26 October 2024

Climate consensus breakdown

The headlines

UK

• Lords debate climate policy impacts

• Net Zero cost could run to £300,000 per household

• Whitehall windfarm fantasies

• Cetacean strandings remain high

International

• Renewables retreat

• Fossil fuel surge

• Cuba blackouts

• Sunk by EVs?

Etcetera

• Green blob thinktank loses again

• In the media

From the blog

• Government admits climate consensus is breaking down

• No global warming surge or hiatus, say researchers

UK

Lords debate climate policy impacts

The House of Lords debated the impact of climate policies on the economy. Lord Lilley observed how remarkable it was that no cost-benefit analysis exists. Lord Offord noted that investors now see West Africa as a better bet than the UK. In its response, the Government admitted that the political consensus on decarbonisation is breaking down (see below).

Net Zero cost could run to £300,000 per household

Net Zero Watch published a new estimate of the cost of decarbonising the economy. The numbers are horrifying, and Andrew discussed them on Alex Philips’ show on Talk. Fortunately, word seems to be spreading – even the reliably leftwing New Statesman is questioning Mr Miliband’s wisdom.

Whitehall windfarm fantasies

DESNZ’s predictions that offshore windfarm costs will fall to £1.5m per megawatt were blown out the water by the accounts of Moray West, which has spent £1.6m per megawatt putting in its foundations.

Cetacean strandings remain high

Strandings of cetaceans – mostly dolphins and porpoises – in UK waters remain at historically high levels, strengthening concerns that there is a link to the number of windfarms being built. And plans for a vast expansion of solar farms may run into animal issues too.

International

Renewables retreat

Hedge funds are reported to be lining up big bets against the renewables industry (£). Meanwhile, BP is mulling the sale of share of its renewables business.

Fossil fuel surge

Growth in coal demand is growing so quickly that last year’s forecasts are already out of date, according to Bloomberg’s Javier Blas (£). Meanwhile, Argentina’s Vaca Muerta gas field is being drilled at record pace (£), and Guyana and Suriname have announced plans to jointly develop the huge gas resource discovered in the seas off their shores.

Cuba blackouts

There were major blackouts in Cuba.

Sunk by EVs?

Car rental giant Hertz has faced a downgrade to its investment grade, its pivot to electric vehicles having proven an expensive failure.

Meanwhile, in Germany, £20 million of damage was caused when a shiny new fire station was burned down by a shiny new electric fire engine. The facility had no fire alarm.

Etcetera

Green blob thinktank loses again

A complaint to the press regulator by the Energy and Climate Information was thrown out. The target, Matt Ridley, observed that he has been on the receiving end of around a dozen complaints, and has won every one. But the process is the punishment, of course.

In the media

Dominic Lawson, writing in the Mail, observed that the steel industry has effectively been sabotaged.

At Unherd, Mary explained that Just Stop Oil’s antics now rose very little above the level of simple blackmail.

Businessman Lord Moynihan said that Net Zero means net zero growth.

Jeremy Clarkson told the tale of how London mayor Sadiq Khan rejected an application to construct a vast new concert venue over concerns that it would use too much energy.

The rate at which Mr Miliband is clocking up spending pledges is quite remarkable.

From the blog

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