London, 4 March -- The former Head of MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove, has called on Boris Johnson to 'immediately lift the moratorium on fracking' and help Britain's European partners to divest from Russian gas dependency.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph's Planet Normal podcast Sir Richard also warns that Britain's rush to Net Zero was "admirable but its completely unrealistic, its totally unrealistic. We have to reassess the situation."
"I don't know what's come into the government's heads on [Net Zero] because they've just adopted a set of crazy, unattainable objectives."
In face of Russia's invasion of the Ukraine, Sir Richard argues that Britain should adopt a gas-to-nuclear policy:
"I applaud the objective, as we all do, to move to Net Zero, but we need a policy that is practical and achievable. And of course gas in particular, the sort of quality gas the Americans produce through fracking, is going to be the transfer fuel of the future. And then in addition we must develop small nuclear reactors. The technology exists."
Sir Richard added that UK shale gas would be essential to help our European partners to divest from Russian gas imports:
"We have to have sufficient gas storage and supplies. What the European powers that are dependent on Russian gas need is a sort of Berlin 'airlift' of gas supplies to Europe as quickly and as fast as possible so that we change the energy equation."
Net Zero Watch director Dr Benny Peiser said:
"Boris Johnson should listen to the warning by of one of Britain's most eminent national security experts and lift the fracking moratorium with immediate effect. Any further procrastination over developing alternative gas supplies would be deeply irresponsible and in the face of a worsening European war could only embolden Putin's aggression."
Contact
Dr Benny Peiser
e: benny.peiser@netzerowatch.com
m: 07553361717
https://www.desmog.com/benny-peiser/
ReplyDeleteMr. Peiser associates with climate denial. So he more than likely dismisses the importance of human caused climate change. Global warming is a phenomenon that will last for millenia and our short term energy prices will be but a blip in all this. The best way out of Russian dictatorship effects is 100% renewable energy. That is true energy independence
We are not able to rely on 100% renewable energy. The wind does not always blow reliably, the sun does not shine at night. We are still going to need gas and oil for the foreseeable future. Even "net zero" relies on off-setting some use of fossil fuels. Since we will still be using fossil fuels it makes perfect sense to extract our own giving us control over them.
ReplyDeleteWe are not able to rely on 100% renewable energy.
ReplyDeleteNot true. There are places in the world that have 100% renewable energy now.
We are still going to need gas and oil for the foreseeable future.
In the short term yes, in the long term no.
Since we will still be using fossil fuels it makes perfect sense to extract our own giving us control over them.
For a variety of reasons the capitalist system of energy isn't serving us adequately in the present. This is the capitalist system breaking down and serving themselves a little better than in the past. The world's oil producers could easily be producing more and chose to keep supplies of the world tight for higher prices. Shell has justified buying a shipment of Russian oil rather than letting it be. Black market for Russian oil will interesting to see what happens. There are people in the world that are money hounds than acting in the interest of keeping Russian isolated.
ANd then 100% renewable energy is entirely possible by building out storage capabilities for the grid. Look up iron air batteries.