Bishop Hill Caroline's confusion
Aug 20, 2013 Energy: gas Caroline Lucas's arrest yesterday has had the desired effect, winning her a headline slot on the Today Programme. That will be the BBC standing up for law and order then.
In the interview, we learn that Ms Lucas is a bit confused over this whole fraccing thing, referring to it as a "new technology". She also seems to be in a right pickle over the her energy preferences, telling the Radio 4 audience that we should be using "natural gas" rather than "fracked gas". Somebody needs to explain to her that fracked gas is natural gas.
I assume what she means is "conventional gas", which she wants us to believe has lower fugitive methane emissions than gas from fractured wells. However, given that the scientific evidence is that fugitive methane is a small and diminishing problem, this looks like more disinformation from Ms Lucas than an attempt to enlighten.
The audio is below.
Reader Comments (64)
...and recyclable as plant fertiliser!
Robin: I believe this is the reference: http://www.thegwpf.org/china-india-building-4-coal-power-plants-week/
............. even better.....it's......organic!
Surely a statute becomes law with Royal Assent. Traditionally in the UK without a written constitution common law has been interpreted by Judges. However, it has now become a matter of contention whether the judges are making laws as against parliament because we have so many of them these days. We seem to have wandered somewhat off the point the Ms Lucas does have a duty to uphold the law since she is a member of the institution that makes and passes them.
The legislature makes the law - that's Parliament.
The judiciary (at higher levels) wrestles with interpreting statutes and statutory instruments to discern the intention of Parliament where it might not be clear - often widening the scope of a statute if the language allows or limiting it to exactly what Parliament said if the law in question is clear. There are basic and longstanding canons of interpretation which any first year law undergraduate will learn. Judges do make mistakes and sometimes extend a statute beyond that which was intended, or shine a light on the unintended consequences of poor drafting. But many many judgments end by saying - if the law is to be changed it is for Parliament to do it.
Judges in the UK generally do not make law and haven't sought to do so to any extent since Denning and his often bold statements of equitable principles.
As to common law and equity, yes these do develop and evolve often by judgments of courts to take account of changing social norms and expectations but much of the common law and equity have been set on a statutory basis by Parliament over the years.
So, IMO it is proper and right to call Caroline Lucas a lawmaker.
Re China. They used to be building one new coal fired power station a day, but that was some time ago, now I believe it's a couple a week.
'This is the BBC. This is the flagship news program on the BBC'
---
In the morning.
In the evening there is Newsnight, those wonderful people who brought you McAlpine.
With a slight possibility of Prim.. anorama in days to come.
Feeling the trust in education & information yet?
Swiss Bob: as I did with Snotrocket, I'd find it useful if you had an authority for your two coal-fired power stations a week. Have you?
The best I can find, from (I'm assured) the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics, is that China has increased its "thermal" (essentially coal) energy production (electricity) from 320.790bn KWH in August 2012 to 345.095bn KWH in July 2013 - i.e. an increase of 24.305bn KWH or 7.6%. I've no idea how many new power stations that might be.
BTW that 345.095bn KWH represents 79.4% of China's total energy production (electricity). Wind power represents 2.2%.
Aug 20, 2013 at 3:14 PM | Disko Troop
I missed your post. Thanks for the link. An extract:
That's about one new plant each week in China and India. Not quite one a day (in China) - but still a serious quantity.Ref the discussion on China power station construction. I find the most amazing statistic is the fact that China currently consumes almost 50% of global coal production and that percentage is increasing as global coal production increases. The UK and the EU are just a bit players in carbon emissions. I wonder if the Eng. Lit graduate and MP Lucas is aware of this or more importantly the BBC..
Lucas and her ilk will always refer to the green safety net of usage when answering energy questions. They are wise enough to know that their reliance on renewables is utterly ridiculous, especially for an increasingly energy hungry populace. Their answer is 'energy efficiency' which is code for turning everything off, and having to through lack of supply. That is the world they want, and the pretentious twerps in Brighton should hang their heads in shame to have voted for such lunacy.
What a great moniker, lindzen4pm
Thanks Mr. Drake. It does seem to annoy posters on a certain 'climate change' blogsite, so much so my comments are now pre-moderated and often not posted at all. Perhaps I should change it to 'whistleblower', as they seem keener on that, so long as it follows their doctrine, of course.
I think there's a lot to be said for pre-emptive annoyance, with something this good :)