8/4/2019 The Failure of Authority to Command the Energy Crisis

1/6

The failure of authority to command the energy crisis

TheUKdesperatelyneedsanewenergystrategyandcouldseizetheopportunityofbeing

thespearheadtoanewattitudeandapproachtoenergysourcingandsecurity.Legislation,

(ClimateChangeAct2008),confinesanenergyapproachfocusedonpollutantemissions

andlimitsforesightandtechnologicaldevelopmentbykeepingattentionfixedoncurrent

meansofenergygeneration.TheUKhasnoobjectivemeasureofitsassets.Expandedinto

thegeopoliticalarena,theissuesofenergysourcingandsecurityareattherootofall

troublespotsintheworld.Whilethevisionofa'lowcarbon'infrastructuremaintainsa

profitfocusoncapandtrade,orcarbontaxingpolicies,developmentisequallyconfinedto

theprofitopportunitiesofbiomassandtokengesturetowardshydro,wind,andsolar

energy

.

There

is

a

complete

disregard

of

the

agricultural

impact

of

bio

mass

and

blind

ignoranceoftechnologicaladvanceintoclean,nonpollutingenergysourcing,provenby

inspiredinventors.

AfterthehegemonyoftheoilindustryfollowingtwoworldwarstheUKnolonger

commandsasmuchinfluenceinenergystrategy.IfU.K.EnergySecretaryChrisHuhnehad

theforesightofarealisticenergyfutureandweretoseizetheopportunityofnewenergy

potentials,theUKcouldagainleadtheworldintoaneweraofinnovationandprosperity

thatwouldchangethefaceoftheworldforthebetterinmuchthesamewayasindustrial

imperialismhaschangedtheworldfortheworse.Witha200billionvisionofalowcarbon

infrastructure,apublicdebtof1trillion,amassivetradedeficit,andforesightblinkered

withincurrentmodalitiesthefutureisbleakascombustiblesandnuclearenergygeneration

areharmfulinallrespects.TheUK'senergyandeconomicpolicyreliesonassumptionsthat

arecompletelyunrealisticandpubliccommunicationsofferathinveneerofwilltochange.

WithnucleardisasterinJapanandtheabsurdsituationofenergysecuritycreatingmore

insecurityintheworldtheneverbefore,alongsidethedesperatedevelopmentof'fracking'

forgasand'unconventionaloil',andthedevelopmentofbiomassfurnacesastheonlymajor

solutionstoalternateenergygeneration(whichisalsoidentifiedasprofitable),itseemsthat

thoseresponsibleasenergyauthoritieshavehopelesslylosttheplottotheperilofalllifeon

thisplanet.Canwenotgrownupfromtheexperienceoftwoworldwars,thecoldwarand

the warmwarofthesedays?Theclosedmindsofpuppetgovernmentsstifledbythe

directivesofEUpolicyandtheflexingoftheInternationalEnergyAgencyareimpenetrable

tothenewsthatinfiniteenergyisfreelyavailabletousandnewsciencehasshownthatitis

accessibleanduseable.NewEnergyIsSolution.

TheUKhasestablishedacommitmenttotheEU's202020targets.The2007targetsfor

2020,(knownasthe202020targets),werepresentedas"anintegratedapproachtoclimate

andenergypolicythataimstocombatclimatechangeandincreasetheEUsenergysecurity

whilestrengtheningitscompetitiveness.TheycommittedEuropetotransformingitselfintoa

highlyenergyefficient,lowcarboneconomy".

8/4/2019 The Failure of Authority to Command the Energy Crisis

2/6

20-20-20 Lack of Vision

The202020targetsrequireareductioninEUgreenhousegasemissionsofatleast20%

below1990levels,20%ofEUenergyconsumptiontocomefromrenewableresources,anda

20%reductioninprimaryenergyusecomparedwithprojectedlevels,tobeachievedby

improvingenergyefficiency.Finerhetoric,butfromtheoutsetweakinitsobjectives.A

20%reductionofemissionsisinadequateinitself.Consumptionfromrenewableresource

deniesthepossibilityofanonpollutingnewenergysource,andseekingtoimprove

efficiencyisclearlyignorantofoverunity.

TheUK,asanEUleader,offeredtoincreasetheEUsemissionsreductionto30%,on

conditionthatothermajoremittingcountriesinthedevelopedanddevelopingworlds

commit

to

do

their

fair

share

under

a

global

climate

agreement.

(Or

was

that

agreement

to

participateincarbontradingschemes?).UnitedNationsnegotiationsonsuchanagreement

arestillongoing.i.e.thereremainsnoagreement.

InJune2009theEUclimatepackagebecamelegallybinding.Thislegislationwasinitially

proposedinordertokickstarttheimplementationofthe202020targets,butthelegislation

manipulatesanddirectstheintentofthe202020targetsinthefourcomponentsofthecore

oftheclimatepackage.

EUNationsarenowrequiredbylawtoundertakearevisionandstrengtheningofthe

EmissionsTradingSystem(ETS),whichtheEUconsidersa"keytoolforcuttingemissions

costeffectively".Ihavenodoubtthattheeconomicclimateofrecentyearshasinfluenced

thethrustforcarbontradingasanopportunityofcommerce.Carbontradingatbestallows

industrialconcerntohidefromitspollutantoutput.Capandtax(fine)policiesdonotcreate

adequatedisincentiveinafinancialclimateofnationaldefaults,excessivelyinflatedfuel

costs,andtheburdenofmilitaryactionrelatedtoenergysecurity.Thecoreoftheclimate

packagegoesontodefinean'EffortSharingDecisiongoverningemissionsfromsectorsnot

coveredbytheEUETS,suchastransport,housing,agricultureandwaste.The'decision'is

lefttoeachmemberstatetodefineitsemissionslimitationtargetreflectingthenations

'relativewealth'.Thislegislationpermitsemissionsincreaseforpoorernationstates.Itseems

thatthelegislativefocusofconcernismorewithprotectingandmaintainingindustryand

economythanitiswithprotectingtheenvironment.

Inthe2010EuropeanCommissionpublication"Analysisofoptionstomovebeyond20%greenhousegasemissionreductionsandassessingtheriskofcarbonleakage",thereisopenadmittancethattheEUactionisinadequate.Whilethis'communication'referencestheimpactoffinancialcollapse,whatismostalarmingisthatitgoesontomeasurethereductionofemissionsintermsofthecostsofcarbontrading.Footnote5,pg3,ofthecommunicationstates"Thesefiguresrepresentanadditionalenergycost,notareductionofGDP.Itincludesadditionalinvestmentsneeded,aswellasenergysavings.Itdoesnotincludeairqualitybenefits".Thisreflectsclearlythatthefocusisfinancialandnotenvironmental.

8/4/2019 The Failure of Authority to Command the Energy Crisis

3/6

Thethirdcorelegislationoftheclimatepackagecreates"BindingnationaltargetsforrenewableenergywhichcollectivelywilllifttheaveragerenewableshareacrosstheEUto20%by2020".Itisconsideredthat"ThetargetswillcontributetodecreasingtheEUsdependenceonimportedenergyandtoreducinggreenhousegasemissions."

Whileitisofcoursecommendabletodevelopconventionalrenewabletechnologies,therealityofenergydemandandsupplyrenderscurrentrenewablesasadropintheoceantoenergyusage.

Whilealotofnoiseandglossspeaksofemissionsreductionitremainsafactthatenergyconsumptioncontinuestoincrease.IntheUK,asthenorthseagassupplyisfastdepletingthereisaneverincreasingdemandofdependenceonimportedenergy.

8/4/2019 The Failure of Authority to Command the Energy Crisis

4/6

Intheglobalscenario,inordertomaintainadequateoilextractionintothefutureatflowrates

thatwillsatisfyestimateddemandgrowth,newoilfieldsmustbefound,developedand

commissionedataratethatisuntenable.Aswitheconomicbailouts,thisprojectionissimply

unsustainable.Thesameblindnessappliestotheavailabilityandpriceofcoal.Until2008,China,

theworldslargestcoalminerandconsumer,burningaround3billiontonsperyear(42%of

worlddemand),wasanetexporterofcoal.In2010,forthefirsttimeinhistory,itimported130

milliontonsofcoalfromtheglobalshipbornemarket.TheFourthCorelegislationoftheEUclimatepackageisalegalframeworktopromotethedevelopmentandsafeuseofcarboncaptureandstorage(CCS).Thislegislationisliterallyhidingtheproblem.ThatR&Dfundingwillgointoa"familyoftechnologiesthatcapturethecarbondioxideemittedbyindustrialprocessesandstoreitinundergroundgeologicalformationswhereitcannotcontributetoglobalwarming"issimplystupid.Thisisaverysadreflectionoftheincapacityofbureaucraticauthoritiestodealwiththeextinctionleveleventofindustrialpollutants.Itisalsoindicativeoftheirresponsiblesteeringofresources:

"RevisedEUguidelinesonstateaidforenvironmentalprotection,issuedatthesametimeasthelegislativepackagewasproposed,enablegovernmentstoprovidefinancialsupportforCCSpilotplants". Andthatislaw.

TheInternationalEnergyAgency(IEA)stateasoneofitsaims,to"Supportglobalcollaborationonenergytechnologytosecurefutureenergysuppliesandmitigatetheirenvironmentalimpact,includingthroughimprovedenergyefficiencyanddevelopmentanddeploymentoflowcarbontechnologies."TheIEAclaimsonitswebsitetobe"Theauthoritativesourceofenergyanalysisandprojections".

The'WorldEnergyOutlook2010'(WEO)reportbytheIEA,statesthat"Theenergyworld

facesunprecedenteduncertainty".Yet,theimpotencyofworldleadershipisreflectedintheCopenhagenAccordwhichishopelesslyinadequateinaddressingtherealityofpollutingenergysourcinganditsconsequences.Thisineffectiveaccordisonlyproposingfundingmitigationandadaptationstrategies.MitigationisnotaccomplishedwhentheIEAaimis'lowcarbon'whileignoring'nocarbon'technologies.Mitigationonlyreducesthesymptomoftheproblemwhilenonpollutingenergysourcesoffersolution.Adaptationamountstomonitoringtheprocessofdegradationanddesperateactionsofmanagementresponsethatcannomorethanhopeforextinctionprevention.

TheUSGlobalChangeResearchAssociation,inits'NationalClimateAssessment'states"Becausechangesintheclimatesystemwillcontinueintothefutureregardlessofemissionsmitigation,strategiesforprotectingclimatesensitiveecosystemsthroughmanagementwillbeincreasinglyimportant",whilethe'NationalClimateAdaptationSummit'ofMay2010hadlittlemorefocusthanpushingforinvestmentinthedevelopmentofmonitoringandmodelingtechnologies.These'authoritative'reportsdonotaddressthecatastrophicissuesathand.Thereisnoresponsibleaccountabilityforthedevastationindustrialisedtradeandmilitarysecurityhascaused,onlythefeebleefforttomaintainbusinessasusualwhileattemptingtoappeartobeactingwithenvironmentalintegrity.

8/4/2019 The Failure of Authority to Command the Energy Crisis

5/6

TheWorldEnergyOutlook2010(WEO)goesontostate"thespeedoftheenergytransformationthatwouldneedtooccurafter2020issuchastoraiseseriousmisgivingsaboutthepracticalachievabilityofcuttingemissionssufficiently...",butthenhasnosubstancetoaddresstheshortcomings.Theprimarystrategyproposedbeingremovingsubsidiesfromafailingcoal/oilindustry.Policyactionwillnotsolvetheproblemparticularlyinapoliticalenvironmentwhereagovernmentspledgeisasuntrustworthyasanelectionmanifestostatement.Theoutlookdrawnbymodelingmethodsisbaseduponadataassumptionthatpledgeswillbehonoured,whileactualdatarelatedtoKyotoindicatesthatpledgesarenotactedupon.Despitethis,theprojectedforecastsperceivethat"Fossilfuels oil,coalandnaturalgas remainthedominantenergysourcesin2035".Indicatingthattheresimplyisn'ttheforesighttoevenseenonpollutingandnondepletingnewenergysourcing.

Insteadofaddressingthecausalrootoftheproblem,theIEApassesblametocountriesnotalignedwiththeglobalist'OrganisationforEconomicCooperationandDevelopment

(OECD)'forpredictedincreaseinuseof(wronglynamed)fossilfuels;"IntheNewPoliciesScenario,globaldemandforeachfuelsourceincreases,withfossilfuelsaccountingoveronehalfoftheincreaseintotalprimaryenergydemand."Theviabilityof'renewables'incontributingtoenergysupplyisdubious.Whileitisagoodthingthathydro,windandsolarpowerwillbedevelopedtoincreasesupply,theyremainincapableofmeetingdemandtoaffecttherequiredchange.Demandwillcontinuetoincreasepushingastressedcommercialenvironmenttowardsbiomass,geothermalandgas/unconventionaloilproduction.ItappearsthatthisisthefocusofintentoftheOECD,whosstatedmissioniseconomicandnotenvironmental.Whilethisbecomesthedriveofsocalled'greeneconomy'ina'bigsociety',itisrecognisedintheWEOthattherequiredfinancialsupporttodeploybiomass"typicallyraisesthecosttotheeconomyasawhole".Itthencontinuesbyjustifyingthe

investmentinbiomassasaprofitableenergypotential;"Butthebenefitscanbesignificant

8/4/2019 The Failure of Authority to Command the Energy Crisis

6/6

too,includingreducedimportsofoilandreducedCO2emissions ifbiomassisusedandthefossilenergyusedinprocessingthebiomassisnotexcessive".Again,thisisevidentlynotsolution.

Thereisanabundanceofevidenceoftheviabilityofnewenergysourcingtechnologiesthatarenonpolluting,fromzeropointorenergysourcedfromthevacuum,electromagneticsandelectrograviticstocoldfusiontechnologiesandmore.Manyinnovationsareapproachingreadinessforapplication,yetthisentirearenaoftechnologicaladvanceisignoredbytheauthoritiesthatholdthepursestringsofR&Dandmakefinestatementsofenvironmentalpolicypropaganda.