Bishop Hill That voice
Aug 4, 2015 BBC Energy: wind I get called up quite often by Radio Scotland to talk about energy. It's a hot topic north of the border and they struggle for people who are willing to do anything other than parrot the received wisdom (if you can call it that) on renewables.
So it wasn't altogether a surprise when they called this morning to see if I might be willing to talk about Obama's energy plan and what impact a change in the US situation might mean for further developments here in Scotland. The researcher sounded quite interested in what I had to say - you can guess the content - and went away to talk to her producer.
Unfortunately, when she got back to me half an hour later she said they already had "that voice" in the show, and explained that they wouldn't be needing me. Fair enough.
But now take a listen to what "that voice" had to say. It made me laugh, anyway.
Reader Comments (29)
Renewables the biggest supplier of energy in Scotland?
The young one sounds like his mum put his tie on for him and reminds him to always wear clean underpants if going out. Swallowing the chosen one's every utterance just cements his naivete and willful ignorance.
The other 'voice' - Turbans - he actually pronounces it such. He is an activist blinded by his pension hopes. Waffler extraordinaire.
Chinese pollution - disgusting slag, sludge and smog that doesn't happen 'here'. So that's ok then.
fidiots
Curiously, the chosen one only mentioned oil, not coal or gas? Have these two elements been sidelined of re-classified per chance? Or was he just the ignorant pillock I took him for?
Why do interviewers bother to ask questions if they have no intention of eliciting an answer to the actual questions?
At least 'lying' in their terms, ie giving the "wrong" answer.
It's a long time since media interviews were intended to inform or educate the listener/viewer. The purpose now is to reinforce the "message" whatever that message may be. A secondary purpose is often to undermine the interviewee by asking questions, sometimes of the 'have you stopped beating your wife?' variety, which are either unanswerable in the context of the interview or which the interviewee cannot answer for genuine reasons of confidentiality or good governance.
I see Judith Curry is also being asked for her opinion on this subject...
http://judithcurry.com/2015/08/03/president-obamas-clean-power-plan/
...though I'm sure most of the MSM, especially the BBC, will turn a blind eye to her very thoughtful comments.
Next time a researcher (pre-) questions you, Bish, tell 'em how much you admire Obama and think that his plans will be the saviour of the world, if not Scotland. Then you get on and say whatever you want.
Ruinables man: "When it's windy our turbines are delivering electricity; when it's sunny our solar panels are delivering electricity; and when it's raining our hydro delivers electricity" face - palm!
Then, he wants tidal power!! After all, it's 'predictable'!
The ruinable guy actually thinks it 'a pity' that the Americans discovered shale gas as this delayed the development of wind and solar. Talk about vested interest.
"Renewables the biggest supplier of energy in Scotland? geronimo"
England the biggest supplier of Energy in Scotland.
There's a consultation out at the moment about the BBC's future - I answered and said "just privatise the biased broadcasting company" (or words to that effect).
The BBC are beyond a joke, and I think it is too far gone down the path of believing its own propaganda that it could ever be turned around.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/have_your_say
The renewable power supply is "fairly constant" - so that's OK then - or is it called that because you have to keep renewing the places you can get it from.? .
I had a punt at answering the survey the Beeb put out about its future, whether they are sincere or not is difficult to say. I gave a few pointers as to its biased reporting, & greenalism in particular. I dare say that will be edited somehow!
It would be nice if the BBC would call someone for an opinion on what the announcement would have on further developments 'in ENGLAND'. Not much chance of that at present though. Change will need to forced upon them to get such an outcome.
So Hydro only works when it's raining? "Every barrel of oil pumped out of the earth is carbon dioxide" Really?
Germany is hitting the buffers with wind energy:
"German winds make Central Europe shiver" http://www.politico.eu/article/strong-winds-in-germany-a-problem-in-central-europe/
"The country’s move away from nuclear power and increase in production of wind or solar energy has pushed it to the point where its existing power grids can’t always cope. And it’s the Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and France that have taken the brunt.
“If there is a strong blow of the wind in the North, we get it, we have the blackout,” Martin Povejšil, the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the EU said at a briefing in Brussels recently.
Germany’s north-south power lines have too limited a capacity to carry all the power that is produced from wind turbines along the North Sea to industrial states like Bavaria or Baden-Württemberg and onto Austria. That means the extra electricity is shunted through the Czech Republic and Poland.
To put an end to the often unexpected power flows from Germany — so-called loop flows — the countries are taking the matter into their own hands. Concerned about the stability of their own grids, additional costs and the ability to export their own power, the Czechs, for example, are installing devices to block the power from 2016 onwards."
dennisa:
Poland too, and I think they are a little more advanced with the phase shifting "road block". That means more surplus wind electricity will have to those with enough hydro pumped storage. The Norwegians are not happy now, often charging to take it, so the subsidies will have to rise. Of course Germany could always flatten the Black Forest and replace it with transmission pylons.
I notice in the (waste of time) broadcast that hydroelectricity is now "renewable". A change from not so long ago.
They'll see the light in the end, if only for listening numbers.
Ize see da light
Pointy "born again" man.
Cost efficiencies would be achieved, if the BBC provided a list of answers they wanted to hear from their independent 'experts'. It would take the guesswork out of BBC programme making, and ensure that approved BBC Directives about impartiality were complied with.
It would be interesting to see the graph of the power delivery, how many periods when renewables were less than 20% of the energy demand. I guess the fluctuations still mean they need lots of standby power
Bish' o/t but I thought worth a mention.
The Libor guy Tom Hayes has just got 14 years for fixing / rigging Libor rates across the globe. 14. Ouch! Now ask yourself; away from the world of finance is there a more data-sensitive area that is completely dependent on accurate information than 'climate change'? I doubt it. False data could, indeed WILL, have cost implications running into hundreds of $billions, and that's before social policy or commercial advantages / losses are considered.
Nobody has given this guy any sympathy whatsoever (and I'm not either, btw) so that means a clear precedent has now been set regarding public acceptance of severe penalties for manipulating public-policy influencing data. The guys who've been adjusting climate data - and they clearly have been, have left their handy work right there in the public domain. Oops. They could be in for a few sleepless nights following this very interesting precedent, and I wonder if you think it's worth a bit of sabre-rattling? Just saying.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financial-crime/11767437/Libor-trial-Tom-Hayes-found-guilty-of-rigging-rates.html
It is my understanding that the BBC didn't do advertising in their actual programs but that appears to have changed - the whole thing was just a message from their sponsors, the green blob.
The Scots' power Grid is on the verge of failure for 20% of the time.
It is only 20% because of English power exports.
Another take
"“CLIMATE THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF OUR TIME”, SAYS OBAMA
...now where have we heard that before?"
http://pickeringpost.com/story/-climate-the-greatest-challenge-of-our-time-says-obama/5204
You are being squeezed out of the public square, your lordship.
The climate kooks can't debate, discuss, critically review or face heretical ideas.
They can only permit one songbook in the church of CO2 obsession.
Air Con not only a danger to the Environment but its SEXIST.
http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/that-air-conditioning-story-desperately-seeking-sexism/17263#.VcHAIfmgYq8
Very good point @cheshirered about Renewables waste being a bigger theft that the Libor guy
from joannenova.com.au The $1.5 Trillion Climate Change Industry
..We need to have one of those giant counterboards counting the dollar cost of Climate Change Industry waste/policies
On August 3 @WWFScotland had their woman Gina Hanrahan @GreenerGina on @BBCRadioScot around 06:50 @BBCGaryR show talking about #renewables
wonder who this Richard Gillick (Killoch ?) "independent energy adviser" is ?
I bet the other guest Joss Blamire of @ScotRenew is his best buddy
** I wonder if an "INDEPENDENT energy adviser" sells you "independent energy ie alternative ? **
Tidal power is indeed predictable. You can predict exactly how much of the time it will be able to generate power at times when there is no demand and not when there is. Bet the claimed capacity figures completely ignore this?
Nothing will be achieved with renewables because nothing will be achieved reducing CO2 ...
Based on the mean flux of radiation ...
(a) The effective temperature of the Sun's radiation reaching the surface of Earth is about -40°C. Yes, minus 40.
(b) The effective temperature of the Sun's radiation reaching the surface of Venus is about -140°C
(c) The effective temperature of all the radiation from Earth's atmosphere to its surface is about 3°C.
Because these planets are rotating spheres, the actual mean temperature that any of the above radiation could achieve is a few degrees colder than would be achieved with uniform orthogonal flux striking a flat non-reflecting surface. The reason for this relates to the fact that the achieved temperature is only proportional to the fourth root of the flux. So, because the flux varies with the angle of incidence, flux that is above the mean achieves only a relatively small increase in temperature above that achieved by the mean flux.
From this it is obvious that the mean temperatures of the surfaces of Earth and Venus are not achieved by direct radiation into those surfaces. Some relatively small regions on Earth may rise in temperature due to direct solar radiation, but overall, the observed global mean temperature cannot be explained by solar radiation. Atmospheric radiation would also not keep the mean temperature above freezing point (0°C) either.
Hence we need to consider a totally different paradigm (based on entropy maximization and the laws of thermodynamics) which can and does explain the actual observed temperatures, not only for Earth and Venus, but for all planets and even the regions below any solid surface. Correct physics produces correct results that agree with data from the real Solar System.
The breakthrough has come in this 21st Century and the science stands up to the test, being supported by copious evidence from planetary data, studies and experiments such as outlined at http://climate-change-theory.com so you will learn what is really happening if you read and study such.
Bottomline listeners benefit when you have both sides of the debate on talking about an issue. This time The Kaye Adams show producers screwed up by putting 2 greens on. Secondly the BBC has rules about OPENLY declaring the guests, but I cannot find a Richard Gillick (Killoch? Giluk ?) "independent energy adviser"
After yesterday's GreenDream love-in ..today's episode should redress the balance with maybe Bish vs Mike Hasler both putting the more pragmatic realistic side. There I guess other energy experts for Scotland within the BH circle.
OK Radio Scotland is a small player with 1m listeners listening to an average of 7 hours each, so once you take out drivetime and sport, there can't be many people listening to at 10am on a Tuesday maybe 20K-80K. No one mentioned it on Twitter.
(BTW last time Bish was on maybe he spoiled their GreenDream by being too realistic ..Audio fast forward to 2 minutes ..)(followed by Greenpeace guy)
@Retired-Physics-Educator maybe you can click the Discussion button on the blue menubar and start a new discussion on your complex topic.