JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
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Statistics
How the net zero economy is the answer to the UK’s flagging productivity: https://ca1-eci.edcdn.com/250224-ECIU-CBIE-2024-Net-Zero-Economy-FINAL.pdf?v=1740388273 Another glossy not worth the paper it is printed on – and of course, it is full-colour with photos and lots of white space (can you imagine how much energy would be saved if government reports were black and white only and no photos!)
Not one mention of ‘regulatory burden’ or ‘subsidy’ anywhere… confusing ‘the economy’ with ‘the private sector’ – without the flows to and from government, this is pointless. (and why aren’t they crowing about all the taxes being generated by this fantastic ‘net zero’ economy….?)
Multiple disclaimers are buried in the methodology, eg
As a result of this bespoke approach, findings from this report may not completely align with existing studies.
the linkages between sectors are based on the 2019 input-output table, but the model is based on the latest official data on employment and GVA. The use of the 2019 input-output table was chosen as the shocks of COVID-19 would have a multitude of impacts beyond the scope of the model.
and then this beauty: “The net zero economy comprises of relatively new types of activity and will continue to evolve as new technologies become available. This means that our definition of the net zero economy needs to evolve with it. At the same time, the techniques for identifying these businesses and the data sources which provide us with an understanding of their activity are also developing”
So they can’t define the net zero economy, but they are able to measure it accurately?
30
Looking at who this Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit are I found they are funded by https://meliorefoundation.org/our-work
Really hard to figure out from their website exactly what these people do….but they do have a lot of interesting international jobs going: https://careers.meliorefoundation.org/
30
Just go Nuclear. A great Baseload Energy source.
20
Interestingly, they include Hinkely and Sizewell in the bucket of ‘renewables’ with solar and wind, rather than specifically identifying what is related to these v. large projects.
Not one photo of nuclear though – all wind turbines….
10
Includes a German elections map: https://www.eugyppius.com/p/cdu-and-spd-condemned-to-betray-their
20
The Europeans are suddenly seeking a Peace plan for Ukraine.
Can’t fight a war if the US won’t fund it.
Checked the daily weather almanac for my area:
Highest temp was in 1918
Highest minimum temp was in 1930
Ave YTD temp is 3.5 °F below record
I’m cold.
The Pope is in critical condition but answering children’s emails?
40
Popebot?
10
When a King dies, it’s ‘Long Live the King’.
When a Pope dies, there is always another Pope.
20
Could it be better? The answer is yes.
The proof begins with people who manage money. If anything is evident from this history, it is that the task attracts a very low level of talent, one that is protected in its highly imperfect profession by the mystery that is thought to enfold the subject of economics in general and of money in particular. Inadequacy is protected further, we have seen, by the fact that failure is almost never at cost to those responsible. More often it has been an interesting subject for discussion, something that has given an added dimension to personality.
Finally, in monetary matters as in diplomacy, a nicely conformist nature and a good tailor and the ability to articulate the currently fashionable financial cliché have usually been better for personal success than an excessively inquiring mind. Effective action and associated thought provoke fear and criticism. It is for these and not the result that the individual is likely to be remembered. So, in the management of money, as in economic management generally, failure is often a more rewarding personal strategy than success.
There is reluctance in our time to attribute great consequences to human inadequacy – to what, in a semantically less cautious era, was called stupidity.
J.K, Galbraith Money Whence it came, where it went 1975
00
It’s all getting rather confusing here in the UK.
The BBC reported today that thousands of green jobs have been created, but list the following as examples of green jobs:
The BBC News covers green jobs in the UK, including roles in renewable energy, construction, and other sectors that help the environment.
What are green jobs?
Green jobs are roles that help restore or preserve the environment
They can be in traditional sectors like construction or manufacturing, or in new industries like renewable energy
In the UK, green jobs tend to pay higher wages and are less likely to be automated than non-green jobs
Examples of green jobs are:
Countryside ranger: Works on green spaces, such as planting trees to help reduce flooding
Ecologist: Helps restore environments like woodlands for plants and animals
Agronomist: Advises farmers on soil health and helps produce crops
Green jobs in the UK
In the UK, green jobs can be found in traditional sectors and in emerging industries. However, some groups, such as young people and women, are underrepresented in green jobs.
At the same time there is a shortage of skills in the building, plumbing and electrical industry that are needed if 1,500,000 houses are going to be built by 2030 (according to the government target.)
It seems that most of the real jobs in the electricity generating industry (solar and wind generation) are going to China, and at the same time North Sea oil and gas industries are being shut down.(No gas stoves or boilers allowed in new builds!)
We seem to be ‘going to hell in a handcart’, and this is before the new tax increases come into effect in April that will kill off any prospect of growth in the economy, except for government subsidised jobs.
20
I think they count the garbos as ‘green jobs’ because …. recycling. Also the people who work at the tips are probably ‘green’.
I also think there is a lot of other greenwashing in their count. Eg Searching for ‘wind farm’ jobs it initially looks like there are 132 vacancies advertised: https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/search?loc=86383&p=1&q=wind%20farm
But, of these, 75 are hospitality and catering and 17 are healthcare and nursing.
Only 8 actually look like they are for skilled trades.
‘Nuclear’ jobs there are 308 vacancies – but only 105 are engineering jobs. https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/search?q=nuclear&loc=86383
I think many of the 1000’s of jobs they claim are likely media and PR!
10
Elon Musk is one of the great forces of goodness in the world.
Obviously he is a force of goodness, because the Left hate him, even though they once loved him because he was making virtual signaling toys for rich woke Lefties (and now they boycott him and instead get their toys from China, made by slaves)
If he had not taken the huge financial risk of buying Twitter, which could have financially ruined him (and mightn’t ever be financially viable for the high price he paid), we would have never had a free speech platform which ultimately helped get TRUMP elected and which, after he removed censorship staff and policies, also helped expose Leftist lies and treachery in the United States and elsewhere throughout the world.
Musk even fought Australia’s e Safety Kommisar, a censor appointed by the fake conservative Liberal Party when she decided to censor the video of the terrorist attack against the Sydney priest even though he wanted it left up. In fact, it was censored in Australia, but she wanted it censored worldwide which was obviously beyond her jurisdiction. People in free countries can still see that video.
Had Musk not purchased Twitter, the world would be a much darker place today and would be rapidly descending into further evil under a Harris / shadow Obama US Presidency. The election of TRUMP, partly enabled by Twitter, allowed evil to be cast off in the United States, an ongoing process, and hopefully some of this will rub off in the rest of the West although we haven’t seen much change in our Uniparty policies in Australia and fake conservative Dutton has even bizarrely reiterated his commitment to the Paris Accords.
20
The public service are pretty cagey about their “expertise deficit” – there is a book out about it, but it is only available to subscribers to the Mandarin: https://www.themandarin.com.au/286539-webinar-bridging-the-public-service-expertise-deficit/
10
More on the decline of Once Great Britain.
Why do you need a military when you have already invited in the army of military age males who are fanatical followers of the seventh century warlord?
The funny thing about the Red-Green Alliance, the bizarre association between the Left and followers of the warlord, is that once the followers of the warlord take over, they will not tolerate any of the Left’s “diversity”, women’s rights or LGBTQA+++ etc. which they pretend to support.
10
Sure the kiwis here will be interested to know that they are featured in a series on ‘pathways to positive public administration’ as ‘a government that is widely acknowledged to have proactively responded to the COVID-19 outbreak and effectively contained the virus for an extended period’ (see chapter 13)
https://www.elgaronline.com/edcollbook-oa/book/9781803929170/9781803929170.xml
“The ongoing pairing of public health official with the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister signaled that the response was not only political but rested on a range of partnerships, appealing to the public’s trust in non-political leaders. One expert, microbiologist Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles, who has won multiple awards for her science communication efforts and had previously given media interviews on infectious disease such as Ebola and Zika, decided her role would be as a communicator to the general public.“
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