It's very odd from this side of the Atlantic to see in the States the AGW debate characterised as left wing/right wing.
It's just not the same over here where many large businesses, including oil companies like BP, have castigated the UK Govt for not doing enough about climate change.
All political parties agree that humans are responsible for climate change, and with the consensus IPCC position, or thereabouts.
And thanks to John Mashey for correcting NDlundkvist on this point in comments on the previous blog.
It's amazing that some people in America can't see how their perspective on climate change has been manipulated by the greed and narrowmindedness of Exxon and its ilk into seeing climate change legislation as market interference.
As if all the subsidies and tax breaks given to Exxon weren't market interference.
Would some of you anti-AGW rednecks now reading this blog please enlighten me and tell me exactly what you think of the world leader who's doing the most in terms of 'interfering in the market' to tackle clmate change in his jurisdiction, the Republican Arnie Schwarzenegger?
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Monday, November 12, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Boring democracy stuff
Happy solstice day everyone. So, politics is boring and too difficult and they always do what they want anyway.
A totally understandable position. And yet ... isn't it things like Make Poverty History and Greenpeace occupying incinerators that makes them change tack? Or p'raps you think they're a waste of time too and we should just blow up the House of Commons.
Well whatever you think, energy, waste and planning are the subjects of three public consultations running until September-ish.
Want more or less nukes? Motorways and runways in your back yard? To be able to have a loft conversion without going to court? Lots of flytipping? Exciting stuff, eh?
But these policies - once enshrined in law - will shape the country's future for the next decade and be implemented by Gordon Brown's government.
So, only 'cause it's my day job mind, to write these in the first place, I've kindly posted up handy summaries of the points in three pdf downloads to help you have your say.... if you feel like it.
Or you could just go and drive a car bomb into number 10 and go down in history. Who knows, we may be lighting bonfires for you in 500 years' time.
A totally understandable position. And yet ... isn't it things like Make Poverty History and Greenpeace occupying incinerators that makes them change tack? Or p'raps you think they're a waste of time too and we should just blow up the House of Commons.
Well whatever you think, energy, waste and planning are the subjects of three public consultations running until September-ish.
Want more or less nukes? Motorways and runways in your back yard? To be able to have a loft conversion without going to court? Lots of flytipping? Exciting stuff, eh?
But these policies - once enshrined in law - will shape the country's future for the next decade and be implemented by Gordon Brown's government.
So, only 'cause it's my day job mind, to write these in the first place, I've kindly posted up handy summaries of the points in three pdf downloads to help you have your say.... if you feel like it.
Or you could just go and drive a car bomb into number 10 and go down in history. Who knows, we may be lighting bonfires for you in 500 years' time.
UK Energy White Paper 2007 | UK Planning White Paper 2007 | UK Waste Strategy 2007
Friday, February 02, 2007
Local energy, especially renewable heat, needs more support - Gov Committee
The government should do more to support local energy, according to the House of Commons Trade and Industry Committee.
Preferring the term "local energy" to “microgeneration” because it "is easier to understand and less restrictive", it argues that "there is too much emphasis on electricity production and not enough on local heating schemes - household or community-based." Roughly 1.3 million homes replace gas boilers each year, and Centrica estimates that micro-CHP systems could displace as many as 30% by 2015. It suggests that new housing schemes be fitted with CHP district heating. Furthermore it complains that Government payback figures, particularly for solar water heating panels, are far too pessimistic.
It urges energy suppliers to offer local energy systems with energy efficiency measures as part of a package of services to customers. Planning restrictions on rooftop wind turbines and solar panels should be removed, incentives streamlined, and the electricity distribution firms must pay a proper market rate for any surplus produced by such systems.
It acknowledges thast most forms of local energy are not suitable for all locations or uses. Micro-wind power's potential is "in danger of being oversold", according to one witness, so the government must ensure adequate information is available to consumers.
It says smart metering will be an excellent tool for promoting energy efficiency and export measuring, and calls for a deadline of 1 July 2008 for establishing standards and interoperability and a national roll-out scheme as in Italy.
However, local energy "cannot make a significant contribution in the next decade to closing the capacity gap created by the decommissioning of coal-fired and nuclear power stations—local energy is not a panacea that will 'keep the lights on'."
> Download the report
Preferring the term "local energy" to “microgeneration” because it "is easier to understand and less restrictive", it argues that "there is too much emphasis on electricity production and not enough on local heating schemes - household or community-based." Roughly 1.3 million homes replace gas boilers each year, and Centrica estimates that micro-CHP systems could displace as many as 30% by 2015. It suggests that new housing schemes be fitted with CHP district heating. Furthermore it complains that Government payback figures, particularly for solar water heating panels, are far too pessimistic.
It urges energy suppliers to offer local energy systems with energy efficiency measures as part of a package of services to customers. Planning restrictions on rooftop wind turbines and solar panels should be removed, incentives streamlined, and the electricity distribution firms must pay a proper market rate for any surplus produced by such systems.
It acknowledges thast most forms of local energy are not suitable for all locations or uses. Micro-wind power's potential is "in danger of being oversold", according to one witness, so the government must ensure adequate information is available to consumers.
It says smart metering will be an excellent tool for promoting energy efficiency and export measuring, and calls for a deadline of 1 July 2008 for establishing standards and interoperability and a national roll-out scheme as in Italy.
However, local energy "cannot make a significant contribution in the next decade to closing the capacity gap created by the decommissioning of coal-fired and nuclear power stations—local energy is not a panacea that will 'keep the lights on'."
> Download the report
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