switch off power for three months every year?

[marchesarosa]

A new report from Pricewaterhouse Cooper
www.ukmediacentre.pwc.com/News-Releases/G20-fuel-a-dirty-global-recovery-as-carbon-emissions-exceed-economic-growth-1138.aspx
states that the

Scale of emissions reductions facing UK are now the equivalent to switching off power for three months every year to 2020

Last night on Panorama Sir David King admitted that in 2007 an offer by the UK to the EU to mandate that
15% of electricity generation be from renewable sources by 2020, mysteriously, by the divine agency of Tony Blair in a smoke-filled room late at night, morphed into 15% of total energy used in the UK to be from renewable sources by 2020.

This amounted to an energy coup d'etat by Tone overturning the 15% of electricity generation previously agreed as achievable with the advisers.

Green coup d'etat or simply a cock-up over a form of words, the country is now in the dire situation that to achieve this silly objective by 2020 the equivalent of a three month annual blackout is necessary.

I wonder which three months it will be?

Why did no "adviser" speak out at the time that the 15% referred only to electricity generation not total energy used?


Thank goodness shale gas will be coming to the rescue! Bring it on!

[marchesarosa]

Bullet points from the pwc report


• Global emissions are increasing faster than economic growth
• Scale of emissions reductions facing UK are now the equivalent to switching off power for three months every year to 2020
• Annual capital expenditure of the six largest utilities would need to triple by 2020 to reach the government’s low carbon targets

[principled]

Marchesa

Why did no "adviser" speak out at the time that the 15% referred only to electricity generation not total energy used?

You've made the usual mistake! You assumed that the "advisers" (First Class Honours in History of Celtic Flag stones) are any more technologically literate than good old Tone (Second Class Honours in Jurisprudence). He wouldn't know a kWh if one kicked him in the nether regions.
BTW, have a read of this from Wiki?

Blair boarded at Fettes College, a prestigious independent school in Edinburgh, during which time he met Charlie Falconer (a pupil at the rival Edinburgh Academy), whom he later appointed Lord Chancellor. He reportedly modelled himself on Mick Jagger.His teachers were unimpressed with him, his biographer John Rentoul, reported that "All the teachers I spoke to when researching the book said he was a complete pain in the backside and they were very glad to see the back of him.".

Who'd have thought it!
P

[rsmith7]

You're too kind Principled. Blair travelled with a large entourage of expert advisors and had every detail worked out in advance. Every position would have been considered.
His commitment was intentional.
His reasoning? That's the question.

[marchesarosa]

Strange that the then Chief adviser, Sir David King, now chooses to speak out on Panorama. I wonder why?

[fascinating]

I am still waiting for the government to announce its commitment to build nuclear power stations, which is the only solution to our energy needs, without increasing greenhouse gasses.

[rsmith7]

They have announced a commitment for eight new nuclear plant. Whether they've actually passed the planning nonsense is another...
Enter stage left - the green machine.

[fascinating]

And if anybody asks "Would you want to have a nuclear power plant in YOUR area?" my answer is "YES!"

[marchesarosa]

I think there are many people who have come round to that way of thinking recently, fascinating, after years of being bamboozled with green propaganda, me included.

[principled]

Just think Marchesa, if we'd have spent all those wind turbine/solar power subsidies on research into Thorium low radiation technology we could be World leaders. Instead , we languish in the backwater (note in the first link that the UK isn't mentioned!)
And how many "Greens" did you ever hear mention radiation from coal-fired plants!(Second link)
www.climateactionprogramme.org/news/china_research_surge_to_dominate_thorium_nuclear_technology/
www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=coal-ash-is-more-radioactive-than-nuclear-waste
P

[marchesarosa]

Completely agree, principled. This country is a basket case! Too many bankers and not enough engineers!