I have been critical of various government policies that have been done in the name of net zero yet on analysis may well increase the output of world CO 2. I have been generally critical of policies designed to shut down carbon intensive activities in the UK, only to import from abroad.
Knowing how keen the Opposition parties and government are on cutting our CO 2, I thought today I would set out some obvious ways of doing this that the government should consider. In many cases they would also cut public spending and generate more tax revenue, helping tackle excessive debts and deficits as well.
- Reduce the numbers of legal migrants to the UK. One of the biggest causes of extra CO 2 is the need to build homes, surgeries, schools, other public facilities and utility provision for an extra 600,000 people a year on last year’s figures. Once the construction is done then they all turn on their gas central heating and get in their petrol cars. That is a big rise in CO 2.
- Extract more gas and oil from the North Sea, recording a substantial CO 2 saving on imports.
- Remove the Old Oak Common to Euston leg of HS 2, saving a large amount of CO 2 intensive concrete, steel and construction activity.
- Install better insulation and solar roof panels in a wide range of public sector buildings to cut energy use and cost.
- Cut back heavily on government trips abroad in person using jet travel, by using on line conference calls much more. Encourage the COP meetings to be on line as it looks so bad to see so much jet travel and air conditioned hotel use for an anti CO 2 conference.
- Encourage the development of synthetic fuels so we can continue to use existing vehicle/plane/plant engines for longer. This will save all the CO 2 involved in scrapping existing technology and making all new electric versions. Extending useful lives and recycling is crucial to cutting CO 2. Synthetic fuels can be introduced as soon as they are available by increasing the proportions put into the current fossil fuels. (E 10 petrol. sustainable aviation fuel)
- Do not subsidise more electric cars, heating systems and the rest until a) all our electrical power is low or no carbon and b) there is enough grid and cable capacity to do this
- Please get better at carbon accounting
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