{"id":285731,"date":"2023-10-29T20:25:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T19:25:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=285731"},"modified":"2023-10-29T20:25:09","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T19:25:09","slug":"the-uks-net-zero-policy-an-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=285731","title":{"rendered":"The UK\u2019s Net Zero Policy \u2013 an\u00a0Update"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Net Zero would be socially and economically\u00a0disastrous.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

BY\u00a0ROBIN GUENIER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. It\u2019s unachievable. <\/strong>Many vehicles and machines (used for example in mining, agriculture, heavy transportation, emergencies, commercial shipping, aviation, the military and construction) and products (for example concrete, steel, plastics, fertiliser, pharmaceuticals, anaesthetics, lubricants, paints, adhesives, tyres and asphalt) essential to our lives and wellbeing require the combustion of fossil fuels or are made from oil derivatives; there are no easily deployable, commercially viable alternatives. Then (a) wind power (the only truly practical source of renewable energy in the UK) is becoming increasingly expensive; (b) the complex engineering and cost challenges of establishing a stable, reliable net zerogrid by 2035 (2030 for a Labour government) \u2013 not least the need for a huge increase in grid capacity and (c) the vast scale of what\u2019s involved (immense amounts of space and of increasingly expensive material are required because the \u2018energy density\u2019 of wind and sun is so low) make it unlikely that the UK will be able to generate sufficient renewable electricity for current needs let alone the mandated electric vehicles and heat pumps. In any case, the UK doesn\u2019t have enough skilled technical managers, electrical and other engineers, electricians, plumbers, mechanics and other tradespeople (probably about a million) to do the multitude of tasks that would be essential to achieve net zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. It would be socially and economically<\/strong> disastrous<\/strong>. That\u2019s especially so as neither the Government\u2019s nor Labour\u2019s all-renewable energy project includes a fully costed (or indeed any) engineering plan for the provision of comprehensive grid-scale back-up when there\u2019s little or no wind or sun. Yet without such a plan, electricity blackouts would be inevitable \u2013 ruining many businesses and causing seriously damaging problems for millions of people, including dreadful health consequences threatening everyone but in particular the poor and vulnerable. And that\u2019s not the only aspect of net zero for which costs have yet to be determined. All that\u2019s clear is that the overall cost of the entire project would almost certainly be unaffordable: for example, a recent National Infrastructure Commission projection of \u00a31.3 trillion is probably far too low. The borrowing and taxes required to pay costs in the trillions would destroy Britain\u2019s credit record and\/or put an impossible burden onto millions of households and businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Net zero would have two other dire consequences: (i) as China essentially controls the supply of key materials (for example so-called rare earths) without which renewables cannot be manufactured, the UK would greatly increase its already damaging dependence on it, putting our energy and overall security at most serious risk and (ii) the vast mining and mineral processing operations required for renewables are already causing appalling environmental damage and dreadful human suffering, affecting in particular fragile, unspoilt ecosystems and many of the world\u2019s poorest and most vulnerable people; the continued pursuit of net zero would make all this far worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Above all, it\u2019s pointless<\/strong>. Most major non-Western countries \u2013 the source of over 75% of CO2<\/sub> emissions and home to 84% of humanity \u2013 don\u2019t regard emission reduction as a priority and, either exempt from or ignoring any obligation to reduce their emissions, are focused instead on economic and social development, poverty eradication and energy security. As a result, global emissions are increasing and are set to continue to increase for the foreseeable future whatever the UK (the source of less than 1% of global emissions) may or may not do. It therefore makes absolutely no sense for Britain to pursue this unachievable and disastrous policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013\u00a0October 2023<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Net Zero would be socially and economically\u00a0disastrous. From Climate Scepticism BY\u00a0ROBIN GUENIER 1. It\u2019s unachievable. Many vehicles and machines (used for example in mining, agriculture, heavy transportation, emergencies, commercial shipping, aviation, the military and construction) and products (for example concrete, steel, plastics, fertiliser, pharmaceuticals, anaesthetics, lubricants, paints, adhesives, tyres and asphalt) essential to our lives and 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