Some newsbytes from Dr. Benny Peiser at the GWPF
At Last: UK Industry Demands Government Rethink On Unilateral Climate Policy
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) confirmed today that it will ask government to rethink conflicts of interest between low carbon and industrial policies. The CBIs position for action on this situation is that government should seek agreement from all EU members to commit to the same carbon reductions and price increases. —The Manufacturer, 6 June 2011
The EU’s climate and energy policies are threatening the survival of the European producers of non-ferrous metals like aluminium, copper, zinc and nickel, says Robert Jan Jeekel, Director Energy & Climate Change of Eurometaux, the European Metals Association. The EU’s ‘unilateral policies’ are driving up electricity prices for European producers compared to their international competitors, he says. ‘As a result, factories are closing. This could spell the end of the production of aluminum and other non-ferrous metals in the EU.’ –Karl Beckman, European Energy Review, 6 June 2011
European airlines have warned of a damaging trade war with the US, Russia and China if Brussels pushes ahead with plans to include carriers in the emissions trading scheme next year in a move that will put fares up by €40 and cost the industry €1.1bn (£980m). –Dan Milmo, The Guardian, 5 June 2011
As green industries begin to experience “subsidy-sunset” – they are driven by subsidy, not market, conditions – the “peak” of renewable energy from wind and solar may have been reached. The fact that significant and vocal sections of the public are also speaking up and campaigning may also be another sign that the commitment to renewable energy has peaked. –Stephen Murgatroyd, Troy Media, 4 June 2011
It is the greens, not the opponents of wind farms, who are the true heirs of the 19th-century Luddites, standing in the way of an energy policy that would benefit us all – and protect our landscape. –Philip Johnson, The Daily Telegraph, 6 June 2011
Another name for the green movement … the anti-industrial revolution.
Strange as I was just blogging saying: “Carbon taxes are meeting fierce opposition as the airy fairy politics hits the reality of economic ruin.” And I was just rereading it wondering how I could justify that “feeling” and along comes this article.
Thanks!
Unfortunately Western Civilization seems hell bent upon Cultural and National Suicide.
At long last the bubble bursts!
Perhaps the CBI would do better to get some better idea of what is actually happening to the planet not the lies shouted by the alarmists. If our government gets its way we will be back in the 19th century cold and hungry.
If we could scrap plans for all future wind farms and leave the EU we would not have a balance of payments problem.
The EU has directed that we close all coal fired power stations that do not have CCS technology (as yet completely unproved). None have. We are also directed to close some of our nuclear stations due to fears of as yet to be found and probably non existent problems. All this through the smoke and mirrors theory of GHG and climate change. Our government does not have any scientists as members so science knowledge is zero. They rely on economists like Lord Stern to help make science policy. So we get statements like-‘We must stop Climate Change’. Complete idiocy.
Probably too little and too late. But better late than never.
(Sometimes cliches are the quickest way of expressing a sentiment!)
1. The UK PM’s father-in-law reportedly earns £2.5 million/year from his windmills.
2. The wife of the deputy PM works for a Spanish windmill maker.
3. The wife of the Leader of the Opposition is a lawyer for a nuclear company.
4. Ex PM G. Brown’s brother is a publicist for a nuclear company subsidiary.
5. The number of regional politicians who, or their relatives, are Directors of green energy companies is too high to count.
6. Follow the money.
Like everything else it is too little, too late. The economies of Europe are a shambles and closing the barn door now is pointless. The horses have long since bolted. The question remains whether North America will be spared the madness that has wrecked the old world.
CBI: Welcome to the party. But you are a bit late.
Richard
When pollsters ask people for their opinion of ‘green ‘ energy, most are strongly in favour until they realise how much it is hitting them in the pocket.
The EU is not living up to its purpose of prosperity and security since you can have neither if your broke and can produce nothing of any worth.
No, No, keep it up, EU.
In a terribly selfish way I find myself favoring the continued destruction of industry and investment in energy sources that turn off when you need them. In Europe.
Living here in the US 1) I see a trade advantage for us in the competitive market, and 2) hope that our leaders will see what happens in the EU and wisely shun the foolishness by not bringing it here. Well, any more than they already have.
I am a medieval recreationist, and enjoy recreating armor and clothing from the middle ages. It seems that the EU is also on the same track, endeavoring to transform the entire economy of Europe into a medieval economy. I can see that I am just an amateur!
GPlant
Lets hope this is the start of the wheels falling off this particular climate policy,clearly the Greens won’t be happy until we have no Industrial capacity what so ever,and we all have to walk everywhere and our farmers plough the land with arse bone of Zebra.
All goods will be grown at home, and we barter for everything, Big trouble ahead i fear.
And in the letters section of the Daily Telegraph, just above the article by Philip Johnson, the correspondents call into question whether reports that an early spring in parts of the country were of any significance and generally poo-poo the AGW hysteria and greenies in general.
A very refreshing nod to reality from a paper which was once a reliable source of unbiased general information, although it does lean to the right!
Meanwhile, here in southern Scotland, reports by the Met Office via the BBC of the warmest spring UK wide, leave us perplexed, as our heating cuts in on a daily basis, and garden plants, including the leaves on whole stands of trees, wither from the windburn effect of relentless cold, rain bearing winds.
LENR and CANR will save us right at the brink. Just have faith and don’t hold your breath.
R.I.P. Europe
I know ,I’m living here. Just a matter of time.
About bloody time!
I remember a film in which a Japanese navel commander is heard to say something along the lines of “America is too strong economically for us to defeat”. History shows that the most economically sound countries (or perhaps those most savy enough to steel everyone else’s wealth if you have a different view) are usually the victors in war.
And the key was specifically manufacturing industry!
Obviously, we’ve not had a major war between two comparable modern economies in a while, so we don’t know if that relationship still holds, but there’s no reason to think that it will not. Perhaps the “modern” war will be on the internet but somehow I doubt that except in sci-fi fantasy. Perhaps the next major world war will be over so quick due to intensive nuclear bombing that it won’t matter how good your supply lines or manufacturing base because it will all be gone anyway … but I doubt that as well.
More than likely we are already in the posturing for WWIII. China is already hovering up various rare metal reserves and more than willing to help the west destroy its own industry via “greenwash” policies.
So, having a viable economy is probably MORE IMPORTANT than a massive army, navy or airforce for a country’s defence!
Perhaps it will never happen, but having seen the madness of countries marching like economic lemmings toward the carbon cliff, and can see how easily those same gullible politicians could march us all toward the WWIII cliff … and lead the charge to jump over it!
Well being a UK citizen at least I’ll have a front row seat when our economy collapses under such draconian rules that our lord and masters at the EU set out and then our puppy polititions thought they’d go one better (Which they’ve now been out done by Germany) and agree to 80% cuts by 2020(?). It’s a race to the bottom between Europe and Oz, it’s neck and neck at the moment but I think the Ozzy’s are going to get there quicker if there govermwnt decides to push through taxing people breathing before we here in the UK can divert all the money to wind farms, it takes time to put all your energy needs into wind and then realise to late they don’t work. (I always thought wind farms where like trying to heat a house with 60w bulb’s, sure you can do it but what idiot would, oh wait…)
sarc I’m thinking about re-stocking the nuke bunker at the bottom of my garden. (It came with the house, although it’s a bit dated). /sarc
GPlant says: June 7, 2011 at 6:09 am
I am a medieval recreationist, and enjoy recreating armor and clothing from the middle ages.
Oh I do hate these modernists! What on earth is wrong with the Mesolithic or indeed the Mesolithic-neolithic revolution? How can you compare the mind numbing boredom of running around in hot armour with the endless hours of delight creating fire from nothing more than rubbing two sticks together?
And now Scottish Gas has announced a 19% increase in the gas price and a 10% increase in the electricity price. These will affect 5m homes in the UK and who knows how much industry will become uncompetitive.
No doubt the subsidies for “renewables” are insufficient and need some further augmentation from the end user.
back in the day we used to call it ‘control or command economics’. where a central committee would come up with five years plans…or even scarier; Great Leaps Forward…
In totalitarian states these had mixed success…early crude attempts at reform often resulted in famine but in the case of the soviet union’s predominance in space technology, that was due entirely to the limitless budget and resources provided by the state.
In the US the explosive growth of the microprocessor had its roots in the millions spend on R&D for the nasa apollo project.
So who is to say what outcomes might arise from this renewable energy lark
what new technology or innovation that will lower our power consumption…and save us money. After all the ‘space race’ gave us teflon frypans…think about that every time you fry an egg.
GPlant says: June 7, 2011 at 6:09 am
Living here in the US 1) I see a trade advantage for us in the competitive market, and 2) hope that our leaders will see what happens in the EU and wisely shun the foolishness by not bringing it here. Well, any more than they already have.
May I remind you that we have California leading the way. We do don’t need Europe to show us the way.
Pull My Finger said:
“Unfortunately Western Civilization seems hell bent upon Cultural and National Suicide.”
It’s not ‘Western civilization’ that is bent upon suicide, but the liberalism of its unaccountable elites. See the excellent 1963 book by Revel ‘The Suicide of the West’. That phrase is the very definition of liberalism.
Now that the ‘green economic bubble’ seems to have burst in the UK, and France has turned down the renewal of Kyoto, looks like the CBI are quietly dropping support for sustainable energy and want to go back to business as usual.
No surprise here!
“Tenuc says:
June 7, 2011 at 8:30 am”
France, really, along with Russia, Canada and Japan? I’ve not seen reports (Not a surprise in Aus) that France ditched Kyoto. I don’t like asking this question but, do you have a link to a report?
Sounds like common sense, well that won’t last, trust me, that baby went out with the bath water! 🙂
It is good news that The Telegraph has, at long last, decided to give some prominence to sceptical views. Until recently it has relied on its reliable ‘useful idiots’ – environment correspondents, Geoffrey Lean and Louise Gray to approvingly recycle Greenpeace press releases for us.
But both of them have had reduced prominence recently. Perhaps at lest one quality newspaper in the UK will start to seriously challenge the prevailing orthodoxy.
It is also worth remembering that it was the Telegraph which broke the scandal of the MPs expenses in the last Labour administration. Pollies take it seriously after that little embarrassment for them.
While the CBI getting involved is long over due I think that the concentration on the big energy consumers is misplaced.
Come the end of the month another of my ever shrinking sources of sub-contract work will be gone. The company has been sold whole to an Indian consortium.
Although the owner was obviously tight lipped about the financial details he was a lot more forthcoming about why he is selling up. Basically too much time dealing with regulation and not enough time left for all that design, manufacture and sale nonsense. His energy bills are now horrendous and that doesn’t help.
Anyway he’s out and off to productive semi-retirement in Ireland where he will currently get a lot for his money. The equipment will now be manufactured in India and another couple of dozen people here in the UK will be jobless come July.
“Scottish Power raises gas and electricity prices”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13685915
“Scottish Power is to raise the cost of gas by 19% and the cost of electricity by 10%.”
During the 1970s and early eighties I remember hearing we had 400 hundred years worth of coal. Now it appears the UK also has between 200 and 400 years worth of shale gas
“The CBIs position for action on this situation is that government should seek agreement from all EU members to commit to the same carbon reductions and price increases.”
For the sake of our cousins, the US and Australia cannot play footsy with carbon dioxide emissions regulation and taxes.
Dr. Ira Glickstein pointed out that some on the right are in agreement with ghg policies, and he is correct. In fact, Republican candidate Mitt Romney has just announced that scientists agree that the globe is warming and that it is the result of man’s activity. This is in line with his economic policy as gov of Mass, in which he favored a policy encouraging a switch to renewable energy and new fees on electricity use, and he also signed into law co2 emissions standards which were 30% stricter than national standards. And I do not need to mention that there is very little qualitative difference between Romneycare and Obamacare.
Scottish Sceptic says:
June 7, 2011 at 6:56 am
I remember a film in which a Japanese navel commander
On the IJN Heso no doubt 😉 [belly button]
Latimer Alder says:
June 7, 2011 at 9:44 am
“It is good news that The Telegraph has, at long last, decided to give some prominence to sceptical views….”
It takes more than a single swallow to make a summer. As a long-time Telegraph reader I have been saddened to see its one-sided and biased coverage of climate change (but the Sunday Telegraph is completely different – it’s not obsessed by climate change and it’s much more balanced). The Daily Telegraph’s coverage did improve following Climategate, but it quickly reverted to type. This week they printed a report about pro-AGW scientists receiving death threats. If true, that’s completely unacceptable – but they did not of course mention that sceptical scientists also may have received death threats from environmental fundamentalists. The report also included the usual litany of how we’re all doomed, with sea levels rising and endless heatwaves etc. There was no mention that many scientists simply don’t believe this nonsense.
Today’s Telegraph has a letter from a group of economic heavy-weights. They warn about excessive UK taxes and I think they’re right. In particular they warn against green taxes. Note that they put quotation marks around the word ‘green. I quote:
“Furthermore, exusting “green” measures will already raise energy prices by 30 per cent at a time when companies are struggling under the weight of a government sector that absorbs over half the nation’s income.
Tax, regulation and expensive, ill-designed “green” measures will not cure our problems. Indeed, the economic evidence suggests that they are strangling our recovery”.
I couldn’t agree more. But will our deluded and global warming-obsessed government listen? I doubt it. Not while our energy policy is controlled by Chris Huhne. But then…….
Chris
A bit like my compatriot Scottish Sceptic I believe that all the weather problems we are having stem from our use of modern weaponry; if we all went back to using natural materials, like stone arrowheads, things would get back to normal.
Oh, wait a minute…………. .
In fact, maybe sooner than we think.