The Minister for ‘Energy Security and Net Zero’, Mr Ed Miliband, was recently interviewed by a leading British newspaper. Unfortunately, the interview appears to have been an opportunity for Mr Miliband to express his opinions and ideas on the dangers of climate change, rather than an in-depth examination of the details of his policy. I would like to see journalists asking Mr Miliband some of the following questions and probing for detailed answers because I do not think we have had an honest examination of the Net Zero policy.
Mr Miliband,
How does the alleged climate crisis manifest itself in the UK? Which measurements are the most crucial and how and when will you know climate change has been defeated?
How strong is the evidence that carbon dioxide causes climate change? Is it possible that other factors, like solar cycles, ocean currents and cloud albedo, have a greater effect on the climate than this one gas?
What percentage of the atmosphere currently consists of CO2? At what lower percentage do you believe the climate will no longer change?
You have stated that you want a secure energy supply which is not dependent on the vagaries of international market prices and geopolitical uncertainties. Can you explain how this is solved by making our energy generation entirely reliant on the vagaries of sunshine and wind?
The Labour manifesto promised to reduce household energy bills but they have increased instead. The latest report shows the UK has the highest electricity bills in all of Europe. Why did you promise lowers bills to the electorate when you could not provide them?
The wind turbines and solar panels with which you hope to power the country are mainly made in China. The Chinese use coal-fired power stations to make these products before shipping them halfway around the world. Why don’t we use the coal beneath our feet to make these products ourselves? Why do you want to send our jobs and money to China instead of keeping them here?
Can you show us the EROEI (energy returned on energy invested) calculations for your new wind and solar installations? Can you compare those calculations for alternative energy sources like gas and nuclear?
You say you want our energy system to be ‘green’. Green is a colour, not a precise definition of an energy production system. If we assume ‘green’ means environmentally friendly, how do you measure the environmental impact of the 10 to 15 year lifespan of turbine blades and solar panels, which cannot be recycled, and the consequent 1,000s of tons of toxic waste which has to be buried in landfills? And how do you keep your promise to lower bills when all the turbines and panels will have to be replaced after a decade or two?
You have promised to send £11.6 billion pounds of British tax-payers money abroad for ‘overseas climate aid’. What measures are in place for an audit trail of how all of that money is spent? What criteria will be used to assess the effectiveness of the measures taken? What commitments have been made by the organisations receiving this money?
You have announced a £22 billion ‘investment’ in Carbon Capture. In your due diligence for this project, how much carbon did you decide we need to remove from the atmosphere to make a worthwhile change to the climate? How much CO2 will this project remove and how will you assess the cost effectiveness of this process? Why would a commercial entity invest in this project when there is no product to sell and no obvious way for them to make a profit on their investment? Or will the profit come from tax-payer subsidy?
You have recently accepted that the intermittent nature of wind and solar electricity generation will lead to times of inadequate supply. You have said this problem will be solved by the use of giant flywheels to store energy during times of plenty. Can you tell us how big these flywheels will have to be; how many we will need; how much they will cost; and for how long they will be able fill the void on a still, cold night?
How can you be confident in all of your decisions and policies when you and your Head of Mission, Chris Stark, had to write a letter to Fintan Slye of the National Grid asking him how to deliver a Net Zero electricity grid by 2030? When you have committed us to a Net Zero grid with great enthusiasm and assurances shouldn’t you already know how to do it?