Be nice to simplify it all into one though, applied indiscriminately on all emissions.
PeteB
Tim,
I’ve just found you via Stoat and had a look through your previous posts on this and you have clarified my thinking on the economic response to climate change – thanks (and also made me rather more optimistic that the solution is not devestatingly economically damaging )
I particularly liked the point that a market solution (rather than politicians dictating) will ensure we will use fossil fuels for the most economically valuable activities rather than trying to engineer a cut in emissions across different sectors
It looks to me electricity generation will be the first to use low / non carbon as the technology is not that far off being economic. Road transport seems somewhat further off and lastly perhaps air travel.
This seems a much more intelligent response to climate change from an economically liberal perspective than the usual IPCC / climate scientist bashing.
GaryP
The only low carbon way to produce electricity reliably (even ignoring economically) is nuclear power.
If you Brits think you are moving to a low carbon supply, you are deluding yourself. You are moving to a low carbon dark, cold, collapsed, technological society (i.e. not enough electricity for your needs). Some of the estimates I have read from apparently knowledgeable sources indicate you may get there in as little as two years.
Keep building windmills and shutting down coal fired plants and you will get there quicker.
It is not just that windmills and solar panels are ridiculously expensive, it is that will not provide reliable power. Without a base load of reliable power the grid will fail and you will be freezing in the dark.
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Be nice to simplify it all into one though, applied indiscriminately on all emissions.
Tim,
I’ve just found you via Stoat and had a look through your previous posts on this and you have clarified my thinking on the economic response to climate change – thanks (and also made me rather more optimistic that the solution is not devestatingly economically damaging )
I particularly liked the point that a market solution (rather than politicians dictating) will ensure we will use fossil fuels for the most economically valuable activities rather than trying to engineer a cut in emissions across different sectors
It looks to me electricity generation will be the first to use low / non carbon as the technology is not that far off being economic. Road transport seems somewhat further off and lastly perhaps air travel.
Also this – https://www.timworstall.com/2010/09/22/absolutely-damn-right/ was a very interesting point
This seems a much more intelligent response to climate change from an economically liberal perspective than the usual IPCC / climate scientist bashing.
The only low carbon way to produce electricity reliably (even ignoring economically) is nuclear power.
If you Brits think you are moving to a low carbon supply, you are deluding yourself. You are moving to a low carbon dark, cold, collapsed, technological society (i.e. not enough electricity for your needs). Some of the estimates I have read from apparently knowledgeable sources indicate you may get there in as little as two years.
Keep building windmills and shutting down coal fired plants and you will get there quicker.
It is not just that windmills and solar panels are ridiculously expensive, it is that will not provide reliable power. Without a base load of reliable power the grid will fail and you will be freezing in the dark.
Apart from the Sustainability Primer or the Hermann Scheer videos on the blogsite, there’s also a short sustainability intro at http://altenergymag.com/emagazine.php?art_id=1673