We have a better chance to slow climate change if Trump really leaves office and Biden takes up the cause. But we also need to have the EU implementing stronger regulations and policies with all member states and a carbon tax on ALL emissions without convenient exceptions for vehicles, airlines, ships, trucks, and imported products. These last two are slow in coming because the lobby groups are so powerful. It is ridiculous that we cannot save the planet because Lufthansa, Mercedes, Air France and others say they cannot compete unless all companies are subject to the same rules and regulations. If that is the case then we are just waiting for there very real arrival of doomsday!
If we can get rid of Trump then there is hope for the future!
The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter when Boris Johnson’s government outlined their Green Plan in November 2020. They did us all a favour because it is really easy to read and understand, even though as a policy announcement was far from convincing.
Anyone who is not that familiar about what is needed to avoid the worst outcomes from greenhouse emissions would immediately be impressed at its message – just look how well they present ed the 10 main points:
The Prime Minister, Boris, is ecstatic in praise of his own work who states:
“Now is the time to plan our green recovery. We will use Britain’s powers of invention to repair the pandemic’s damage and fight climate change… Now is the time to plan for a green recovery with high-skilled jobs that give people the satisfaction of knowing they are helping to make the country cleaner, greener and more beautiful.
Imagine Britain when a Green Industrial Revolution has helped to level up the country. You cook breakfast using hydrogen power before getting in your electric car, having charged it overnight from batteries made in the Midlands. Around you the air is cleaner; trucks, trains, ships and planes run on hydrogen or synthetic fuel.”
The only problem was that this New Green Plan was a in part a rehash of previous plans, a promise of maybe plans, with a big dose of plans that have little or no meaning.
You can review the 10 points of his plan in the same order:
- Offshore wind farms are nothing new nor original and these were going to be implemented anyway with or without government support. Many other countries have already done much more than what the UK is planning. The network capacity in the UK is far from strong enough to provide power to every home without huge investments, and this is missing from the Green Plan.
- Hydrogen has a huge potential or storage because there is not just enough rare metals to store power in batteries. The UK’s promise of up to £500m is quite modest and is probably there to support the incumbent gas companies who are already supplying gas through pipes in many cities and towns. They want to keep on using their infrastructure to sell gas bonded with hydrogen. Hydrogen is a tricky gas because is has a fraction of the calorific value of natural gas and has a smaller molecule, so there is a greater risk of leaks and explosions.
- Nuclear power – the Brits are buying the most expensive nuclear power station in the world – good luck with that. The Finns have still not seen the 5th nuclear power station operating after 11 years of construction, and the other one from Russia is caught up in dozens of big safety issues even before construction has started. It appears that Russian designers just do not understand Finnish security systems and regulations!
- Electric cars – we all want one if we can afford them! Their plans to stop selling fossil fuel cars in 2030 is going to be another one of those Brexit style projects.
- Public transport in the UK is like customer service with Ryan Air… bring your own bicycle and hope that a SUV or 50 ton truck does run you over.
- Electric planes and ships – bring your own plugs and wires…
- British homes all have air conditioning – gaps in the windows, doors and roof. Heating most of them uses the same techniques as the American Indians in the days they had the TIPI with a hole at the top to let out the smoke…
the green mentioned in the report refers to the damp mould on the walls. - Carbon Capture will not achieve much over the long term even if developed quickly.
- Planting 30 000 hectares of trees in the UK is also an existing policy – Finland has 23 000 000 hectares of forests and growing bigger each day. Another 30 000 hectares is a drop in the ocean.
- Innovation here means keep on feeding the City bankers who fly Business and have probably never used public transport, but keep the banks’ underground parking lots filled with even more SUVs. At least you can say that makes many others green with envy…
