Why we need "Net zero"

[JohnMo]

2 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Cold showers are what you need.

Or get some solar and an immersion - nice hot baths/showers unaffected by global energy costs.

[Mattg4321]

11 hours ago, Beelbeebub said:

 

Texas petrol prices rose by about 10p a liter or 20% due to the supply shock caused by the recent stupidity. 

 

A state that produces over 5m barrels a day but consumes less than 3m in total (all fossil energy Inc coal) in c country that is the world's largest exporter of oil and gas... is still not insulated from a war on the other side of the planet interrupting oil supplies. 

 

So what chance does the UK have even if it could somehow increace oil production? 

 

Do you know what hasn't changed? 

 

The cost of producing a Mwh of electricity from wind and solar. 

It’s not just the cost, it’s the security of supply. There’s also a benefit for the treasury in the amount of tax that can be taken from producing it at home. 
 

And what’s to stop new licenses for exploration being granted to a state run company (other than them no doubt f’ing it up). Or the state could take a stake and leave operations to someone who knows what they are doing. 
 

Perhaps we need to start thinking about burning coal in the short term again until we can finish a transition away from FF. 

 

I’m seriously worried about the economy. Tax/costs are already at unsustainable levels for business, making the product unaffordable for the average consumer, yet the treasury is still going to need more of our money as it’s still bleeding cash. This is before the impact of this new war. We need to do something fairly drastic imo. 

[Beelbeebub]

With some waht impeccable timing the UK climate change committee has released a report that (amongst other things) looks at the costs of "Net zero" vs the costs of staying as we are today.

 

https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/supplementary-analysis-of-the-seventh-carbon-budget/

 

The TLDR is that the cost of NZ is about £4bn a year or £100bn to 2050.

 

The cost of a single oil crisis (eg the 2022 one) is £40bn to treasury (fuel bill support) and an estimated similar amount to households and businesses. 

 

All in all they conclude the cost of NZ is about equal to a single oil crisis and we are on our second this decade. 

 

Again this is an argument for NZ that makes no reference to climate change.