Tag: energy

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‘Good news about SNP’ ban on BBC Scotland Glenn Campbell confirms

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By Liz S So today , so far, in the BBC website on their Scottish Politics page they have found room for the non story that is “No Cat ban in Scotland John Swinney confirms”, as currently it is the third story on that page. Scanning that whole page on the BBC website, and too on their main Scottish page, they have , so far, not managed to find any room for a real political story impacting Scotland. That is where yesterday the GB Energy Chairman, Juergen Maier, confirmed to SKY News in an interview with them that the jobs … Continue reading ‘Good news about SNP’ ban on BBC Scotland Glenn Campbell confirms

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Scottish Government call for closer energy links with Europe to cut bills is ignored by ‘Scottish’ media

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Posted just after midnight, this morning, and so in plenty of time for consideration and publication, but there is none, the Scottish Government has called for closer energy links with Europe: The Scottish Government is calling for closer co-operation with Europe to help lower energy bills and boost investment. Ahead of upcoming UK Government talks with the EU the Scottish Government has published a report, identifying  a number of opportunities to more closely align with the European Union on energy matters. These include: accelerating the adoption of more efficient UK-EU electricity trading arrangements to bring down energy costs for consumers … Continue reading Scottish Government call for closer energy links with Europe to cut bills is ignored by ‘Scottish’ media

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Labour’s decision to keep the cracked Torness nuclear reactor going is ‘an experiment and hoping nothing will go wrong’

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Many thanks again to Alan Gordon for alerting me to this. In December 2021, spreading cracks were found in the aging nuclear power station at Torness in East Lothian and its operator EDF decided to shut it down two years early, in 2028. Then in December 2024, the new Labour government’s energy minister, Ed Miliband, in pursuit of their carbon reduction strategy decided it should stay open. Why is this a concern? In 2023, prior to the above decision, Dr Ian Fairlie, an independent consultant on radioactivity in the environment, gave evidence in a briefing … Continue reading Labour’s decision to keep the cracked Torness nuclear reactor going is ‘an experiment and hoping nothing will go wrong’

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Scotland – 8% of the population but 48% of the UK’s wind energy and a massive transfer of 6.1 TWh electricity

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From the Guardian today: UK electricity cleanest ever in 2024, with record 58% from low-carbon sources – UK has more than halved amount of electricity generated from fossil fuels but gas still had largest share at 28% https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/02/uk-electricity-cleanest-ever-in-2024-with-record-58-from-low-carbon-sources There’s no mention of Scotland’s contribution to this: Scotland powers nearly half of UK’s wind energy milestone. Scotland’s wind farms are generating 48% of the UK’s 30GW wind power capacity, with new projects pushing this total higher. https://www.energylivenews.com/2024/08/30/scotland-powers-nearly-half-of-uks-wind-energy-milestone/ Net electricity transfers from Scotland to England [in 2023] increased 15 per cent to 6.0 TWh year-on-year, with transfers from Scotland to England increasing … Continue reading Scotland – 8% of the population but 48% of the UK’s wind energy and a massive transfer of 6.1 TWh electricity

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FACTCHECK – The MV Glenn Sannox HAS a smaller carbon footprint than the old ferry taking 41% more cars for only 34% more emissions* on the second greenest form of transport in the world

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PA MEDIA By Johann Von Robberstein, TuS International Transport Correspondent, O-Grade Mathematics, Grangemouth High School, 1967. Many thanks to JB for alerting me to this. Only yesterday, BBC Scotland were so delighted to tell us: The carbon footprint of a long-delayed new “green” ferry will be far larger than the 31-year-old diesel ship that usually serves the route between the Scottish mainland and the island of Arran. An emissions analysis by CalMac has calculated MV Glen Sannox will emit 10,391 equivalent tonnes of CO2 a year compared with 7,732 for MV Caledonian Isles. *Even if we accept the above figures, … Continue reading FACTCHECK – The MV Glenn Sannox HAS a smaller carbon footprint than the old ferry taking 41% more cars for only 34% more emissions* on the second greenest form of transport in the world

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Listen to Australian Labor Party’s academic expert as she warns nuclear energy proposal causes ‘cancer, strokes and heart attacks’

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Labour Party in Scotland fully backs the UK Government plans to build new nuclear power stations in Scotland, regardless of widespread opposition to the idea among the population and UK research linking these installations to a range of cancers, but especially breast cancer, thyroid cancer and child leukaemia, in surrounding areas.1 Meanwhile, in Australia, the Labor Party is campaigning against plans there using research by the former GP now Melbourne University lecturer, Dr Margaret Beavis, who argues: “There are definite increases in cancer, strokes and heart attacks with nuclear power. With renewable energy we have … Continue reading Listen to Australian Labor Party’s academic expert as she warns nuclear energy proposal causes ‘cancer, strokes and heart attacks’

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Scotland’s electricity transfers to England worth more than £3 BILLION

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From Energy Statistics for Scotland – Q3 2024, published today: Scotland is a net exporter of electricity. In 2023, the equivalent of 33.8% of electricity generated in Scotland was exported: 13.9 TWh to England and Wales, and 2.0 TWh to Northern Ireland. Scotland has seen a steady rise in the proportion of electricity generated from low-carbon sources from 49.4% in 2004 to 89.6% in 2023.1 According to EDF, 1 KWh is currently worth around 24p2. One TWh is 1 000 000 000 KWh So 1 TWh is worth around 1 000 000 000 times 24p or £240m. 13.9 TWh is … Continue reading Scotland’s electricity transfers to England worth more than £3 BILLION

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Labor Party warns nuclear energy proposal causes ‘cancer, strokes and heart attacks’

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The Labour Party in Scotland fully backs the UK Government plans to build new nuclear power stations in Scotland, regardless of widespread opposition to the idea among the population and UK research linking these installations to a range of cancers, but especially breast cancer, thyroid cancer and child leukaemia, in surrounding areas.1 Meanwhile, in Australia, the Labor Party is campaigning against plans there using research by the former GP now Melbourne University lecturer, Dr Margaret Beavis, who argues: “There are definite increases in cancer, strokes and heart attacks with nuclear power. With renewable energy we have much safer alternatives,” she … Continue reading Labor Party warns nuclear energy proposal causes ‘cancer, strokes and heart attacks’

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UK Government to risk lives in Scotland by extending life of cracked power station against wishes of Scottish Government

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Scotland, today: The lifespan of Scotland’s last remaining nuclear power station and three other plants in England are to be extended. EDF Energy says Torness, in East Lothian, and its sister site Heysham 2, in Lancashire, will continue generating for an extra two years until 2030. Two other sites – Hartlepool and Heysham 1 – will continue for an extra year until 2027. The French state-owned company says it will now invest £1.3bn across its operational nuclear estate over the next three years.1 This decision has been taken to help with UK Labour’s allegedly ‘clean … Continue reading UK Government to risk lives in Scotland by extending life of cracked power station against wishes of Scottish Government

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Scotland’s oil and gas revenues, even ten years after we were told it was running out, are still FOUR TIMES that of Guyana’s apparently ‘mind-boggling oil wealth’

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By Professor John Robertson OBA In 2022, the South American country Guyana produced $7.5 billion in oil and gas revenues.1 In the same year, Scotland produced $31.8 billion in oil and gas revenues.2 Today, in the Guardian: Hundreds of thousands of Guyana citizens living at home and abroad will receive a payout of around £370 each after the country announced it was distributing its “mind-boggling” oil wealth.3 If $7.7bn is ‘mindboggling’ then what is $31.8 bn, especially when we were told it was soon to run out? Sources: https://www.rystadenergy.com/news/guyana-enters-the-big-league-as-o-g-revenues-break-1-billion-in-2022-grow-to-7-5#:~:text=Guyana%20enters%20the%20big%20league%20as%20O%26G%20revenues%20break%20%241,to%20%247.5%20billion%20in%202030 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_industry_in_Scotland#:~:text=The%20extraction%20of%20oil%20and,Domestic%20Product%20(GDP)%20figure. Support Scots Independent, Scotland’s oldest pro-independence newspaper and host of the OBA (Oliver Brown Award) at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/shop/ The … Continue reading Scotland’s oil and gas revenues, even ten years after we were told it was running out, are still FOUR TIMES that of Guyana’s apparently ‘mind-boggling oil wealth’