Summary of Neil Winton: Former Reuters journalist; current climate realist | Tom Nelson Pod #95

00:00:00 - 00:45:00

Former Reuters journalist and climate realist Neil Winton discusses his issues with climate change reporting and the limitations of electric cars in the Tom Nelson Podcast #95. Winton criticizes the mainstream media's unbalanced reporting and lack of proof for many assumptions about the link between human-made carbon dioxide and climate change. He also discusses the limited suitability of electric cars for long-distance travel, the high cost of production and battery replacement, and safety concerns surrounding electric car fires. Additionally, Winton comments on the global reach of climate change activism and propaganda and the risks of limiting the use of cash. He advocates for a balanced approach to climate reporting, emphasizing the importance of debate and conversation on the issue.

• 00:00:00 In this section, Neil Winton, a former Reuters journalist and current climate realist, discusses his experience with reporting on global warming as a science and technology correspondent for Reuters. Despite the mainstream media reporting a "proven doom scenario," Winton found that many assumptions about the link between human-made carbon dioxide and climate change lacked proof. He also criticizes the mainstream media's lack of balance and fairness in climate change reporting, as many journalists are told to add the fact that human action is destroying the planet to any interesting weather story, and warned against climate change deniers. Winton emphasizes the importance of returning to balancing climate change reporting and the core values of journalism in order to continue productive debate and conversation on the issue.
• 00:05:00 In this section, Neil Winton, a former Reuters journalist and current climate realist, discusses his experience reporting on climate science technology during his time at Reuters. He explains that during the 90s, he was expected to provide both sides of the story, providing a collection of various opinions instead of favoring one view. Winton later left Reuters in 2002 and focused on writing freelance work, predominantly about the automotive industry. In recent years, he has honed in on electric cars, where he has observed mismatches between what electric cars are supposed to do and what they actually do. Winton points out that even the expensive Audi e-tron with a 95 kilowatt-hour battery only had a range of 180 miles, far from the 240 miles manufacturers claim. Furthermore, with the current charging structure, Winton cautions that one would not want to be on the road with less than 50 miles remaining available, which limits the range to only an hour of driving.
• 00:10:00 In this section, Neil Winton discusses the limitations of electric cars and how they are not suitable for long-distance travel due to the rapid decrease in range as speeds increase. He also notes how the air conditioning, heating, and media setup can drain the battery, especially in the winter. However, he does acknowledge that electric cars are good for short trips in town, but production costs may prevent the average person from buying one. Winton predicts that this may create a situation where only the rich can afford cars, and politicians may face backlash for their net-zero ambitions. Additionally, he mentions the high cost of battery replacement for current electric cars, with the battery costing about half the price of the vehicle.
• 00:15:00 In this section, former Reuters journalist Neil Winton discusses the safety concerns of electric cars and the issue of fires. Although there have been examples of electric car fires, the data so far does not suggest that they are less safe than traditional cars. However, it is challenging to control the blaze when an electric car catches fire, and fire brigades use specialized equipment like an artificial swimming pool to put it out. Another topic covered is the consensus on human-made CO2 and climate change. Winton questions if this consensus makes sense, given the significant temperature swings that happened over the past 2,000 years, where humans were not producing CO2 through cars or other means. Winton concludes with the industrial attempt to mitigate climate change regulations, where companies are trying to negotiate and work out deals with the government to help their sector in this new environment.
• 00:20:00 In this section, Neil Winton discusses the funding behind the "Covering Climate Now" campaign, an initiative orchestrated by The Guardian but financed primarily by the Rockefeller Foundation and other liberal groups. Winton notes that this campaign goes against Reuters' mission statement to pursue the truth since it advises journalists to include statements suggesting evidence of climate change in stories about the weather. He also criticizes the media's coverage of climate change-related events, such as David Attenborough's climate change video and the United Nations' net zero plan, for failing to present opposing viewpoints.
• 00:25:00 In this section, Neil Winton discusses the global reach of climate change activism and propaganda, highlighting the Climate Campaign group that has over 500 members and features major organizations like Reuters and Bloomberg. He expresses concern about the influence of such groups and the popular notion that carbon dioxide is an environmental pollutant. Winton also comments on the potential push for digital currencies and the dangers of limiting the use of cash. He concludes by discussing the difficulty of finding a platform to express his opinions on global warming and applauds Daily Skeptic for publishing his article on the issue.
• 00:30:00 In this section, former Reuters journalist Neil Winton discusses his failed attempt to shame Reuters into changing their approach to covering climate by citing their stated principles. He also shares a story about a 2015 press conference where he got Elon Musk to admit that the figures for Tesla's car range were based on an average speed of 55 miles per hour. Winton and the host then discuss battery swapping, including its past struggles and recent resurgence in China and Europe, and the future of the car industry, which could see a shift away from small, inexpensive cars due to European Union regulations.
• 00:35:00 In this section, Neil Winton explains how the UK's car industry is suffering, with mass-market manufacturers almost being wiped out by 2030. This is because Boris Johnson, when he was in power, wanted to demonstrate that he could ban internal combustion engines in 2030, which is 5 years before Europe's proposed ban in 2035. Consequently, the country's car industry is being wound down, and it seems that by 2030, European mass-market manufacturers will no longer exist, with the Chinese dominating the European car industry. Despite the Chinese being successful in developing electric cars, Winton finds it puzzling that these cars are not being pushed by the Chinese government or whether the Greens' policies are being financed by Russia.
• 00:40:00 In this section, former Reuters journalist Neil Winton discussed the energy efficiency and emissions of German electric cars. He mentioned that as Germany relies heavily on coal-fired electricity and has restarted its coal-fired generation since the energy crisis, at least a third of all German electric cars run on coal. Although electric cars have simpler technology than internal combustion engines, they are not zero-emissions as their manufacturing process consumes a lot of CO2 and non-environmental-friendly fragments are produced as tires wear out. Winton also talked about the issue of fuel taxes and how governments will try to find a way to replace lost revenue if electric cars capture a larger market share. Finally, he mentioned that generating capacity will be a significant challenge as electric cars become increasingly popular and more electricity will be required.
• 00:45:00 In this section, former Reuters journalist Neil Winton discusses the administration's plan for 2030, which includes 60 new purely electric cars. He also talks about Norway's high use of electric vehicles and how they have made it difficult for people to operate internal combustion engine cars. Winton mentions that there may be a hidden agenda among elites to get rid of private car ownership entirely and that EVs are just a stepping stone towards this goal. He notes that media outlets like the BBC monopoly are being broken by more right-wing organizations like GB News, which allows more conservative voices to be heard. Overall, Winton expresses the importance of a balanced approach to climate reporting and the need to address the issues of both sides.