Guest essay by Eric Worrall
The New Zealand government has banned offshore oil and gas exploration as part of its 30 year quest for 100% climate purity.
New Zealand bans all new offshore oil exploration as part of ‘carbon-neutral future’
Prime minister Jacinda Ardern says move ‘will essentially take effect in 30 or more years’ time’
The New Zealand government will grant no new offshore oil exploration permits in a move that is being hailed by conservation and environmental groups as a historic victory in the battle against climate change.
The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said her government “has a plan to transition towards a carbon-neutral future, one that looks 30 years in advance”.
“Transitions have to start somewhere and unless we make decisions today that will essentially take effect in 30 or more years’ time, we run the risk of acting too late and causing abrupt shocks to communities and our country.”
…
The opposition party slammed the government’s ban as “economic vandalism” and said it made no environmental sense.
“This decision will ensure the demise of an industry that provides over 8000 high-paying jobs and $2.5bn for the economy,” National’s energy and resources spokesman, Jonathan Young, said.
“This decision is devoid of any rationale. It certainly has nothing to do with climate change. These changes will simply shift production elsewhere in the world, not reduce emissions.”
…
I wonder if New Zealand has figured out exactly how they will switch to 100% renewables?
New Zealand is cold and mountainous, so solar power is a bit of a non-starter. The old Maori name for New Zealand Aotearoa means “Land of the Long White Cloud”. New Zealand frequently lives up to that name.
The mountains provide hydroelectric opportunities – New Zealand gets over 50% of their electricity from hydropower, though this percentage has been dropping as their economy races ahead of political will to build new hydro capacity.
Nuclear is not going to happen for the foreseeable future. New Zealand is rabidly anti-nuclear, they don’t even allow nuclear warships into their waters.
As one of the most volcanic regions in the world New Zealand has more geothermal capacity they could probably tap, though even in New Zealand suitable sites aren’t that common. When I visited Lake Taupo a few years ago, the locals I spoke to were not keen on the idea of drilling into the cap of their grumbling super volcano to tap more of its geothermal potential.
Wind power in New Zealand is an intriguing challenge. New Zealand has lots of high mountain peaks which might make good sites for wind power, but a lot of New Zealand’s geography is almost completely inaccessible, due to those same high mountain peaks and steep valleys. In winter New Zealanders really, really need energy to stay warm – much of New Zealand experiences substantial snowfall and deep frosts. Wind turbines do not work well when they are covered in ice.
Perhaps the New Zealand government has a secret power unicorn breeding farm they will shortly announce to the world.
Will they also ban all imported fuel? And all land based exploration?
Say goodbye to the forests. Hello to the haze of woodsmoke.
And on the other side of the world, here in Scotland we have an SNP government, propped up by the Greens, who have presided over the closure of the last two coal-fired power stations, banned onshore fracking for gas, and want to close the remaining two nuclear power stations as well. The last time I went to the cinema, in amongst the booze and car ads, there was propaganda advert by the Scottish government, with a ‘Greener Scotland’ theme. I nearly threw my popcorn at the screen.
Commiserations sono (my forefathers from Ayrshire) we feel your pain!
Neighbouring Australia is heading down the same virtue signal path as New Zealand. A day or two ago, PM Malcolm Turnbull said
“It is critically important that we invest in energy sources of the future and that we affect the transition from older forms of [energy] generation to new forms of generation and we do so seamlessly.”
Mr Turnbull was announcing $100 million of taxpayer money earmarked to research brown coal conversion to component gases CO2 and Hydrogen as a path to reduced CO2 in the atmosphere. (Yes, you read that accurately. He missed the point that to work with brown coal you start with a seam, so you achieve nothing seamlessly – grin).
In matters like this, the words of politicians – many being lawyers not scientists – are only as good as the input from real scientists. Australia has senior scientists who have systematically dudded the political system by offering shallow, poorly researched and bad advice. The various Chief Scientists and the learned bodies like the Australian Academy of Science must. by now, have realised that there is substantial questioning of the basis for climate change and global warming hypotheses, yet they still try to silence debate.
Australia and new Zealand both deserve better. I doubt if either leader has a clue about the negative effects their words will have on attracting future industry and keeping existing industry. It is clear writing on the wall that emphasises “No industry welcomed here”.
Bet they go the way of South Australia, and Victoria in Australia. They sill use imported diesel generators, and make actual usage a State secret.
Living in the twilight start of a dark age is depressing.
I feel the same way. It’s sad when you start thinking “at least I won’t live long enough to see the worst of their plans”
But there is still room for humor.
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/f47391c3-8a71-4f40-8195-4fab33420277
When are they going to commission the first wool-fired power station?
Okay, I’ll scratch it off the bucket list as a destination and place with NK and Venezuela. One-track minded into the ground is not a place to be or visit.
New Zealand bans economic activity. In order to lessen the countries carbon foot print.
As a fourth generation Kiwi farmer I have always taken a keen interest in politics since the 1950,s I am sure that our new wave of politicians have little idea how the country functions and this ban on oil and gas exploration has been pushed by Greenpeace and the Green party .Despite what the coalition agreement says the Greens ARE part of the government .Any one who believes otherwise has a vacuum between their ears .
Unfortunately the Labour party has support from a large number of people in cities and towns who have retired or are getting close to retirement .A British film from the late 50’s “I’m all right Jack “comes to mind .
Cheap reliable energy is the life blood of modern civilization and any government that takes steps to increase the cost of energy because of ideological beliefs does not care about the welfare of the population that they have been elected to govern .
Spot on! And tonight after our recent storm theres still 45,000 folk without power. It’s cold and windy wind-farms are idled and solar panels …. nuff said. With Labour and the Greens we’re in the dark……
Jacinta, indeed. Along with the leftward tilt of trends goes the participation rate of women in operating government levers of power. The human race benefited greatly from the nurture instincts of women but I’m afraid this safety net for the nuclear family has been imported whole cloth into the job of managing whole communities and countries.
There is such a thing as too much ‘mothering’ even in a family (Am I right that it is the root of the word smothering?). “Com’on dear, he can bathe himself and comb his own hair. After all he’s fourteen.” Some women like Margaret Thatcher, Benidir Bhutto, Golda Meir, Indira Gandi, Cleopatra, Katherine the Great, my mother… show that women can leave this family instinct behind (or perhaps it wasnt a strong point for them in the home) when they take on the completely different avocation of running a government supposedly of free people. Today it’s even worse because the ready made we-know-whats-best-for-you ideology feels closer to their instincts.
Are there any female leaders today who have not fallen under the spell of the marxbrothers, despite an unblemished record of the worst and most deadly politico-economic regimes on earth . You might counter that the world has had more schizoid male jerks and no-talents running countries and you’d get no argument from me.
You present lot may not go around robbing the treasury for your own gain, building palaces and monuments to yourselves or jailing people you don’t like. But smothering me and spending my money the way you think is best for me is pretty much as bad.
Flash! Georgetown, Texas claim they are the first city to consume only 100% renewable energy. Bravo! That should silence the naysayers. WUWT should feature a story about Georgtown, but I wager this breakthrough will go unacknowledged. [Sarc Off]
NPR, so it must ne legitimate news:
https://www.npr.org/2017/03/07/519064002/texas-city-leads-the-way-on-renewable-energy