Tag: climate-change

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‘There are no mandates to ensure GB Energy and foreign energy firms source from UK suppliers’

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By Anonymous UK government Scotland tweet on 15 October 2024: “Yesterday the UK Government secured £63 billion of investment to provide almost 38,000 jobs. Scotland will benefit from the UK Government’s plans to drive growth. Some quickfire qs to Scottish Secretary @IanMurrayMP on why Scotland is the place to invest”. (Note how this tweet does not specify that the “38,000 jobs” will be in Scotland in fact they only mention Scotland as supposdley benefitting via the “UK government’s plans to drive growth” but then how will Scotland benefit from that , as surely it is more their whole UK , as in mainly one part of it- not Scotland- that will derive more benefits, to include majority of jobs and “growth“, which will also then include … Continue reading ‘There are no mandates to ensure GB Energy and foreign energy firms source from UK suppliers’

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11 year-old explains that England has more in common – 4 times as many homes at risk of flooding – with disaster-prone Florida than stormy Scotland!

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Watching BBC 24 last night, up popped a story suggesting that Scotland had similar worries to Florida. I had to the check the date wasn’t 1 April. Then Liz Lloyd (background booing) popped up to talk vaguely about the notion. I had to the check the date wasn’t 1 April. When did she become a spokesperson for the Scot Gov? You won’t be surprised to hear that I was more exercised by those numbers suggesting Scotland clearly has more to worry about storms and floods than rUK and is thus spending more on them. I’ll come back to that below. … Continue reading 11 year-old explains that England has more in common – 4 times as many homes at risk of flooding – with disaster-prone Florida than stormy Scotland!

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BBC Scotland go to Cornwall to suggest an energy powerhouse like Scotland is subject to global events like every other country

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As the energy companies announce a 10% hike, BBC Scotland went to visit locals who will struggle, then tried to explain it all way as due to ‘global events’ that cannot be avoided, using in a surreal manner, a woman from Cornwall Insight for evidence. You can be sure that Norwegian news broadcasters are not telling their viewers that Norway is helpless in the face of global events. Why? Because they have the oil, gas and wind power to be able to protect their population from exploitation. Is Norway unique? Well, I know a country with the same population (c5 … Continue reading BBC Scotland go to Cornwall to suggest an energy powerhouse like Scotland is subject to global events like every other country

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The Cruachan scheme demonstrated the feasibility of reversible pumped-storage systems nearly 60 years ago

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By Alasdair Macdonald It is a long time since the Cruachan scheme was built which demonstrated the feasibility of such projects at a time when UK Government policy was about oil, gas and nuclear, with some continuing coal use. Such schemes were for ‘remote areas’, like Scotland. The main drawback is higher start up costs – the Cruachan scheme entails hollowing out a mountain. This kind of expenditure is often too much for governments which usually think only in terms of 4/5 year election cycles and, for many investors, this kind of time frame is too long to make a … Continue reading The Cruachan scheme demonstrated the feasibility of reversible pumped-storage systems nearly 60 years ago

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The Sustainable Saudi Arabia – renewable electricity generation surges by 27.9% in one year as consumption falls by 18% under SNP

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Hmm…to wee, too few power producers, eh? Without Orkney and Shetland too! https://www.gov.scot/publications/energy-statistics-for-scotland-q2-2024/pages/renewable-energy-capacity/ By Professor John Robertson OBA From the Scottish Government today: Total final energy consumption in Scotland continues to fall and as of 2022, is 18% lower than the baseline figure from 2005 – 2007. Scotland’s renewable electricity generation in 2024 quarter 2 was 7,312 GWh – a 27.9% increase from 5,716 GWh in the same quarter in 2023. As of June 2024, there are 830 potential renewable electricity projects including battery and pumped hydro storage within the planning and construction pipeline with an estimated capacity of 51.3 GW. … Continue reading The Sustainable Saudi Arabia – renewable electricity generation surges by 27.9% in one year as consumption falls by 18% under SNP

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NHS Scotland staffed and equipped to do more than 98% of planned operations on time despite steadily increasing demand

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By Professor John Robertson From Public Health Scotland on 2nd July 2024: During May 2024, there were 25,657 operations planned to take place across NHSScotland. This is 6.4% higher than the number planned a year previously in May 2023 (24,125). • The number of planned operations has been steadily increasing since pandemic restrictions first affected provision of services in March 2020. In the 12 months from April 2023 to May 2024, there was an 8% increase in the number of planned operations compared to the previous 12 months. This compares to a 15.3% year-on-year increase when comparing year ending May … Continue reading NHS Scotland staffed and equipped to do more than 98% of planned operations on time despite steadily increasing demand

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Labour’s GB Energy policy merits so much more objective appraisal than it has received from the media

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By stewartb The chameleon that has been the Labour Party’s GB Energy policy merits so much more objective appraisal than it has received from the media. This deficit in critical assessment is important – is to be deprecated – given that GB Energy (GBE), and the location of its HQ, is clearly being pushed by Labour as its big inducement to voters in Scotland. IMHO GB Energy is the GREAT OBFUSCATION! What follows is just one example of the gushing, uncritical reporting that may well prove successful in seducing some voters in Scotland: ‘Thousands of Scottish jobs’ created by Labour’s … Continue reading Labour’s GB Energy policy merits so much more objective appraisal than it has received from the media

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Another ‘big’ Labour election promise worth titchy amount as Scotland’s share and might improve only 2 or 3 harbours

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By Professor John Robertson They did something comparably thick when they promised to increase GP appointments and, when you worked out Scotland’s 8% share, it was a less than a half of 1% increase. Here it’s a whopping £1.8 billion ‘Scotland’s facilities will benefit from‘ so, 8% for us, £144 million. The new Stornoway harbour alone, just completed and paid for by the Scottish Government, cost £60 million. Gee I wonder how much the Scottish Government has already committed to in its Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26 : Energy and Manufacturing? Total: almost £2 billion So, from Labour, 7.2%. … Continue reading Another ‘big’ Labour election promise worth titchy amount as Scotland’s share and might improve only 2 or 3 harbours

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ONS confirms Scotland as ‘sticky asset’ rich

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By stewartb There is merit in communicating the intrinsic – the ‘sticky’ – assets of Scotland. Demonstrating that Scotland has valuable assets in abundance is a necessary but not sufficient part of case making for independence – it’s also about giving confidence that such assets can be better sustained, used to better effect and renewed in future in an independent Scotland. I do still come across Unionists holding to the ‘too wee, too poor etc.’ nonsense! The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) has in recent years been publishing accounts of ‘natural capital’ or ‘wealth’. It explains: ‘Natural wealth is reflected … Continue reading ONS confirms Scotland as ‘sticky asset’ rich

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What does Scotland have? Look at this and try to keep your mouth shut

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From one of the many Anonymouses at Talking-up Scotland: What does Scotland have? What does Scotland have? We are only 8.3% of the UK’s population, 8.3 %! Remember!! 32% of the land area 61% of the sea area 90% of the fresh water. (There is more fresh water in loch Ness than In England and Wales combined!) 65% of the natural gas production 96.5% of the crude oil production 47% of the open cast coal production 81% of the untapped coal reserves 62% of the timber production 46% of the total forest area 92% of the hydro electric production 40% … Continue reading What does Scotland have? Look at this and try to keep your mouth shut