Comments on: Practical Action Needed on Climate Change

By: markgamon

markgamon — Sat, 26 Nov 2005 11:24:06 +0000

PS:

Why are you a Conservative, Boris?

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By: markgamon

markgamon — Sat, 26 Nov 2005 11:21:43 +0000

Golly. This one almost passed me by too. Boris surprises me yet again…

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By: Psimon

Psimon — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 18:07:33 +0000

On the subject of flooding London, I’ve always been amused by “The houses of parliament” being an anagram of “loonies far up the thames”.

As to the “Slowing the current” issue, the multiple water mills along the length of the Thames don’t seem to do that.

As to the bio-fuels approach, i’m all for that too. The important thing is to reduce the carbon footprint as much as possible, and using ALL the alternatives to fossil fuels and nuclear energy makes excellent sense.

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By: Jack Target

Jack Target — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 17:52:59 +0000

The problem with energy production, aside from the costs, is that physically it is impossible. No process can in practice be 100% efficient. Anyone who has ridden a bicycle with a generator attached will appreciate that there’s no such thing as a renewable energy source! Things like wind generators are fine, because although they do indeed slow down the air as it turns them, the sheer volume of air involved is so large that the difference is negligible. However, if generators lined the Thames, I have a strong suspicion that the current would slow, and depending on the number of generators possibly quite dramatically. Either the banks and bridges would have to be raised, or the river widened, and either way I suspect the chances of london flooding would increase.

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By: John East

John East — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 11:25:43 +0000

Chris C, are things really that bad, it’s illegal to generate ones own electricity? Now that I come to think of it, haven’t the health and Safety fascists just introduced the death penalty for those who do any electrical work to their properties. I thought, as a safety measure, this was a necessary evil, but I forgot the sole purpose for my existence was to consume and be taxed.

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By: field

field — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 09:06:11 +0000

I am all in favour of green technology. However, we need to look at some of these issues with a cool calculating eye.

If something costs

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By: EU Serf

EU Serf — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 06:59:26 +0000

I’m sorry this is off topic, but Boris you made a huge mistake in your Telegraph piece today.

You are giving support to the White Phosphorus story, which is nothing more than a piece of propaganda by the anti war left.

Read the Daily Ablution, it picks the story to pieces.

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By: Chris C

Chris C — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 23:13:08 +0000

I remember a person who bought a farm out in Dorset, it had a stream running through it and a (non-working) water wheel, with rights to use it.
At his own expense he renovated it and fitted it to a generator — and then the CEGB came down on him. Apparently even though he was miles from the nearest substation he wasn’t allowed to generate his own electricity from a renewable resource, he had to buy theirs.
So they (at taxpayer expense) had to put in cables and build a substation just for his property so that they could sell him electricity from a source he didn’t want.
Can you say “protectionism”? I don’t think much has changed, they give lip-service to the idea of renewable resources but try to do anything and it costs even more.
(Of course fuel is the same, if we all just cut our consumption by 2% the treasury would be in trouble, that’s what Gordon Brown said would happen if he took 2% off the tax…)

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By: John East

John East — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 20:11:40 +0000

Quite correctly, the damage to the poor energy producers resulting from those selfishly wishing to generate their own electricity has already been pointed out above, but lets not forget the biggest victim. Gordon Brown, already reeling from the prospects of a smoking ban, needs all the tax he can get. Increased binge drinking may help, but energy taxes must be preserved at all costs.

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By: jaq

jaq — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 18:36:46 +0000

What a brilliant idea Psimon!

If only this government would invest in THIS country intead of invading other peoples.

Wasn’t London using hydraulic power before mains electricity? Just goes to show that fantastic things can be achieved with vision and investment. I think more consideration of available, traditional and safer resources of energy should be considered before the (utterly stupid) nuclear option.

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