Nuclear energy’s biggest selling point WAS running 365 days of the year, wind or no wind but heat and drought have changed all that – what does our Junior Energy Minister have to say now?

Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 From the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, yesterday, the above and: One of nuclear energy’s biggest selling points is its claims of reliability. “Nuclear energy is the only large-scale power source that can be tapped in even the most extreme weather conditions, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” boasts the American energy company Constellation. “Nuclear power plants are very reliable, and can run for many months without interruption, providing large amounts of clean electricity, regardless of the time of day, the weather, or the … Continue reading Nuclear energy’s biggest selling point WAS running 365 days of the year, wind or no wind but heat and drought have changed all that – what does our Junior Energy Minister have to say now?

Oil, Renewables and Data Centres

Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 By Mark E. Saunders of “The Scottish Minuteman” https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 There is something very revealing about the way Scotland’s resources are discussed and pumped into our living rooms via our television screens. During the 2014 independence referendum, North Sea oil was presented as nothing but a risk to everyone living in Scotland. We were warned about falling production, volatile prices and the dangers of over-relying on oil revenues. Alistair Darling described relying on oil as “gambling with our children’s future.” On Sky News, June 2014, Gordon Brown ‘England’s Lord … Continue reading Oil, Renewables and Data Centres

SNP actions on destitution such as Scottish Child Payment reduce it to lowest level in UK

Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 From Ending Destitution Together: Phase Two Delivery Plan, published yesterday: What is destitution? Destitution should be unthinkable in a modern Scotland. However, it remains a daily reality for many people who have moved here to work, study, join family, or seek sanctuary from violence and persecution. Nobody should be forced into destitution. People who are subject to the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition are members of our communities and we should be able to support them at times of crisis. The Ending … Continue reading SNP actions on destitution such as Scottish Child Payment reduce it to lowest level in UK

New Chinese deal at Ardersier more likely to go ahead but create few jobs

___________________________________________________________ Help Talking-up Scotland keep going. Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 ___________________________________________________________ Thanks to rtpscott for alerting us to this: In the P&J yesterday, the above and: The owner of Ardersier Port has struck a new deal with a Chinese company as the fallout from the UK Government blocking a £1.5 billion wind farm factory continues. Port owner and developer Haventus has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chinese offshore wind manufacturer Dajin. The partnership will see them explore opportunities across both the UK and European markets. It will look at combining Dajin’s … Continue reading New Chinese deal at Ardersier more likely to go ahead but create few jobs

Data centres need huge amounts of water for cooling? Easily solved in Scotland, put them near-shore in any of our 31 460 lochs

___________________________________________________________ Help Talking-up Scotland keep going. Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: MR JW ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 ___________________________________________________________ From the Scottish Greens a few days ago: Every proposed hyperscale data centre in Scotland must face a full environmental impact assessment, the Scottish Greens have said. The call follows the Scottish Government’s decision to require assessments for proposed developments in Edinburgh and at Auchtertool in Fife. Ministers have introduced a new requirement for councils to notify them about data centre applications exceeding 50 megawatts. However, there is still no requirement for environmental assessments to be conducted as standard across Scotland. This … Continue reading Data centres need huge amounts of water for cooling? Easily solved in Scotland, put them near-shore in any of our 31 460 lochs

Scotland producing ‘only’ FIVE times as much gas as it consumes – how could we survive on our own?

From the Guardian today: The penny is dropping in government. Britain, even in rapid energy transition mode, will still need a lot of gas in the years ahead – and needs to know how the gas will arrive. It could hardly be otherwise when there are 24m households with a gas connection, largely for heating, and the pace of heat pumps adoption is miserable. Last year gas comprised about a third of the UK’s overall energy needs. Though annual consumption is in decline, the days of peak use during a bleak midwinter can still be as high as ever. The … Continue reading Scotland producing ‘only’ FIVE times as much gas as it consumes – how could we survive on our own?

Labour’s nuclear energy is being shut down right across Europe

Thanks again to Frances for alerting us to this. From DW IN FOCUS, two days ago: Romania has shut down its only nuclear plant in a rare move prompted by the lack of cooling water from the Danube River. Hungary, meanwhile, is racing to dam the Danube, trying to keep its Paks plant online. Romania shut down its lone nuclear power plant on Thursday, a rare move amid the drought that has caused record lows on the Danube River and other major waterways in Europe.  The Danube is the sole source of cooling water for the Cernavoda plant, which usually generates around … Continue reading Labour’s nuclear energy is being shut down right across Europe

And Now The News Where You Are

By Mark E. Saunders of “The Scottish Minuteman” https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 I’ve just been listening to the evening news, brought into our homes courtesy of STV Studios. The news anchor introduced a story telling us that the Scottish Government — or “the SNP”, as much of the media seems to prefer calling it these days — is going to miss its 2021 announced target of building 120,000 new affordable homes before 2032 by around 35,000 units. And, naturally, the Scottish Government was wheeled out to take the blame. But then came the interviews. Construction materials, we were told, rose dramatically between 2021 and 2023, largely because … Continue reading And Now The News Where You Are

Six existing examples of Chinese investment in the UK to reveal the Ardesier denial in Scotland is deliberate de-industrialisation and economic civil war

By Liz S So the UK Labour government vetoed the wind turbine factory in the Highlands by the Chinese firm Ming Yang Smart Energy citing “national and cyber security risks”. Yet there is already existing Chinese investment within the UK: Heathrow Airport: The Chinese state-owned sovereign wealth fund, China Investment Corporation (CIC), holds a 10% stake. Utilities: Hong Kong-based tycoon Li Ka-shing’s group owns UK Power Networks and a 75% stake in Northumbrian Water Group. CIC also holds minor stakes in National Grid’s gas distribution and Thames Water. Nuclear Power: China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) has been involved in the Hinkley Point C project and planned … Continue reading Six existing examples of Chinese investment in the UK to reveal the Ardesier denial in Scotland is deliberate de-industrialisation and economic civil war

Most of the heavier crude oil from Rosebank will be sent to the Netherlands because only Grangemouth could refine it

By Liz S “The new and upgraded high-voltage transmission infrastructure in Scotland (new pylons, higher-capacity overhead lines, substations, and related works) is primarily required to transmit surplus electricity across the border into England and the wider Great Britain system” Yes indeed, but it’s not just electricity as the BBC website has this article, dated 11 August 2026, on their website on the Scottish Politics page: “What is happening with the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields”? Included within this BBC article are the below statements of how, once again , the UK/Britain are again reliant on assets/resources sourced from Scotland , that are … Continue reading Most of the heavier crude oil from Rosebank will be sent to the Netherlands because only Grangemouth could refine it