Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Anyone else following Professor Richard Murphy online?
I find it useful to have leftwing and green experts who disagree with my views. Especially when their critique makes me think again and think harder. Here's a recent example.
* https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/11/13/starmer-announces-no...
Although today 24 November, Murphy points out why I should have been far more scathingly critical of Liz Kendal for her cruel and thoughtless comments.
* https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/11/24/does-labour-just-not...
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dick Harris on
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Thanks for drawing attention to the professor's remarks.
Among other things he says:
"Fourth, offshore wind is fine, but a policy of reduced energy consumption is also key - and Ed Miliband talked about this power being needed for new electric vehicles (EV) yesterday - which are themselves deeply polluting in many cases because the middle-class obsession with indicating status by moving around in cars that look like tanks is now reflected in EV design."
What he says about electric vehicles really applies only to battery electric cars (BEVs). Without associating myself with the judgemental tone, I do agree that their design has encouraged the production of increasingly large and heavy cars which consume more energy, wear out their tyres more quickly and wear down our road surfaces more quickly. This means that they are far from an unmixed blessing. Personally, I consider BEVs to be a short term technology that the world will be better off without. Finally, it is important to say that there are already some hydrogen fuel cell cars in UK and within a couple of years there will be more. See: https://www.riversimple.com/. These cars are also electric but will not need charging facilities, private or public, and the cars themselves will be less than half the weight of BEVs as they carry no batteries. I am eagerly awaiting their widespread availability. Referring to a more local current obsession, a parking permit for such a car should be the cheapest of any!
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Permalink Reply by Pamela Harling on
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Dear Alan, yes I am afraid "nothing to see here" springs to mind. Although Ed Miliband obviously understands the enormity of the climate and biodiversity crisis he is, like all politicians, stuck with the "if we get elected can we really enact the uncomfortable policies we need to avert disaster?" dilemma. We need a bit more honesty about what is really needed and we the electorate need to step up and support those policies. So far, deckchairs have been rearranged. The UK has made good progress on decarbonising but offshore wind was the low hanging fruit.
I am looking forward to a wonderful low carbon future with much more local resilience. Hope I live long enough to see it!
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