#Climate: #Energy: #Scotland GMB Scotland Agree With Civil Engineers’ Call For Evidence Led Debate On Scottish Energy Policy

Posted on 2 November 2015 by Scottish-Sceptic

GMB Scotland Agree With Civil Engineers’ Call For Evidence Led Debate On Scottish Energy Policy

Having access to gas is crucial to tackle fuel poverty because gas is four  times cheaper than electricity says GMB Scotland.
GMB Scotland, the union for energy work, on the call by the Institution of Civil Engineers Scotland Committee for an expert-led debate on Scotland’s energy policy. See notes to editors for copy of the press release dated 29th October.
Gary Smith, Acting Secretary GMB Scotland, said:
” We do need a sober honest debate. We have high levels of fuel poverty in Scotland. Having access to gas is crucial to tackle fuel poverty because gas is 4 times cheaper than electricity. If anyone disputes the case for gas then they should put in their manifesto that they want people to turn off their gas boiler and replace it with electricity at the cost of thousands and then watch the bill to heat t their homes go up four fold.
We need to be honest, that we have been fracking in the north sea for decades. It hasn’t resulted in earthquakes and rigs falling into the sea.
The fact is too we are going to be a using chemicals from fracked gas. They will be imported into Scotland and those chemicals are essential to meeting the needs of everyday modern life, from clothing to food. We also need to face up to our environmental and moral responsibilities. Importing gas across continents and oceans, gas that has been bought from dodgy regimes in the Middle East and Russia is not morally right or good for the environment. We protested about Scotland playing Qatar because of the treatment of workers on the World Cup stadiums yet we are happy to buy gas from the same regime. Do we really believe labourers in the energy sector in Qatar have union rights or enjoy high levels of Health and Safety?
There has been a lack of honesty about energy from Scottish politicians of all parties. We need energy to heat our homes and to power industry. It is about the bitter irony that whilst there has been a frenzied debate about fracking we are losing hundreds of jobs in the steel sector due to high energy prices.
GMB Scotland supports a sensible sober debate about energy, environment, safety and jobs. A debate that is rooted in the real world. ”
Source: http://www.gmbscotland.org.uk/index.php/site/news/gmb_scotland_agree_with_civil_engineers_call_for_evidence_led_debate_on_sco

This entry was posted in Climate. Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to #Climate: #Energy: #Scotland GMB Scotland Agree With Civil Engineers’ Call For Evidence Led Debate On Scottish Energy Policy

  1. markstoval says:
    2 November 2015 at 14:12

    “… Call For Evidence Led Debate On Scottish Energy Policy”
    Evidence? You mean like in science? We don’t need no stinking evidence — we are not doing science here! (H/T “Dr.” Mikey Mann)

  2. Mark Hodgson says:
    2 November 2015 at 20:03

    I always hoped that some realism would come into play once things like job losses and higher energy prices/fuel poverty came increasingly to the fore. I think this is the only way we’ll get anywhere – when the awful consequences of ridiculous policies finally start to hit home. People won’t vote for job losses and high energy prices, no matte how much much propaganda is poured over them.
    This is the only way we’ll get anywhere, I think. It’s an awful shame that a lot of harm has to be done before some common sense breaks out.

  3. Scottish-Sceptic says:
    3 November 2015 at 13:50

    In a sense, the job of us sceptics …. let me use an analogy
    A plane is coming into land in the fog, we sceptics can see the ground (evidence) but the pilot believes they know how to fly – it’s nothing to do with us sceptis how they fly “THEIR” plane and they “just know” there’s nothing under the cloud (fog).
    Our job has been to slow down the precipitous descent of that plane to such an extent, that when the pilot(s) finally start seeing the evidence looming up in front of them, they still have a chance of landing it without complete loss of life.
    And, I can’t say it will be a perfect landing, I think half the under-carriage will crumple on impact – but most of them ought to come out alive!

Comments are closed.