Harrabin To Leave BBC
November 24, 2021
By Paul Homewood
h/t Joe Public
Roger Harrabin is going to join David Shukman as an ex BBC man in the post COP26 world:
https://twitter.com/RHarrabin/status/1463439518435008513
https://twitter.com/bbcnewspr/status/1417092794175348741
I wonder what these opportunities are that he has in mind!
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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
Good to be rid of him from the BBC, obviously, but I guess he has found somewhere he can do even more damage.
Sadly however replaces him will be just as biased otherwise he/she wouldn’t get the job.
Better the devil you know.
Are they joining their ld mate, Black?
A reminder of Harrabin’s reporting skills:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44129679
Sacked?
Probably wasn’t radically green enough for BBC.
It is possible Harrabin has been sacked or has taken voluntary redundancy. The departure of journalists is often presented as just being a decision by them to seek new opportunities. When Richard Black left the BBC in 2012, it later emerged that he had been given the boot, as described in this blog post from 2013 by Bishop Hill:
http://bishophill.squarespace.com/blog/2013/1/23/the-black-departure.html
Even down here in Kent I did find it rather cold going outside to put the flags out.
Paul, you have been very effective in highlighting the deficiencies in Roger’s reporting. My contribution was to get him to admit that he thought pH was too complicated a concept to introduce to the viewers and listeners. Any child doing GCSE chemistry would understand. Any gardener aware of their acid or alkaline soil would understand, but it was beyond Roger to explain, so he persisted in talking (like many others) about “ocean acidification” when he really meant “marginally less alkaline”. Ah well, good luck in the future, perhaps in a job where you don’t need a scientific training
A TV baking show indroduces more complicated concepts
or even comparing the most left wing and right wing MPs in the Commons, one can see that the very large ‘middle group’ of centrist MPs lies between them and generally an MP might shift from left or right to centre over time.
Pointing out that the pH of the oceans 30 million years ago (when CO2 was close to 1000 ppm) was almost one full unit less alkaline than now might be a good reason to stay away from such discussions? The biosphere at the time was diversifying and carbonate plankton were thriving during all that “acidification”.
That’s called “climate science”. You just need to be able play computer games you make up to suit your own beliefs.
.
Hopefully he’s off somewhere where he won’t be sucking on the taxpayers’ tits while spouting garbage
It will be electricity payers money…somehow
He will no doubt turn up in some Green job pushing a Green agenda. And he still won’t acknowledge even then that he was biased when working for the BBC. Oh but we never let our opinions influence our reporting…
CoP26 is taking on the air of Year Zero.
It might just as well be as the percentage of fossil fuels in use as at CoP26 is almost exactly the same as at the very first one.
Plan B anyone?
The trouble is Year Zero had a definitive end. Climate Change doesn’t.
That has just increased the quality of journalism at the BBC by about 10 000%.
It’s not often that we get good news from the BBC, but two in such a short time is “unprecedented”.
Looking like a HokeyCokeyStick if we count Andrew Marr.
Shock horror! The Koch family have come up trumps and Shucks and Hairbrain are about to join Climate Depot as roving reporters for Marc Morano with the odd guest appearance at Real Climate Science, courtesy of Tony Heller. Following Monbiot’s recent nervous breakdown on live tv he is also rumoured to be joining them. The end appears to be nigh for the high priests of climate alarmism……and then I woke up.
The @s are very telling.
Both to go. Can’t be bad. But what is the ‘post COP26 world’? Did the failure dishearten them? Were they blamed by the BBC management?!!
Perhaps going to work for the Sussexes , to help Meagain promote her brand of ” my truth ” ?
£Bn more down the drain for Bulb support.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59409595
And pressure to put the price cap up even more than the predicted 40% next year.
Anyone else noticed that as it has got colder and energy demand is up, the inter-connectors with Europe seem to be taking more and more…….. so much for keeping our lights on?
Yes. There are shortages in France due to nuclear outages, so it has the highest day ahead prices in Europe currently.
https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/french-nuclear-plant-outages-restarts-2021-11-03/
Probably just as well that they only have half of IFA1 operational and no startup on Eleclink through the Chunnel, otherwise they could be bleeding us for another 2GW. I also read that EdF sold forward large chunks of output through 2022 at low 2020 prices. That becomes a big problem for them if their own plants can’t supply, as they have to buy in at top prices to honour their contracts. Meantime a cold spell could get very interesting….
Gridwatch for France
https://gridwatch.templar.co.uk/france/
Gas and imports taking the strain.
Day ahead prices map
https://www.epexspot.com/en/market-data?market_area=&trading_date=2021-11-24&delivery_date=2021-11-25&underlying_year=&modality=Auction&sub_modality=DayAhead&product=60&data_mode=map&period=
Is it just me or do those numbers simply not stack up? Why £1000 per customer for from now until the end of April? Presumably their customers will still continue to pay their direct debits so this is money on top of their payments. Something seems very suspicious here.
Gas will be the main part. Possibly losses of around 180p/therm, or £60/MWh on say 10MWh per customer over the winter against the cap.
Bills next year will be horrendous for us all.
The rubbish that Harrabin has spouted over thirty years could fill Sydney Harbour. Unfortunately the BBC are sure to find someone even nuttier than he is.
I almost feel like writing to the BBC management to congratulate them on loosing both Roger Harrabin and David Shukman but remind them that there are quite a few more that need to be shown the door.
Why does a person need a 6 month lead time?
2 weeks should be enough for such a position.
Trouble is still got McGrath and Rowatt – both much worse than Horrowbin!
Oops – Rowlatt!
So that squealer Harrabin has been spat out. Hooray. Meanwhile –
Tax payers are having to stump up £2 BILLION AND COUNTING
as a result of Bulb’s failure.
Special administrative measures are being set up. It will amount to one thousand pound per customer according to experts with more failure to come.
All following huge failure from the so called regulator.
Bozo must follow Harrabin’s lead.
So much for those of us who had the sense to fix our prices with a financially solid provider benefitting. I still pick up the costs of others but through my taxes. So in the did we all pay the same price for our energy.
Yet bizarrely if I had lost out because prices fell, the money would have gone to the supplier’s shareholders, not the taxpayer.
Crony capitalism at its worst, with the Regulator largely to blame.
Bulb’s lenders and shareholders should get 0p in the £. Since Bulb’s customers benefitted from their aggressive pricing they should take a share of the hit too to reflect that – say an average of £100 each would contribute £170m. Their prices have been too good to be true for a long time with massive cumulative losses to show for it. Mutualisation and taxpayer funding should be the last resort.
I cannot believe the numbers being quoted around Bulb are honest. If their customers were given by the government £1000 each to pay their bills up to April there would be shock horror headlines. How on earth can Bulb need that amount of money if their customers are still paying bill and most have credit balances….or has someone had their hands in the till?
Oh dear……………:)
Tomorrow wouldn’t be soon enough.
I did have my own victory over him when I eventually got him to admit that he should not be attempting to pass off CFD strike prices in 2012 money for windfarms yet to be built as the current cost of wind. Of course the article concerned was only amended many months after publication given the slowness of the complaints procedure.
“I wonder what these opportunities are that he has in mind!”
Spending more time with his family as the saying goes?
It just needs the rest of the BBC staff to leave and it will be a much better organisation.
Perhaps they are going to No10 to provide a solid scientific basis for net zero and to manage the PR campaign to persuade us that this is in all our interests???
Regarding £1000 quote –
£1000 according to a court application to hand the company to a special administrator.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/nov/25/government-support-to-keep-bulb-going-could-cost-taxpayer-up-to-17bn
Jonathan Brearly at Energy UK Annual Conference 2021
Put simply, if we can control the time we charge our electric cars, if that same battery can be a source of stability, will need a smaller grid and fewer power stations. 7/10/21
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/jonathanbrearlyspeech-energy-uk-annual-conference-2021
I thought Rebecca Heaton from Drax had gone to Bulb, (it was in fact OVO) and in searching, found out why she left the Climate Change Committee:
https://www.ft.com/content/d3b94876-7900-4e6b-a900-75d682f2f7f0
“The head of climate change at power group Drax has stepped down from a position on the UK’s climate advisory committee, months after a potential conflict of interest was flagged by a member of the House of Lords.
Rebecca Heaton left the influential Climate Change Committee on Thursday, quitting before her term was due to end.
The committee has previously suggested that the UK’s efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions could be helped by focusing on a contentious technology known as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (Beccs). Drax, one of the world’s largest producers of biomass, is investing in the technology and says it will require government support.
Heaton’s position on the committee was called into question by Lord John Randall, the environment adviser to former UK prime minister Theresa May.
In March, Randall wrote to the National Audit Office, a watchdog, to flag that “there may be a real or perceived conflict between [Heaton’s] role with Drax and her ability to offer impartial expert advice on such policies”.
Never made the news at the Beeb or any others I don’t think.
Maybe now they’ll flag Baroness Brown, Julia King as was. Baroness Brown has been on the Climate Change Committee since it started in 2008, but in 2017 was appointed as chair of the Adaptation sub-committee.
In March this year she joined the Board of Ørsted, major wind turbine manufacturer and in line for lucrative offshore wind contracts as Boris aims to make the UK the “Saudi Arabia” of wind. https://renews.biz/66254/orsted-to-anoint-king-as-new-board-member/
Ørsted board of directors chairman Thomas Thune Andersen said “She possesses a deep knowledge of renewable energy and government policy perspectives from positions, among others, as member of the Committee on Climate Change and non-executive director of the Green Investment Bank.
In other words she has been appointed for her inside knowledge of government policy, which she is instrumental in recommending via her position on the climate change committee, which shows her still as chair of the Adaptation sub-committee. https://www.theccc.org.uk/about/
Anybody seen Peston lately, he is so hysterical about “Global Warming” I’m surprised the Beeb haven’t signed him up. Maybe he’ll apply for one of the above vacancies.
https://www.ovoenergy.com/ovo-newsroom/press-releases/2021/july/ovo-energy-appoints-dr-rebecca-heaton-as-new-director-of-sustainability.html
Preston is hysterical about everything these days
It seems I spelt Brearley incorrectly above. Hence the link not working. It is a lot to type out on this miserable device.
While checking up on spelling I found details on Kenward.
Why is he necessary at Ofgem ?
Neil Kenward is Ofgem’s new Director for Strategy and Decarbonisation, having joined Ofgem in April. He joined Ofgem from HM Treasury, where he was head of the Energy and Environment Team, advising Treasury Ministers on policy and spending decisions for energy and climate policy.
I have repeatedly drawn attention to “BECCS” Heaton – so powerful she had the process named after her. I guess in the end the heat in the kitchen got to her, but she has clearly chosen the lucrative exit.
Tip for links: open the link in a different browser tab (do not try to copy the link directly from a search listing, as these are often corrupted with tracking information). Put your cursor in the address bar. In small device (phone, tablet) Chrome you will get options pop up that include overlapping rectangle symbol which will copy the address, which you can then paste into the comment (long press in blank space should produce a menu including Paste). Can’t vouch for Apple.
For windows browsers put cursor in Address bar. Ctrl+A to select the entire link text, Ctrl+C to copy it, switch to comment box and Ctrl+V to paste it.
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/jonathan-brearley-speech-energy-uk-annual-conference-2021
Thank you
‘a voice of credibility and authority…’
Says all you need to know about the BBC and why there is no hope of reforming it.