The End Of Coal? Perhaps Not Quite.

[New Judge]

Today marks the end of the widespread use of coal for industry in the UK. The last coal fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Stour closes as does the last operational blast furnace at Port Talbot steel works:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y35qz73n8o

The UK’s normal total peak electricity demand is less than 40GW. In the first half of 2023, construction was started on 37 gigawatts (GW) of new coal power capacity in China. Their total programme of new coal plants amounts to a capacity of ten times that figure.

It is estimated that since it was first used in the UK, around 4.6bn tons of coal has been used to produce electricity. China uses that much each and every year.

Who believes phasing out the use of coal in the UK has contributed anything of any significance towards reducing global emissions?

[dave50]

Why is that idiot Ed Balls being allowed to carry on with his deranged journey to try and achieve net zero? A totally pointless exercise as the rest of the big polluters carry on regardless meaning even if he achieved his goal it would make sod all difference to the worlds climate. 

[naomi24]

Ed Milliband, Dave.  As far as I'm aware Mr Balls is no longer an MP - but we're still stuck with his truly dreadful wife.

[ynnafymmi]

Let all the workers at Port Talbot and Grangemouth rejoice,net-zero will certainly enhance their lives.Aye,right.

[ynnafymmi]

Are there no Just Stop Oil(or any Just Stop Coal)activists in China?Would the Chinese government do as we do and just jail them?

[theshedman]

The thing is that it's not just the workers that will be out of jobs at these places.  Many more people will either be out of work or see their money go down as so many rely on them.  Also now if we want top grade steel we will have to buy it in from other countries.

[Deskdiary]

3.44pm - because, for some reason (I've seen this said on this board a number of times over the years) we should be setting an example. No, me either. 

[douglas9401]

Our leaders do seem very confident that supply chain and energy security issues have been solved and a new day is dawning.

Many people with a less informed view (me for example) think that their heads are at best in the sand and possibly even  stuck somewhere less fragrant.

[mushroom25]

// Ratcliffe-on-Stour //

Ratcliffe on Soar....... :-)

this is Milliband et-al exporting our carbon footprint somewhere else. at this time virgin steel cannot be made in an electric furnace, nor can "production" quantities of virgin steel be made in a hydrogen furnace. But that's OK, the Germans can burn coal from South Africa, we can buy their steel and our government's fingerprints aren't on all the CO2 created......

[naomi24]

Mushroom, //exporting our carbon footprint somewhere else.//

 

An excellent observation.

[Old_Geezer]

As discussed on other threads, to get iron out of ore one apparently needs heat only coal can give. Given we will still need further iron, refusing to use coal here only to buy it from a nation that still does achieves nothing on a global level, but apparently is simply inappropriate political virtue signalling.

[dave50]

Sorry I meant Ed Milliband!

[dave50]

Why do our politicians always seem to think we always have to set an example to the rest of the world, no matter what the cost to ourselves?

[douglas9401]

It's balls whatever way you look at it dave. 😒

[david small]

Car crash thinking. Removing the drivers might help.

[Ellipsis]

The principle is the thing, no matter what the cost ...

If that's true of some trivial political infighting like Brexit, then surely it's true of saving the planet for ourselves and our future generations.

[sandyRoe]

Did the research into burning coal and capturing the pollution that produced come to nought?

A great pity if it has, we could have sold it to the Chinese and Indians who continue to burn coal with little thought for posterity.

[jourdain2]

In answer to your question - not me, nor OH.

Ed Millibarmy must be stopped. It will help the world not a whit if we crucify ourselves (and kill or make lives misery for older or more susceptible people) to creep down a bit nearer to net zero.

I am, frankly, terrified by the pronouncements of the zealots.  This winter will be bad enough - seriously.  At 91 OH needs (NEEDS) a min. temp. of 21C , sometimes going above that.

This, and previous, government is living in cloud cuckoo-land. All figures and ifs and buts - and nothing to do with harsh reality.

 

[tomus42]

Maggie shut down the coal mines mate. You can't blame this one on the lefties.

[jourdain2]

I'm not answerable for Maggie, tomus 42 (believe me, I was terrified by the flying pickets).

We are talking about moving from the here and now (not re-fighting old battles, on which I might not have opposed you).

We are talking about quite a lot of people being deliberately deprived of necessary warmth this Winter.

[Barmaid]

//Who believes phasing out the use of coal in the UK has contributed anything of any significance towards reducing global emissions?//

I certainly don't.  We are tiny compared to other countries and our impact is minimal.  But typically, we comply with iniatives to minimise global warming and no-one else does.  Meanwhile, we are stupidly replacing arable land with wind farms and solar farms which are a) a blight on the landscape and b) reduce our ability to grow our own food.