Summary of Ralph Ellis: Climate and Energy Disinformation | Tom Nelson Podcast #140

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00:00:00 - 01:00:00

Ralph Ellis, in this podcast, discusses various instances of climate and energy disinformation. He highlights issues such as the manipulation of data in the hockey stick graph, misleading portrayals of global warming in the media, the disparity between Arctic and Antarctic temperature and ice data, and the questionable claim of 97% consensus among climate scientists. Ellis argues that there is no climate emergency and criticizes the push for net-zero emissions and renewable energy policies. He also addresses the challenges and costs associated with energy storage and the limitations of nuclear power. Ellis emphasizes the need for practical and realistic solutions rather than indulging in energy fantasies.

00:00:00 In this section, Ralph Ellis introduces himself as a polymath and discusses his background as a mineral surveyor, computer analyst, truck driver, airline captain, and climate scientist. He mentions his peer-reviewed climate paper and presents a graph showing the correlation between temperature and CO2 during the ice ages. He argues that CO2 is not the main driver of temperature, but rather surface albedo plays a significant role. Ellis then discusses the controversial hockey stick graph, which he claims hides the decline in temperature during the medieval warming period and little Ice Age. He references an email from Phil Jones to suggest that there was a deliberate attempt to manipulate data in order to support climate alarmism.
00:05:00 In this section, the speaker discusses various examples of climate and energy disinformation. They first mention the "Divergence problem," which refers to tree rings no longer accurately recording temperatures after 1950. To create the famous hockey stick graph, scientists allegedly cut off the end of the tree ring graph and stitched in thermometer data, resulting in a misleading representation of global warming. The speaker criticizes this as disinformation and questions the reliability of using tree rings to determine past temperatures. They also highlight how the BBC weather maps and media portrayals often exaggerate global warming without accurately reflecting the data. For example, tornadoes and hurricanes have actually been decreasing in frequency and strength over the past decades, contrary to popular belief. Additionally, Northern Hemisphere snow extent and polar temperatures and ice sheets have remained relatively stable over the past 50 years, contradicting claims of imminent climate emergencies.
00:10:00 In this section, Ralph Ellis discusses temperature and sea ice data in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. He points out that while Arctic temperatures and sea ice have been decreasing, the Antarctic has shown no change in temperature over the past 40 years and has even experienced sea ice increase for 35 years before recent decreases. Ellis suggests that this disparity between the two regions indicates that CO2 is not the controlling agent in climate change. He also mentions the presence of forest soot and industrial dust in the Arctic as a possible contributing factor. Ellis then addresses the issue of polar bears, stating that their population has actually quadrupled over the past 60 years, which contradicts the claim that they will be wiped out due to climate change. He criticizes the BBC for sharing what he considers to be disinformation. Lastly, Ellis questions the validity of the "97% of climate scientists agree" claim, citing methodological flaws in the study that produced this statistic. Overall, Ellis argues that there is no climate emergency and therefore no need for Net Zero policies.
00:15:00 In this section, Ralph Ellis discusses his perspective on climate change and CO2. He mentions that while he considers himself a CO2 skeptic, he acknowledges that there has been some warming, although the cause and magnitude are not clear. He argues that the claim of 97% of scientists supporting anthropogenic global warming is misleading, as only half a percent explicitly supported it. Ellis also criticizes the lack of freedom of speech and research in academia around this topic, stating that scientists who do not support the mainstream view can face consequences such as funding cuts or dismissal. He then explains the importance of CO2 as plant food and highlights the negative impact of low CO2 levels during the last ice age. Ellis concludes by questioning the current push for net-zero emissions and energy policies, referring to them as an "energy fantasy."
00:20:00 In this section, Ralph Ellis discusses the energy generation and consumption in the UK and compares it to the situation in America and China. He highlights that while renewables make up a significant portion of electricity generation in the UK, there are concerns about the use of biomass, particularly by the Drax power station, which burns millions of tons of trees imported from America and Canada. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the UK's efforts to reduce fossil fuel use pale in comparison to China's, which built 50 GW of coal capacity in 2022 alone. Additionally, Ellis points out that electricity generation only accounts for a fraction of total energy consumption, which is largely dependent on oil and gas. He concludes that in order to meet energy demands, the UK needs to significantly increase its power generation capacity, but there is currently no planning for additional power stations.
00:25:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the issue of backup storage for renewable energy production. They explain that wind and solar energy are intermittent and often switch off, leading to the need for backup storage. They use the UK as an example, pointing out that solar energy does not work effectively in northern Europe due to overcast skies. The speaker also mentions a wind outage in December 2021 and explains that the current backup storage system relies on methane gas. However, the government plans to phase out methane gas-powered energy by 2035, which will require alternative backup storage options. They emphasize the need for at least 10 days of stored backup energy and explain that the UK, as well as America, lacks sufficient backup energy supplies. The speaker mentions pumped water storage as a potential solution but highlights the challenges of limited land space and high costs. They estimate that to backup half of the UK grid for 10 days, it would require 4,800 GWh of energy, which is significantly more than the current storage capacity of 10 GWh. Thus, finding an adequate solution for backup storage remains a significant challenge.
00:30:00 In this section, Ralph Ellis discusses the need for energy storage in order for Britain to successfully transition to renewable energy. He mentions that the government is not serious about this conversion unless they address the energy storage problem. Ellis references Professor McKay's booklet on sustainable energy, which presents different plans for renewable energy in the UK. He mentions the high costs associated with implementing these plans, such as the need for 100 offshore wind farms costing 850 billion pounds and 3,900 solar arrays in the Sahara costing 320 billion pounds. Ellis also points out the challenges of land availability and the short lifespan of these renewable energy technologies.
00:35:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the costs and challenges associated with constructing the necessary infrastructure for renewable energy. He estimates that building the cables to transport electricity from North Africa to Europe would cost around 3,100 billion pounds, and the backup storage system would cost an additional 1,000 billion pounds. However, he believes that it is unlikely that all of this infrastructure can be built within the proposed timeline of 27 years. Nuclear power is presented as a viable alternative, with costings for building 30 nuclear power stations at 600 billion pounds. The speaker also mentions that nuclear power has a lower CO2 emissions and a longer lifespan, making it a potentially attractive option. Nevertheless, he cautions that increased demand for nuclear power may drive up costs. Overall, the speaker presents the costs and challenges associated with transitioning to all-electric energy sources.
00:40:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the challenges and limitations of nuclear power as a green energy option. They note that despite Britain's history in nuclear power, the country is now relying on Chinese and French companies to build their new nuclear power stations. The speaker then presents data on CO2 emissions and safety death rates per unit of electrical production, showing that nuclear power is a low-emission and relatively safe option compared to coal, oil, and gas. However, they also highlight the issues with uranium, such as its low efficiency and limited availability. The speaker suggests that thorium power could be a viable alternative to address these challenges.
00:45:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the advantages of thorium as a nuclear fuel, highlighting its high efficiency, abundance, and reduced waste compared to uranium. They explain that thorium is difficult to use for making nuclear weapons and can be used in stable core reactors that cannot melt down. The speaker also mentions that China is currently working on a thorium reactor, but laments the lack of investment in thorium research in Western countries. They argue that renewable energy solutions alone are not sufficient and advocate for a significant increase in nuclear power, citing the French model as an example of success.
00:50:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the limitations of uranium as a resource for nuclear power and suggests that thorium power could be a viable alternative. However, the problem is that Western governments are not investing in researching thorium power. The speaker criticizes the short-sightedness of politicians and emphasizes the need for a rational and realistic energy policy. They also mention their longstanding involvement in the topic and their skepticism regarding climate change. Additionally, the speaker highlights the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources and mentions the issue of synchronization in wind power grids.
00:55:00 In this section, Ralph Ellis discusses the challenges of integrating intermittent renewable energy into grids. He argues that relying on gas as a backup source makes wind and solar seem cheap, but if we relied solely on stored energy systems, renewables would be three times more expensive due to the need for additional storage infrastructure. Ellis criticizes the media hype around large battery projects, noting that they provide only a brief backup solution. He suggests that alternatives like pump water storage are more viable. Ellis also criticizes the fantasy projects in the renewable energy industry, pointing out instances like the failed Crescent Dunes solar plant and the short-lived solar road in Europe. He emphasizes the need for practical and realistic solutions, rather than wasting money on fantasies.

01:00:00 - 01:00:00

In the interview, Ralph Ellis emphasizes the limitations of intermittent renewable energies and advocates for alternative energy sources like nuclear power. He downplays concerns about CO2 emissions and suggests reading "Tropical Skies" by Dr. John Christie for a more nuanced understanding of greenhouse gas warming. Ellis draws attention to the discrepancy between surface and tropical tropospheric temperatures, questioning the accuracy of surface temperature measurements. He ultimately concludes that relying on fossil fuels is not a sustainable long-term solution, and alternative energies like nuclear power should be pursued instead.