When Will This Stupidity End?

I'm dreading meeting my farmer friends because I know they will be incandescent with rage at this. My butcher will be too I expect because people are reducing the amount of meat they buy, not for environmental reasons, but because they're having to cut back on the overall cost of food. His beef can be traced right back to the farm and herd, but no doubt the EU will require more evidence.

Here is some more detail about this latest ludicrous suggestion.

Swedish agricultural authorities are recommending a tax to reduce meat (mainly beef) consumption and say such a levy should be adopted across the European Union.

Voluntary actions by consumers and firms are probably not enough to reach existing environmental and climate goals, the Swedish Board of Agriculture said.  Therefore, a meat tax not only in Sweden but at EU level, could be the solution.

I understand the Swedish government's concern for attempting to reduce the production of meat from unsustainable sources, but such proposals will surely increase the price of all meat, regardless of its sustainability.

As for the argument that this would reduce emissions therefore reduce global warming, well what can I say?

The Swedish government suggested this earlier this year and now we learn the EU has ordered a study.  As many of you will be aware, once the EU direct a study then the subject is more or less signed and sealed. It may take a few years - others called for this a few years ago - but it will be contained in some EU directive in the future.

When will this stupidity end? 

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No One Mentions The Losses Do They

Ships Becalmed on a Rock Coast

The following is a comment left by Apogee on this post. I thought it worth posting in case anyone missed it.

'Hi SR. Al Gore again. How I wish that I had thought of that scam, I'd be rich.

This will never work because to work it needs a means of storing electric power in BULK INDUSTRIAL QUANTITIES. There IS NO large Industrial Storage means for electricity, about the largest batteries commonly used are for BACKUP POWER for telephone exchanges, and they can cover the area of a tennis court,and that's for a couple of hours until they get the diesel generators on line.

Why do you think commerce is in steam or diesel powered ships, because of reliability and you can drive a much bigger ship. Ever seen a 50000 ton sail powered cargo ship? and you won't. Wind power is inherently unreliable, read about the old clipper ships, look at the life on them for the crews,it was hard. And that was the best that could be done with wind power. As soon as the wind stopped, you stopped.

Handbook of Homemade Power. Get a copy from the library or buy a copy, read it fully and you will understand why alternative power can be used for a farm or even a big property, but look at the amount of power your house uses, and then tell me how you would power it by alternatives, and then scale it up to power a small town and tell me how THAT would work. And cost. And remember that all large scale storage is direct current and all your houses use alternating current. Any one with ideas I would like to hear, because I think before long we may need some!

I am not going into the losses on transmission lines, typically 30% on a long line, but would you run your car if it lost that, remember you car loses at least 10 % when you use air conditioning and another 10 % with an automatic gearbox. No one mentions losses, do they.'

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A Disappointing Scene

Last week it was disappointing to see Alex Salmond welcome to Scotland the former US vice-president, in his capacity as the world's climate change guru.

Obviously environmental issues need to be discussed, but to invite Al Gore to talk at the Scottish low-carbon investment conference merely shows the Scottish government need to progress with their environmental policies rather than listen to a somewhat discredited Yesterday's Man.

There's little doubt Mr Gore has become a multi-millionaire on the back of the carbon scam and he continues to produce his false science to the world.  Thank goodness there are those who are prepared to examine his claims with a fine toothed comb. (The link is a lengthy read but very worthwhile).

How I wish the Scottish government would withdraw from the carbon scam, stop filling our lovely countryside with giant turbines which produce little long-term employment and begin to use our expertise in the renewables field for the benefit of the people.  The only 'benefit' bestowed on us at present are ever increasing utility bills - and we are the only oil producing country in Europe.

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The Beginning of the End for the Green Energy Movement

Public carbon trading is now dead in the USA says Watts Up With That?  The Chicago Carbon Exchange has closed with a closing price of a nickel per ton of CO2.

To add to the misery of the green movement, huge new discoveries in gas, oil and rare mineral deposits see major investors and governments bail out of a collapsing green energy movement.  In December pro-green Spain slashed funding for wind projects by 35% and declared photovoltaic plants would be cut by 45%.  France then announced a four-month freeze on all solar projects.  Then Germany announced it may discontinue the solar industry's sweetheart tariffs in 2012.  The German Energy Agency called for Germany's drive towards solar to be 'cut back quickly and drastically'.

According to the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF), Dr faith Birol, chief economist of the International Energy Agency, told an assembled London audience that it was now 'impossible' to meet targets to restrict agreed limits on emissions of carbon dioxide.  She conceded that as the eco-energy market stumbles the traditional energy sources show a sudden surge in reserves and blames the shale gas boom in the US that has led to a 50% drop in investment in renewable energy.

"There's suddenly much more gas available in the world than previously thought."



One notable investor at the head of the rush is Bill Gates who thinks that there is better money to be made in advanced oil exploration technologies.

China's vice-minister of land and resources announced at a national conference in Beijing earlier this month that Chinese geologists have detected 'super-thick' oil and gas-bearing stratums in the northern part of the South China Sea.  The ministry confirmed that new finds had also increased the reserves of iron and aluminum by 41% and 39% compared with the levels of 1999.  China is the world's biggest consumer of coal, steel, alumina, copper and cement and rare metals, particularly neodymium, associated with the production of wind farms.

New research from Brazil further suggests experts are changing their opinions over the concept of 'peak energy'.  Oil deposits have been discovered below a layer of salt in the Atlantic Ocean holding at least 123 billion barrels of reserves which are more than double previous government estimates.

More oil has been found in the North Sea and the Scottish-based company Cairn Energy continues successfully around Greenland and elsewhere.

Such news must make uncomfortable reading for environmentalists and green investors, who may be tempted to cut and run, causing carbon trading businesses to collapse. The closure of the Chicago Carbon Exchange is only the beginning.

Update:  Just prior to publication I noticed a fellow blogger has expanded the neodymium issue with his usual vitality.  The Scottish government should take note.

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The Sting At Cancun

It's too quiet in Cancun.  Suspiciously quiet.  With the exception of Chris Huhne's unnecessary attendance in the tuition fees vote today there has been little information about this expensive jaunt for the vast UK contingent.  While looking for the exact figures of UK representatives, I came across this gem:


'But UK diplomats are not just sitting in the warm sunshine, listening to the surf and sipping tequila sunrises. No sir. Our government has invited an unknown number of green businesses to Cancún, promising access to energy secretary Chris Huhne, and other "high-level British government representatives", to both Mexican and British senior level officials, business owners and politicians. Participation is heavily subsidised by the British government, including subsidised accommodation.' source


More taxpayers' money poured into the climate change deception with 'green' businesses having subsidised holidays in the sun.


However, there's a far more serious side to this summit and the most important development.  That's perhaps why the media has been subdued.  Viscount Monckton has highlighted the main points of the UNFCCC's Chairman's report with an explanation as to how these documents are published:


All UNFCCC documents at the Cancun conference, specifically including Possible elements of the outcome, are drafted with what is called “transparent impenetrability”. The intention is that the documents should not be understood, but that later we shall be told they were in the public domain all the time, so what are we complaining about?


Furthermore he continues:


Finance: Western countries will jointly provide $100 billion a year by 2020 to an unnamed new UN Fund. To keep this sum up with GDP growth, the West may commit itself to pay 1.5% of GDP to the UN each year. That is more than twice the 0.7% of GDP that the UN has recommended the West to pay in foreign aid for the past half century. Several hundred of the provisions in the Chairman’s note will impose huge financial costs on the nations of the West.

The world-government Secretariat: In all but name, the UN Convention’s Secretariat will become a world government directly controlling hundreds of global, supranational, regional, national and sub-national bureaucracies. It will receive the vast sum of taxpayers’ money ostensibly paid by the West to the Third World for adaptation to the supposed adverse consequences of imagined (and imaginary) “global warming”.

I dare not suggest that the lack of MSM reporting is because they know full well that the Free World, of which we are part, are quietly and 'casually letting go of liberty, prosperity and even democracy itself', but may I suggest you read Christopher Monckton's evaluation of the report.  He's seldom short of the mark.

Follow the money as many say. We've allowed our respective governments to throw money away without accountability, not least to do with overseas aid.  Surely we must realise that we can't fund this project, which is intended to make money for the few and bring the masses into further poverty.  The UK spends 6.3% of its budget on defence.  You can do the sums if you don't mind while I gear myself up for the propaganda which we'll be fed for Cancun next week.

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"Free Sheets" promoting 10-10

Oh The Irony

We're so 'lucky', having 3 'Free Sheets' every week, each comprising 48 x tabloid-size pages of newsprint. 

Each is delivered, unrequested, and promptly helps fill our recycle bin. 

The front page of the latest one though, caught my eye. Plastered all over it was propaganda from 10:10, imploring us to Reduce Carbon Emissions.

So I have done. I've complained to the publisher instructing them to never deliver any more to my address. (One has to do one's bit to help save the Planet).

Contributed by Joe Public

Can I add a short note here please Joe?  My blogger friend ASE reports that '10:10 wants as many people as possible to send in pictures of their low carbon Sunday lunch tomorrow - email photos@1010global.org '.  I've just sent mine and a copy is below.  Maybe it could be lower in carbon if I omitted the ice?  Subrosa

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Council's Controversial Carbon Policy

I have to admit an interest here as this is my council who demand my council tax payment each month.

Last week a staff travel plan 'to encourage local authority staff to reduce their carbon footprint' was given the go-ahead, although not without a heated debate.  The yearly cost of this project will be £10,000.

The plan is an attempt to encourage council employees, based in the city of Perth, to cycle, walk, take public transport and to car-share when getting to and from work.  As well as the 'potential environmental implications it aims to boost PKC workers' health and well-being'.  Prominent local employers such as Scottish and Southern Energy and Aviva are also creating plans for their employees.

Many of you will not be surprised to know I strongly object to this money being spent on such a project.  Already council and NHS staff receive large discounts at a local private health club - one which offered pensioners no discount - and I consider the method by which council staff travel to work is their personal choice.

Council leader Ian Miller, a normally sensible and courteous man, described the move to reject the document as an "attempt to grab a cheap headline," adding, "I can assure them that sitting back and doing nothing on this issue is not an option."

If doing nothing is not an option Cllr Miller, why don't you spend the money on improving the health and well-being of those older people who live in rural communities which have poor public transport links to Perth?  Or another option would be to tear up the document because you must realise the carbon footprint issue is a scam.

source

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Holyrood Emissions

The Scottish Government website states 'Climate change is one of the most serious threats facing the world...' I always thought it was poverty and disease and I haven't altered my opinion.

The 'world-leading' Climate Change (Scotland) Act was passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament in 2009. When I read it then my immediate thought was 'this is going to cost each and every one of us a fortune', along with the fact that the targets set were not only extremely ambitious but completely unachievable in a country where the temperature can be zero and below for a few months of the year.

A FoI shows the estimated cost of Scotland's climate change laws is £8 billion. It's not often I'm right, but on this occasion an approximate cost of £1600 for every man, woman and child in this country is ludicrous.

What are we doing? Scotland is renowned for our medical research, once upon a time is was renowned for our education system but that accolade has bitten the dust, we're infamous for having the highest percentage of early deaths, we can still produce world-class engineers and medics through our universities, (although most have enough common sense to move, as soon as they're qualified, to countries which value them) and we intend to spend £8 billion on a scam which has no scientific concensus.

Some of the expense, for example the £800m which will go on planting an extra 15,000 hectares of forest every year, is sensible but £3.9bn on transport, when we don't have links directly with many European countries, is staggering. Included in that amount is the building of new cycle paths and footpaths. If our politicians think that prettying up footpaths and encouraging more cyclists will achieve a reduction in emissions they really are in cuckoo-land. Because of our climate there's not going to be an influx of walkers and cyclists. The present number will fluctuate by only a few points.

Then there is the £3.2bn which will go on energy efficiency plans, the bulk of it on home insulation subsidies. That's interesting. Anyone with any sense would have their home well insulated by now, considering the cost of gas and electricity has risen over 60% in the past couple of years. So where will the £3.2bn go? Into the public housing sector I presume. Who will pay for it? Us. Bills will become even more extortionate and there's nothing we can do about it. We have a choice though and ought to be grateful - pay up, freeze or starve.

Derek Brownlee, the finance spokesman for the Scottish Tories said: "We need to make sure we are not reducing emissions by wrecking the economy." Pity the Tories hadn't though of that before they voted for this despicable law.

source

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Planes or Volcanos. (May be of interest to BA's union)

A word of warning for the BA union. If the climate change fanatics get a hold your jobs won't exist anyway.

click to enlarge

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