** The Climate Change Thread **

[Psamathe]

18 months and unak still hasn' appointed a new Climate Committee chairperson.

Sunak under fire for ‘inexplicable’ failure to appoint new climate committee chief
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ttee-chief
...

But he has found time to renew his private helicopter contract, throw UK climate targets out of the window, authorise new coal mine, auction new North Sea hydrocarbon extraction licenses, etc.

<sarcasm>Wonder what makes people think Sunak doesn't take the Climate Crisis seriously</sarcasm>

Ian

[Jdsk]

UK seems to have moved very much into telling the rest of the world what to do but not prepared to do it themselves. Up to the rest of the world to make the changes and bear the impacts 'cos the UK is not prepared to actually change anything .

Britain has given the go-ahead to develop the UK’s biggest untapped oilfield off the Shetland Islands, sparking outrage from environmental campaigners.

After Brexit we were meant to be a major international force, instead our politicians have just shown us as hypocrites.

"UK government admits Rosebank oil will not be kept in UK to boost energy security":
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... y-security

If only there were a relevant quote from Casablanca...

Jonathan

[mattheus]

"UK government admits Rosebank oil will not be kept in UK to boost energy security":
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... y-security

I don't the forum guidelines allow me to type my initial gut reaction to that. How depressing ...

[Jdsk]

UK seems to have moved very much into telling the rest of the world what to do but not prepared to do it themselves. Up to the rest of the world to make the changes and bear the impacts 'cos the UK is not prepared to actually change anything .

Britain has given the go-ahead to develop the UK’s biggest untapped oilfield off the Shetland Islands, sparking outrage from environmental campaigners.

After Brexit we were meant to be a major international force, instead our politicians have just shown us as hypocrites.

"UK government admits Rosebank oil will not be kept in UK to boost energy security":
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... y-security

If only there were a relevant quote from Casablanca...

Skidmore has resigned:
“This bill would in effect allow more frequent new oil and gas licences and the increased production of new fossil fuels in the North Sea. I can also no longer condone nor continue to support a government that is committed to a course of action that I know is wrong and will cause future harm. To fail to act, rather than merely speak out, is to tolerate a status quo that cannot be sustained. I am therefore resigning my party whip and instead intend to be free from any party-political allegiance.”
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... cence-plan

Jonathan

[Psamathe]

UK seems to have moved very much into telling the rest of the world what to do but not prepared to do it themselves. Up to the rest of the world to make the changes and bear the impacts 'cos the UK is not prepared to actually change anything .

After Brexit we were meant to be a major international force, instead our politicians have just shown us as hypocrites.

"UK government admits Rosebank oil will not be kept in UK to boost energy security":
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... y-security

If only there were a relevant quote from Casablanca...

Skidmore has resigned:
“This bill would in effect allow more frequent new oil and gas licences and the increased production of new fossil fuels in the North Sea. I can also no longer condone nor continue to support a government that is committed to a course of action that I know is wrong and will cause future harm. To fail to act, rather than merely speak out, is to tolerate a status quo that cannot be sustained. I am therefore resigning my party whip and instead intend to be free from any party-political allegiance.”
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... cence-plan

Jonathan

And whilst UK is suffering ever worse flooding, people "never seen it so bad" appearing on TV up to their waist in water in their kitchens, all undoubtedly worsened by Climate Change, Sunak's response to plough ahead with plans to allow more oil and gas from the North Sea.

Ministers still spinning the "Energy security" argument despite having alrteady admitted "UK government admits Rosebank oil will not be kept in UK to boost energy security. Ministers have previously claimed oilfield development will improve domestic energy security and help consumers. The UK government has admitted that oil from the controversial Rosebank field will be sold on the international market rather than to UK consumers. ..." (from https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... -security)).

Sunak seems to (occasionally) use the words of accepting Climate Change is happening whilst his actions show he is a "Climate Change Denier".

Ian

[Mike Sales]

I have been consulting the flood warning map.
Either side of the lower Witham, Wildmore Fen and East Fen, which were the last drained areas, have a warning, but Boston and my village were built centuries ago on almost imperceptible islands, and are so far fine.
Mind you Boston was flooded in some of the oldest parts by a tidal surge and river water in 2013. On the Stump are a series of flood heights marked on a buttress and the highest is the most recent.

[Jdsk]

...
Sunak seems to (occasionally) use the words of accepting Climate Change is happening whilst his actions show he is a "Climate Change Denier".
...

And it isn't even clear that the latest changes will be attractive to voters.

Jonathan

[mattheus]

UK seems to have moved very much into telling the rest of the world what to do but not prepared to do it themselves. Up to the rest of the world to make the changes and bear the impacts 'cos the UK is not prepared to actually change anything .

After Brexit we were meant to be a major international force, instead our politicians have just shown us as hypocrites.

"UK government admits Rosebank oil will not be kept in UK to boost energy security":
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... y-security

If only there were a relevant quote from Casablanca...

Skidmore has resigned:
“This bill would in effect allow more frequent new oil and gas licences and the increased production of new fossil fuels in the North Sea. I can also no longer condone nor continue to support a government that is committed to a course of action that I know is wrong and will cause future harm. To fail to act, rather than merely speak out, is to tolerate a status quo that cannot be sustained. I am therefore resigning my party whip and instead intend to be free from any party-political allegiance.”
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... cence-plan

Jonathan

Good for Skidders!

[Jdsk]

UK seems to have moved very much into telling the rest of the world what to do but not prepared to do it themselves. Up to the rest of the world to make the changes and bear the impacts 'cos the UK is not prepared to actually change anything .

After Brexit we were meant to be a major international force, instead our politicians have just shown us as hypocrites.

"UK government admits Rosebank oil will not be kept in UK to boost energy security":
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... y-security

If only there were a relevant quote from Casablanca...

Skidmore has resigned:
“This bill would in effect allow more frequent new oil and gas licences and the increased production of new fossil fuels in the North Sea. I can also no longer condone nor continue to support a government that is committed to a course of action that I know is wrong and will cause future harm. To fail to act, rather than merely speak out, is to tolerate a status quo that cannot be sustained. I am therefore resigning my party whip and instead intend to be free from any party-political allegiance.”
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... cence-plan

And Sharma will vote against:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... d-gas-bill

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

You've got the most important point: it's different from the requirements of car-like objects used on public roads.

I think that you can find most of the possibilities for earthmoving and agriculture being explored by at least one of the big companies: batteries, swappable batteries, fuel cells, ICEs that run on non fossil fuels...
https://www.jcb.com/en-gb/products/mini ... ors/19c-1e
https://www.caterpillar.com/en/news/cor ... truck.html
https://www.deere.com/en/stories/featur ... ty-report/
https://electrek.co/2021/12/15/john-dee ... fy-lineup/

And hydrogen could be generated on- or off-site. At the scale of docks and big mines doing things on-site becomes feasible where it isn't with multiple users and public access.

PS: JCB list the many advantages of electrical power here:
https://www.jcb.com/en-gb/products/mini ... ors/19c-1e

"GM and Komatsu will add hydrogen fuel cells to an electric mining truck":
https://electrek.co/2023/12/12/gm-komat ... uel-cells/

"Caterpillar brings electric equipment ecosystem to CES2024":
https://electrek.co/2024/01/12/caterpil ... o-ces2024/

"Hyundai brings electric excavators, AI, and see-thru steel to CES 2024":
"https://electrek.co/2024/01/12/hyundai- ... -ces-2024/"

That "ecosystem" is crucial: it isn't simply a matter of swapping vehicles.

Jonathan

[pwa]

The proposed closure of the coke-fired blast furnaces at the Port Talbot steel works, and their replacement with an electric arc furnace, will cost the town many well-paid jobs. With contractors and other support trades, some estimate over 10,000 jobs could be lost in and around a town where the best jobs have long been those connected with steel. But there is another angle to this. And that is Climate Change.

The transformation of the Port Talbot site could reduce the carbon footprint of Wales by between 15% and 20%. But there is a price to pay, apart from the jobs. Without the blast furnaces, the UK will no longer be able to produce the full range of specialist steels, and will become reliant on foreign producers still using coke. In other words, some of the carbon footprint reduction is a mirage, with the problem simply exported to other countries who will do the dirty work for us, and no doubt take the blame for having high emissions.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-68017180

[Jdsk]

SNAP! (I've just posted about the lack of industrial strategy.)

It's the right decision, but a lot of the other right decisions haven't been made.

Jonathan

[al_yrpal]

Melting scrap....recycling instead of exporting it.

Al

[pwa]

Melting scrap....recycling instead of exporting it.

Al

Indeed. It seems like a very good thing in itself. But I have heard it said that you cannot easily get pure iron from the electric arc process, with mixed steel scrap as the starting point, so the products from the plant are unlikely to include precisely formulated specialist steels. The days of specialist steels coming from the UK may be numbered.

[al_yrpal]

Small quantities of pure iron can be imported.

Al