23 December 2024

The beginning of the end

From the director

As another year draws to a close we can look back with some satisfaction on the changes in the political and economic landscape over the last twelve months.

We are not nearing the end of the climate emergency madness, but I think it’s fair to say we are at the beginning of the end – it is now clear that Net Zero is doomed, that the western world will return to rational energy policies, and that we will be completely vindicated.

There is a long road still to travel, and we shouldn’t expect the entrenched climate cult to suddenly collapse. Instead, we would expect the Net Zero timescales to be extended – see the story about the Canadian government below – and then, over the years, the targets themselves to be watered down, and then ignored, if not cancelled entirely.

There is a great deal still to do to make this happen. The UK government, and Ed Miliband in particular, appear set on economic suicide, and civil society will need to make it clear to the Labour party that their pursuit of this end will lead to their political annihilation. Limiting the damage done along the way will be a huge task, and a very difficult one, given the size of Mr Starmer’s majority. But we must try, for the sake of everyone who lives on these islands.

And we must also start to turn our thoughts to how we put the UK’s energy sector back onto a rational footing – how we reverse out from the dark and dangerous cul-de-sac into which successive goverments have driven us. Escaping all the political, diplomatic, legal and economic entanglements will be no simple task, and we will need all the help we can get.

So finally let me publicly thank everyone who financially supports our efforts. We remain on a tight budget, and we are therefore enormously grateful.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas, and a prosperous New Year.

Andrew

The headlines

UK

• No guarantee that power bills will fall

• Scots wind expansion is doomed

• Abandoning the North Sea

• Johnson Matthey’s green disaster

• Broken down policy

International

• German Greens advocate for coal

• Bosch layoffs

• Ottawa delays the pain

Etc

UK

No guarantee that power bills will fall

With the grid operator saying that their plan for the grid was not focused on reducing bills, Ed Miliband was forced into a partial retreat, confessing that there was “no guarantee” Net Zero by 2030 would ease the pressure on consumers.

Scots wind expansion is doomed

The planned expansion of wind power north of the border is so vast that it will overwhelm the grid, even with the new cross-border interconnectors that are supposed to make it possible.

Abandoning the North Sea

Parkmead, a major player in Aberdeen, announced that it will sell its North Sea business, citing the Government’s Net Zero plans as an insurmountable barrier.

Johnson Matthey’s green disaster

Johnson Matthey, a major UK chemical firm, found itself under fire from its largest shareholder, as investments in green technologies have failed to deliver.

Broken down policy

Ed Miliband is planning to keep a large capacity of gas-fired turbines for when the wind isn’t blowing. These will be idle most of the time. Unfortunately, gas-fired power stations don’t like to operate in this way.

International

German Greens advocate for coal

Robert Habeck, the Green Party finance minister in Germany’s governing coalition, cast doubt on the country’s plans to eliminate coal from the grid. Energy security should come first, he said.

Bosch layoffs

Bosch, the world’s largest car-parts manufacturer, announced a programme of layoffs, with some outlets reporting that up to 10,000 jobs may eventually go.

Ottawa delays the pain

The Canadian government revealed that it has abandoned plans to decarbonise the electricity grid by 2035. The new date is 2050.

Etc…

The ex-wife of millionaire eco-warrior Dale Vince reported that he enjoys flights on private jets.

Andrew was on Talk, discussing GB Energy.

GWPF’s Harry Wilkinson was on GB News, discussing Keir Starmer’s jet-setting and the UK’s economic suicide.

The millions paid to windfarms not to generate power are a scandal, but so-called “constraints payments” are even more scandalous than most people realise.

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