Scottish Sceptic

Once you examine it closely, the idea that “renewable” energy is green and clean looks less like a deduction than a superstition.
What does the word “renewable” mean? Last week the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a thousand-page report on the future of renewable energy, which it defined as solar, hydro, wind, tidal, wave, geothermal and biomass. These energy sources, said the IPCC, generate about 13.8% of our energy and, if encouraged to grow, could eventually displace most fossil fuel use  (For More see:  source)

There is a petition afoot to repeal the UK’s Crazy Climate Change Act.
Sign here.

There are two big energy scares, one based on a premise of “manmade warming” which says there is too much fossil fuel for our own good, and the other based on too little fossil fuel.
Both can be turned by the wind industry that was largely responsible for flaming the global warming scare to sell windmills, but because they imply very contradictory views of fossil fuels (too much and too little), it is not logically possible to support both at the same time. So I’ve always expected there to be a point when the eco-evangelists stop trying to flog the dead horse of the failed global warming scare and start flogging a new horse: peak oil.
Well it happened to today (or at least its the first clear case I’ve seen) in http://www.environmental-expert.com.

How to develop a business plan for oil depletion Continue reading →

If anyone didn’t know the Lib Dems in Scotland were thrashed at the last election with the SNP doing extremely well. A quick look at their press releases sees both have an interest in energy issues at the moment but the detail reveals all: Lib Dem continued obsession on global warming versus SNP concern with rising fuel prices and nuclear. Continue reading →

As most people know the Romans invaded Britain in 43AD. Over the next few decades they successively moved North overcoming local tribes until around 80AD Agricola brought an Army into Scotland. Historically, this campaign is very important: unlike many Roman campaigns, we have a written record because Agricola’s Son in Law was Tacitus and Tacitus’ writings were deemed important to the early Christian Church and so were saved for future generations. Continue reading →

As I listened to the news on Voyager, it occurred to me that this was the end of an era in space transport. I can still remember when Voyager was first launched: it was heralded as the beginning of a new era of space exploration. But now, much like lunar landings, it has had its day and is due for some museum.
Likewise, Concorde. Once heralded as the beginning of new era of super sonic passenger aircraft, now both the machine and the hope have been shelved.
At the weekend, I heard a very sobering statistic. Apparently, if you calculate peak oil/person in the world, that peak was passed in the 1970s. Are all these connected? Obviously Concorde was a massive consumer of aviation fuel energy. Likewise the reusable shuttle saved a bit of manufacturing cost of the vehicle for a massive increase in cost of fuel to send that “green” (recyclable) but heavier vehicle into space.
Now there is talk in Scotland of “enforcing” speed restrictions, which no doubt (like cigarettes) will see a continuing campaign of harassment until the PC politicians demonstrate their inability to let anyone lead their own lives.
So, is this “peak speed”? Will the next generation see their average travel speeds steadily reducing until they are like the M80 (40mph restrictions with Nazi like enforcement everywhere)
All in all it seems that we are already on the downward slope regarding any civilising aspects of modern society which consume energy.