{"id":263792,"date":"2023-06-25T13:56:54","date_gmt":"2023-06-25T11:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=263792"},"modified":"2023-06-25T13:57:05","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T11:57:05","slug":"the-man-who-would-be-green-king","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=263792","title":{"rendered":"The Man Who Would Be Green\u00a0King"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Climate Scepticism<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0JIT<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

[Please excuse the bits where I get angry and write in ALL CAPS.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All he has to do is hide in a bunker for the next 18 months and victory is assured. Sooner or later \u2013 probably later, clinging on to power by their claw-tips \u2013 the Tories will have to call an election. A less popular government you\u2019d be hard pressed to find. Hello Red, Goodbye Blue. We\u2019re talking Blair \u201997 territory here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Sir Keir Starmer felt the need last week to come out and give a speech on energy. Luckily for him, it landed with the thud of a dandelion\u2019s feather-winged achene on an unkempt lawn (one Labour councillor resigned); but seasoned climate sceptics saw enough in it to bite their knuckles in fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What did the next Prime Minister say?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I did not hear the speech, and am relying on the transcript from LabourList<\/a> for this commentary. Nor did I hear the warm-up acts, which included Ed Miliband (update: I have heard most of what Ed said now). Ed is said to have described Labour\u2019s national mission on clean energy as \u201cthe sound of the future arriving.\u201d [Confirmed.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure. As long as that sound is the hollow crunching noise of a feral dog snacking on the bones of a corpse by the side of the road. But I digress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starmer begins by thanking warm-up acts Ed, Rachel Reeves & Anas Sarwar, then characterises Labour\u2019s clean energy mission as a cause that will deliver half a million jobs, 10% of them in Scotland. Then what may be described as the plaintive call for the orderlies starts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

It [Labour\u2019s national mission on clean energy] will power us forward towards net zero, generate growth right across the country, end the suffocating cost-of-living crisis and get Putin\u2019s boot off our throat with real energy security. A stronger, more secure Britain, once again at the service of working people, with cheaper bills and clean electricity by 2030.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We expect bromides in political speeches, but this is just delusional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

It is an ambitious goal \u2013 it would put us ahead of any major economy in the world. But at the moment, we\u2019re nowhere near the front of the pack, and this is a race we have to win.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We are <\/em>close to the front of the pack in terms of the proportion of our electricity that comes from wind power, as I showed last week. We are also close to the back <\/em>of the pack in terms of the value for money of our energy bills. Reason dictates that the \u201ccleaner\u201d* our energy gets, the closer we get to the front of that race \u2013 the worse we will do in the energy bills race. But Starmer believes differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I\u2019ll start with the necessity, the unbending urgency of this mission. It\u2019s not just about the imperative of the climate emergency, not just the fundamentals of global economic competition or the race for the jobs of the future. It\u2019s all of that, absolutely. But it\u2019s also something even more serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make no mistake, we are living in an increasingly volatile world. The twin risks of climate change and energy security now threaten the stability of nations, so we\u2019ve got to ground everything we do in a new insight: that clean energy is now essential for national security.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201eThe unbending urgency\u201c? Chortle. \u201cThe imperative of the climate emergency\u201d? Clean energy in the UK won\u2019t have any effect on that, if it exists. \u201cThe race for the jobs of the future\u201d? What are they? People aren\u2019t even clearing up dead bodies, or rounding up the feral dogs. And to describe clean energy as essential for national security is to overlook the obvious matter \u2013 as discussed here and elsewhere \u2013 that even if we were to become free of our dependence on fossil fuels in this bright green future\u2026 we will become very dependent on the large suite of materials needed to manufacture our clean energy\u2026 some of which are largely controlled by countries we would be a bit twitchy about \u201cdepending\u201d upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I\u2019m not going to give you a moral sermon about the urgency of climate change, everyone gets that argument.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

No. What I offer is a plan: a new course through stormy waters, a bridge to a better future.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Starmer then goes through some boilerplate about how the North Sea\u2019s dividend was squandered, bashes the Tories, etc. Everything has gone terribly in Scotland so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

But if you come to places like Nova Innovation here, or the hydrogen and carbon capture cluster in Grangemouth or the marvel of the Whitelee Windfarm outside Glasgow, then you can glimpse a different path. The green shoots of a third Scotland, a new Scotland, a future Scotland.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The third Scotland seems to be a euphemism for mouldy ceilings, huddling in twelve jumpers, reading Dickens by candlelight and auto-dentistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starmer fought the Tories when they closed the pits (is there any irony here?) and he knows that industrial change makes folks nervous. But don\u2019t worry guys, he\u2019s got this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

So in all candour, the reality is this: the moment for decisive action is now. If we wait until North Sea oil and gas runs out, the opportunities this change can bring for Scotland and your community will pass us by, and that would be a historic mistake. An error, for the future of Scotland, as big as the Thatcher government closing down the coal mines, while frittering away the opportunity of the North Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My offer, the Labour offer, is this: a credible plan to manage the change, protect good jobs and create good jobs. No cliff** edges. But at the same time, to harness the wealth that is in our air, in our seas, in our skies and use it to serve the interests of your community.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The wealth that is in Scotland\u2019s air! It\u2019s going to become the Saudi Arabia of wind, and there won\u2019t be a hair shirt in sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other countries are plotting the same course, be we have the ace on them\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

We have tremendous advantages here: our coast, our shallow waters, our universities, our creativity, the depth of our skills, the graft of our people, the superpower sciences, the technological edge, and yes \u2013 if you can believe it, even our weather.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

There is a distinction to be made between being exploiting the wealth of our own air and exporting machines to help other countries exploit theirs^. Now, it should be obvious to readers that the one has the potential to push us into grinding poverty and power cuts while the other has the potential to bring our country some advantage. I don\u2019t need to explain which is which.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Seriously \u2013 there are no grounds for the defeatism which says we can\u2019t lead the world on this. That our prospects will always be squeezed out by the US and the EU. That\u2019s declinist nonsense. But at the same time, we\u2019ve got to get moving. At the moment, we\u2019re standing on the sidelines, wringing our hands and falling behind because our government talks about economic stability yet understands nothing of what this requires in times like ours.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I wasn\u2019t aware that the US and EU are going to squeeze out our prospects. The US has more chance of doing that than the EU, which is declining at the same rate we are, for similar reasons. Why does Starmer not look to those countries where the growth in GDP is actually occurring? Is it because he knows we don\u2019t have a snowball\u2019s chance in (one of the warm parts of) hell of ever competing with them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next he goes on about how terrible free market dogma is, how \u201cWhen the winds of change are blowing this fiercely, you need a government that gets involved and intervenes, on behalf of working people, to secure stability and growth<\/em>.\u201d Labour will be responsible with your money, etc. No borrowing except to invest. You know the sort of thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

This isn\u2019t some kind of sackcloth and sandals message anymore \u2013 it\u2019s not a nice-to-have. Clean British energy is cheaper than fossil fuels \u2013 three times cheaper. That\u2019s a potential gold mine for our mission on growth and the benefits flow primarily to working people and working class communities.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

First it was four times cheaper, then nine times cheaper, now it\u2019s three times cheaper. Well, that\u2019s volatile ol\u2018 fossil fuel for you. Of course, if clean British energy was so much cheaper than fossil fuels, it would no longer need subsidies. The fact that wind companies are wailing about how their inflation-plus<\/em> contracts are no longer affordable because of, er, inflation, so please send more money now, tells you all you need to know. Plus, of course, Sir Keir is here either being disingenuous, or is unaware of the most basic problems with that \u201cthree times cheaper\u201d formulation. This is that Mr. Fossil Fuel stands alone, but if you employ \u201cclean British energy\u201d for the job, you also have to employ Mr. Frequency Stabiliser, Mr. Grid Extension, Mr. Backup Energy and Mr. AC\/DC. And you would be wise to keep Mr. Fossil Fuel on a retainer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now we come to the truly delusional stuff. The knuckle-biting stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I went to the steelworks in Scunthorpe two weeks ago, spoke to the workforce there. They don\u2019t glue themselves to railings, but let me tell you, they\u2019re desperate for change. They say \u2018we want clean energy, we\u2019ve got the customers, we just need the technology and a government that stands alongside us\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the same story in Clydebridge, the same story in Port Talbot \u2013 these jobs are on the line, so let\u2019s back carbon capture, let\u2019s invest in hydrogen, nuclear, tidal energy, double onshore wind, treble solar power, quadruple offshore wind and insulate 19 million homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the new foundation for British prosperity. \u00a31,400 a year off energy bills for working families. Just imagine the difference that would make in a cost-of-living crisis.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want clean energy\u201d? What even are you talking about? They want cheap<\/em> energy, you dolt. They don\u2019t care where it comes from. \u201cLet\u2019s back carbon capture.\u201d Are you yanking my bleedin\u2018 chain, how much money is that going to make? Invest in hydrogen? Fantasyland. Tidal? Tidal will never, ever, pay for itself. You don\u2019t even need the back of an envelope to realise that it solely exists to GET PEOPLE LIKE SIR KEIR TO SEND ITS PROMOTERS SHEDLOADS OF OTHER PEOPLE\u2019S MONEY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s quadruple offshore wind. Let\u2019s make ourselves even more dependent on the whims of the notoriously reliable British weather. Let\u2019s see how many birds we can knock out of the sky, while \u201erestoring\u201c Nature. What the hell. What did birds ever do for the economy? Let\u2019s treble solar power, so that power costs nothing at noon, and infinity plus one when you want to boil a kettle at five p.m. on a still February evening. About the only thing I can agree with here is nuclear. It\u2019s a shame that the lead in time on nuclear is so long. It\u2019s a shame that all our nuclear engineers gave up after the opposition to Sizewell B killed the industry off, so that we now have to GO TO OTHER COUNTRIES to build them for us, us, the first country to plumb a nuke into our grid, who in 2023 don\u2019t even know how to replace the fuse in a 3-pin plug any more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u00a31,400 a year off energy bills\u2026\u201d This only makes sense if the gas is going to be cut off, along with the electricity. Then we\u2019ll only have to pay the standing charge. We\u2019ll have to go to the woods to cut trees down to burn, and Sir Keir\u2019s mates will bust the door in and drag us away screaming for violating clean air regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blah blah blah \u2013 planning reform, procurement, whatever, the usual platitudes that politicians give us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

People are going to be sceptical about this, I get that. Especially here in Scotland, people say \u2018we\u2019ve got the windfarms, we\u2019ve got the hydro-electricity, we\u2019ve invested in clean energy, that\u2019s all good, but the jobs boom we were promised, it never came\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no denying this, it\u2019s a fact. The Tory-SNP era has failed miserably. Less than a quarter of the jobs that the SNP promised have materialised. The simple reason for this is they don\u2019t have a plan and never had a plan. In the case of the Tories, they don\u2019t believe in plans.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Of course the jobs never came. THEY WENT TO WHERE THE WIND TURBINES WERE BUILT, WHICH WAS NOT SCOTLAND. Why would you build turbines in a country where energy is so expensive, where productivity is low, where wages are high, where there are no mines, no refineries, where there is a war on fossil fuels? I dunno about you, but I think I would opt to build turbines in poor countries, where there are lots of fit young people, where labour and (fossil-fueled) energy are cheap, where environmental and workplace safety standards can be summarised by a shrug, and SELL THEM TO STUPID RICH COUNTRIES UNTIL THEY RUN OUT OF MONEY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I spoke to the people involved in the projects at Grangemouth last week. They\u2019re ambitious, clear about the benefits of carbon capture, but frustrated by the speed of progress, and they were clear about the missing ingredient \u2013 political clarity of thought from government.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

You mean they wanted PROMISES OF MONEY. There are no benefits of carbon capture. IT IS AN IMMENSE BLOATED PARASITE LATCHED ONTO THE BACK OF AN OTHERWISE PROFITABLE ENTERPRISE. It is a money sink that will never, ever, under any circumstance, bring one iota of benefit to the UK. If you believe otherwise, you are delusional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The competition for clean energy investment is fierce and will only get fiercer. All around the world, our competitors are developing new frameworks to attract it, and you better believe it \u2013 they are rewriting the rules of their economies to make sure it delivers good jobs.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What they are doing is giving companies money to build stuff in their country. And if the subsidies go, so do the jobs and the companies. Now, you can argue that the free market would not be able to compete against subsidy regimes. I understand that. Starmer seems to want to out-subsidise the US etc. He also wants to compel local origin rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

We will transform the way we set the price for investors in clean energy. The contracts for difference auctions must deliver jobs as well as investment. We will set new rules \u2013 as a condition of entry \u2013 on good work, decent pay and union recognition.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

He then goes on about his idea for GB Energy, which will belong to all four nations of the UK and build and own wind farms etc., then builds up to a crescendo of hope, ending with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Some nation is going to lead the world in offshore wind. Why not this one? Some nation will win the race for new hydrogen power. Why not us? Some nation will become a clean energy superpower. Why not Britain? Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Wait, I think I know the answer to this one. It\u2019s because the clean energy superpower is going to be powered by fossil fuels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notes & Featured Image<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

^Jobs in energy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jobs in energy are a net cost to the economy. Jobs in energy export are a net benefit to the economy. It is stupid to use the metric of \u201cnumber of jobs\u201d without extreme care. You could make the case for depriving a labourer of his wheelbarrow, on the basis that it will then take two labourers to do the same job, doubling employment. Similarly if the quantity of energy produced is unchanged, more jobs in it makes the country poorer. If we are going to be building wind turbines and selling them to other countries, those jobs are a net benefit. But for that to be realistic you would have to believe that we can undercut developing countries on manufacturing costs. I don\u2019t believe we can. That makes the \u201cnumber of jobs\u201d a red herring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Clean energy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I despise this term. For too long have renewable energy sources worn this undeserved badge of moral superiority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

**Cliff edges<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starmer refers to the loss of jobs when the existing North Sea industry dies (he will not permit any new licenses for fossil fuels, although he did not mention that here. Maybe Ed did). There is another cliff edge we might approach, which is when our energy system no longer has a high enough benefit: cost ratio (e.g. EROI) to allow us to maintain our current standard of living. There are two variables to consider: 1) what is the necessary EROI to maintain our standard of living? and 2) what is the EROI of different energy sources? I do not know, but I strongly suspect, that the EROI of renewables is less than the EROI required for a thriving civilisation. [Note that here I use EROI as a shorthand for a more complicated variable, since the support staff for renewables are not included in it.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The featured image is something like \u201eThe red lemming king leading his followers off a cliff\u201c. Dall.e.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Postscript<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You can watch Sir Keir\u2019s speech, plus the warm-up acts including Ed, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sir Keir Starmer felt the need last week to come out and give a speech on energy. Luckily for him, it landed with the thud of a dandelion\u2019s feather-winged achene on an unkempt lawn (one Labour councillor resigned); but seasoned climate sceptics saw enough in it to bite their knuckles in fear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":263797,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691820474,691820075,691818154,691818181,691820026,691818299,691820473,691818248],"class_list":{"0":"post-263792","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-clean-energy-mission","9":"tag-labour","10":"tag-net-zero","11":"tag-renewable-energy","12":"tag-sir-keir-starmer","13":"tag-subsidies","14":"tag-tories","15":"tag-uk","17":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0-Green-king.jpeg?fit=1750%2C1981&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-16CI","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":267194,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=267194","url_meta":{"origin":263792,"position":0},"title":"\u201cI hate tree huggers\u201d: Britain\u2019s Opposition Leader on Net Zero Proposals","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"13\/07\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Britain\u2019s opposition leader is not interested in Net Zero proposals unless they produce lots of green jobs, to replace jobs lost in \u201cold sectors\u201d.","rel":"","context":"In \"Keir Starmer\"","block_context":{"text":"Keir Starmer","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=keir-starmer"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0JCKF1J1CK7NBJTDYF60X.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0JCKF1J1CK7NBJTDYF60X.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0JCKF1J1CK7NBJTDYF60X.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0JCKF1J1CK7NBJTDYF60X.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0JCKF1J1CK7NBJTDYF60X.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":240660,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=240660","url_meta":{"origin":263792,"position":1},"title":"Labour will end North Sea oil investment","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"20\/01\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to stop investing in new British oil and gas fields if Labour wins the next election. Quite how his mad plan will bring down energy costs, as he claims, is beyond me. Does this moron not understand the laws of supply and demand?","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-880.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-880.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-880.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-880.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/image-880.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":266518,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=266518","url_meta":{"origin":263792,"position":2},"title":"Clash of Priorities in Labour Party Reveals Deep Divide on Climate Change and Jobs","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/07\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Keir Starmer\u2019s lukewarm response to Ed Miliband\u2019s energy policies reveals a widening rift within the party. His prioritisation of sustainable job creation over \u201ctree huggers\u201d is threatening the party\u2019s unity. The\u00a0Sunday Times has more.","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate crisis\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate crisis","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-crisis"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-273.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-273.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-273.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-273.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":263124,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=263124","url_meta":{"origin":263792,"position":3},"title":"Starmer Confirms Ban On North Sea\u00a0Exploration","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"21\/06\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Ignore the waffle about cutting bills and energy security, Starmer confirms he will ban all new North Sea exploration, although existing licences will be honoured. Quite how this enhances our energy security is a mystery!","rel":"","context":"In \"North Sea\"","block_context":{"text":"North Sea","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=north-sea"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0-Blackout-Germany.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0-Blackout-Germany.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0-Blackout-Germany.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0-Blackout-Germany.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0-Blackout-Germany.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":426648,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=426648","url_meta":{"origin":263792,"position":4},"title":"Starmer surrenders to EU net zero\u00a0rules","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"16\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The story reflects deep ideological divides: The Telegraph views any post-Brexit alignment as regression, while the government frames it as forward-looking pragmatism. As of mid-February 2026, it's a live political flashpoint but not yet a signed agreement. Social media (e.g., Facebook, X): Users and commentators called it a \"disaster for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"climate and energy policy\"","block_context":{"text":"climate and energy policy","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-and-energy-policy"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNFZuP2gRgYcc3NoO3WKwYuy153aaKdzOa5AI0Gf0B_UgLRwT1Yshy99hIOYFICj7bbPygqi3fnz_fD_L66u8zH2eiGA2GN-C7DPvL7bDBkuYDf7UQoab-ZJtdz0jTA.jpeg?fit=1200%2C748&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNFZuP2gRgYcc3NoO3WKwYuy153aaKdzOa5AI0Gf0B_UgLRwT1Yshy99hIOYFICj7bbPygqi3fnz_fD_L66u8zH2eiGA2GN-C7DPvL7bDBkuYDf7UQoab-ZJtdz0jTA.jpeg?fit=1200%2C748&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNFZuP2gRgYcc3NoO3WKwYuy153aaKdzOa5AI0Gf0B_UgLRwT1Yshy99hIOYFICj7bbPygqi3fnz_fD_L66u8zH2eiGA2GN-C7DPvL7bDBkuYDf7UQoab-ZJtdz0jTA.jpeg?fit=1200%2C748&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNFZuP2gRgYcc3NoO3WKwYuy153aaKdzOa5AI0Gf0B_UgLRwT1Yshy99hIOYFICj7bbPygqi3fnz_fD_L66u8zH2eiGA2GN-C7DPvL7bDBkuYDf7UQoab-ZJtdz0jTA.jpeg?fit=1200%2C748&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNFZuP2gRgYcc3NoO3WKwYuy153aaKdzOa5AI0Gf0B_UgLRwT1Yshy99hIOYFICj7bbPygqi3fnz_fD_L66u8zH2eiGA2GN-C7DPvL7bDBkuYDf7UQoab-ZJtdz0jTA.jpeg?fit=1200%2C748&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":220650,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=220650","url_meta":{"origin":263792,"position":5},"title":"Race To the Bottom","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"25\/09\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Maybe one of these days, somebody could explain why the media still take Keir Starmer seriously?","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/image-1224.png?fit=645%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/image-1224.png?fit=645%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/image-1224.png?fit=645%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=263792"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263792\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":263799,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263792\/revisions\/263799"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/263797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=263792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=263792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=263792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}