Saving the planet from you savages doesn't come cheap?

[Nick]

There are often unintended consequences. More people switching to electric cars might well diminish the use of petrol and diesel, but it will obviously greatly increase the need for more electricity generation. I do wonder sometimes if the powers that be have thought that one through.

They recon by the time the batteries are installed in the car, the carbon footprint, if you believe in it, is the equivalent of 100k miles in a 2L diesel transit van. 

[srb7677]

Here's a thing. Making all those lovely wind turbine blades is using balsa wood from Ecuador Peru.
This is causing deforestation in those countries.
More unintended consequences.
https://english.elpais.com/usa/2021-11-26/how-the-wind-power-boom-is-driving-deforestation-in-the-amazon.html

There are often unintended consequences. More people switching to electric cars might well diminish the use of petrol and diesel, but it will obviously greatly increase the need for more electricity generation. I do wonder sometimes if the powers that be have thought that one through.

[Barry]

Here's a thing. Making all those lovely wind turbine blades is using balsa wood from Ecuador Peru.
This is causing deforestation in those countries.
More unintended consequences.
https://english.elpais.com/usa/2021-11-26/how-the-wind-power-boom-is-driving-deforestation-in-the-amazon.html

[Sampanviking]

China? Can't say I am too food of the Climate Change industry, but it does look as though Xi has picked the wrong time to throw a queanie.

A Queenie? All I see is a judgement that Glasgow is not a summit but simply a gathering of the second division nations that will have no ability to achieve anything beyond soundbites.
Xi along with other major world leaders, have simply concluded it will just be a waste of time to attend and have more productive business to attend to elsewhere.
Still if you feel aggrieved Borky, you can always send a gunboat, after all as you well know, they don't like it up em.

[srb7677]

The governments proposals will cost me well beyond what I can possibly afford.
To fit  a charging point in my garage due to local building regulations would cost me £3000 at least. (Currently an electric car is well beyond my means.
I currently have central heating by an open coal fire with a back boiler. Due to legislation I now have to use very expensive coal in it.
To change that system would cost many £thousands I do not have.
Most of my neighbours are in the same position as me.

I know you are often criticised on this forum but you are making a broadly valid point. That there are many people in this country who cannot afford to make the necessary changes without substantial state aid, which is effective money raised from taxpayers. How to make the necessary changes affordable and practicable for all without huge increases in taxation is a conumdrum. Yet if the world does not make the necessary changes, huge increases in taxation will be the least of our worries.

In terms of personal situations I am a social tenant. I currently have gas central heating and gas heated hot water. Changing that will be the responsibility of my social landlord, but how would it pay for it? Either massive rent hikes or a lot more state money would be necessary. And as someone living in a top floor flat with no garage, how could I charge an electric car? And even if a stand alone charging point were provided for me in the street, how could I ensure no one else would park there? And what about those scrotes who could be relied upon to unplug your car for a laugh so that when you need it for work in the morning it has no charge? Clearly there are a lot of problems to be ironed out before electric cars for all can even begin to become feasible.

[johnofgwent]

A couple of days ago the Guardian had an article in which Climate Change activists said that the most dangerous time was before the police arrived. Apparently motorists and such got annoyed when the tree buggers glued themselves to the road and tended to get out and give them a good kicking. So if the activists know that there actions are so counter productive, why are they bothering? Are they so desperate for attention.

I believe diesel is wonderful at breaking up road surfaces. All we need to.is soak their hands or whatever other bits they glued to the road in it, apply hammer and chisel to crack the road surface off, drag the twats to the roadside and cable tie them to a road sign Preferably by the neck ... Job done

[Borchester]

Climate change or no climate change, one inescapable fact that is not getting much coverage at the moment is that fossil fuels are finite and we're using them up at an increasing rate.
The UK has already consumed most of its North Sea gas and oil reserves. Known exploitable oil reserves in the world would last about 50 years at current rates of consumption. So we're going to have to move to renewable energy anyway so it's best to start now rather than our children / grandchildren being faced with a 'what are we going to do now?' situation when the oil runs out.

In 2000 hardly any of our electricity came from renewables and people said they's never play a significant part in our energy supply. Now, 21 years on, we get as much as 50% of our electricity from renewables occasionally, although the average is about 37%.

People said electric cars would never work because nobody would want to drive around in a 'milk float' - now Tesla is one of the world's major car manufacturers.

I think we have to accept that many people can't afford to change to electric cars or clean, sustainable central heating. But when it comes to people buying new cars or central heating, making them 'go green' is fine.

A couple of days ago the Guardian had an article in which Climate Change activists said that the most dangerous time was before the police arrived. Apparently motorists and such got annoyed when the tree buggers glued themselves to the road and tended to get out and give them a good kicking.

So if the activists know that there actions are so counter productive, why are they bothering? Are they so desperate for attention.

[HDQQ]

Climate change or no climate change, one inescapable fact that is not getting much coverage at the moment is that fossil fuels are finite and we're using them up at an increasing rate.
The UK has already consumed most of its North Sea gas and oil reserves. Known exploitable oil reserves in the world would last about 50 years at current rates of consumption. So we're going to have to move to renewable energy anyway so it's best to start now rather than our children / grandchildren being faced with a 'what are we going to do now?' situation when the oil runs out.

In 2000 hardly any of our electricity came from renewables and people said they's never play a significant part in our energy supply. Now, 21 years on, we get as much as 50% of our electricity from renewables occasionally, although the average is about 37%.

People said electric cars would never work because nobody would want to drive around in a 'milk float' - now Tesla is one of the world's major car manufacturers.

I think we have to accept that many people can't afford to change to electric cars or clean, sustainable central heating. But when it comes to people buying new cars or central heating, making them 'go green' is fine.

[Borchester]

Have you borrowed Nicks keyboard?

Hard to resist when dealing with Sampanviking.

If Xi stood on the podium and started eating babies, Sam would declare that this proved China's commitment to world peace and that the coal fired Chinese power stations would cure bronchitis.

Anyway, no harm done. I think that we have reached peak guilt re the tree hugging brigade. I am a tree hugger and I don't like the bastards, so God knows how the rest of the planet feels.

[cromwell]

China? Can't say I am too food of the Climate Change industry, but it does look as though Xi has picked the wrong time to throw a queanie.

Have you borrowed Nicks keyboard?
 

[Borchester]

The other pertinent of course is "how the "f**k" has a once great nation sunk to such dismal social and cultural depths

China? Can't say I am too food of the Climate Change industry, but it does look as though Xi has picked the wrong time to throw a queanie.

[Sampanviking]

I think it's something to do with freedom.

If that is indeed the case, I can only say that it is then, grossly overrated.

This freedom looks little more than license for extremists to try to impose their new green caliphate on the rest of us whether we want it or not.
So its freedom for the few and oppression for the majority, in everything from expressing a private opinion that can lose you your job, livelihood and even get you incarcerated,
to freedom of movement being removed via wholly impractical new forms of transport and costs of flying.
Even the freedom to heat your home as effective and proven central heating systems are outlawed in favour of very expensive/ unproven new systems.
All of which is dependent on a secure electricity supply which, by dint of the very same policies will be nothing of the sort.

Freedom!?? We are becoming more like North Korea than North Korea is!

[T00ts]

Everybody is going to be there (except for anyone that actually matters) :D

I understand not even Saint Greta of Thumburg will be attending, maybe she has discovered a new calling as Rick Astley tribute act?

Now it only needs no one to be able to attend due to Climate Protestors gluing themselves to the entrance road to the venue.

The other pertinent of course is "how the "f**k" has a once great nation sunk to such dismal social and cultural depths

I think it's something to do with freedom.

[Sampanviking]

Everybody is going to be there (except for anyone that actually matters) :D

I understand not even Saint Greta of Thumburg will be attending, maybe she has discovered a new calling as Rick Astley tribute act?

Now it only needs no one to be able to attend due to Climate Protestors gluing themselves to the entrance road to the venue.

The other pertinent of course is "how the "f**k" has a once great nation sunk to such dismal social and cultural depths

[Thomas]

COP26: Russia's Vladimir Putin will not attend climate summit




Russia's President Vladimir Putin will not attend the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
No reason was given for the decision not to attend, but a Kremlin spokesperson said climate change was an "important" priority for Russia.
COP26 takes place in Scotland's largest city from 31 October to 12 November.
Russia's decision is seen as a blow to efforts to get leaders to negotiate a new deal to stall rising global temperatures.
"Unfortunately, Putin will not fly to Glasgow," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that climate change was "one of our foreign policy's most important priorities.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58977993