Summary of Ross Clark on bad energy decisions | Tom Nelson Pod #90

00:00:00 - 00:40:00

Ross Clark questions the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the UK government's commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050 in his book “Not Zero.” Clark argues that the technologies needed to reach this goal have not yet been invented or scaled up to commercial forms, making it a “hostage to fortune.” He also discusses the impracticality of heat pumps, electric cars, battery-powered planes and finding new aviation fuels in meeting the carbon emission reduction goals by 2050. Clark highlights the lack of opposition to the UK's "going green" plan and the negative consequences of bad energy decisions in the West. He suggests that more realistic approaches are necessary rather than blindly following irrational targets.

• 00:00:00 In this section, Ross Clark discusses the UK government’s commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050 and his book “Not Zero” which questions the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of this target. He explains that the legislation was passed in 2019 without a vote and without the government knowing the cost or how to achieve it. Clark argues that the technologies needed to reach this goal have not yet been invented or scaled up to commercial forms, making it a “hostage to fortune.” He also delves into the details of heat pumps and electric cars, pointing out that they are not yet cost-effective and efficient enough to replace traditional heating systems and gasoline cars. Clark suggests that there needs to be a more realistic approach to reducing carbon emissions, rather than blindly adhering to an irrational target.
• 00:05:00 In this section, Ross Clark discusses the UK's plan to ban petrol and diesel cars by 2030, with hybrids to follow in 2035. He predicts that the UK will likely relax its rules before 2030, as car manufacturers will not create cars solely for the British market, and other countries across Europe may still allow internal combustion engines. Clark also notes that electric cars have stalled in the British market, with only 16% of new car sales being electric in February 2021. He mentions the impracticality of electric cars for long-distance travel, especially with limited charging stations available. Clark also addresses the infeasibility of using battery-powered planes for long-distance commercial flights, citing the weight issue and the lack of technology to engineer such a plane.
• 00:10:00 In this section, Ross Clark discusses the challenges of aviation and finding new aviation fuels. Clark mentions that we do not have the technology presently to make jet airliners or flights with zero carbon means. The most likely solution would be to use e-fuels, which are synthetic fuels made from hydrogen and carbon using a lot of energy, thus making the fuel about five times more expensive than current jet fuel. He also points out that the biggest problem is that this topic is politically appealing to people who do not understand it at all, resulting in lawmakers getting deceived by lobbyists pushing their green solutions and technology. Clark gives examples of the British government's perverse incentives to close down a remaining industry, agriculture, in order to export carbon emissions created in the production of manufactured goods or food for the British market. He also mentions that 10 years ago, the UK had a serious chance of creating a shale gas fracking industry, but it was stopped due to false information being spread about it, such as causing earthquakes and polluting groundwater. Consequently, we are now importing significant amounts of liquefied natural gas from the US and Qatar, which is not only expensive, but also causes a considerable amount of energy loss.
• 00:15:00 In this section, Ross Clark discusses the lack of opposition to the UK's "going green" plan, despite its numerous flaws and practicality issues. Some politicians have formed a group called the Net Zero scrutiny group, which aims to point out the errors in the plan, but they are not numerous enough to affect change, and the government is still pushing for its impractical targets. Boris Johnson's sudden conversion to clean energy is a classic example of zeal for the converted, as he wants to cover the entire country with wind turbines without understanding the flaws in his plan. By 2035, the government aims to remove all gas from the National Grid, which poses an energy cliff edge, as the capacity for storing and generating energy is very expensive. In comparison, China invests heavily in both wind and solar energy as well as traditional hydrocarbons, recognizing that they cannot rely solely on renewable energy without sacrificing their energy needs.
• 00:20:00 In this section, the discussion focuses on the negative consequences of bad energy decisions in the West. The Grenfell Tower fire and over-insulation issues are cited as examples of how climate cultism and the race to reduce carbon emissions can result in unsafe buildings and bad decisions. The government in China is not convinced that reducing carbon emissions can eradicate flooding, which is a significant problem in many parts of the country, and is instead focusing on building flood defenses and managing rivers better. The conversation highlights the importance of ensuring good construction practices and using insulation and ventilation systems that are appropriate for the building's needs and environment.
• 00:25:00 In this section, Ross Clark discusses the push for green initiatives in the UK and the reasons behind it. He mentions lobbyists who stand to make money from efforts to tackle carbon emissions, and the thousands of jobs in the public sector that are focused on climate change. Clark admits that there is generalized support for tackling climate change and the Net Zero Target, but as more people become aware of the cost, support is dying away. He notes that the government has fallen hopelessly behind its schedule for Net Zero, with only 55,000 heat pumps installed last year. Even with big subsidies, people aren't taking up the offer, in part due to the mixed reviews and inadequate heating systems which result from the poor job done by unskilled workers. Clark believes that rooftop solar panels make financial sense, as seen in his personal experience.
• 00:30:00 In this section, Ross Clark discusses his experience with solar energy and how it has benefitted him, as well as Britain's lack of effort in flood defense. He also mentions the hysteria over extreme weather conditions, pointing out that Britain is becoming less stormy according to observational data. Clark further discusses the misconception that global warming causes more deaths due to heat, whereas in fact, there has been a reduction in deaths from extreme heat, with the majority of extreme temperature-related deaths caused by cold. Clark criticizes the common narrative of climate change killing millions of people per year and emphasizes the need to call out such ridiculous claims.
• 00:35:00 In this section, Ross Clark discusses the shortcomings of wind and solar power as sources of renewable energy in the UK, stating that while they have contributed a great deal to electricity generation, they constitute only 3.2% of total energy needs in the country. He also notes that nuclear power accounts for approximately 15% of electricity use, but a much lower proportion of total energy needs. Clark believes that to achieve net-zero emissions targets by 2050, the UK needs a huge nuclear power building program. However, as the lifespan of nuclear plants is limited, Clark suggests building more small nuclear reactors to replace the ageing power stations. Despite admitting nuclear power is safe, he mentions the economic cost of nuclear emergencies and evacuations as one of the main disincentives for governments and power companies to invest in large nuclear power plants.
• 00:40:00 In this section, Ross Clark discusses the challenges of reducing carbon emissions from industries such as cement and steel production, and agriculture, which are big contributors of carbon emissions globally. Clark argues that eliminating carbon emissions by 2050 would eliminate these industries, leading to potential importation of steel and cement products from countries like China, where they are produced using coal energy, thereby increasing global carbon emissions. Additionally, Clark notes that there is a small but powerful vegan lobby pushing for a vegan agenda for the sake of the planet, but the reality is that this idea has not gained much traction amongst the general public.