EUROPE'S SCIENCE ACADEMIES SAY ECONOMIC GROWTH IS BAD

  Economic growth is bad for the climate, Europe’s Science Academies claim

GWPF, 30 October 2020
 
Europe’s main science academies reveal their anti-growth agenda


 
Europe faces a catastrophic economic crisis and tens of millions of redundancies as a result of the political measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, there is growing tension among policy makers between saving the economy and economic growth or saving Europe’s costly climate agenda.

In her speech to the United Nations last year, the eco-socialist activist Greta Thunberg denounced world leaders for their main focus on what she called “the fairy tale of eternal economic growth.” Her anti-growth attack didn’t come as a surprise. After all, critical observers have always known that this kind of radical climate activism is driven by an anti-capitalist agenda.
 
Now Europe’s main scientific body, the European Academies Science Advisory Council (which comprises of the National Academies of Science of EU Member States, plus Norway, Switzerland and UK), has followed in Greta’s footsteps, hitting out against policy makers and governments who prioritise economic growth.

“Generation Greta gets it. Our focus should be on well-being and welfare, but our economic system puts all focus on growth and GDP which adds fuel to the climate and biodiversity crises.”
 
That’s how the European Academies Science Advisory Council press release highlights the main take of its report that calls for “‘transformational’ change that is necessary if policy-makers and their public (sic) are to support the conclusions of the advocates of change.”
 
The capture of Europe’s scientific institutions and organisations by degrowth ideologues is a tragic reflection on the state of green ideology which is bringing institutional science ever more into disrepute.
 

GWPF WARNS THE GOVERNMENT THAT DECARBONISATION IS AN ECONOMIC DISASTER

 

This article explains the evidence which the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) has submitted to the government. No doubt it will be ignored like all the other evidence that their policy will wreck the economy, because the real damage will come later well after they have left office. They hope that the slow creeping cost increases for energy won't be noticed and they can blame them on something other than their policies, such as the energy companies or world conditions.

ARCTIC WEATHER IN CONTEXT

 

This article looks at the simple fact that the temperatures in the Arctic can vary greatly from year to year, as well as the cyclic patterns which operate over decades. It is totally unscientific to cherry-pick starting points or individual years to try to argue that the climate is changing dramatically.

COAL TO BE USED TO GIVE POWER TO THE MIDDLE EAST

 

This article explains what is going on in Dubai with respect to energy. With China's help they have decided to build a modern coal-fired power station. They want cheap reliable energy, just like we used to.

EU PARLIAMENT UPSETS CLIMATE ACTIVISTS

 

This article reports on the latest decision taken by the normally climate change mad institution. Even the EU cannot satisfy the latest demands of the climate extremists.

BURNING THE FORESTS TO SAVE THE PLANET

 

This article explains how the rush for so-called renewable energy from wood is in fact causing forests to be felled in Africa - not something you will ever hear on the main TV news bulletins which would far sooner take up their time interviewing people on the street to ask their opinions about any subject under the sun.

WHAT IS THE TRUE LEVEL OF CO2 IN THE ATMOSPHERE?

 

This article blows the consensus on this issue. You will see that in practice there is no one measurement and so it is impossible to give an accurate average. 

MACRON THREATENS TO PUNISH THE UK OVER BREXIT WITH ENERGY BLOCKADE

 Emmanuel Macron reacted furiously to Boris Johnson's claims that trade talks are "over" between the UK and EU. Mr Macron has played hardball in the talks on fisheries, insisting on Thursday that French fishermen would "not be sacrificed" for the sake of a deal. 

However, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal then French fishermen could faced being banned from British waters.

In response, the French President has signalled the EU would launch a devastating energy embargo against the UK unless Boris Johnson gives in on fisheries.

Following the EU summit in Brussels on Friday, Mr Macron told French radio that if the UK does not allow French fishermen in its waters, the EU would have to block the UK's energy supplies to the European market.

He suggested the right to fish in British waters was worth 650 million euros to EU fishermen, but that access to European energy markets was worth up  to £2.3billion (€2.5bn) to the UK.

Full story

CLIMATE LOBBY ALL WORKED UP OVER SUPREME COURT NOMINEE

 

This piece looks at the hearings for the proposed Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, made by President Trump. It particularly looks at her answers to questions on climate change where she is studiously non-committal, which seems to inflame the climate lobby. 

THEY TELL US THE G.B.REEF IS DYING BUT REFUSE TO RELEASE THE DATA

 

This article looks at the latest pronouncements on the Great Barrier Reef, and compares their findings with those of Prof Peter Ridd who has surveyed the reef with the Australian Institute of Marine Science for the last 35 years and has found that its condition remains broadly the same.

UK'S "MOST EFFICIENT" WIND FARM NOT DOING SO WELL

 Andrew Montford: How Is Britain’s Most Efficient Windfarm Doing?

GWPF Energy, 14 October 2020

The UK’s most efficient* offshore windfarm is Kentish Flats, owned by the nationalised Swedish conglomerate Vattenfall, and situated just outside the Thames estuary, north of Whitstable. Its low costs are due to the very shallow waters in which it sits.



Strangely, being part of an industry that claims to be enjoying rapidly declining costs, Kentish Flats is not a new windfarm. In fact it was one of the UK’s first, commissioned in 2005. Later windfarms moved further offshore, in search of more reliable wind speeds, but were rewarded with higher costs and only marginally better output.

Kentish Flats’ management reckon the useful life of their wind turbines is 20 years, so the windfarm may close at some point in the next few years. It is probably no coincidence that 20 years is also the period for which the operators can claim subsidies. Just how generous the subsidy regime is can be seen from the windfarm’s 2017 results.
 
In that year, it made a profit before tax of £11 million, but as the notes to the accounts reveal, it also received £11.4 million in subsidies. A further £0.5 million of government grants is being written off each year. In other words, without state support, Kentish Flats would have lost £1 million. Recall that this is the UK’s lowest-cost offshore windfarm.

Note also that it is selling electricity at far above market prices; the 2018 accounts note a rise in prices from £95 to £122/MWh since the previous year, suggesting that a buyer willing to pay vastly over the odds – presumably within the Vattenfall group – had been found to cover up their embarrassment. Last year, that change was largely reversed, and the windfarm only managed to break even before subsidies.

Since Kentish Flats was built 15 years ago, the cost of building and operating an offshore windfarm in the UK has soared. In fact, if you look at those commissioned since 2010, they all have costs more than double those of Kentish Flats. And yet, as we can see, without its subsidies, Kentish Flats is marginally profitable at best. If we also took away its ability to sell at far-above market prices, it would be well and truly sunk.

What we can therefore say, with some certainty, is that the offshore wind fleet is, as a whole, destroying wealth at a remarkable pace. 

*In terms of levelised cost.

UN CLIMATE DISASTER REPORT A "HUGE BLUNDER AND EMBARRASSMENT"

 

This report explains why. A report so bad that it contradicts its own data. 

RENEWABLE ENERGY IS NOT CLEAN OR RELIABLE

 

This piece shows clearly why renewable energy will never be able to give us the reliable energy that we currently take for granted. 

WINDFARM FARCE THAT COST US ALL £1.4 BILLION

 

This Article was a two page spread in Saturday's Daily Mail. It confirms what has been said for many years, that wind energy is not cheap. No doubt there are many other equally stupid schemes out there. Our energy bills are set to treble in the coming two decades as more and more unreliable and very costly wind farms are added to the grid. When will enough people wake up and demand a change of policy?

This short video contains some interesting commentary on Boris's windfarm pledge.

UK TO RAISE NEW CARBON TAX AFTER BREXIT

 

This post explains the UK Chancellor's idea. Yet more madness from our Conservative government. Why can't they see through this climate madness and get back to good conservative ideas for lower prices driven by free competition. We are being stifled by state control driven by left-wing ideologues. 

CLIMATE CHANGE GIVES CONFERENCE ORGANISERS AN EXCUSE TO KEEP GOING

 

Here is an example of the many conferences that go on year after year to preach to the converted and encourage them to carry on trying to control the climate by cutting out CO2 emissions. 

Why would anyone want to sit through a whole day of waffle defeats me. What's more they will be paying between £300 to £550 for the privilege. Will this conference in January 2021 even take place, given all the current restrictions? The organisers will be hoping so or they may stand to lose out financially.

Whatever happens I can guarantee that I won't be there, nor I doubt will you!

UK WILL REGRET DECISION TO RELY ON UNRELIABLE WIND ENERGY

 

This piece looks at the decision by the government to commit the UK to a large increase in wind energy in the next few years. Sadly they have ignored the growing evidence that this decision will prove very costly as well as potentially very unreliable. 

UK GOVERNMENT BLOCKS APPROVAL FOR NEW COAL MINE

 

This article explains what happened. It seems to be a daft decision as the mine would produce specialised coking coal needed for steel production and unless we are intending to  close our steel-making down then we would have to import this coal anyway. 

ITALY HAS COLDEST SEPTEMBER FOR 50 YEARS

 

This article refers to the unseasonably cold weather. I know that weather is not the same as climate, but still if the alarmists can use it then why not the realists?

THE MADNESS CONTINUES - DRIVING US TO A MOTORING NIGHTMARE

 

This report explains the huge amount of extra electricity that will be needed to power our motoring needs and the woefully inadequate plans being used to supply it. I don't know about you, but I will be keeping my petrol car for as long as possible. Millions of others will do the same. 

LA NINA HAS ARRIVED BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

 

This article looks at the significance of the change taking place in the Pacific Ocean. It is too early to predict what will happen, but we know it can have a strong effect.