Dr. Benny Peiser at The Australian: Europe pulls the plug on its green future
Slowly but gradually, Europe is awakening to a green energy crisis, an economic and political debacle that is entirely self-inflicted.
The mainstream media, which used to encourage the renewables push enthusiastically, is beginning to sober up too. With more and more cracks beginning to appear, many newspapers are returning to their proper role as the fourth estate, exposing the pitfalls of Europe’s green-energy gamble and opening their pages for thorough analysis and debate. Today, European media is full of news and commentary about the problems of an ill-conceived strategy that is becoming increasingly shaky and divisive.
…
As country after country abandons, curtails or reneges on once-generous support for renewable energy, Europe is beginning to realise that its green energy strategy is dying on the vine. Green dreams are giving way to hard economic realities.
From: The Australian http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/europe-pulls-the-plug-on-its-green-future/story-e6frg8y6-1226694405337
also here: http://www.thegwpf.org/benny-peiser-europe-pulls-plug-green-future/
(Note: for the pirates of pendant – image updated to show EU style plug – Anthony)
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I like the preview feature. Yay!
When the going gets tough, the tough pare down to what’s really necessary. Ask yourself; do I really need another windmill?
So they are just saying screw the world basically. That is so not cool! But I think there are two sides though. I mean look at our political leaders who don’t believe anything should be done anyway. In a couple of years, I hope the US doesn’t follow this, with policy I mean. Conservatives are already outraged that people want to save the environment and can’t understand why the govern continues to invest in such a venture. idiots I say.lol
To comments relating to wasted money etc, it was not wasted, not by a long shot. The people in control of the policies, tax revenues and major land owners etc (Govn’t, MP’s, Royalty WHY) have profited handsomely from the Green industry. IMO Europe is, literally, on the brink of a revolution, French style. Or another war.
SouthernGal says:
August 9, 2013 at 6:21 pm
So, what exactly is your criteria for a personal, a national, and an international energy policy?
How many people (worldwide) do YOU personally approve of killing (or harming) through YOUR deliberately policies of YOUR “cool” (green) energy rather than – for example – economical and cheaper and more easily available energy for all? Or do you prefer more waste and more lost efficiency at the expense of all – but to the immediate payment of only those who support democrat politicians in Washington?
Better water? Better sewage treatment? Cleaner, more stored food that more rapidly and safely shipped to where it is needed? More shelter and more clothing available to all under more comfortable conditions indoor and out? Better-paying jobs more securelt available with less stress and less taxes? Your “green energy” utopia means less of all of these.
More CO2 after all means more food, more fuel, more fodder, more feed, more green life for everything living.
I can’t help but think we’re taking extreme sides here for the most part.
Am I a supporter of the AGW movement? Absolutely not. However, that doesn’t mean we should not be investigating alternative sources of power. I for one am not a fan of fracking, and it’s becoming ever more common.
Wind farms are certainly a problem (disrupt weather and kill birds!) but solar is improving. Do we need the subsidies? Certainly not to the degree they’ve been done I don’t think. And frankly there are other sources out there we can hardly imagine as yet (hey, nobody really knows what powers lightning yet).
Invest in alternatives? I’m all for it. Curtail oil and coal? Not a good idea. Yet!
_Jim says:
August 9, 2013 at 4:44 pm
“Have you ever heard the saying “Brevity is the soul of wit”? Presentations work the same way …”
==========
They are called sound bites.
“Wit is a form of intelligent humour, the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny.[1] A wit is a person skilled at making clever and funny remarks.[2] Forms of wit include the quip and repartee.”
To Rob Dawg: “Pirate of pendant’s”– aargh indeed! Courtesy of W.S. Gilbert: “Away with them, and place them at the bar!”
SouthernGal;
Conservatives are already outraged that people want to save the environment
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
As a conservative I am suggesting to you that your comment is risible and ignorant at the same time.
@ur momisugly Southern Gal, your sympathies being with the “green” camp, you may find the following lecture by one of your own, Ozzie Zehner, author of a fervently anti-consumption book, Green Illusions, at the Center for Science, Technology, Medicine and Society (Berkley) persuasive.
“Solar Cells and Other Fairy Tales”
(Thanks go to Canman who posted this on April 28, 2013 at 11:38AM on this thread:
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/04/28/claim-solar-cells-that-produce-two-electrons-for-every-photon-resulting-in-over-100-efficiency/)
David Hoffer — GREAT refutation above of Southern Gal (and of Tao Babe and her solar power silliness (same gal? hm) — on the Friday Funny thread, today).
I’ll go you one better. Southern Gal’s inanity (at 6:21PM) is
air headed NONSENSE.
LOL, then why did I even TRY to educate her by posting the above video? Sigh. Perhaps, it will help someone else, someone genuinely willing (and able) to seek truth.
Janice,
For every person who posts comments, there are hundreds who read it.
Tao is OK btw, she’s got an excellent link on her site crushing the hockey stick nonsense. She’s new to the debate, that’s all.
Thanks for the encouragement (and the information) at 10PM, David.
TalentKeyHole Mole says:
August 9, 2013 at 10:02 am
Hello,
The plug in the image; a standard USA type, not European 2-pole type.
———–
Quite normal SchuKo. Full german.
Not in Britain.
The “green$” have got their claws too deeply into the government, so subsidies will be rising until 2020.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/10146403/Wind-farms-get-generous-subsidies-for-another-six-years.html
Wind farms will get generous subsidies for at least another six years, after ministers signed a deal to give them double the market rate for the electricity they produce.
27 Jun 2013
The Government said onshore wind farms should get at least £100 per megawatt-hour, when the market rate for electricity is currently less than £50 per mega-watt hour. Offshore wind farms will get triple the market rate at £155 per megawatt-hour in a deal described by City analysts as “astonishingly expensive”. The difference will be met by a subsidy from the taxpayer, which is potentially more generous than the current regime that hands developers more than £1 billion a year.
Ed Davey, the Energy Secretary, said new costs were “broadly comparable” wih 2013 prices but his department said it had not worked out whether consumers wil be paying more or less for wind power under the new system.
The subsidies will continue despite David Cameron’s promise this month to “think very carefully” about green subsidies for energy sources such as wind farms and solar panels, as they “end up on consumer bills”.
It is likely to anger backbench Tories, after 100 MPs campaigned to stop the spread of onshore turbines blighting the British countryside. George Osborne ordered a 10% cut in subsidies for onshore wind farms last year and senior Conservatives had hinted that there would be more to follow.
Developers have promised that they can reduce the cost of generating energy from wind substantially over the next few years to make it more affordable. However, under the plan, subsidies will only be cut slightly in 2017 by 5% for onshore wind and 13% for offshore wind.
Peter Atherton, analyst at Liberum Capital, said the cost of offshore wind turbines in particular looks “astonishingly high”. The costs are actually rising, rather than coming down as we’d been led to believe,” he said.
The renewables industry said the level of subsidies would still mean it is “challenging” for them to make a profit. “The most important ingredient remains investor confidence and that will take time to land,” said Maria McCafferty, chief executive of RenewableUK. “The secret is consistent long term support and investors seeing that Government is behind renewables and low carbon generation for the long term.”
sasha says:
August 9, 2013 at 11:58 pm
The subsidies will continue despite David Cameron’s promise this month to “think very carefully” about green subsidies for energy sources such as wind farms and solar panels, as they “end up on consumer bills”.
=================================
I think the retort to this promise is “ha bloody ha!” Let’s face it, his father-in-law is coining it in via wind farm subsidies (some say to the tune of £1,000 per week, some to even more than that), his mate Tim Yeo is chairing Parliament’s Energy and Climate Change Committee* and Lord Debden, the former Tory MP John Selwyn Gummer, is Chairman of the “Independent” Committee on Climate Change. He’s got it all stitched up.
* He has had to step down temporarily as he is under investigation for fraudulently coaching a company in how to
whitewash‘influence’ a committee hearing.The trouble is that the other lot are no better (and quite possibly worse). They are, after all, led by Ed Milliband, the man who was responsible for the ludicrous Climate Change Act, passed when he was Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.
It seems to me that Grumpy Old Man (August 9, 2013 at 12:36 pm) is spot on. Good for you, sir.
# Fred# et al…. what do you think is happening in Tasmania? We are officially closed for business because the watermelon idiots want to own and run an Island paradise with no forestry and no manufacturing and the highest unemployment in Australia. They are going to give us a 5% cut in electricity costs soon….. what the heck, most of our electricity come from the Hydro……. cheap clean and free…. but in recent years they have slugged consumers hard in electricity price rises… OH so nice of them to give us a meagre 5% back………
These green crawling critters should have slug bait put out for them now so that there will be none left for the upcoming farcical election.
……………..So . . . hundreds of billions of Euros have been squandered, wasted, flushed down the Great Greenie Composting Toilet because Public Policy in Europe was high jacked by a group of political power craving environmentalists and grubby, funding desperate scientists who realized their First Class ticket on the Fame and Gravy train could be realized by abject fear mongering about human influences on the climate.
A disgraceful period in human history, one that will not be treated well by future historians………….
Gene Selkov says:
August 9, 2013 at 9:48 am
The plug on the picture is American, though 🙂
or european. Can’t tell the difference, moi.
Aaron Fransen says:
August 9, 2013 at 8:05 pm
Too many fallacies in your comment. Go back and research in Google.
( AndyG55 says:
August 9, 2013 at 3:02 pm
“Additionally, it cuts down on raw material cost of production.”
Regards Ed
Thanks for the chuckle, Ed 🙂
ps why doesn’t WordPress remember my name any more.. I keep having to type my email address and name in. }
Check to see if your internet cable is secure. You may be using the wrong plug.
Patrick says: @ur momisugly August 9, 2013 at 6:41 pm
To comments relating to wasted money etc, it was not wasted, not by a long shot. The people in control of the policies, tax revenues and major land owners etc….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
YES
An International Monetary Fund Report even documents it.
“JustMEinT Musings says:
August 10, 2013 at 2:32 am”
And yet we have KRudd(erless) saying he (Yes the “messiah”) will “grow” jobs (Manufacturing in particular, which is energy intensive. Carbon tax, Ford, Holden, Alcoa etc, oooops). What, like mushrooms? Keep us in the dark and feed us carp? I am being considered for a position that has interests in China. I think I may need to learn Mandarin. The UK, the EU zone, New Zealand, Australia, the US seem to be on a path to economic destruction.
SouthernGal says: @ur momisugly August 9, 2013 at 6:21 pm
……Conservatives are already outraged that people want to save the environment…..
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
No they are outraged because the elite are using ‘The Environment’ as an excuse to take away rights and wealth from the ordinary folks and trash the environment while they are at it.
H. L. Mencken nailed it This is CAGW in a nut shell.
The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.
Aaron Fransen says:
August 9, 2013 at 8:05 pm
….. However, that doesn’t mean we should not be investigating alternative sources of power. I for one am not a fan of fracking…..
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>…
Fracking has been around since just after the civil war. Roberts was awarded U.S. Patent (No. 59,936) in November 1866 for what would become known as the Roberts Torpedo. The new technology would revolutionize the young oil and natural gas industry by vastly increasing production from individual wells.
Ask yourself why after 147 years of Fracking it is all of a sudden all over the news. News media that is owned and controlled by the banksters. I have done similar studies for other news sources. Follow the Money yields banker/energy company interests almost every time.
As I just said H. L. Mencken summed it up in one sentence
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.
The News Media is the propaganda arm of America’s Ruling Class. or as Dr. Evans put it The Regulating Class.
Start thinking for your self instead of going where they are herding you.
davidmhoffer says: @ur momisugly August 9, 2013 at 10:00 pm
…. For every person who posts comments, there are hundreds who read it…..
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Correct. That is why I try to answer with information and links in a reasonably calm manner when others are saying ‘Don’t Feed the Trolls’
I also want to take this chance to thank Anthony and the Mods here at WUWT for keeping the discussions clean and intelligent. I have been on other boards and find the mudslinging and kindergarten level discussion hard to take after reading WUWT.
JustMEinT Musings says:
August 10, 2013 at 2:32 am
# Fred# et al….
……………..So . . . hundreds of billions of Euros have been squandered, wasted, flushed down the Great Greenie Composting Toilet because Public Policy in Europe was high jacked by a group of political power craving environmentalists and grubby, funding desperate scientists who realized their First Class ticket on the Fame and Gravy train could be realized by abject fear mongering about human influences on the climate…..
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Those are just the foot troops.
Ask yourself how in the world fringe groups came to have so much power? The only reasonable answer is they were of use to the ones in power.
He is saying the world leaders need a ‘clear and compelling vision’ to feed to the masses. “To achieve consensus, we need to strengthen the system’s legitimacy by better reflecting the interests and concerns of citizens.”
What does he mean by “the Western way of life?” He means a comfortable and free middle class able to earn and keep wealth. He even talks of ” the way that technology, costs and growth are to be distributed and shared. “
However the part that should strike terror in the hearts of every free individual is:
“the road to peace lay with building a new international order — and an approach to international relations that questioned the Westphalian, sacrosanct principle of sovereignty”
This says, IMHO that the US Constitution is the target. The US Constitution is unique because its basic premise is the INDIVIDUAL has RIGHTS and grants government power to draw up laws on behalf of the individual. All other forms of government have the basic premise that the GOVERNMENT grants PRIVILEGES to individuals which can be taken away any time the government pleases.