering to adapt her Climate Change Bill No. 1.
But there is no agreement on a compromise target for reducing emissions.
She said that an “enhanced” bill would offer a way forward.”
Northern Ireland faces a myriad of problems. It contributes a vanishingly small proportion of 0.1% of the world’s CO2 emissions, yet its politicians think one of the most important things they can do is bicker over which of two Cimate Change Bills they should enact. Just how out of touch is it for politicians for to be?
LikeLike
I under-estimated the scale of BBC propaganda this morning:
“Climate change: Droughts and fires ‘may be features of Wales'”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59078295
“Abandoned coastal communities, forest fires and water shortages may become features of life in Wales later this century, scientists have warned.
Extreme weather events will threaten lives and make people poorer, they said.
Welsh academics working on climate change predictions have been speaking ahead of the COP26 summit in Glasgow.
But they insisted there was hope of avoiding the worst effects if action was taken globally.”
And:
“Is Glasgow on course for a green future?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-59076652
“One man who has witnessed Glasgow change over the decades and throughout lockdown is George Parsonage.
George, 78, has been a lifesaving boatman along the river with the Glasgow Humane Society and has lived on the banks of the Clyde all his life.
What does he make of the changes over the years and what are some the challenges being faced by the city in going green?”
And:
“Teenage climate striker: ‘My 150th protest nothing to celebrate'”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-59076583
Then why is the BBC celebrating it?
And:
“Climate Change: What are the big polluters doing to cut carbon emissions?”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/58956714
And:
“COP26: Four numbers that set the stage for climate change negotiations”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59067310
None of this is news. It’s all propaganda, pure and simple.
LikeLike
Local BBC radio just played their campaign advert
“Pledge To Change .. Heal The Planet”
Using YOUR licence money
for THEIR POLITICAL campaigning
There’s a Radio Glos video tweet as well
.. https://twitter.com/BBCGlos/status/1453741282636013570
LikeLike
9am BBC local news
The first 3 items were about COP26
#1 Lincoln University will be taking some gadget
#2 COP26 will decide whether we can have gas boilers or petrol cars
…(Silly me I though our votes decided UK policies)
#3 Arnie says “don’t listen to people who say green policies will cost jobs, they are stupid”
.(that’s a quote)
===================
Humberside
#1 Arnie says “buy local”
..you mean like a Hollywood studio should local actors instead of importing them from Austria
(At 10am they’d added the Pope)
#2 Something about at e-car campaigners driving up to Glasgow
The newsreader was reading so fast as she often does
It was PRasNews for a corp called MyenergiUK
There was a clip of their PR woman reading a statement
LikeLike
Yesterday’s local ITV news had picked up a story from October 20th Daily Express
(A publication which is heavily linked to green-subsidy baron Dale Vince)
“23 Football stadiums at risk of flooding in 30 years – is your teams one of them? ”
FFS look at the way the waves are supposed to reach the Tower Bridge high walking deck
LikeLike
Being Green it’s not an actual NEWS story
ie something that is NEW
It’s recycled from June 20th 2020
Sports will be majorly impacted by climate change in next 3 decades:
– a quarter of English league football grounds at risk from flooding every season
One in three British Open golf courses will be damaged by rising sea levels.
See Playing Against the Clock by @RapidTransition
https://www.rapidtransition.org/resources/playing-against-the-clock/
LikeLike
The analysis seems incredibly naive
“Ah the stadium sits near sea level so it will flood
.. and the clubs are so stupid they will not make any drainage plans
And some of these clubs have ongoing plans to move location (a property investment thing rather than global warming), but we will ignore all that”
In fact many football stadiums sit on land that is RECLAIMED from the sea or floodplains
eg the list includes Scunthorpe United’s ground
… Sure that land flooded in 1951 cos its in the floodplain in the tidal part of the Trent
However after that they topped up the banks
And these days there are ongoing projects to improve resilience
Flood lakes are being dug.
Oh and the idea that Scunthorpe will have a league football club in the future is naive
Have you seen the league table ?
LikeLike
There is something wrong I cannot post in other threads
The BBC has a new daily radio serial about Climategate next week
Yet again they call it a proven “hack”
Have they been tricky ?
Yes, although episode #1 is dated 1st of November, they have already put the audio online up and ep2
and also given their favourite activist orgs a headups. You can see from who has already tweeted promotion
LikeLike
7:30pm Channel4 The Toxic cost of going green
Jamal Osman travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo,
to investigate the dirty business of cobalt mining
and the toxic cost for miners and their families of going green.
LikeLike
Does anyone else know about the GWPF running into trouble with Twitter?
LikeLike
You mean that they renamed the @thegwpfcom to @NetZeroWatch
and then failed to claim @thegwpfcom for themselves
so an opponent grabbed it since it was vacant.
Technically he was illegal cos it’s breach of trademark.
The @NetZeroWatch is working fine
LikeLike
Ah that once they controlled @thegwpf but rarely used it and it was self deactivated or suspended in Oct 2020 ?
It would look the same to outsiders
LikeLike
Ok, thanks, sounds like a storm in a teacup.
LikeLike
Cult !
And see how they don’t conform to Guardianland diversity rules
… mostly they are older white males
Via Ben Pile
LikeLike
The report https://unherd.com/2021/10/inside-insulate-britain/
LikeLike
Just dipped into TalkRadio night time
presenter : Darryl Morris | 10pm-1am was supporting Insulate Britain protesters and anti-Brexit
Then he brought on a panel Mike Buckley a fellow metrolib and Rich Taylor the opposite.
From Twitter doesn’t look like the show had many listeners
LikeLike
Good to see one or two commenters at UnHerd calling out the ludicrousness of this statement:
LikeLiked by 1 person
Last night’s local news didn’t simply repeat the 6:30pm items
They sent a reporter out to make another slick Electric Car PR film
on behalf of a charger station manufacturer called Rolec
(There are such assembly corps all over the country)
The video starts at 3m30s, 2 minutes long, expires at 11pm
here https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00111lj/look-north-east-yorkshire-and-lincolnshire-late-news-29102021
It’s nauseating
LikeLike
Seems to me that Insulate Britain are leagues ahead this year to win the Darwin Prize
LikeLike
Alan, to win a Darwin award you have to be pre-reproductive and die of stupidity. I hope none of them do make a close acquaintance with the front of a lorry. But most will have passed on their genes to the next gen already. Either that or they’ve left it too late. That disqualifies them from the award. And yes, I am the sole judge.
LikeLiked by 1 person
6:50pm ITV local news Basically just 2 news items
#1 Tomorrow a woman will do a protest about Smart Motorways
#2 COP26 A reporter has been out to a wind farm
The item was basically a trailer for tomorrow’s special item
The hook was the idea it will ask are sceptical question “Are wind farms all they are cracked up to be ?”
.. Actually the presenter’s tweet shows him interviewing a researcher into the impact of offshore wind farms on marine habitats.
Will she be critical ?
#1 The University press officer is in the photo , and the uni gets substantial sums from wind corps
#2 She was given a £400,000 government grant
to “work with partners in industry and academia to ensure that *the rapid expansion of offshore wind energy* is sustainable and has as little impact on marine habitats as possible .”
I checked her tweets : she’s a full on alarmist campaigner.
She wouldn’t have been recruited unless she was on message
Is she some expert biologist ?
Nope on the contrary She’s a Lithuanian who got a
Civil Engineering degree in Italy & Birmingham and then worked in wind farm design for 3 years & has now been in Hull 2 years helping the wind industry.
Oh anyway she’s already been on GBnews
LikeLike
LikeLike
@Jit, what do Insulate Britain protesters use for contraception ?
… their personalities
LikeLike
Judge of soles, might I respectfully submit that Prosecutor StewGreen has provided more than ample argument that Insulate Britain protesters may well be, as you have so delicately phrased it, pre-reproductive.
LikeLike
Radio Sunday afternoon, a “CCS expert” was being interviewed
he was saying we desperately need to cut CO2 output and reeling off a long list of things we need to cut
FFS The whole point of CCS is that you make your power the fossil fuel way, and then you economically capture the CO2 so none ends up in the atmosphere
If it actually worked, you wouldn’t really need to cut any CO2 output.
So far CCS does NOT work.
The so called expert was admitting his field is not likely to succeed
=====================
This false picture of the world the media keep giving us is incredible.
It’s like dreamworld
This morning I was walking around a village I know, and I saw all kinds of things I’d never noticed before
.. like a river, some buildings strange art studios , then when I reached the end of the road it got even more surreal there was a massive Spanish Health Service fair
I then realised I was actually still asleep dreaming.
Media news land so often feels the same as if it’s a dream
LikeLiked by 1 person
“CO2 Austerity” … is what the establishment are imposing on us
LikeLike
https://www.spiked-online.com/2021/11/01/stop-blaming-everything-on-climate-change/
We’re doomed, I tell ya. If climate change doesn’t kill us, blaming everything on climate change to excuse being incompetent will. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Alan, you could have a point. There was that female XR member who insisted on displaying her fertility outside Downing Street, after all.
LikeLike
“Spain energy crisis: Soaring bills hamper recovery from Covid”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59087189
This story is almost hidden on the BBC website. Still, it’s worth a read:
“Isabel Medina points at her electricity bill, showing how it has jumped since the summer.
“My energy bill has increased by about 20% in the last two or three months – that’s a lot,” she says. “Now, with the winter coming, it’s going to increase even more.”
Spain is one of many European countries hit hard by a sudden spike in electricity prices in recent months. A surge in demand as countries emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic has not been matched by supply, sending prices soaring.
But Spain has specific issues that accentuate the problem.
Its relative geographical isolation means Spain has less interconnectivity than many of its European neighbours, and therefore less access to the international grid….
…It is not just access to the international grid that is causing Spain energy problems, says Massimo Maoret, associate professor of strategic management at the IESE business school.
Developments in North Africa are having an impact too.
“Much of Spain’s gas comes from Algeria and there are local tensions with Algeria and Morocco as they are renegotiating contracts for the pipelines from Morocco to Spain,” Prof Maoret said. “These geopolitical dynamics are very local but they definitely affect the Spanish market much more than, for instance, other markets.”…
…Some heavy industry firms have started taking drastic measures in the face of the extra costs they are facing.
Basque metal producer Sidenor announced in mid-October that it was halting production in its main factory for at least three weeks, stating that the most recent rises in energy costs “cause losses and make it impossible to maintain the current rate of production”.
Chemical producer Fertiberia has taken similar action.
In Las Águilas market in southern Madrid, food retailers are also feeling the impact of the energy crisis.
José Díaz Redondo says his fishmonger stall’s electricity bill almost doubled between August and September. The stall is part of the Madrileños franchise and the company has responded by cutting back on its use of refrigeration where possible and also parking some of its haulage fleet.
“We’re thinking about closing four or five of our shops because they can’t make a profit,” he says. “You reach a point where you can’t even pay the salary of the people working in the shops.”…”
Of course, one of the particular issues faced by Spain, which the BBC doesn’t mention, is that it, like the UK, has gone big down the wind energy route, and like the UK, has found wind energy massively under-performing this year. Iberdrola is a Spanish company, don’t forget.
I wonder why that slipped the mind of the BBC reporter?
LikeLike
Has anyone else developed acute news-phobia as I have done? Clearly Stew and Mark haven’t as they soldier on gathering and sifting through ever increasing amounts of COP garbage (they must have constitutions of oxen). But only after 24 hours I cannot face BBC, ITV or Channel 4 news programmes, dominated as they are with non-news COP drivel and featuring everyone who thinks they are anyone, preaching as if there’s no tomorrow and blaming others for a somewhat dubious future climate catastrophe. I used to watch BBC News, followed by Channel 4 News. Now with the local BBC News (= Look East) more than 50% devoted to COProphagia I cannot face it anymore. We will now be watching the Strictly follow-on drivel instead, and are resorting to catching up watching pre-recorded programmes.
Perhaps it’s a good thing. News watchers countrywide will be so fed up they might switch off the propaganda in droves. The pessimist in me however, thinks they’ll do the opposite and accept any old tat as supporting mass hysteria.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Alan, I couldn’t agree more. I had already thought to check on the TV ratings to see if there was any discernable reduction during the period of COP26 coverage.
LikeLike
Alan, actually in our house we have imposed a TV and radio news blackout for the duration, though I did make the mistake of putting the car radio on twice yesterday while out and about (not at normal “on the hour” news time) only to be bombarded with COP propaganda on both occasions.
I decided that I would still trawl the BBC and Guardian websites with a view to posting the most absurd rubbish I find, but the task has defeated me today – what the BBC laughingly calls the science & environment section of its website is today so overwhelmed with COP 26 drivel that I have given up.
As others are, I’m wondering – and hoping – that the ridiculous nature of the overkill will be turning people off in droves. If you’re not climate obsessed (and most people aren’t), it’s becoming extremely tedious.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hypocrisy isn’t limited to COP 26:
“BBC earns £300,000 from Saudi oil firm despite net-zero pledge
Fossil fuel advertising on overseas output jars with DG’s call to ‘dial up the focus on sustainability’”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/02/bbc-earns-300000-from-saudi-oil-firm-despite-net-zero-pledge
“The BBC received about £300,000 in advertising revenue last year from Saudi Arabia’s national oil company, Aramco, despite BBC director general Tim Davie calling on every arm of the broadcaster to “dial up the focus on sustainability” and reduce net greenhouse gas emissions.
Although the BBC does not carry advertising in the UK, much of its overseas output is supported by commercials.
Big fossil fuel companies have spent approximately $660,000 (£483,000) with the BBC on US-focused digital adverts since 2018, according to projections produced by the advertising data firm MediaRadar. Most of this came from the national Saudi oil company – although BP, Exelon and Phillips 66 are among the other fossil fuel business estimated to have spent five-figure sums advertising on the BBC’s digital outlets.
The real figure for how much the BBC is making from large fossil fuel companies could be much higher when other forms of advertising are taken into account.
Last month the BBC said it would be trying to eliminate “fossil fuel usage across its operations” as part of a “deep decarbonisation” strategy to hit net zero by 2030, but the corporation has been accepting money from companies that take oil and gas out of the ground….
…Despite continuing to accept money from big fossil fuel companies, the BBC is among the online publishers who have also benefited from the increase in advertising around environment-related material in recent weeks, as corporations rush to promote their green credentials before the Cop26 summit in Glasgow.
The BBC has struck deals with the international investment arm of the Scottish government to make a series of programmes on how to reduce carbon in the buildup to Cop26. There is also BBC material sponsored by US supermarket giant Walmart “looking at nine countries’ progress on climate since signing the Paris Agreement”, as well as episodes of a show called Follow the Food: The Carbon Challenge about food security, sponsored by Corteva Agriscience….
…Using the same estimates from MediaRadar for US-focused digital advertising bought by big fossil fuel companies, the Washington Post has taken $12.8m since 2016, Politico took $9.5m, CNN took $6.6m, and the New York Times took $4.5m….”.
LikeLiked by 1 person
New from McIntyre : https://climateaudit.org/2021/11/02/the-decline-and-the-stick/
LikeLike
“UK’s ‘longest-lasting’ snow patch melts away”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-58980007
“What is historically the UK’s longest lasting patch of snow has disappeared for “only the eighth time in 300 years”.
Dubbed the Sphinx, the patch on remote Braeriach in the Cairngorms has melted away more frequently in the last 18 years.
Snow patch expert Iain Cameron said climate change was a likely factor.
According to records, the Sphinx previously melted fully in 1933, 1959, 1996, 2003, 2006, 2017 and 2018.
Before 1933, it is thought to have last melted completely in the 1700s…
…He worked alongside the late Dr Adam Watson, a biologist dubbed Mr Cairngorms because of his many years studying the mountains.
Some of Dr Watson’s research on the Sphinx drew on information handed down by generations of people who worked and visited the Cairngorms, which suggests the patch may have only melted a few times in the last 300 years.
From the 1840s the Scottish Mountaineering Club began noting the fortunes of the patch, and more recently scientists and ecologists have gathered information….”
I see. “Suggests”. “May”. “From the 1840s” (in other words, covering less than 2/3 of the claimed 300 years, and even then only sporadically).
“Less snow is falling now in winter than in the 1980s and even the 1990s.” Less snow doesn’t mean it’s warmer, and could be a more logical explanation for the more frequent disappearance of snow patches, assuming that the claim of more frequent disappearances is actually correct.
LikeLike
Gosh, the BBC has recruited a snow patch expert to pontificate snow patch wise. I didn’t know there was such a personage. Does he have a diploma in snowpatchology and which seat of esoteric learning issues such? Amazing that the continued existence of the “Sphinx” until November (November for goodness sake!) is put down to global heating.
Did see this item on the BBC website, but just couldn’t be assed to read it. I surmised the demise of the snow patch (almost certainly a firn patch) would be blamed on the ravages of climate chaos. Glad I didn’t read it.
LikeLike
Smear group CCDH
“We are calling on Facebook and Google to stop promoting and funding climate denial,
start labelling it as misinformation,
and stop giving the advantages of their enormous platforms to lies and misinformation.”
I put 2 rather long posts on bBBC
Maybe start with the Times Radio 90 second video
… https://biasedbbc.tv/blog/2021/11/02/midweek-3-november-2021/comment-page-2/#comment-1149163
LikeLike
3rd November is Divestment Day of Action! Here’s how you can get involved https://divest.org.uk/cop26/
Take a photo of yourself with an orange cross and post, tagging NILGOSC, with #StopFundingFossilFuels
LikeLike
12pm local radio news
“And here in Lincolnshire, a company is developing aviation fuel from waste ..blah blah”
Is that PRasNews ? Yes
Is it flawed ?
Yes,
#1 it is not new news, the project has existed for 3 years at least
#2 Immingham is old Lincolnshire, it lies 2 miles across the water from the BBC Radio Humberside studios
so is in the centre of its region is well OUTSIDE the Radio Lincolnshire area
whereas we 20 miles away live on the border and so listen to both stations
LikeLike
FFS CCDD’s own Twitter thread purporting to call out Fake Climate news
Begins with the words
“We are at a tipping point”
.. https://twitter.com/CCDHate/status/1455497597729247236
LikeLike
The high temperatures in British Columbia in summer 2021 caused as many as 600 heat related deaths according to the coroner’s report. Most of these were in private residences in coastal BC where many houses do not have air conditioning. It should be noted that the slow response of the ambulance service was a major contributor to the high number of deaths.
Let’s assume for the moment that climate change was responsible for the unusually high temperatures. So one rational policy would be to provide grants for people to install air conditioning. With hydropower being the primary source of electricity in BC there would be no carbon dioxide releases from the increased power usage. But there are no government grants for air conditioning but plenty for heat pumps and gas furnace replacement with higher efficiency units. This seems particularly warped. The government are providing grants for minuscule carbon reductions to fit the ideology with a tiny theoretical saving of lives somewhere else (if you believe the catastrophic hype) compared with a simple climate change adaptation to support air conditioning that would directly save many lives in BC.
LikeLike
In March someone rebutted CCDH
https://undercurrents723949620.wordpress.com/2021/03/17/centre-for-countering-digital-hate-hates-any-uncomfortable-truths/
LikeLike
“Climate misinformation on Facebook ‘increasing substantially’, study says
A new analysis reveals that an estimated 818,000 climate misinformation posts received 1.36m views everyday”
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/nov/04/climate-misinformation-on-facebook-increasing-substantially-study-says
But it’s not what you think. No, this report goes nowhere near the oceans of propaganda spewing out from the BBC and the Guardian et al. This is about anyone daring to question the climate change narrative. Will it be censorship next?
LikeLike
4:30pm BBC invite LOBBYIST Simon Evans of Carbon Pants on to go over COP26
metroliberal rule “It’s OK when we do it, but not when YOU do it”
LikeLike
ITV local news “and now COP26”
.. they laid the propaganda on thick; Climate Kids etc.
Here’s 1 of the 3 COP26 tweets, our ITV local news tweeted today
LikeLike
I give credit for the honesty of the headline (which confirms that measures to combat climate change will be costly, whatever the activists insist to the contrary) but by heck the body of the article tiptoes round the point:
“The Bank of England says cutting carbon could push up prices”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59172004
“The governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey does not just have rising prices on his mind this week. He was a delegate at the COP-26 climate change talks, and central bankers like him have a big role in the “rewiring” of the financial system to achieve net zero.
But in fact there is a connection between these two worlds, says Governor Bailey himself. In an interview with me the governor says that the transition to net zero “could lead to permanent price level effects”, that we have to “understand and deal with”. Mr Bailey said people should “understand that this is the transition path we have to do”.
Indeed he went further, saying: “I think we are already seeing some effects from climate change on prices now”. In particular he said “a bit of the gas price story” – a reference to the 400% increase in prices over the past year – is the result of the world at the same time, shunning coal and chasing the same scarce natural gas supplies.
“As we substitute out of more damaging hydrocarbons, coal obviously being a case in point, during the transition, we will probably see increased demand for some other hydrocarbons [i.e. gas].”
Given that many political voices have tiptoed around the issue that the climate change transition being discussed in Glasgow is likely to have an impact on consumers, this would appear a significant statement of the reality.
It is of clear interest to an institution which is required in law to model, forecast and ultimately to control inflation.
The transition to a renewable economy will mean a higher level of prices in a long run transition period. The Bank’s modelling suggests that unmitigated climate change will also harm the fabric of the economy.
But the governor believes while it is vital to recognise the economic benefits of saving the planet, it is also necessary that the public has a clear map on the economics of the climate transition.”
That last sentence is a hugely euphemistic way of telling us all to expect net zero to cost us all a lot of money.
LikeLike
Fear drives society to Marxist GROUPTHINK
climate, covid, fear or being called a racist
Look how conformist the media establishment has become.
LikeLike
Mark, the BBC version of the story is worse (to judge by comparing headlines).
“Climate change: Facebook fails to flag denial, study finds”
Of the two pointless organisations engaged in this “research”, one was the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Presumably they ran out of actual hate to counter and decided to vent some hate against climate deniers.
We might as well be Martians as far as the CCDH, BBC etc are concerned. The entire article seems to be describing an alien world.
When the term “highly unlikely” is chosen here, it has a very ominous connotation that our authors do not recognise. And the reason given for no climate lockdown is equally ominous: “because it won’t work,” rather than “because it is wrong.”
Jeepers.
LikeLike
Jit, article in course of production. Watch this space.
LikeLike
BBC Radio 4 News this morning claimed that “former climate sceptic” Steven Mosher wanted to apologise for his role in climategate. I thought he had always been, and still is, a lukewarmer. But obviously I must be wrong. The BBC is always right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Monbiot’s failed 2002 prediction
“Within as little as 10 years, the world will be faced with a choice
: arable farming either continues to feed the world’s animals
or it continues to feed the world’s people.
It cannot do both”
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/dec/24/christmas.famine
Greenblob are so concerned about protecting ARABLE LAND
they are busy covering it with SOLAR PANELS
given government advantages
LikeLiked by 1 person
This page of Open Mic is now closed to further comments.
Please continue here.
LikeLike