That’s more a statement of fact than a claim, but climate obsessives often ignore inconvenient truths. The proposal is for ‘peaker’ type plants (like this) to replace some of the UK’s ageing baseload ones.
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The UK will face “blackouts” without building new gas power stations, ministers have claimed.

The government has said that while it will continue to move forward with its net zero targets and a focus on renewables, gas was needed as a “back-up” – with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying climate goals must be reached “in a sustainable way that doesn’t leave people without energy on a cloudy, windless day”, reports Sky News.

Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho will outline the plans for new stations in a speech later today, which include a full review of the electricity market and changes to the law to make the plants ready convert to low-carbon alternatives.

But Greenpeace said the plan would make the country “more dependent on the very fossil fuel that sent our bills rocketing and the planet’s temperature soaring”. [Talkshop comment – hyperbolic nonsense].

Electricity demand is increasing as the UK electrifies things like heating and cars, and the population grows.

Officials have been reviewing how to make sure supply keeps up with demand, is reliable, and reaches the right areas of the country.

Today the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it was clear the UK would need new backup gas capacity to provide power that can be fired up on demand, on days when it isn’t windy or sunny enough to get electricity from renewables.

That’s also because some gas plants are due to retire in the coming years.

The commitment to renewed unabated gas was long expected, and the energy industry welcomed the reassurance on how to direct its investment.

But some analysts warned extra gas is the wrong solution to the question of how to meet increasing demand and provide flexibility, and said it was a reflection of failure in other areas of energy security policy.

‘We must be realistic’

In a speech today at Chatham House, Ms Coutinho is expected to say: “There are no easy solutions in energy, only trade-offs.

“And so, as we continue to move towards clean energy, we must be realistic.”
[Talkshop comment – ‘net zero’ and realism don’t co-exist too well].

Full report here.

via Tallbloke’s Talkshop

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March 12, 2024 at 11:46AM

Huge data gaps, crude models, system complexity and endless unknowns frustrate climate scientists

The science of climate change is very complex and there are many different points of view. This post summarizes some of the strongest arguments of climate skeptics.

The earth’s system is chaotic and unpredictable. Today’s climate models are still crude given the earth’s huge complexity. (Symbol image: NASA)

1. Natural climate variability

The Earth’s climate has always changed in the past, often dramatically, even without human influence. The current warming is therefore likely just part of a natural cycle, and one that is totally capable of reversing on its own.

2. Climate models are still in their infancy

Climate models are complex computer programs that attempt to simulate the climate system. These models provide different results and are not able to accurately reproduce past climate changes. All are filled with assumptions and guesses.

The climate is a highly complex, chaotic system and so much of it is still poorly understood. Much remains a complete mystery, which means it is impossible to accurately model. Model outputs are thus unreliable.

Remember that with chaotic systems like weather and climate, even very small changes in the initial inputs, which are many, can be amplified over time, thus making long-term predictions impossible. That’s a hard fact of life that climate scientists have to accept.

3. The influence of the sun

The sun is the earth’s main energy supplier and its activity certainly greatly influences the climate. There are hundreds of publications that show this. Many of these impacts are poorly understood, and so climate scientists like to pretend they don’t exist.

4. Limited effects of trace gas CO2

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a trace, “greenhouse” gas that human activities release into the atmosphere. Many scientific publications show CO2’s impact on global warming is overestimated.

5. Oceanic cycles hugely impact climate change

The ocean acts like the earth’s giant heat re-distributor. There are many cycles that impact climate. Ocean currents move warm water from the equator towards the poles, and from higher depths to lower depths, thus redistributing energy. Ocean cycles play a crucial role in regulating Earth’s temperature and weather patterns. Changes to these cycles can have significant consequences for global climate.

The heat content of the oceans is about 100 times that of the atmosphere, so even small heat redistribution changes can significantly impact the atmosphere above.

Predictions are difficult because there is little historical data available from the ocean depths and scientists can only speculate what the oceans will do next.

6. Economic consequences of climate change

Measures to combat climate change entail extremely high costs and are especially socially unbearable for the poor. Study after study suggest these costs far outweigh the negative consequences of climate change, which we are unable to steer in the first place.

via NoTricksZone

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March 12, 2024 at 11:41AM

By Jo Nova

High quality fuel produces high quality lifestyles.

Diffuse, unreliable fuels produce chaos and vulnerability. As humans slip back down the energy density ladder, they lose the power to create order. To build, to fly, to repair, and to eat pineapples from Costa Rica.

Entropy is coming to break your fridge and give you wrinkles.

A great video by NetZeroWatch

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March 12, 2024 at 10:55AM

They’re coming for the places you work, shop and live.

via CFACT

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March 12, 2024 at 09:19AM