Ozone hole: Why Antarctic wildlife is being ‘sunburnt’
By Paul Homewood
h/t Philip Bratby/Paul Kolk
In BBC world, everything bad is due to climate change!
For Antarctic wildlife, exposure to the Sun’s damaging rays has increased in recent years, scientists say.
A hole in the ozone layer – the protective barrier of gas in the upper atmosphere – now lingers over the frozen continent for more of the year.
A major cause of ozone loss is believed to be the amount of smoke from unprecedented Australian wildfires, which were fuelled by climate change.
By Paul Homewood
From The Telegraph:
The net zero crackdown on combustion engines could force the maker of Vauxhall to scale back its presence in Britain, its boss has warned.
Carlos Tavares, chief executive of Stellantis, said that a law to limit petrol car sales was “terrible for the UK” and would force manufacturers to sell vehicles at a loss.
If ministers did not make urgent changes to the rules, he suggested Stellantis could be required to slash the number of cars it sells in Britain – and refused to rule out halting sales of some models altogether.
A source close to the company said the more likely option was that sales could be restricted or that it would be forced to put up prices to compensate.
Asked whether the maker of Vauxhall and Citroën cars could stop selling models in the UK, he replied: “I’m not going to sell cars at a loss.”
This is exactly as I predicted last year.
Motor manufacturers cannot afford the punitive fines imposed by ZEVs, leaving no alternative but to cut back on production of ICE cars, coupled with a price increase.
Jim Dale Gets It Wrong Again
By Paul Homewood
The clown strikes again!
For many, the summer of 2022 sticks in the mind like a sweat-soaked shirt to the back beneath the country’s blazing 40C heatwave.
The UK saw temperatures smash records never seen before with the mercury hitting 40.3C in Lincolnshire, in what was the highest figure seen in UK climate history. But while Brits may have dodged a repeat of the infamous heat snap last year, 2023 was still Earth’s hottest on record overall – and fears are mounting over the dials rising again before summer even arrives.
Meteorologist Jim Dale claims Brits are in for a sweltering spring, seeing heat to rival that of 2022’s in April, while the Met Office has already projected overall temperatures this year to smash records again. Speaking to GB News, he said temperatures could climb unseasonably high this month as a result of climate change.
"We will see hot weather start to bake in during the course of April, and at times in the summer time," Mr Dale said. "We are not divorced from what is going around the globe and what is going on is quite frightening in terms of the temperature profiles. "
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/met-office-verdict-mega-heatwave-32493689
Baking hot weather? Really, Jim?
By Paul Homewood
As residents of Ontario, Canada, look forward to the arrival of summer after months of sub-zero temperatures, they are advised to think carefully about when to fire up the barbeque.
Between the hours of 11am and 5pm on any given weekday, energy prices are more than double what they are overnight and considerably higher than in the early morning or late afternoon, according to guidance from the Ontario Energy Board, the province’s energy regulator.
When the nation’s most populous province switched over millions of households to dynamic pricing for energy in 2010 – underpinned by a rapidly completed smart meter rollout – officials believed consumers would alter their behaviour accordingly and benefit from cheaper bills.
Every ratepayer was forced to subscribe to one of three time of use (TOU) tariffs which use dynamic prices that are linked to how busy the energy grid is. Smart meters are mandatory so suppliers will always know how much energy a household is using and when.
Only the province’s “tiered” system offers anything resembling a fixed rate deal. Households are allotted a chunk of cheap energy, but when this has been used up, a more expensive rate automatically comes into effect. The third option offers very cheap overnight prices for nighttime workers and electric vehicle (EV) drivers.
But just years after the move, energy prices in Ontario were far higher and consumers had hardly changed the way they consumed energy at all.
Why won’t Chris Packham have a real debate on climate?
By Paul Homewood
On Sunday, the BBC did something unusual. It invited Luke Johnson, a climate contrarian, to join a panel with Laura Kuenssberg to discuss net zero. As followers of this debate will know, the BBC’s editorial policy unit issued guidance to staff in 2018 saying: ‘As climate change is accepted as happening, you do not need a “denier” to balance the debate.’ Although it did allow for exceptions to this rule: ‘There are occasions where contrarians and sceptics should be included within climate change and sustainability debates.’ Presumably this was one such occasion.
Congress Republicans Demand Answers From The IEA
By Paul Homewood
The GOP members of the Senate and House Committees on Energy have written to Fatih Birol, asking for explanations as to why the IEA has strayed from its core purpose of promoting energy security, instead focussing on the Net Zero agenda:
The full letter is below.
Unlike right wing parties in Europe, the GOP are strongly supportive about the ongoing need for fossil fuels.
It is a pity our so called conservative party does not do the same.
Wind Power Scarcity Data Analysis
By Paul Homewood
One of my regular contacts has analysed wind power data over the last five years, using the official half-hourly National Grid data.
The analysis highlights just how intermittent wind power can be:
https://www.nationalgrideso.com/data-portal/historic-generation-mix/historic_gb_generation_mix
By Paul Homewood
h/t Ian Magness
It’s nice to see that Ben Marlow has finally woken up to reality, after years of promoting Net Zero:
For an industry built on the quiet purr of its expensive technology, the sound of the electric car market screeching to a halt is too loud not to be heard.
The ensuing pile-up threatens to turn into a battle for survival – the car industry’s equivalent of the Hunger Games that some of the biggest names may not walk away from.
The dynamics are very simple.
By Paul Homewood
h/t Paul Kolk
Even Emma Gatten has to admit the truth!
Switching to green power could add £29 billion a year to household bills, analysis suggests.
And the net zero investment could see the poorest households £700 worse-off, according to the Resolution Foundation analysis.
Cheap green energy for homes and electric cars has been promised on the basis of low interest rates to pay for the upfront investments in renewables and grid expansion, the foundation said.
But the costs of borrowing have spiked since the energy crisis and could remain high, increasing costs for the net zero transition, which are paid through household bills.
If today’s higher rates of around nine per cent continue, it could add £29 billion a year to household energy bills in 2050, the foundation found.
The War On Cars
By Paul Homewood
h/t Doug Brodie
As you know, I have been warning about this for years:
In a fit of self-loathing, the European Union has begun to destroy the economic engine that pays its bills. Some of this is well known, but some is not, and it will astonish you.
Only nine of the EU’s 27 member states are net budget contributors, and Germany pays the most – around €25bn (£22bn) in 2021. Without the generosity of the Bundesrepublik, the European Commission would struggle to keep the lights on at the Berlaymont.
In turn, that wealth comes from its manufacturing industry. Specifically, from strong global demand for the German vehicles which account for almost three-fifths of Europe’s car exports. As recently as a decade ago, the streets of Shanghai and Shenzhen teemed with German brand SUVs.
NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 