Asbestos is a natural substance. It has been used since antiquity. Believe it or not, the Vestal Virgins in ancient Rome used Asbestos fibres in their lamps. As you know, it was heavily used as a building material 19th and 20th centuries . Initially, it was regarded as benign and was used extensively around the world.
But in the 1920's an epidemiological link was established between Asbestos and illness.
Instead of doing the decent thing and helping the medics with their research, the Asbestos companies formed a cartel to defend their markets from regulation. For the next 50 years they fought an effective rear guard action to block legislation..
The discovery of the health consequences of smoking were concurrent with that of Asbestos. Yet, like the Asbestos industry, the tobacco industry sought to block restrictions on their trade. People who called for regulation were pilloried as anti-social eccentrics, out of touch with modern society. The vilification the tobacco industry poured on its detractors often succeeded in ruining careers.
So how does this relate to Wind Turbines?
Today, there are growing concerns about the the health effects of forcing people to live too close to wind turbines. Research studies has been produced that suggest that people are being made ill by this close proximity. The credentials of the researchers are impeccable. Regrettably the response for the wind turbine industry and their supporters ( with One notable and honourable exception) is almost identical to the methodology of obfuscation, character assasination and denial presented by the Asbestos and Tobacco industries before them.
The real irony here is that the mitigation being proposed by the researchers and medics ( as well as bodies such as the French equivalent of the BMA) is trivially simple.
Do not build wind turbines within 1 mile of Human habitation.
Simple.
I don't believe wind turbines are effective or reliable. But those arguments are one wholly different level to the risk of causing harm to people who live too close to these wind farms.
We need a full epidemiological survey to be done before we risk making this problem worse. Either the Wind Industry should build no more turbines within 1 mile of human habitation or at the very least let us get a full epidemiological survey before proceeding.
Any industry or group that puts their profits and ideology before the health of the general public deserve our utter contempt
How ever green they claim to be.
Magnificent Leaders and Scurrilous Lies
Today, my grubby sour-faced little Englanders, I received an email from Alison.
I read the email in disbelief. I came to the conclusion that the smiley "Oh So Nice" Alison must really be a subversive. An agent for the Dark Side.
Her email had been formulated to undermine the credibility of our divine leaders. I wiped away tears of indignation as I read the email. It made me gasp to read such foul lies.
I decided to publish the email here simply to show you all how the Forces of Darkness are conspiring against the fabulous divinities who govern us with such care and understanding.
And as for you the "Oh So Nice" Alison, all I can say is - They know where you live.
My hand quakes as I transpose these wicked lies about our beneficent 635 MP's:
England ever come to be governed by such a bunch of wife beating, shoplifting, drunken driving, feckless, financially incompetent, doped up, criminal bankrupts as this?
Of course for every crimmo that gets caught, there are another five who get away.
So, finally I must say, to all those wonderful magnificent honest and upright MP's, fighting so hard for us poor little plebs:
That I love and admire you.
All three of you.
(Oh No! another one just got nicked for drunken driving!)
All two of you.
(Um, especially the one who hasn't just had his credit card cut in half. You know, the same one on a charge for beating up his wife.)
OK that may only leave one...but....
To you My Hero, My leader, my Divine Saviour - I pledge thee my unswerving loyalty and devotion.
Hmmm... But just why are your eyes so bloodshot and glazed?
(And what exactly is that you are smoking?)
I read the email in disbelief. I came to the conclusion that the smiley "Oh So Nice" Alison must really be a subversive. An agent for the Dark Side.
Her email had been formulated to undermine the credibility of our divine leaders. I wiped away tears of indignation as I read the email. It made me gasp to read such foul lies.
I decided to publish the email here simply to show you all how the Forces of Darkness are conspiring against the fabulous divinities who govern us with such care and understanding.
And as for you the "Oh So Nice" Alison, all I can say is - They know where you live.
My hand quakes as I transpose these wicked lies about our beneficent 635 MP's:
- 29 have been accused of spouse abuse
- 7 have been arrested for fraud
- 9 have been accused of writing bad cheques
- 17 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses (at least two!)
- 3 have done time for assault
- 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
- 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
- 8 have been arrested for shoplifting
- 21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
- 84 have been arrested for drink driving in the last year. (In the last year!)
Of course for every crimmo that gets caught, there are another five who get away.
So, finally I must say, to all those wonderful magnificent honest and upright MP's, fighting so hard for us poor little plebs:
That I love and admire you.
All three of you.
(Oh No! another one just got nicked for drunken driving!)
All two of you.
(Um, especially the one who hasn't just had his credit card cut in half. You know, the same one on a charge for beating up his wife.)
OK that may only leave one...but....
To you My Hero, My leader, my Divine Saviour - I pledge thee my unswerving loyalty and devotion.
Hmmm... But just why are your eyes so bloodshot and glazed?
(And what exactly is that you are smoking?)
Labels:
corruption,
hypocrisy,
MP's
A Natural Experiment: The Fukushima Reactor
First of all - What is a natural experiment? Wikipediea defines it rather well HERE.
Basically natural experiments are based on events as they happen rather than events that are planned.
The study of disease and infection are the most common uses of a natural experiment. The most famous related to a study in the 1850's that discovered the cause of a Cholera outbreak in London was due to foul drinking water.
So how does this relate to the drama unfolding around the Fukushima Daiichi reactor complex in Japan, and all the other 55 nuclear reactors in Japan for that matter.
Well, I think there are three important natural experiments that can be conducted here. There are certainly, many more.
Here are my Pet three:
Basically natural experiments are based on events as they happen rather than events that are planned.
The study of disease and infection are the most common uses of a natural experiment. The most famous related to a study in the 1850's that discovered the cause of a Cholera outbreak in London was due to foul drinking water.
So how does this relate to the drama unfolding around the Fukushima Daiichi reactor complex in Japan, and all the other 55 nuclear reactors in Japan for that matter.
Well, I think there are three important natural experiments that can be conducted here. There are certainly, many more.
Here are my Pet three:
- The first and most important would be, of course, related to the any potential health issues to the local population.
- The second would be concerned with the resilience of Japans nuclear infrastructure to this massive earthquake.
- The final one involves an assessment of the accuracy and honesty of the reporting that has gone on.
So why these three and what should they cover?
Without a doubt the first two are probably under way and brainpower massively more capable than that of the humble Billothewisp are formulating their criteria.
But hey! this is my blog so this is what I think they should be considering.
The first natural experiment would consider the health consequences.
- How many people died from the damage caused to the reactors?
- What was the total radioactive release?
- What are the short term health consequences from these releases for the local population?
- What are the long term health consequences from these releases for the local population?
- How long lasting will these affects be?
- How effective was the mitigation put in place by the Japanese authorities and how appropriate was it to the situation
The second natural experiment relates to the Japanese Nuclear Reactor Fleet
- How many plants were affected?
- How old were the worst affected plants?
- What was the cause of issues that arose?
- What was the real danger to the public?
- What level of control was maintained over the reactors?
- What were the chain of events that lead to the reported problems?
My final natural experiment, I regret to say unlikely to get done. Today's news may well be tomorrow's chip wrapper but the damage from propaganda and irresponsible reporting can last for years.
First here is my opinion of the reportage so far:
The reporting around the unfolding events has (to say the least) been lurid. Many of the reports have started from a pre-supposed position without any factual backup. The majority of the reportage has been inaccurate and sensationalist.
In true news-hack style, many of the worlds news agencies has not let the truth get in the way of a good story.
In true news-hack style, many of the worlds news agencies has not let the truth get in the way of a good story.
But that is just my opinion.
So what should out natural experiment consider? Bullet pointing what should be done in this case is less clear, but here are some ideas.
- First we should let the media frenzy die down for a while. Then our natural experiment can begin by analysing the news reports and comparing them to the actual events, and the actual potential scenarios.
- We could trawl through them for accuracy and consider such aspects as event reportage accuracy and the accuracy of the quotations and their context. The end result of this would allow the general population to gauge the integrity of the various news bodies and verify their accuracy (or otherwise). These are essential aspects for future informed decisions by the worlds population.
- We can also judge the accuracy and "reasonableness" of the various experts quoted by the media.Those who provided accurate information can be applauded. Those who mislead or grandstanded on issues they knew little could be named and shamed. Again very important for the general public for future news assessment.
Meanwhile the chaos and trauma in the rest of Japan with its ever mounting death toll (now in excess of 10,000) has been virtually airbrushed out as the news media focus on the drama surrounding the Fukushima Reactor complex.
I wait for the first results from the first two natural experiments with anticipation. It would be good if someone also did the third experiment, but I am afraid that is unlikely.
It appears our world press loves to make a drama out of a crisis. But the Japanese Earthquake, a crisis several orders of magnitude greater than the Fukushima drama was simply not compelling enough for them.
Too mundane.
Just another natural disaster.
But a a sub issue in the main context of the Japanese Earthquake tragedy, a crippled nuclear reactor - is much more juicy.
The Best ISA is NOT an ISA
I bet there are those among you grubby little Englanders who are despairing about where to put the few quid you have stashed away. Where will you get interest that means your paltry little pile at least keeps its value?
There is after all nothing as depressing as saving for that rainy day, just to watch your money melt away as inflation does its damage.
This government, like the previous government really doesn't give a damn about savers.
As for the banks. To them, my sad little saver, you are just the route to their wealth and extravagance. You will get chucked the scraps.
As the April deadline approaches, we get lots of glitzy adverts and promotions as the banks vie for your ISA pennies.
But look at the rates. They are derisory.
Leave your money with one of these charlatans for more than a year and you even lose the various bonuses. The rate drops from less than 3% down to an interest rate of 1% or less.
The banks all play off that you get the tax back. But really its the banks getting the tax bonus. You get the left-overs.
But if you go for a loan, it is 10% maybe more. So ask yourself. You gets the difference?
The banks are having a laugh. Guess what littleEnglander. It is you they are laughing at.
So what can you do? Where can you put your money so that it is reasonably safe and gets a decent return. Or alternatively, where can you get a loan at less than loan-shark rates?
Well, I give no advice. But here are two suggestions.
If you want to get a decent return or a loan at a fair rate try Zopa
If you are a small company that needs a loan or you want to lend money into the business sector try Funding Circle.
These are two revolutionary companies, breaking the mould. They do things differently. Have a look.
They beat the banks hands down. It does not matter whether you are a lender or a loaner.
You can try Zopa out with 50 quid. Have a look, read the reviews. Make your own judgement.
Forget about the false gain of the tax free ISA. You will get a far better return from Zopa or Funding Circle.
The greedy banks simply cannot compete with this. With Zopa and Funding Circle everyone is a winner, except the greedy banks.
There is after all nothing as depressing as saving for that rainy day, just to watch your money melt away as inflation does its damage.
This government, like the previous government really doesn't give a damn about savers.
As for the banks. To them, my sad little saver, you are just the route to their wealth and extravagance. You will get chucked the scraps.
As the April deadline approaches, we get lots of glitzy adverts and promotions as the banks vie for your ISA pennies.
But look at the rates. They are derisory.
Leave your money with one of these charlatans for more than a year and you even lose the various bonuses. The rate drops from less than 3% down to an interest rate of 1% or less.
The banks all play off that you get the tax back. But really its the banks getting the tax bonus. You get the left-overs.
But if you go for a loan, it is 10% maybe more. So ask yourself. You gets the difference?
The banks are having a laugh. Guess what little
So what can you do? Where can you put your money so that it is reasonably safe and gets a decent return. Or alternatively, where can you get a loan at less than loan-shark rates?
Well, I give no advice. But here are two suggestions.
If you want to get a decent return or a loan at a fair rate try Zopa
If you are a small company that needs a loan or you want to lend money into the business sector try Funding Circle.
These are two revolutionary companies, breaking the mould. They do things differently. Have a look.
They beat the banks hands down. It does not matter whether you are a lender or a loaner.
You can try Zopa out with 50 quid. Have a look, read the reviews. Make your own judgement.
Forget about the false gain of the tax free ISA. You will get a far better return from Zopa or Funding Circle.
The greedy banks simply cannot compete with this. With Zopa and Funding Circle everyone is a winner, except the greedy banks.
Labels:
Funding Circle,
ISA,
ISA deadline,
ZOPA
The Lights Will Go Out: Official
You won't find this on the Daily Telegraph site, it was a filler in the paper. But was picked up by Anthony Watts ( HERE )
I am actually left speechless by this. I am so angry.
Is this bloke Holliday having a laugh? Does he not realise that people DIE when the electricity fails. OK they are usually only the OLD and the FRAIL or the POOR.
I suppose it is only fair to say: Who in the glitterati gives a toss about them?
This is UNBELIEVABLE.
Are we so screwed as a country that we are completely and utterly in the awe of people who simply express mindless dogma and then justify any travesty, any stupidity just so they can maintain their quasi-religious zeal for ridiculous white elephants like wind turbines?
JESUS H CHRIST. I am SO angry about this.
There is NO EXCUSE. At all, of any description.
This is supposed to be a civilised country with a highly developed infrastructure. Why the hell should we have to expect power cuts?
This is all because assorted stupid, ignorant fools like Chris Huhne and their mindless parody of a government insist on following dogma rather than common sense.
The last government caused the basis of this crisis. But the present government has (or had) a narrow window to dig us out of the pit.
It is not that they failed. It is that they did not even try.
They would rather sentence people to death rather than address the problem and risk losing their false green aura.
When (not if) the lights go out -
When old people freeze to death because the either cannot afford electricity or their boiler will not light-
When the poor and needy have to choose between freezing or starving-
There will be only one person to blame.
Chris Huhne could have fixed this but chose not to. He chose not to fix it for the worst of political reasons, firmly backed up by his own stupidity and dogma.
Chris Huhne will be the culprit for very many ( tens of thousands ) deaths.
Chris Huhne (even now) should go before a court and explain why he did nothing except line the pockets of the gold-diggers saddling us with useless wind generation while simultaneously crippling the real generating ability of the nation.
If he had the slightest amount of decency in his body he would resign and then let somebody else with a better grip on reality try and pick up the pieces.
I hope in the future this fool and his sycophants are subjected to a public enquiry and they are held up to the public ridicule they so richly deserve.
But that humiliation will not be witnessed by the true victims of this fool and his policies.
They will be cold, very cold - in their graves.
I am actually left speechless by this. I am so angry.
Is this bloke Holliday having a laugh? Does he not realise that people DIE when the electricity fails. OK they are usually only the OLD and the FRAIL or the POOR.
I suppose it is only fair to say: Who in the glitterati gives a toss about them?
This is UNBELIEVABLE.
Are we so screwed as a country that we are completely and utterly in the awe of people who simply express mindless dogma and then justify any travesty, any stupidity just so they can maintain their quasi-religious zeal for ridiculous white elephants like wind turbines?
JESUS H CHRIST. I am SO angry about this.
There is NO EXCUSE. At all, of any description.
This is supposed to be a civilised country with a highly developed infrastructure. Why the hell should we have to expect power cuts?
This is all because assorted stupid, ignorant fools like Chris Huhne and their mindless parody of a government insist on following dogma rather than common sense.
The last government caused the basis of this crisis. But the present government has (or had) a narrow window to dig us out of the pit.
It is not that they failed. It is that they did not even try.
They would rather sentence people to death rather than address the problem and risk losing their false green aura.
When (not if) the lights go out -
When old people freeze to death because the either cannot afford electricity or their boiler will not light-
When the poor and needy have to choose between freezing or starving-
There will be only one person to blame.
Chris Huhne could have fixed this but chose not to. He chose not to fix it for the worst of political reasons, firmly backed up by his own stupidity and dogma.
Chris Huhne will be the culprit for very many ( tens of thousands ) deaths.
Chris Huhne (even now) should go before a court and explain why he did nothing except line the pockets of the gold-diggers saddling us with useless wind generation while simultaneously crippling the real generating ability of the nation.
If he had the slightest amount of decency in his body he would resign and then let somebody else with a better grip on reality try and pick up the pieces.
I hope in the future this fool and his sycophants are subjected to a public enquiry and they are held up to the public ridicule they so richly deserve.
But that humiliation will not be witnessed by the true victims of this fool and his policies.
They will be cold, very cold - in their graves.
Labels:
dogma,
energy policy,
environment,
nuclear power,
power cuts,
wind power,
wind turbines
Wind developers: When NO means NO!
 |
| image from www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk |
A little lesson for the gold-diggers in the wind industry. This is quite simple and it is something any 2 year old should understand.
No means NO.
When the good people of Burton - upon- Stather in Lincolnshire objected to yet another industrial wind turbine complex being built near their village, the developers, greedy for their gold, tried to bull-doze it though - and failed. They got all bitter and twisted when told "NO" for the first time.A bit like a spoilt 2 year old.
It ended up with a public enquiry.
Much to the chagrin of the Klondike cowboys, they lost the appeal.
Because the primary reason they lost was the damaging health affects their useless monstrosity would have on two young boys suffering from autism, they had a bright idea.
As you can imagine, morality does not appear to figure too highly with these gold diggers.
They decided to "come to an arrangement" with the family of the autistic children. You and I can only guess at the pressure the parents of these kids would be under, simply from the day to day living. When "an arrangement" turns up it can probably be too difficult to resist.
So after making their "arrangement" these bastards are back with another appeal to build the bloody turbines again.
Even after a public enquiry!
But the local North Lincolnshire Council, threw it out. Again. (And good for them)
A quote from the ThisIsScunthorpe news report (Full Version HERE)
[quote]
Burton and Winterton ward councillor Bernard Regan told the meeting: "I am astonished we are even looking at this again, as we have proven twice that this is not a good thing for the community or for North Lincolnshire.
"It calls into question the whole issue of democracy where planning is concerned.
"The developer can come back time and time again and chip away at the objections, but there is no such redress on the part of the objectors."
[end quote]
Bloody right Bernard. I totally agree
These shysters have been told NO by the council and NO at a public enquiry and then NO again.
Why the hell are they even allowed to consider having another go?
What the hell happened to the democratic rights of the people objecting?
What happened to the concept that when something is voted down, appealed against and voted down again IT IS VOTED DOWN.
How long are we going to put up with these bastards riding rough shod over our democracy simply so they can make a fast buck?
At least the people of Burton-upon-Stather are setting a good example to us all.
Don't let the bastards grind you down.
Just say NO!
"The developer can come back time and time again and chip away at the objections, but there is no such redress on the part of the objectors."
[end quote]
Bloody right Bernard. I totally agree
These shysters have been told NO by the council and NO at a public enquiry and then NO again.
Why the hell are they even allowed to consider having another go?
What the hell happened to the democratic rights of the people objecting?
What happened to the concept that when something is voted down, appealed against and voted down again IT IS VOTED DOWN.
How long are we going to put up with these bastards riding rough shod over our democracy simply so they can make a fast buck?
At least the people of Burton-upon-Stather are setting a good example to us all.
Don't let the bastards grind you down.
Just say NO!
Labels:
Alaska windfarm,
burton-uponstather,
planning,
rejection,
wind trubine
A Warning from Billothewisp
OK you grubby little Englanders. I have a severe warning for you.
Even if you are a not mass murderer, or an oppressive dictator. Or even a megalomaniac, nazi inspired, bigot.
You could well end up looking like this
Or even like this
Simply by embibing a mere five pints of Old Rosie (the Cider of Champions) or half a bottle of industrial grade Metaxa - fresh from the chemical waste dump outside Athens.
No mass murder is required.
So be warned.
h/t to Anorak News and Wikipedia
Even if you are a not mass murderer, or an oppressive dictator. Or even a megalomaniac, nazi inspired, bigot.
You could well end up looking like this
Or even like this
Simply by embibing a mere five pints of Old Rosie (the Cider of Champions) or half a bottle of industrial grade Metaxa - fresh from the chemical waste dump outside Athens.
No mass murder is required.
So be warned.
h/t to Anorak News and Wikipedia
Labels:
gadaffi,
metaxa,
old rosie cider,
tyrants
Kiva: A Hand Up Not A Hand Out
OK you grubby little Englanders. Today I want to explain how as individuals, we can give a hand up to the decent hard-working poor in the Third World. Not a hand out to the idle gangsters who rule them.
I expect you may have noticed that Billothewisp has a very low opinion of the way UK foreign aid is allocated and spent.
To me it looks more like a never-ending pleasure excursion to fame and riches than a method of alleviating suffering. The fame and riches are, of course, shared out among the Fats Cats at home and the Fat Cats ruling the Third World poor.
Meanwhile the poor sods at the bottom of the pile get the table scrapings.
Overhanging the whole enormous DFID budget is the ugly stench of graft and greed. Fat cat salaries and cynical exploitation of both the giver and receiver. Read this article in The Telegraph for a quick whiff.
Via our government and it's incredible addiction to Globalisation, we are soon going to be each "giving" another £500 a year each whether we want to or not.
How charitable.
But people in the third world deserve a hand up not a hand out. Charity should be only for the truly incapacitated, not for the decent people of the Third world. They deserve better.
So Billothewisp doesn't do charity any more. Charity is for the work-house and pompous Victorian oligarchs.
Now there is a better way for a personal involvement in helping the poor of the third world.
It is called Micro-finance.
Small loans to real people in need of a hand up. The crucial thing here is that the money is a loan not a hand out. It gets repaid, and then (of course) can be lent out again.
It appears to work. The main organisation involved in this at the moment is Kiva. I have a couple of issues with Kiva, but nothing that (as yet) would stop me using them.
It is run a bit like the UK peer to peer lending organisations, Zopa and Funding Circle, but Kiva is a not for profit organisation. Kiva allows individuals to loan small amounts of cash to real people. $25 via Paypal deals you in.
The people are requesting loans to run a business or generally improve their life. Just like in the UK.
The default rate is evidently 1.8%. Which is pretty good. Of course if they default then they don't get another loan. But almost to a man (or woman) they don't default. Which must give us all a bit more faith in humanity.
For Billothewisp there is to be no more "charity" to poor Africans, but there will be loans. I am going to give a hand up not a hand out.
It is a pity that my pay is going to be drained of another £500 so the fats cats in the DFID can go and squander it at home or in foreign parts.
Believe me, with Kiva I think even my 2 year grand-daughter could do a better job with my £500 than the DFID.
I expect you may have noticed that Billothewisp has a very low opinion of the way UK foreign aid is allocated and spent.
To me it looks more like a never-ending pleasure excursion to fame and riches than a method of alleviating suffering. The fame and riches are, of course, shared out among the Fats Cats at home and the Fat Cats ruling the Third World poor.
Meanwhile the poor sods at the bottom of the pile get the table scrapings.
Overhanging the whole enormous DFID budget is the ugly stench of graft and greed. Fat cat salaries and cynical exploitation of both the giver and receiver. Read this article in The Telegraph for a quick whiff.
Via our government and it's incredible addiction to Globalisation, we are soon going to be each "giving" another £500 a year each whether we want to or not.
How charitable.
But people in the third world deserve a hand up not a hand out. Charity should be only for the truly incapacitated, not for the decent people of the Third world. They deserve better.
So Billothewisp doesn't do charity any more. Charity is for the work-house and pompous Victorian oligarchs.
Now there is a better way for a personal involvement in helping the poor of the third world.
It is called Micro-finance.
Small loans to real people in need of a hand up. The crucial thing here is that the money is a loan not a hand out. It gets repaid, and then (of course) can be lent out again.
It appears to work. The main organisation involved in this at the moment is Kiva. I have a couple of issues with Kiva, but nothing that (as yet) would stop me using them.
It is run a bit like the UK peer to peer lending organisations, Zopa and Funding Circle, but Kiva is a not for profit organisation. Kiva allows individuals to loan small amounts of cash to real people. $25 via Paypal deals you in.
The people are requesting loans to run a business or generally improve their life. Just like in the UK.
The default rate is evidently 1.8%. Which is pretty good. Of course if they default then they don't get another loan. But almost to a man (or woman) they don't default. Which must give us all a bit more faith in humanity.
For Billothewisp there is to be no more "charity" to poor Africans, but there will be loans. I am going to give a hand up not a hand out.
It is a pity that my pay is going to be drained of another £500 so the fats cats in the DFID can go and squander it at home or in foreign parts.
Believe me, with Kiva I think even my 2 year grand-daughter could do a better job with my £500 than the DFID.
Labels:
corruption,
DFID,
foreign aid,
globalisation,
Kiva,
micro-finance,
microfinance
Welcome to Southern Sudan
Occasionally, very occasionally, something good happens in Africa.
Recently under the threats and intimidation of their northern occupiers the people of Southern Sudan voted overwhelmingly for independence. This independence (if it is not strangled at birth by the regime in Khartoum) is due to take shape in July.
Already there are acts destabilisation and violence (bordering on genocide) being committed against the long suffering people of Southern Sudan. (See Here) .
The world looks on. If it looks at all.
The West (particularly the UK - especially the UK) wastes billions propping up cruel and corrupt regimes all across Africa. Meanwhile the average African is left to go to hell.
So how much support have we given to the common people of Southern Sudan? How much help do we give to a desperate people who are striving for independence and dignity?
HERE they say £40 million. This £40 million for the Southern Sudan though, is actually, £40 million "given" to the UN.
The figure itself is derisory compared to how much scumbags like Mugabe have received. One estimate I read was that the Mugabe regime received over £12 billion in twenty years.
But remember, this £40 million is money going to the UN.
After you take out the "administration", the "commissions", the "pre-payments" the "enabling payments" and the outright bribes then that figure probably comes down to £4 million. This is what gets directed to Southern Sudan.
Then after this is shipped through the neighbouring gangsters and thieves who surround the good people of Southern Sudan, I expect the net amount probably is about £500,000.
If that.
Southern Sudan has no roads. No sewage system. No power grid. The people are grindingly poor. Yet they aspire to better things. They have fought for democracy and independence just as our forefathers did.
Khartoum will try everything it can to destabilise the South and we, shamefully will probably just look on. If democracy is defeated, we will probably end up supporting whatever faction has some marginal preferential business or party political interest to the UK.
We will probably look the other way while some nasty warlord takes control. Just as we have done elsewhere in Africa. We will probably see Southern Sudan mired in squalor.
No doubt in years to come there will be the Band Aid style appeals so the stupid and ignorant can massage their consciences and egos by donating some cash. This will of course, almost inevitably end up in the pockets of the gangsters who run Africa just as it has done before..
Nothing will change. Nothing will [expletive deleted] change.
Our £40 million is simply the modern day equivalent of medieval indulgences. Paid so the indolent can look righteous. Paid to secure a place in heaven. Paid so it looks good.
A year ago I blogged about a different way to do foreign aid, a way pioneered by Cuba. I am no fan the ugly Cuban regime, but just as the Nazi's built good Autobahns the Cubans do good foreign aid. The post is HERE. With this method everyone wins - except the fat cats.
Southern Sudan is a blank sheet of paper.They need our practical help. Their emerging political system can be influenced by decency and fair dealing.
Southern Sudan deserves better than petty medieval indulgences.
If there is anywhere on the dark continent (or for that matter the world) that deserves practical aid it is Southern Sudan.
Will they receive it? I am not holding my breath.
Recently under the threats and intimidation of their northern occupiers the people of Southern Sudan voted overwhelmingly for independence. This independence (if it is not strangled at birth by the regime in Khartoum) is due to take shape in July.
Already there are acts destabilisation and violence (bordering on genocide) being committed against the long suffering people of Southern Sudan. (See Here) .
The world looks on. If it looks at all.
The West (particularly the UK - especially the UK) wastes billions propping up cruel and corrupt regimes all across Africa. Meanwhile the average African is left to go to hell.
So how much support have we given to the common people of Southern Sudan? How much help do we give to a desperate people who are striving for independence and dignity?
HERE they say £40 million. This £40 million for the Southern Sudan though, is actually, £40 million "given" to the UN.
The figure itself is derisory compared to how much scumbags like Mugabe have received. One estimate I read was that the Mugabe regime received over £12 billion in twenty years.
But remember, this £40 million is money going to the UN.
After you take out the "administration", the "commissions", the "pre-payments" the "enabling payments" and the outright bribes then that figure probably comes down to £4 million. This is what gets directed to Southern Sudan.
Then after this is shipped through the neighbouring gangsters and thieves who surround the good people of Southern Sudan, I expect the net amount probably is about £500,000.
If that.
Southern Sudan has no roads. No sewage system. No power grid. The people are grindingly poor. Yet they aspire to better things. They have fought for democracy and independence just as our forefathers did.
Khartoum will try everything it can to destabilise the South and we, shamefully will probably just look on. If democracy is defeated, we will probably end up supporting whatever faction has some marginal preferential business or party political interest to the UK.
We will probably look the other way while some nasty warlord takes control. Just as we have done elsewhere in Africa. We will probably see Southern Sudan mired in squalor.
No doubt in years to come there will be the Band Aid style appeals so the stupid and ignorant can massage their consciences and egos by donating some cash. This will of course, almost inevitably end up in the pockets of the gangsters who run Africa just as it has done before..
Nothing will change. Nothing will [expletive deleted] change.
Our £40 million is simply the modern day equivalent of medieval indulgences. Paid so the indolent can look righteous. Paid to secure a place in heaven. Paid so it looks good.
A year ago I blogged about a different way to do foreign aid, a way pioneered by Cuba. I am no fan the ugly Cuban regime, but just as the Nazi's built good Autobahns the Cubans do good foreign aid. The post is HERE. With this method everyone wins - except the fat cats.
Southern Sudan is a blank sheet of paper.They need our practical help. Their emerging political system can be influenced by decency and fair dealing.
Southern Sudan deserves better than petty medieval indulgences.
If there is anywhere on the dark continent (or for that matter the world) that deserves practical aid it is Southern Sudan.
Will they receive it? I am not holding my breath.
Labels:
foreign aid,
southern sudan
Eating People Is Wrong
Tonight my rowdy, randy and ravenous little Englanders, I want to instil a little moral discipline. Especially in you my fellow Hoi Polloi. Heaven knows, we, the (Ugh!) masses, need some form of control.
Basically I want to educate you how to behave with decency when confronted with a dead body. But more on that in a minute.
I am taking my lead here from the extremely well fed at the BBC. They are always giving you those numbers to ring.
You know, those 0845 numbers they give out after after any potentially distressing fictional occurrence. Anything from a murder to a spilt cup of coffee on a new carpet.
Then there are similar numbers so you can 'fess up to those wicked perverted thoughts you have had about Kate Moss.
Or you can tell all about the evil deeds you have inflicted on the neighbour's cat when all Tibbles did was crap in your vegetable patch.
What prompted me to write this moral tirade was this This Expose of the decadence of Mesolithic man (that is "Stone Age" to you Dorset Dinlows)
Evidently Mesolithic man was none too phased about using his neighbour's skull as a drinking vessel.
I know the feeling - You are down the pub, you have a jug of old Rosie (the Cider of Champions) and no glass. What do you do?
The pre-historic neighbour's brain box conveniently provided a drinking vessel to be used in some dark ritual. The the rest of the neighbour also provided a nice nutritious snack to soak up the booze afterwards.
You can imagine the scene: A Stone Age boozer. A bar with a row of skulls filled with (of course) Old Rosie (the Cider of Champions).
Darren and Pete are at the bar. They are in deep conversation about the way the wife is always droning on about she hasn't seen the neighbour for a while.
In comes Wayne. Darren looks up.
"Hey Pete. Its Wayne! Give the man a hand."
Pete bursts into applause. Darren looks cross.
"No.No No! Give the man - A hand"
Pete blushes.
"Ha-ha-ha Of course! Sorry!"
Pete reaches across the peanuts and picks up the required item, recently retrieved from the missing neighbour. Wayne is grateful.
"Oh Yes! I am so starving!"
Darren nonchalantly passes Wayne a spare skull of "Old Rosie" (the Cider of Champions).......
Well, my grubby littleEnglanders, I have to inform you that things have changed.
It is no longer considered reasonable to drink Old Rosie (the Cider of Champions) out of your neighbours skull.
Even if you are desperate.
Eating your neighbours hand, or any other part of their body is also considered totally verboten.
If you have been indulging in any of these pre-historic practices, I cannot offer you a 0845 number to seek counselling on, but I can assure you that ringing any of those other numbers offered by the BBC will suffice. Although after the councilling session, I expect the operator may well have truly earned their wages for that day.
But basically my dirty downbeat littleEnglanders, I need you to understand one thing.
Eating People is Wrong.
No Ifs. No Buts.
Don't do it.
Just say No.
Basically I want to educate you how to behave with decency when confronted with a dead body. But more on that in a minute.
I am taking my lead here from the extremely well fed at the BBC. They are always giving you those numbers to ring.
You know, those 0845 numbers they give out after after any potentially distressing fictional occurrence. Anything from a murder to a spilt cup of coffee on a new carpet.
Then there are similar numbers so you can 'fess up to those wicked perverted thoughts you have had about Kate Moss.
Or you can tell all about the evil deeds you have inflicted on the neighbour's cat when all Tibbles did was crap in your vegetable patch.
What prompted me to write this moral tirade was this This Expose of the decadence of Mesolithic man (that is "Stone Age" to you Dorset Dinlows)
Evidently Mesolithic man was none too phased about using his neighbour's skull as a drinking vessel.
I know the feeling - You are down the pub, you have a jug of old Rosie (the Cider of Champions) and no glass. What do you do?
The pre-historic neighbour's brain box conveniently provided a drinking vessel to be used in some dark ritual. The the rest of the neighbour also provided a nice nutritious snack to soak up the booze afterwards.
You can imagine the scene: A Stone Age boozer. A bar with a row of skulls filled with (of course) Old Rosie (the Cider of Champions).
Darren and Pete are at the bar. They are in deep conversation about the way the wife is always droning on about she hasn't seen the neighbour for a while.
In comes Wayne. Darren looks up.
"Hey Pete. Its Wayne! Give the man a hand."
Pete bursts into applause. Darren looks cross.
"No.No No! Give the man - A hand"
Pete blushes.
"Ha-ha-ha Of course! Sorry!"
Pete reaches across the peanuts and picks up the required item, recently retrieved from the missing neighbour. Wayne is grateful.
"Oh Yes! I am so starving!"
Darren nonchalantly passes Wayne a spare skull of "Old Rosie" (the Cider of Champions).......
Well, my grubby little
It is no longer considered reasonable to drink Old Rosie (the Cider of Champions) out of your neighbours skull.
Even if you are desperate.
Eating your neighbours hand, or any other part of their body is also considered totally verboten.
If you have been indulging in any of these pre-historic practices, I cannot offer you a 0845 number to seek counselling on, but I can assure you that ringing any of those other numbers offered by the BBC will suffice. Although after the councilling session, I expect the operator may well have truly earned their wages for that day.
But basically my dirty downbeat little
Eating People is Wrong.
No Ifs. No Buts.
Don't do it.
Just say No.
Labels:
0845,
mesolithoc cannibalism,
stone age
Glowing In The Dark
Good evening my grubby little Englander pals. Recently, this blog has been far, far too serious. So tonight the subject matter is a little lighter. Radioactive poisioning to be precise.
Hmmm. Bet you feel better already.
The shocking truth is that every day, (maybe even five times a day - if you follow government guidelines) those bastards in Tesco, Asda or even Morrisons are dosing you up with radioactive Potassium-40.
It is no use thinking you will get rid of it either. It has a half-life of 1248000000 years.
Think on that - a number so huge it is only dwarfed by the National Debt.
Potassium-40 decays by beta emmission - arguably the nastiest of the evil triad of radioactive decay mechanisms.In a sufficiently high doze it is absolutely guaranteed to kill you.
Stone dead.
Finito.
Corpseville USA.
Lower doses may just make you grow another head and possibly a third arm.
So how are these corporate demons delivering their hellish poisons to you, your children, grand parents, pets, goldfish and other loved ones?
Bananas.
The bastards are putting it in the bananas. My God! That must be why bananas have that eerily yellow skin.
Here you are coating little Johnny in factor 120000 sun cream to protect him from the poisonous solar radiation, locking him in his room and keeping him well away from those nasty boys who play in the mud.
Yet it is YOU feeding him radioactive bananas.
No wonder he is such a uncontrollable little monster.
In fact he probably will be a real monster, third arm and all. And quite soon.
Your not responsible? You thought bananas were the very epitome of Green (or even Yellow) living?
Ha! They all say that. Tell it to the judge.
An example of how utterly, utterly, totally and completely serious this is is to compare a single Banana Equivalent Dose to that of a nuclear disaster.
Remember Three Mile Island?
Melts downs?
Radiation Release?
The near destruction of the Western hemisphere, if not the entire solar system?
Well, a single Banana Equivalent Dose (no honest - I'm not making that up - See Here ) corresponds to drinking a massive 30 pints of Three Mile island contaminated milk.
Or about five pints of Old Rosie (the Cider of Champions). Perhaps that is why Billothewisp has been known to have a radiant glow as he staggers back from the boozer.
You don't have to ingest these deadly bananas either. That eery yellow radiance will get you. All you need to do is look at them. Stand by a crate of bananas, even for a moment and you will recieve a measurable dose of radiation. (again - I'm not actually making that up)
Haven't you ever wondered why Radiation warning posters are all yellow?
But that is not the only toxin these corporate monsters are feeding you
Brazil nuts, potatos and even sunflower seeds are all packed with radiation.
Don't even look at a packet of chocolate brazils. Ever wondered why they are all that funny bent shape like a "C"?
The zombie slaves who grew them are sending you a subliminal message - cancer... Cancer... CANCER.
God knows what they have been doing to the Mung Beans.
Hat tip to Antony Watts - see the full dastardly facts at Antonys blog - Watts Up With That
Hmmm. Bet you feel better already.
The shocking truth is that every day, (maybe even five times a day - if you follow government guidelines) those bastards in Tesco, Asda or even Morrisons are dosing you up with radioactive Potassium-40.
It is no use thinking you will get rid of it either. It has a half-life of 1248000000 years.
Think on that - a number so huge it is only dwarfed by the National Debt.
Potassium-40 decays by beta emmission - arguably the nastiest of the evil triad of radioactive decay mechanisms.In a sufficiently high doze it is absolutely guaranteed to kill you.
Stone dead.
Finito.
Corpseville USA.
Lower doses may just make you grow another head and possibly a third arm.
So how are these corporate demons delivering their hellish poisons to you, your children, grand parents, pets, goldfish and other loved ones?
Bananas.
The bastards are putting it in the bananas. My God! That must be why bananas have that eerily yellow skin.
Here you are coating little Johnny in factor 120000 sun cream to protect him from the poisonous solar radiation, locking him in his room and keeping him well away from those nasty boys who play in the mud.
Yet it is YOU feeding him radioactive bananas.
No wonder he is such a uncontrollable little monster.
In fact he probably will be a real monster, third arm and all. And quite soon.
Your not responsible? You thought bananas were the very epitome of Green (or even Yellow) living?
Ha! They all say that. Tell it to the judge.
An example of how utterly, utterly, totally and completely serious this is is to compare a single Banana Equivalent Dose to that of a nuclear disaster.
Remember Three Mile Island?
Melts downs?
Radiation Release?
The near destruction of the Western hemisphere, if not the entire solar system?
Well, a single Banana Equivalent Dose (no honest - I'm not making that up - See Here ) corresponds to drinking a massive 30 pints of Three Mile island contaminated milk.
Or about five pints of Old Rosie (the Cider of Champions). Perhaps that is why Billothewisp has been known to have a radiant glow as he staggers back from the boozer.
You don't have to ingest these deadly bananas either. That eery yellow radiance will get you. All you need to do is look at them. Stand by a crate of bananas, even for a moment and you will recieve a measurable dose of radiation. (again - I'm not actually making that up)
Haven't you ever wondered why Radiation warning posters are all yellow?
But that is not the only toxin these corporate monsters are feeding you
Brazil nuts, potatos and even sunflower seeds are all packed with radiation.
Don't even look at a packet of chocolate brazils. Ever wondered why they are all that funny bent shape like a "C"?
The zombie slaves who grew them are sending you a subliminal message - cancer... Cancer... CANCER.
God knows what they have been doing to the Mung Beans.
Hat tip to Antony Watts - see the full dastardly facts at Antonys blog - Watts Up With That
Labels:
banana equivalent dose,
nuclear power,
radiation
Canadian Green Party Leads the Way
Like the Friends of the Earth in England, the Canadian Green Party is an avid supporter of Industrial Wind Turbine technology. But at least the Canadian Greens are acting responsibly and putting people before their ideology
Due to the growing mountain of evidence regarding the damaging effects these turbines have on people living near them, the Canadian Greens have requested Canada Health (the Canadian National Health Authority) to undertake an epidemiological survey on what has become known as Wind Turbine Syndrome. ( See their Resolution Here - passed with 66% majority)
It is refreshing to see politicians seeking to defend the people they represent, even though the outcome may be against their ideological preferences.
Perhaps the Canadian Green Party could give a little moral instruction to the Friends of the Earth here, who, with every passing day appear to be more in the pocket of the wind industry.
It is a shame that while their cousins in Canada give moral leadership, the Greens in this country seek to overwhelm local objections and rail-road their demands though. They seek to ride rough-shod over any local objection, how ever valid. Today it appears that the FOE is so wedded to its doctrinaire ideology it would go to almost any lengths, destroy and trample over anyone, to get its way.
The people who the FOE sneer at and disparage will remember how the FOE preferred to side with rich developers.
One day the FOE will find this will come back and haunt them.
Due to the growing mountain of evidence regarding the damaging effects these turbines have on people living near them, the Canadian Greens have requested Canada Health (the Canadian National Health Authority) to undertake an epidemiological survey on what has become known as Wind Turbine Syndrome. ( See their Resolution Here - passed with 66% majority)
It is refreshing to see politicians seeking to defend the people they represent, even though the outcome may be against their ideological preferences.
Perhaps the Canadian Green Party could give a little moral instruction to the Friends of the Earth here, who, with every passing day appear to be more in the pocket of the wind industry.
It is a shame that while their cousins in Canada give moral leadership, the Greens in this country seek to overwhelm local objections and rail-road their demands though. They seek to ride rough-shod over any local objection, how ever valid. Today it appears that the FOE is so wedded to its doctrinaire ideology it would go to almost any lengths, destroy and trample over anyone, to get its way.
The people who the FOE sneer at and disparage will remember how the FOE preferred to side with rich developers.
One day the FOE will find this will come back and haunt them.
Wind Turbines: The Tide is Turning
The Klondike gold-rush to industrial wind generation continues, but the cracks are beginning to appear.
The most authoritative renewable energy body, the Renewable Energy Foundation has been scathing about onshore wind generation. It has also heavily criticised the catastrophically awful subsidy scheme that enables the greedy to cash in at the public's expense.
Here's are a couple of quotes and links to the fuller articles from the REF
[quote]
"Such figures confirm theoretical arguments that regardless of the size of the wind fleet the United Kingdom will never be able to reduce its conventional generation fleet below peak load plus a margin of approximately 10%" (Link to full article here)
[quote: Dr John Constable, REF’s Director of Policy and Research]
“The government needs to face the facts: the Renewable Obligation is enormously costly to the consumer, and is delivering high profits to developers even for underperforming and environmentally damaging on-shore wind.” (Link to full article here)
The time to stop all further on-shore industrial wind generation especially near homes is now. In Denmark there is now a blanket ban on all further on-shore industrial wind generation. In France the equivalent of the French BMA have directed that no turbine should be placed within 2Km of a dwelling. The data on the health affects of being forced to live on top of these things is building. I have read some of the initial peer reviewed work that has already been done. The authors credentials are impeccable. Their findings are devastating.
This will be a scandal.
In the future, those now buckling a knee to the avaricious developers and their stupidly naive supporters will have to publicly account for their acquiescence.
There will be a fuller post on the health effects and the research papers in a (near) future post. Believe me, initially I thought that damaging health affects were illusionary but now I have totally changed my mind. Nobody should be forced to live near these things. Especially as on shore industrial wind turbines are next to useless in generating electricity.
There are many groups around our country who are defending their homes and the countryside from a modern day rape and pillage by greedy developers. Tonight I wish them well and hope they taste success in the their fight for their homes and country this year.
The most authoritative renewable energy body, the Renewable Energy Foundation has been scathing about onshore wind generation. It has also heavily criticised the catastrophically awful subsidy scheme that enables the greedy to cash in at the public's expense.
Here's are a couple of quotes and links to the fuller articles from the REF
[quote]
"Such figures confirm theoretical arguments that regardless of the size of the wind fleet the United Kingdom will never be able to reduce its conventional generation fleet below peak load plus a margin of approximately 10%" (Link to full article here)
[quote: Dr John Constable, REF’s Director of Policy and Research]
“The government needs to face the facts: the Renewable Obligation is enormously costly to the consumer, and is delivering high profits to developers even for underperforming and environmentally damaging on-shore wind.” (Link to full article here)
The time to stop all further on-shore industrial wind generation especially near homes is now. In Denmark there is now a blanket ban on all further on-shore industrial wind generation. In France the equivalent of the French BMA have directed that no turbine should be placed within 2Km of a dwelling. The data on the health affects of being forced to live on top of these things is building. I have read some of the initial peer reviewed work that has already been done. The authors credentials are impeccable. Their findings are devastating.
This will be a scandal.
In the future, those now buckling a knee to the avaricious developers and their stupidly naive supporters will have to publicly account for their acquiescence.
There will be a fuller post on the health effects and the research papers in a (near) future post. Believe me, initially I thought that damaging health affects were illusionary but now I have totally changed my mind. Nobody should be forced to live near these things. Especially as on shore industrial wind turbines are next to useless in generating electricity.
There are many groups around our country who are defending their homes and the countryside from a modern day rape and pillage by greedy developers. Tonight I wish them well and hope they taste success in the their fight for their homes and country this year.
When the PIIGs have Wings
Here we go again. The Euro is descending and there does not appear to be a parachute. Portugal's borrowing rate is going through the roof and Ireland does not look like it is going to be able to meet the recent Euro bail out requirements (See FT Here). The Spanish economy, or rather, what is left of it, looks like it will need a massive transfusion of Deutschmarks Euros in the near future.
The PIIGS, are perhaps better known as that friendly, "lets-party!" group of nations, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain. Like us, they blew all their money on "Services" while letting those boring old manufacturing industries wither on the vine.
Luckily though for the bankrupt PIIGS, they have their bosom buddies in dear old Deutschland. Kindly Angela Merkel will no doubt chastise the errant Europhiles, but she is always there like a good auntie, ready with the credit card.
To be fair though, this is only reasonable. After all, it is the Germans who enjoy all that slave-like dedication to work, over-time and hard labour. The Germans can get on with their toiling. Meanwhile the PIIGS can do what they are truly superb at doing, and all they need to do that, is a nice new credit card from the Bundesbank.
I keep telling my oily rag German friends, "You know it makes sense".
I tell them that in fifty years time we can all look back on this and laugh.
For some reason though, at the moment, they do not seem to be particularly amused.
The PIIGS, are perhaps better known as that friendly, "lets-party!" group of nations, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain. Like us, they blew all their money on "Services" while letting those boring old manufacturing industries wither on the vine.
Luckily though for the bankrupt PIIGS, they have their bosom buddies in dear old Deutschland. Kindly Angela Merkel will no doubt chastise the errant Europhiles, but she is always there like a good auntie, ready with the credit card.
To be fair though, this is only reasonable. After all, it is the Germans who enjoy all that slave-like dedication to work, over-time and hard labour. The Germans can get on with their toiling. Meanwhile the PIIGS can do what they are truly superb at doing, and all they need to do that, is a nice new credit card from the Bundesbank.
I keep telling my oily rag German friends, "You know it makes sense".
I tell them that in fifty years time we can all look back on this and laugh.
For some reason though, at the moment, they do not seem to be particularly amused.
Labels:
euro crisis,
financial crisis,
piigs
The Wind Turbine in Reading
The Daily Mail was in typical indignant mode when it reported (HERE) "Is this the most useless wind turbine?" But I think their report could had been a little more thorough.
With a quick look through the Renewable Energy Foundation database on wind turbine output (HERE) it quickly becomes evident that while the output from the Reading turbine is derisory, it is far from being the worst performing turbine. At least the Daily Mail pointed out that this thing gets a ROC subsidy of £130,000 while producing only £100,000 worth electricity. (total payout £230,000). But the rest of the figures they present, shocking as they are, disguise the truly terrible statistics surrounding the whole of the wind power industry.
I suppose these up front figures look so bad the Daily Mail has simply not dug any deeper. If they did ( and it is not difficult) they would find that the actual situation is far, far worse.
The main area of the Mail's indignation is that for this particular turbine at Green Park in Reading, the Capacity Factor for 2010 was only 15%. But accepting this figure on face value neglects the true awfulness of the situation. If they had paid attention the the nature of wind power they would have found that this turbine would have failed to even get close to this pathetic output MOST of the time.
The day to day figures for this individual turbine, like most others, are hard to come by. But we know from the NETA data (HERE) that nationally half the energy from wind is generated in less than 25% of the time (See earlier Post Here). This leaves the other half to cover 75% of the time. From figures from the Le Ranch Wind farm in the USA we see that, on a single site basis this gets further scewed to 15% and 85% (Lee Ranch synopsis half way down this Wikipedia page)
Even if you use the UK national figures this means that the typical (i.e. the most common output) from this turbine falls to 10%.If you use the (probably more applicable) Le Ranch figures this typical output falls to less than 9%.
But even that fails to show how 40% the electricity will arrive when it is unneeded (i.e. at night) and that the output will be at this dismal 9% (or less) for one third of the time. But however lowly the output, or unneeded it may be, the electricity generated is guaranteed a full market price plus the massive ROC subsidy.
High wind, or low wind, night or day, the Fat Cats in the wind industry are always smiling. Forget about bankers bonuses. Look at the money (your money) these people are raking in.
Every pound coin that people spend on electricity has its own little carbon footprint. Money has to be earned. In earning money resources are used. Using this hard earned cash to fund massively expensive and hopelessly inefficient wind generated electricity is not only foolish and wasteful but is also counter productive.
With a quick look through the Renewable Energy Foundation database on wind turbine output (HERE) it quickly becomes evident that while the output from the Reading turbine is derisory, it is far from being the worst performing turbine. At least the Daily Mail pointed out that this thing gets a ROC subsidy of £130,000 while producing only £100,000 worth electricity. (total payout £230,000). But the rest of the figures they present, shocking as they are, disguise the truly terrible statistics surrounding the whole of the wind power industry.
I suppose these up front figures look so bad the Daily Mail has simply not dug any deeper. If they did ( and it is not difficult) they would find that the actual situation is far, far worse.
The main area of the Mail's indignation is that for this particular turbine at Green Park in Reading, the Capacity Factor for 2010 was only 15%. But accepting this figure on face value neglects the true awfulness of the situation. If they had paid attention the the nature of wind power they would have found that this turbine would have failed to even get close to this pathetic output MOST of the time.
The day to day figures for this individual turbine, like most others, are hard to come by. But we know from the NETA data (HERE) that nationally half the energy from wind is generated in less than 25% of the time (See earlier Post Here). This leaves the other half to cover 75% of the time. From figures from the Le Ranch Wind farm in the USA we see that, on a single site basis this gets further scewed to 15% and 85% (Lee Ranch synopsis half way down this Wikipedia page)
Even if you use the UK national figures this means that the typical (i.e. the most common output) from this turbine falls to 10%.If you use the (probably more applicable) Le Ranch figures this typical output falls to less than 9%.
But even that fails to show how 40% the electricity will arrive when it is unneeded (i.e. at night) and that the output will be at this dismal 9% (or less) for one third of the time. But however lowly the output, or unneeded it may be, the electricity generated is guaranteed a full market price plus the massive ROC subsidy.
High wind, or low wind, night or day, the Fat Cats in the wind industry are always smiling. Forget about bankers bonuses. Look at the money (your money) these people are raking in.
Every pound coin that people spend on electricity has its own little carbon footprint. Money has to be earned. In earning money resources are used. Using this hard earned cash to fund massively expensive and hopelessly inefficient wind generated electricity is not only foolish and wasteful but is also counter productive.
Labels:
capacity factor,
Green Park turbine,
load factor,
NETA,
reading turbine,
REF,
ROC subsidy
Clarkson's Mexico
In the latest "controversial" Top Gear, Clarkson and Co made some snide remarks about Mexico and Mexicans. There are the inevitable hysterical cries of outrage and calls for Clarkson to be sacrificially murdered or at least fired.
While I don't believe Clarkson should be burnt at the stake for his tasteless jokes, sometimes his humour does stretch the boundaries.
Entertaining as Top Gear can be, it can also sometimes be childish and tedious. But better that than some typical grey BBC Mung Bean chomping Politically Correct trash.
But even so, I do think Clarkson did Mexico an unnecessary disservice.
Personally, I really like Mexico and the Mexicans. As a people, they are generally kind, helpful and entertaining. I have found them far from lazy.
Mexico is a poor country ravaged by a drug war that has cost many thousands of lives. The big losers in all this are the average Mexicans who earn (if they are lucky) $150 a week. Money they work hard for.
Even though they are poor, Mexicans are not constantly in your face like you get in some other countries. I have ridden around Yucatan Peninsula on public transport and never felt threatened or at risk. Unlike some places in this country I could mention.
Mexico and the Mexicans get enough bad publicity thanks to their large neighbours drug dependency. Perhaps a little positive publicity would be nice.
After all, Mexicans get short changed enough as it is.
While I don't believe Clarkson should be burnt at the stake for his tasteless jokes, sometimes his humour does stretch the boundaries.
Entertaining as Top Gear can be, it can also sometimes be childish and tedious. But better that than some typical grey BBC Mung Bean chomping Politically Correct trash.
But even so, I do think Clarkson did Mexico an unnecessary disservice.
Personally, I really like Mexico and the Mexicans. As a people, they are generally kind, helpful and entertaining. I have found them far from lazy.
Mexico is a poor country ravaged by a drug war that has cost many thousands of lives. The big losers in all this are the average Mexicans who earn (if they are lucky) $150 a week. Money they work hard for.
Even though they are poor, Mexicans are not constantly in your face like you get in some other countries. I have ridden around Yucatan Peninsula on public transport and never felt threatened or at risk. Unlike some places in this country I could mention.
Mexico and the Mexicans get enough bad publicity thanks to their large neighbours drug dependency. Perhaps a little positive publicity would be nice.
After all, Mexicans get short changed enough as it is.
Wind Turbines and Silver Spoons II
Apologies to my fellow grubby little Englanders. I think my first post on this was a bit obtuse. In brief, using wind turbines to generate electricity to reduce carbon emissions is like trying to bale out a dinghy with a set of silver spoons.
I want to explore this analogy a little more, because the more I think about it the more accurate this analogy is.
Going back a couple of months I sat in a meeting where a planning application to build four huge wind turbines was being given a public hearing.
Objections were raised by worried residents. The turbines were close to a care home for children who suffer from autistic spectrum disorder. The site was right next to a scout camp and also very near residential housing.
Half way through the speeches, one supporter of the turbine scheme declared that the turbines were too important. The scout camp, care home and if necessary the residents should be relocated to allow the development to take place. He got a flicker of applause from other supporters.
His view was plain. Global warming was such an emergency that any crumb or morsel of relief was to be grasped at. Irrespective of the consequences for those immediately affected.
You may well think he was just some fizzing little eco fascist, and perhaps you are right. But I suspect that really, he was just another willing victim of the wind industry's propaganda.
The wind industry loves to push the naive theory that we must do something, anything and at any cost. For them the eco warriors support was simply more money in the bank.
This guy was, I regret to say, fanatically wedded to his silver spoons. He wanted to see them thrashing about in order to calm his nightmares. He didn't care if they got in the way of the guys with the dirty bilge pumps and was even less concerned at those who would get thrown overboard to give his spoon wielders some arm room.
His huge, hopelessly ineffective turbines would be an icon, a talisman for a world no longer dependant on filthy mathematics or high technology. Essentially they would be a large eco fashion statement thrashing about for all to see and marvel at. The "selfish Nimbys" could go to hell.
Needless to say, the vested interests, the landowners, the silver spoon makers and those who would be handsomely paid to do the paddling, all purred with support and praise.
One day I hope this guy sees past his own neurotic demons. I do hope that he realises that he has a moral obligation to the people affected by these monstosities and this obligation trumps his fashionable desires.
If he wants to really cut carbon emissions (or even plain old pollution) he needs to see past the propaganda and look to effective methods for energy reduction and energy generation. Wind farms and all their paraphernalia are simply a massively expensive dead end.
A silver spoon has its niche. But it is a truly hopeless way of baling out a boat.
Wind turbines also have their niche, pumping water on remote farmsteads, even producing electricity in remote off-grid locations.
But they really are a hopeless way of supplying our daily electricity demands.
I want to explore this analogy a little more, because the more I think about it the more accurate this analogy is.
Going back a couple of months I sat in a meeting where a planning application to build four huge wind turbines was being given a public hearing.
Objections were raised by worried residents. The turbines were close to a care home for children who suffer from autistic spectrum disorder. The site was right next to a scout camp and also very near residential housing.
Half way through the speeches, one supporter of the turbine scheme declared that the turbines were too important. The scout camp, care home and if necessary the residents should be relocated to allow the development to take place. He got a flicker of applause from other supporters.
His view was plain. Global warming was such an emergency that any crumb or morsel of relief was to be grasped at. Irrespective of the consequences for those immediately affected.
You may well think he was just some fizzing little eco fascist, and perhaps you are right. But I suspect that really, he was just another willing victim of the wind industry's propaganda.
The wind industry loves to push the naive theory that we must do something, anything and at any cost. For them the eco warriors support was simply more money in the bank.
This guy was, I regret to say, fanatically wedded to his silver spoons. He wanted to see them thrashing about in order to calm his nightmares. He didn't care if they got in the way of the guys with the dirty bilge pumps and was even less concerned at those who would get thrown overboard to give his spoon wielders some arm room.
His huge, hopelessly ineffective turbines would be an icon, a talisman for a world no longer dependant on filthy mathematics or high technology. Essentially they would be a large eco fashion statement thrashing about for all to see and marvel at. The "selfish Nimbys" could go to hell.
Needless to say, the vested interests, the landowners, the silver spoon makers and those who would be handsomely paid to do the paddling, all purred with support and praise.
One day I hope this guy sees past his own neurotic demons. I do hope that he realises that he has a moral obligation to the people affected by these monstosities and this obligation trumps his fashionable desires.
If he wants to really cut carbon emissions (or even plain old pollution) he needs to see past the propaganda and look to effective methods for energy reduction and energy generation. Wind farms and all their paraphernalia are simply a massively expensive dead end.
A silver spoon has its niche. But it is a truly hopeless way of baling out a boat.
Wind turbines also have their niche, pumping water on remote farmsteads, even producing electricity in remote off-grid locations.
But they really are a hopeless way of supplying our daily electricity demands.
Labels:
bwea,
East Stoke,
wind industry,
wind turbines
Appropriate Reading Material
My fellow grubby Little Englanders, I have a confession.
My youngest daughter is now an overworked F1 medic. That is a shiny new baby doctor to those of you who do not know the arcane abbreviations of the NHS.
That is five years at Med School. A year in the Far East. A tour of Australia and New Zealand. Emergency medicine in Vietnam and Cambodia.
A (semi) competent skier and a phenomenal singer.
But....... she still reads HEAT Magazine.
I must have done something wrong. Perhaps you should report me to the NSPCC.
I'll 'fess up. It's a fair cop.
My youngest daughter is now an overworked F1 medic. That is a shiny new baby doctor to those of you who do not know the arcane abbreviations of the NHS.
That is five years at Med School. A year in the Far East. A tour of Australia and New Zealand. Emergency medicine in Vietnam and Cambodia.
A (semi) competent skier and a phenomenal singer.
But....... she still reads HEAT Magazine.
I must have done something wrong. Perhaps you should report me to the NSPCC.
I'll 'fess up. It's a fair cop.
Labels:
heat magazine,
medicine,
parental responsibility
Wind Turbines and Silver Spoons
I have some questions for you my despised and disgruntled Little Englanders.
Say you had a nice little rowing boat. A fine little craft which you loved and loved you back. It loved you in a way that only boat owners (and their boats) can know.
Let us give our fine little craft an inspiring name.
Let us call her "Tellus Mater" - after the Roman goddess. After all, this is not a Greek tragedy - even for Dioclese.
Lets say that on one terrible day, our fine little craft "Tellus Mater" sprung a leak. She started to sink. Remember, you love your little "Tellus Mater" and your little "Tellus Mater" loves you back. You would, no doubt be alarmed, panic stricken even.
But maybe you are also strapped for cash (like Billothewisp). There are mouths to feed, fires to stoke, bills to pay. Oh, so many demands! On such a little a budget!
Maybe you only have a tenner in your pocket. You need to buy a bailer for the boat but you need to feed the kids as well.
What do you do? (this is multiple choice so you don't have to take your socks off to answer it)
Do you:
1. Buy an effective bailer that you can rely on.
2. Spend your money on some really fashionable silver spoons.
OK that may seem somewhat bizarre. So lets us work up some model answers to both possibilities.
Answer 1:
With your effective bailer you save the boat. Then with the change left over buy some food for the kids. Job done. (Drama Queens need not apply).
or
Answer 2:
With your silver spoons in your hands you sneer your disdain about anyone who would buy anything as ugly as a proper bailer.
Unfortunately baling the boat out with your spoons proves difficult. They only bail tiny amounts of water and often they fail to bail out anything at all.
You pride and joy - the fine little boat "Tellus Mater" gets ever lower in the water.
You desperately buy more spoons and clutch more spoons in each hand. You paddle desperately at the water.
The man selling the spoons is very happy and tells you what a fine example you make and suggests ugly bailers should be banned.
You sneer at those around you who suggest that you really need a good bailer and the spoons are simply a waste of money and time. Eventually though, out of irritation, and seeing your spoons do not really work all that well, you heed their advice.
You take out a loan and buy a bailer as well.
Of course from then on most of the bailing gets done by the bailer, but every now and then when the conditions are <just> right you revert to using the spoons.
At last little "Tellus Mater" is saved.
The spoons are still wonderfully fashionable and you can grandstand to all those around you. You can tell them about how wonderful your spoons are and how they are the true saviour of "Tellus Mater" Meanwhile the despised bailer is chucked over the side.
The Grotty Yotties down from the city, sitting at anchor on their floating Eco Gin Palaces, hear your fine words and listen transfixed. They need silver spoons as well! A competition ensues.
Who has the most silver spoons?
Who is the most fashionable?
Ugly bailers are abandoned en-masse, just in case they ruin the new image.
The man selling the spoons is very, very happy. Your kids though are crying because they have gone unfed. (moan.. moan.. moan.. some people are always complaining)
Meanwhile, unseen by you and the Grotty Yotties the skies have darkened. A few spots of rain announce the coming storm.
All of the bailers have drifted away........
So my grubby little international band of compatriots what is the moral of this tale?
Well funnily enough the average sized bailer holds about 2 litres of the old briny, whereas a fashionable silver dessert spoon holds about 20 milli-litres of the same salt sea ocean.
The ratio then is about 100:1
Just by utter coincidence a modern nuclear power station is rated around 920MW whereas a shiny new fashionable wind farm consisting of four of the very largest turbines is rated at just under 9.2MW (although really it only ever manages about 2MW).
Again we have a ratio of 100:1
So, in a tight spot, what do we choose?
Ugly bailers or silver spoons?
Nuclear power or wind turbines?
Practicality or Fashion-ability?
Oh, Decisions. Decisions.
Say you had a nice little rowing boat. A fine little craft which you loved and loved you back. It loved you in a way that only boat owners (and their boats) can know.
Let us give our fine little craft an inspiring name.
Let us call her "Tellus Mater" - after the Roman goddess. After all, this is not a Greek tragedy - even for Dioclese.
Lets say that on one terrible day, our fine little craft "Tellus Mater" sprung a leak. She started to sink. Remember, you love your little "Tellus Mater" and your little "Tellus Mater" loves you back. You would, no doubt be alarmed, panic stricken even.
But maybe you are also strapped for cash (like Billothewisp). There are mouths to feed, fires to stoke, bills to pay. Oh, so many demands! On such a little a budget!
Maybe you only have a tenner in your pocket. You need to buy a bailer for the boat but you need to feed the kids as well.
What do you do? (this is multiple choice so you don't have to take your socks off to answer it)
Do you:
1. Buy an effective bailer that you can rely on.
2. Spend your money on some really fashionable silver spoons.
OK that may seem somewhat bizarre. So lets us work up some model answers to both possibilities.
Answer 1:
With your effective bailer you save the boat. Then with the change left over buy some food for the kids. Job done. (Drama Queens need not apply).
or
Answer 2:
With your silver spoons in your hands you sneer your disdain about anyone who would buy anything as ugly as a proper bailer.
Unfortunately baling the boat out with your spoons proves difficult. They only bail tiny amounts of water and often they fail to bail out anything at all.
You pride and joy - the fine little boat "Tellus Mater" gets ever lower in the water.
You desperately buy more spoons and clutch more spoons in each hand. You paddle desperately at the water.
The man selling the spoons is very happy and tells you what a fine example you make and suggests ugly bailers should be banned.
You sneer at those around you who suggest that you really need a good bailer and the spoons are simply a waste of money and time. Eventually though, out of irritation, and seeing your spoons do not really work all that well, you heed their advice.
You take out a loan and buy a bailer as well.
Of course from then on most of the bailing gets done by the bailer, but every now and then when the conditions are <just> right you revert to using the spoons.
At last little "Tellus Mater" is saved.
The spoons are still wonderfully fashionable and you can grandstand to all those around you. You can tell them about how wonderful your spoons are and how they are the true saviour of "Tellus Mater" Meanwhile the despised bailer is chucked over the side.
The Grotty Yotties down from the city, sitting at anchor on their floating Eco Gin Palaces, hear your fine words and listen transfixed. They need silver spoons as well! A competition ensues.
Who has the most silver spoons?
Who is the most fashionable?
Ugly bailers are abandoned en-masse, just in case they ruin the new image.
The man selling the spoons is very, very happy. Your kids though are crying because they have gone unfed. (moan.. moan.. moan.. some people are always complaining)
Meanwhile, unseen by you and the Grotty Yotties the skies have darkened. A few spots of rain announce the coming storm.
All of the bailers have drifted away........
So my grubby little international band of compatriots what is the moral of this tale?
Well funnily enough the average sized bailer holds about 2 litres of the old briny, whereas a fashionable silver dessert spoon holds about 20 milli-litres of the same salt sea ocean.
The ratio then is about 100:1
Just by utter coincidence a modern nuclear power station is rated around 920MW whereas a shiny new fashionable wind farm consisting of four of the very largest turbines is rated at just under 9.2MW (although really it only ever manages about 2MW).
Again we have a ratio of 100:1
So, in a tight spot, what do we choose?
Ugly bailers or silver spoons?
Nuclear power or wind turbines?
Practicality or Fashion-ability?
Oh, Decisions. Decisions.
Ed Balls Returns
Billothewisp is feeling slightly ill.
It has nothing to do with the 5 pints of Old Rosie (The cider of Champions) he recently embibed.
But is has everything to do with the Machiavellian return of the odious Ed Balls.
After knifing his brother in the back Ed Milliband at least tried to do the decent thing and clear out the rotten core of Browns economic disaster. But now the economically illiterate shadow chancellor Alan Johnson has chucked his hand in and our Ed is under pressure. Foolishly he has decided to re-rehabilitate Ed Balls. The wreckers apprentice has returned.
The ugly ambition of Ed balls is already shining through, his little piggy eyes glint and shine. But then he is after all, the next leader in waiting.
If I were Ed Milliband I would watch my back. Sooner or later, it could end up just like his brothers.
It has nothing to do with the 5 pints of Old Rosie (The cider of Champions) he recently embibed.
But is has everything to do with the Machiavellian return of the odious Ed Balls.
After knifing his brother in the back Ed Milliband at least tried to do the decent thing and clear out the rotten core of Browns economic disaster. But now the economically illiterate shadow chancellor Alan Johnson has chucked his hand in and our Ed is under pressure. Foolishly he has decided to re-rehabilitate Ed Balls. The wreckers apprentice has returned.
The ugly ambition of Ed balls is already shining through, his little piggy eyes glint and shine. But then he is after all, the next leader in waiting.
If I were Ed Milliband I would watch my back. Sooner or later, it could end up just like his brothers.
Superstition and Disease.
Back in the 19th century relatives of mine from the age of eight were sent down coal mines. For months on end they saw no sunlight. Today we know that sunlight provides vitamin D. We also know that in very rare cases of excessive exposure, sunlight can also cause skin cancer.
I suspect none of my 19th century relatives were ever lucky enough to go sunbathing. But Rickets was endemic amongst the poor. I expect they would have gladly traded their bent legs for a little sunshine and a miniscule risk of skin cancer.
Lack of sunlight (and so vitamin D) makes your bones soft. They bend. The victim can end up crippled or deformed. While there is a sensible case for skin protection in bright sunlight, the emphasis is on the word "sensible".
Rickets was eradicated many years ago. But now it has returned. Why? Because of an hysterical obsession with sunlight, its relationship to "radiation" and cancer. People have been coating their children with factor 50 sun-cream. That is, if they have even allowed them outside in the first place.
Confidently these paranoid parents see that no sunshine means no radiation, no cancer. The hysterical propaganda pushed out against nuclear power arrives at its final bizarre conclusion. In order for nuclear to be "unsafe" all radiation must be "unsafe". So Rickets returns.
How sad. But how typical.
I would put money on it that most of the parents of these poor children are avid supporters of trivialities like wind power, homoeopathy, crystal healing and palmistry. They are probably deeply suspicious of modern medicine and I would imagine they regard nuclear power with utter horror.
But really, this succinctly sums up the choice we have today. On one hand we can follow a fashionable paranoid doctrine, dwell on irrational fears and probably cripple our children in the process. Or on the other we can continue to embrace modern technology and medicine which have served us so well over the last two centuries.
People today have a quality of life immeasurably better than that of our Victorian ancestors. This has been solely achieved by 150 years of relentless scientific, medical and engineering progress. Regrettably there are plenty of pressure groups who are all too keen to reverse this progress. They are keen to portray the smallest risk as a conspiracy or cover-up, simply to promote their own twisted doctrines. Unfortunately there are even more fools who hang on their every word.
If we continue to over-react to these hyped-up scare stories, it is our children who will ultimately suffer.
Rickets regrettably, is only the thin end of the wedge.
I suspect none of my 19th century relatives were ever lucky enough to go sunbathing. But Rickets was endemic amongst the poor. I expect they would have gladly traded their bent legs for a little sunshine and a miniscule risk of skin cancer.
Lack of sunlight (and so vitamin D) makes your bones soft. They bend. The victim can end up crippled or deformed. While there is a sensible case for skin protection in bright sunlight, the emphasis is on the word "sensible".
Rickets was eradicated many years ago. But now it has returned. Why? Because of an hysterical obsession with sunlight, its relationship to "radiation" and cancer. People have been coating their children with factor 50 sun-cream. That is, if they have even allowed them outside in the first place.
Confidently these paranoid parents see that no sunshine means no radiation, no cancer. The hysterical propaganda pushed out against nuclear power arrives at its final bizarre conclusion. In order for nuclear to be "unsafe" all radiation must be "unsafe". So Rickets returns.
How sad. But how typical.
I would put money on it that most of the parents of these poor children are avid supporters of trivialities like wind power, homoeopathy, crystal healing and palmistry. They are probably deeply suspicious of modern medicine and I would imagine they regard nuclear power with utter horror.
But really, this succinctly sums up the choice we have today. On one hand we can follow a fashionable paranoid doctrine, dwell on irrational fears and probably cripple our children in the process. Or on the other we can continue to embrace modern technology and medicine which have served us so well over the last two centuries.
People today have a quality of life immeasurably better than that of our Victorian ancestors. This has been solely achieved by 150 years of relentless scientific, medical and engineering progress. Regrettably there are plenty of pressure groups who are all too keen to reverse this progress. They are keen to portray the smallest risk as a conspiracy or cover-up, simply to promote their own twisted doctrines. Unfortunately there are even more fools who hang on their every word.
If we continue to over-react to these hyped-up scare stories, it is our children who will ultimately suffer.
Rickets regrettably, is only the thin end of the wedge.
Labels:
high technology,
rickets,
windpower
A Wind Turbine Malaise
Do you know that 6000 people die in the UK every year from Asbestos related illnesses?
Back in the sixties and seventies, did you ever clean out your brakes using an air hose? Ever smashed up an old asbestos roof and seen all those little fibres floating in the wind? Maybe you even tossed around some of the murderous Blue Asbestos. Yet Asbestos looks so benign, harmless even. A wonder material with so many uses. Today our older schools, hospitals and public buildings are still full of the stuff.
Makes your blood run cold doesn't it?
If someone had told you back then, that emerging research had shown that there might be a problem, maybe you would have taken a few more precautions. Certainly those responsible for the safety of the community would have been expected to put people first. Maybe that yearly death toll would not now be 6000 (that is in this country alone).
But we were not told. Vested interest saw to that. There was too much money involved. It took independent and often disparaged researchers to prove the ill effects of Asbestos. By then for many, it was too late.
Today wind turbines are increasingly being implicated in causing illness in people forced to live in their proximity. There are an increasing number of reports and studies raising concern about the hidden consequences of living next to wind turbines.
The response from the wind industry is one of denial. Funded research from the wind industry reaches the unsurprising conclusion one would expect from such reports: There is no problem. Their current masterpiece “Wind Turbine Sound and Health Effects” which did a non systematic review of existing literature did not even have an epidemiologist on the panel. Commenting on this review, the highly respected NHS website ( HERE ) disparages the lack of an epidemiologist and makes some very scathing observations on both the methodology of the review and its conclusions.
I am reminded of another industry and how it manipulated the truth through paid research. Remember Big Tobacco? Remember how nobody has ever proved a link between smoking and lung cancer? Remember how they routinely disparaged honest researchers and even ruined careers to hide their dirty little secret? How many millions of lives has that cost?
There should be no more land based turbines. Especially anywhere near where people live (as is the case now in Denmark). This is after all, only a cautionary approach. It should be adopted at least until these urgent medical issues have been resolved. People must come before wind turbines. Especially when the only plus side is pitiful amounts of highly expensive and intermittent electricity.
Finding out there really is a problem in 5 years time will be too late. There will be no excuses. Especially for those making the decisions today.
Back in the sixties and seventies, did you ever clean out your brakes using an air hose? Ever smashed up an old asbestos roof and seen all those little fibres floating in the wind? Maybe you even tossed around some of the murderous Blue Asbestos. Yet Asbestos looks so benign, harmless even. A wonder material with so many uses. Today our older schools, hospitals and public buildings are still full of the stuff.
Makes your blood run cold doesn't it?
If someone had told you back then, that emerging research had shown that there might be a problem, maybe you would have taken a few more precautions. Certainly those responsible for the safety of the community would have been expected to put people first. Maybe that yearly death toll would not now be 6000 (that is in this country alone).
But we were not told. Vested interest saw to that. There was too much money involved. It took independent and often disparaged researchers to prove the ill effects of Asbestos. By then for many, it was too late.
Today wind turbines are increasingly being implicated in causing illness in people forced to live in their proximity. There are an increasing number of reports and studies raising concern about the hidden consequences of living next to wind turbines.
The response from the wind industry is one of denial. Funded research from the wind industry reaches the unsurprising conclusion one would expect from such reports: There is no problem. Their current masterpiece “Wind Turbine Sound and Health Effects” which did a non systematic review of existing literature did not even have an epidemiologist on the panel. Commenting on this review, the highly respected NHS website ( HERE ) disparages the lack of an epidemiologist and makes some very scathing observations on both the methodology of the review and its conclusions.
I am reminded of another industry and how it manipulated the truth through paid research. Remember Big Tobacco? Remember how nobody has ever proved a link between smoking and lung cancer? Remember how they routinely disparaged honest researchers and even ruined careers to hide their dirty little secret? How many millions of lives has that cost?
There should be no more land based turbines. Especially anywhere near where people live (as is the case now in Denmark). This is after all, only a cautionary approach. It should be adopted at least until these urgent medical issues have been resolved. People must come before wind turbines. Especially when the only plus side is pitiful amounts of highly expensive and intermittent electricity.
Finding out there really is a problem in 5 years time will be too late. There will be no excuses. Especially for those making the decisions today.
A Business Banking Rebellion
Once upon a time us grubby little Englanders regarded our banks as respectable, honest institutions. Pillars of society. Bank managers were respected and viewed with awe. Meeting one was usually regarded with a level of trepidation. A bit like being called to see the headmaster or waiting to see the dentist.
Your money was safe in banks. They paid interest on your savings and charged appropriate rates for loans. They made a respectable profit on the difference. They were seen as the basis for fair dealing and financial honesty thoughout the country.
Small businesses could go to them assured that their situation would be given fair consideration, even if "the interview" was a bit like an interrogation by Special Branch. But if you had a good history you could get the money to expand your business. You could trust the banks.
How things change.
At the moment the small businesses requiring short term loans are being crucified. Even if they are offered loans they are often at extortionate rates of interest.
This reluctance to lend becomes a self fulfilling propecy. No loans mean businesses cannot expand or modernise. No expansion or modernisation means they lose market share. They become less viable. As they are less viable they are even less likely to attract a loan. Eventually they go under or are taken over. Hey Presto. The bankers were right all along.
But there is hope.
Lenders and borrowers are rebelling against the tyranny of the banks.
The new revolutionary concept of Peer to Peer banking is storming ahead. This is where the "banker" acts like a facilitator or intermediary and does not actually hold the purse strings itself. Real, actual people are the lenders and they decide the rates.
Most of the development so far has been with enabling peer to peer lending to individuals. The main player in this market has been the highly successful firm ZOPA. Now the model has been extended into the business sector by a new company called Funding Circle.
Funding Circle is soley concerned with facilitating loans to small and medium sized businesses. They are in their infancy at then moment but the concept looks good. It works by letting individuals directly loan money directly to small businesses. Funding Circle is simply the intermediary
Small businesses needing cash can register to borrow money.
A single lender will make many very small loans (£20) to many businesses. A single credit checked borrower will have their loan constructed from many small lenders.
The interest rate is decided in exactly the same way as done at ZOPA. The lender decides what rate he wants to achieve and then the loan offer is contructed from the lowest offers. So if you offer to loan money at a ridiculously high rate you will have no takers, while the borrower is classified according to a credit rating so he will only be offered a loan from borrowers who will have adjusted their rate to take into account the credit risk. On any one borrower, a lender is only risking a small amount of money.
The end result is that businesses can achieve loans at significantly lower rates than offered by the banks while lenders (i.e. savers) get a return (that takes into account potential bad debt) which is at least twice that offered by the banks. You can, by the way lend as little as £500. This is not a scheme simply for the rich.
Before you ask, I have no financial or work interest with Funding Circle. That is other than that I have bunged in £500.00 to see what happens. So far I am very impressed.
If your small company needs a fair loan, have a look at Funding Circle. If you have some savings and you want to get a good return (and actually use your money to do something useful) then I recommend you look to become a lender. As well as that, in a small way you also get to screw the greedy banks.
Next (or soon) I will be looking at the third very interesting leg of Peer to Peer banking with KIVA and the charity sector.
Your money was safe in banks. They paid interest on your savings and charged appropriate rates for loans. They made a respectable profit on the difference. They were seen as the basis for fair dealing and financial honesty thoughout the country.
Small businesses could go to them assured that their situation would be given fair consideration, even if "the interview" was a bit like an interrogation by Special Branch. But if you had a good history you could get the money to expand your business. You could trust the banks.
How things change.
At the moment the small businesses requiring short term loans are being crucified. Even if they are offered loans they are often at extortionate rates of interest.
This reluctance to lend becomes a self fulfilling propecy. No loans mean businesses cannot expand or modernise. No expansion or modernisation means they lose market share. They become less viable. As they are less viable they are even less likely to attract a loan. Eventually they go under or are taken over. Hey Presto. The bankers were right all along.
But there is hope.
Lenders and borrowers are rebelling against the tyranny of the banks.
The new revolutionary concept of Peer to Peer banking is storming ahead. This is where the "banker" acts like a facilitator or intermediary and does not actually hold the purse strings itself. Real, actual people are the lenders and they decide the rates.
Most of the development so far has been with enabling peer to peer lending to individuals. The main player in this market has been the highly successful firm ZOPA. Now the model has been extended into the business sector by a new company called Funding Circle.
Funding Circle is soley concerned with facilitating loans to small and medium sized businesses. They are in their infancy at then moment but the concept looks good. It works by letting individuals directly loan money directly to small businesses. Funding Circle is simply the intermediary
Small businesses needing cash can register to borrow money.
A single lender will make many very small loans (£20) to many businesses. A single credit checked borrower will have their loan constructed from many small lenders.
The interest rate is decided in exactly the same way as done at ZOPA. The lender decides what rate he wants to achieve and then the loan offer is contructed from the lowest offers. So if you offer to loan money at a ridiculously high rate you will have no takers, while the borrower is classified according to a credit rating so he will only be offered a loan from borrowers who will have adjusted their rate to take into account the credit risk. On any one borrower, a lender is only risking a small amount of money.
The end result is that businesses can achieve loans at significantly lower rates than offered by the banks while lenders (i.e. savers) get a return (that takes into account potential bad debt) which is at least twice that offered by the banks. You can, by the way lend as little as £500. This is not a scheme simply for the rich.
Before you ask, I have no financial or work interest with Funding Circle. That is other than that I have bunged in £500.00 to see what happens. So far I am very impressed.
If your small company needs a fair loan, have a look at Funding Circle. If you have some savings and you want to get a good return (and actually use your money to do something useful) then I recommend you look to become a lender. As well as that, in a small way you also get to screw the greedy banks.
Next (or soon) I will be looking at the third very interesting leg of Peer to Peer banking with KIVA and the charity sector.
Labels:
alternative banking,
Funding Circle,
Kiva,
peer to peer lending,
ZOPA
The Bankers Achilles Heel
Billothewisp has been watching the unfolding farce surrounding bankers bonuses with probably as
much disbelief and disgust as the rest of you grubby littleEnglanders.
I suppose it really was too much to expect the arrogant ignorant and greedy to put anyone else before themselves. Even when we are all up to our bottom lips in their debt.
The bankers feel invincible. They can ignore the shrill cries about fair play and responsibility. They can sneer at the common hard working folk while gloating over their own growing mountain of gold.
This travesty will continue year in, year out. Until, out of nowhere, "something" will happen that turns them from an arrogant elite into a flock of foolish redundant dinosaurs.
And maybe that "something" had already happened.
Maybe an event has already taken place that spells doom for out extremely well fed friends. Perhaps they have been so busy swindling the rest of us that they did not notice the high tide of banking excess has reached a turning point.
Revolutions, even against the most despicable tyrants, never happen unless there is someone, or something of a revolutionary nature that sparks the gunpowder.
Billothewisp reckons (or at least hopes)the today that spark has arrived and has the name of Peer to Peer banking.
Currently the most popular manifestation is a company called ZOPA but there other infant companies like Funding Circle. The concept has even expanded into the charity field with an organisation called KIVA.
Currently all of these companies simply deal with arranging and financing loans. But all revolutions have to start somewhere.
Peer to Peer banking works in a completely different way to normal banking.
With a bank you borrow off the bank. They decide the rate. You get what you are given. The money they take in from savers gathers derisory interest. The bankers pocket almost all the profit.
Companies like ZOPA work in a completely different way. They are an arranger. They do not own the loans, but they take a commission for sorting things out.
A loan for £500 will have 50 lenders, each lending £10. Each lender, lending in total £500 will lend £10 to 50 different borrowers. All borrowers are credit checked as for a normal loan, and the risk of bad debt is reduced by the spread of the lenders money over many borrowers.
The best part is that the interest rate is determined by what the lenders is prepared to lend it for - and what the borrower is prepared to pay. Hence the name ZOPA (Zone Of Possible Agreement). Borrowers pay less and lenders gain more. This would have been impossible before modern computers.
It is revolutionary. The cobwebbed ossified banks have no answer.
I hope it works.
I hope ZOPA, its clones and competitors continue to grow exponentially. I really hope the greedy banking elite come to rue the day the scorned and swindled the British public. Maybe with a real revolutionary alternative to the big banks we will avoid ever getting in this mess again.
I'm having a go with ZOPA (you want to try lending through them, you can start with £50.00), also Funding Circle and soon KIVA. It's worth a punt.
I'll tell you how it goes.
much disbelief and disgust as the rest of you grubby little
I suppose it really was too much to expect the arrogant ignorant and greedy to put anyone else before themselves. Even when we are all up to our bottom lips in their debt.
The bankers feel invincible. They can ignore the shrill cries about fair play and responsibility. They can sneer at the common hard working folk while gloating over their own growing mountain of gold.
This travesty will continue year in, year out. Until, out of nowhere, "something" will happen that turns them from an arrogant elite into a flock of foolish redundant dinosaurs.
And maybe that "something" had already happened.
Maybe an event has already taken place that spells doom for out extremely well fed friends. Perhaps they have been so busy swindling the rest of us that they did not notice the high tide of banking excess has reached a turning point.
Revolutions, even against the most despicable tyrants, never happen unless there is someone, or something of a revolutionary nature that sparks the gunpowder.
Billothewisp reckons (or at least hopes)the today that spark has arrived and has the name of Peer to Peer banking.
Currently the most popular manifestation is a company called ZOPA but there other infant companies like Funding Circle. The concept has even expanded into the charity field with an organisation called KIVA.
Currently all of these companies simply deal with arranging and financing loans. But all revolutions have to start somewhere.
Peer to Peer banking works in a completely different way to normal banking.
With a bank you borrow off the bank. They decide the rate. You get what you are given. The money they take in from savers gathers derisory interest. The bankers pocket almost all the profit.
Companies like ZOPA work in a completely different way. They are an arranger. They do not own the loans, but they take a commission for sorting things out.
A loan for £500 will have 50 lenders, each lending £10. Each lender, lending in total £500 will lend £10 to 50 different borrowers. All borrowers are credit checked as for a normal loan, and the risk of bad debt is reduced by the spread of the lenders money over many borrowers.
The best part is that the interest rate is determined by what the lenders is prepared to lend it for - and what the borrower is prepared to pay. Hence the name ZOPA (Zone Of Possible Agreement). Borrowers pay less and lenders gain more. This would have been impossible before modern computers.
It is revolutionary. The cobwebbed ossified banks have no answer.
I hope it works.
I hope ZOPA, its clones and competitors continue to grow exponentially. I really hope the greedy banking elite come to rue the day the scorned and swindled the British public. Maybe with a real revolutionary alternative to the big banks we will avoid ever getting in this mess again.
I'm having a go with ZOPA (you want to try lending through them, you can start with £50.00), also Funding Circle and soon KIVA. It's worth a punt.
I'll tell you how it goes.
Labels:
bankers bonuses,
Funding Circle,
Kiva,
national debt,
ZOPA
Wind Power: The Damning Results
Here is the results from some analysis of the 3 month NETA Wind Turbine metered output. This NETA data is independant and used to pay power generators. There is no wishful thinking or political slant on this data. This data is freely available and continuously updated HERE.
The snapshot I used is available HERE
The first graph below is a frequency plot of power output against half hour billing slots. It shows how often, within the 3 month period wind power contributed a particular power level (power level - X axis number of half hour periods - Y axis. (Sorry forgot to label the graph properly)
The most shocking outcome from this graph is that the most common output from the whole of the national metered wind power system is 300MW. That equates to 12% of their maximum rating of 2430MW. They were running at this level, or less for more than 30% of the 3 month period.
The graph indicates that while in the 3 month period the output fell to close to zero (less than 100MW ) for no less than (in-total) 147 hours, at no no time it ever reach anywhere near the often hyped maximum rating. In fact the total output never even reached 85% of this rating. The absolute maximum achieved was 2065MW (84.8%). This was achieved for (in-total) one hour in the three month period.
This graph below shows the half hourly power ratings linearly from low to high. Wind energy is governed by a cube law. Double the wind speed and get 8 times as much power (unfortunately the reverse is also true - halve the speed get 1/8th the power). Here you can see the cube law in action and how it skews the output so most of the time wind power generation is BELOW the Capacity Factor
The raw average (or capacity factor), which is arrived at by simply adding all readings up and then dividing by the number of readings gives an capacity factor of 25%. (608MW) On their website the BWEA suggest it is 30%. Often the figure gets inflated further. The press blindly accept what they are told.
This otherwise laudable Daily Mail Article falls into exactly this trap.
Remember these NETA figures include offshore as well as onshore sites so the Capacity Factor is certain to be even poorer for on shore turbines alone.
The BWEA suggest that the capacity factor taken in isolation is meaningless. I (sort-of) agree with this. As electricity generation cannot be stored, the duration of the power generation operation is as important (or arguably more so) than the averaged value.
In this three month period the wind output only managed to reach or exceed this capacity factor (25% - 608MW) for less than 40% of the time. If you use the much hyped BWEA figure of a 30% capacity factor, then this value was only reached or exceeded for 23% of the 3 month period.
Due to the cube law relating wind speed and power output, we find that half the 3 months energy arrived in less than 25% of the time leaving the other half to cover the remaining 75% of the period. This is actually an improvement on the single facility figures of about 15% found in the USA (Lee Ranch Sample Data (1/2 way down this page) .
This improvement from 15% to less than 25% is the contribution from the grossly overstated "if its not blowing here its blowing somewhere else" argument. Clearly, in the UK, the power averaging due to the geographic separation of the turbines falls very far short of the usual bland statement that "things even out".
This is a graph of nuclear power output over this 3 month period. Notice how steady it is as it provides us with essential, solid, predictable Base Load generation. The variation is where the Power generator is matching demand not the result of a lack of "fuel" or wind (interestingly, there does appear to be a drop-out. and that, my friends is exactly what spinning reserve is for!)
The mess below is the wind power output for the same period.
It is a chaotic unpredictable set of short duration spikes smeared over a grindingly low background. How anyone could suggest that this can be used to reliably provide 30% of our power is beyond me. There are those though who even suggest that this could be used for base load power generation.
God help us all if the likes of Chris Huhne is stupid enough to continue pushing us down this road.
Love & Kisses
Billothewisp
The snapshot I used is available HERE
The first graph below is a frequency plot of power output against half hour billing slots. It shows how often, within the 3 month period wind power contributed a particular power level (power level - X axis number of half hour periods - Y axis. (Sorry forgot to label the graph properly)
The most shocking outcome from this graph is that the most common output from the whole of the national metered wind power system is 300MW. That equates to 12% of their maximum rating of 2430MW. They were running at this level, or less for more than 30% of the 3 month period.
The graph indicates that while in the 3 month period the output fell to close to zero (less than 100MW ) for no less than (in-total) 147 hours, at no no time it ever reach anywhere near the often hyped maximum rating. In fact the total output never even reached 85% of this rating. The absolute maximum achieved was 2065MW (84.8%). This was achieved for (in-total) one hour in the three month period.
This graph below shows the half hourly power ratings linearly from low to high. Wind energy is governed by a cube law. Double the wind speed and get 8 times as much power (unfortunately the reverse is also true - halve the speed get 1/8th the power). Here you can see the cube law in action and how it skews the output so most of the time wind power generation is BELOW the Capacity Factor
The raw average (or capacity factor), which is arrived at by simply adding all readings up and then dividing by the number of readings gives an capacity factor of 25%. (608MW) On their website the BWEA suggest it is 30%. Often the figure gets inflated further. The press blindly accept what they are told.
This otherwise laudable Daily Mail Article falls into exactly this trap.
Remember these NETA figures include offshore as well as onshore sites so the Capacity Factor is certain to be even poorer for on shore turbines alone.
The BWEA suggest that the capacity factor taken in isolation is meaningless. I (sort-of) agree with this. As electricity generation cannot be stored, the duration of the power generation operation is as important (or arguably more so) than the averaged value.
In this three month period the wind output only managed to reach or exceed this capacity factor (25% - 608MW) for less than 40% of the time. If you use the much hyped BWEA figure of a 30% capacity factor, then this value was only reached or exceeded for 23% of the 3 month period.
Due to the cube law relating wind speed and power output, we find that half the 3 months energy arrived in less than 25% of the time leaving the other half to cover the remaining 75% of the period. This is actually an improvement on the single facility figures of about 15% found in the USA (Lee Ranch Sample Data (1/2 way down this page) .
This improvement from 15% to less than 25% is the contribution from the grossly overstated "if its not blowing here its blowing somewhere else" argument. Clearly, in the UK, the power averaging due to the geographic separation of the turbines falls very far short of the usual bland statement that "things even out".
This is a graph of nuclear power output over this 3 month period. Notice how steady it is as it provides us with essential, solid, predictable Base Load generation. The variation is where the Power generator is matching demand not the result of a lack of "fuel" or wind (interestingly, there does appear to be a drop-out. and that, my friends is exactly what spinning reserve is for!)
The mess below is the wind power output for the same period.
It is a chaotic unpredictable set of short duration spikes smeared over a grindingly low background. How anyone could suggest that this can be used to reliably provide 30% of our power is beyond me. There are those though who even suggest that this could be used for base load power generation.
God help us all if the likes of Chris Huhne is stupid enough to continue pushing us down this road.
Love & Kisses
Billothewisp
Labels:
intermittency,
reliability,
wind power
Denmark: No More Land Based Wind Turbines
Billothewisp is busily hacking his way through the 3 month NETA data on wind turbine power output and has some rather startling, (nay - shocking) preliminary figures. To be presented here soon.
But not tonight.
But I must quickly mention a few things.
Today I came across a truly awesome Canadian site with masses of information on the sheer hopelessness of wind power.
It is not bitchy. It is not nasty and it presents the facts about a whole range of issues surrounding this truly failed technology.
The site is: http://windfarmrealities.org/ I highly recommend it.
Just another quick aside on a couple of things I've picked up:
1. Denmark (the doyen of the Wind lobby) has declared that it will no longer build any more wind turbine on land. (That is none, nil, zero) The reason? Because of masses of complaints about noise!
The Telegraph version of this news item is HERE
2. The good people of Hinkely Point, famous for its nuclear power station, have forced a wind turbine company to abandon its plans to descrecrate their countryside with 12 or so turbines.
Hinkely will soon have a new nuclear plant. This new nuclear plant leaves the people of Hinkely un-phased, although I expect the day-dreaming luddites with their windmills are wide-eyed in disbelief!
Good for the people of Hinkely Point.
The article from the Independant is HERE
Love and Kisses
Billothewisp
But not tonight.
But I must quickly mention a few things.
Today I came across a truly awesome Canadian site with masses of information on the sheer hopelessness of wind power.
It is not bitchy. It is not nasty and it presents the facts about a whole range of issues surrounding this truly failed technology.
The site is: http://windfarmrealities.org/ I highly recommend it.
Just another quick aside on a couple of things I've picked up:
1. Denmark (the doyen of the Wind lobby) has declared that it will no longer build any more wind turbine on land. (That is none, nil, zero) The reason? Because of masses of complaints about noise!
The Telegraph version of this news item is HERE
2. The good people of Hinkely Point, famous for its nuclear power station, have forced a wind turbine company to abandon its plans to descrecrate their countryside with 12 or so turbines.
Hinkely will soon have a new nuclear plant. This new nuclear plant leaves the people of Hinkely un-phased, although I expect the day-dreaming luddites with their windmills are wide-eyed in disbelief!
Good for the people of Hinkely Point.
The article from the Independant is HERE
Love and Kisses
Billothewisp
Labels:
denmark,
nuclear power,
wind turbines
Wind Turbines: National 3 Months Data
See last post... Here is the raw 3 month NETA data and a tidied version in xls and ods formats
Files Are Here
The four files are attachment on the bottom of the home page.
The first two are the two complete zip files from NETA for the last 3 months power generation output. Downloaded by me tonight.
The other two are cleaned up versions of the CSV file saved in ods and xls formats.
No data has been deleted in the cleaned up xls and ods files, but I have added a header showing which column is which. The only caveat here is that both the Irish interconnector and the "other" generation methods were all zeros so I dont know which is which. But as they are all zero it doesn't really matter.
Love & Kisses
Billothewisp
Files Are Here
The four files are attachment on the bottom of the home page.
The first two are the two complete zip files from NETA for the last 3 months power generation output. Downloaded by me tonight.
The other two are cleaned up versions of the CSV file saved in ods and xls formats.
No data has been deleted in the cleaned up xls and ods files, but I have added a header showing which column is which. The only caveat here is that both the Irish interconnector and the "other" generation methods were all zeros so I dont know which is which. But as they are all zero it doesn't really matter.
Love & Kisses
Billothewisp
Labels:
NETA,
power generation,
wind power,
wind turbines
Wind Power: Three Months Data
I am following a very interesting thread on the IET (formerly IEE) website regarding the sheer uselessness of windpower during the cold snap we have just had. (See Here) It makes interesting reading.
While I have been following the excellent Neta Website myself for a few weeks, I did not realise that they actually provide a full 3 month data set for all the various methods of power generation. This displays actual outputs on a half hourly basis. (Thanks to "Ipayyoursalary" on the IET thread for pointing this out)
I have one minor criticism of this data. While the XML data set looks good, the potentially more immediately useable CSV data lacks headers and you have to go digging through the XML equivalent to figure out what is what.
But even so, this is an absolute gold mine. Or, if you are a greedy wind farm developer, possibly a nest of vipers.
Congratulations must be given to those who run the Neta site, not only for producing this data set, but also for coherently displaying the fluctuations and methodology of the country's power generation.
I downloaded the CSV and XML data sets tonight and have had a first hack at simply tidying up the CSV file so people can use it in Excel or Calc. I'll be having a crack at some analysis myself in the next few days but I know some of the folk who read this blog can do things with a spreadsheet that would make my ears bleed.
I will try and figure out a way of getting this file available for general download and will raise another post when I have sussed it out.
Love & Kisses
Billothewisp
While I have been following the excellent Neta Website myself for a few weeks, I did not realise that they actually provide a full 3 month data set for all the various methods of power generation. This displays actual outputs on a half hourly basis. (Thanks to "Ipayyoursalary" on the IET thread for pointing this out)
I have one minor criticism of this data. While the XML data set looks good, the potentially more immediately useable CSV data lacks headers and you have to go digging through the XML equivalent to figure out what is what.
But even so, this is an absolute gold mine. Or, if you are a greedy wind farm developer, possibly a nest of vipers.
Congratulations must be given to those who run the Neta site, not only for producing this data set, but also for coherently displaying the fluctuations and methodology of the country's power generation.
I downloaded the CSV and XML data sets tonight and have had a first hack at simply tidying up the CSV file so people can use it in Excel or Calc. I'll be having a crack at some analysis myself in the next few days but I know some of the folk who read this blog can do things with a spreadsheet that would make my ears bleed.
I will try and figure out a way of getting this file available for general download and will raise another post when I have sussed it out.
Love & Kisses
Billothewisp
Labels:
NETA,
power generation,
wind turbines
BBC: England Almost Unstruck
Regular visitors to this blog will know that Billothewisp has a very low opinion of the BBC. Especially the way the BBC has airbrushed England out of the political landscape of these shores.
The BBC's stance on the non existence of anEnglish identity was initially explored in This Early Post Of Mine.
As it is a year since I wrote about this, I thought I would revisit the BBC monolith. Lo and Behold! The BBC has partially relented.
Today on This Page you will find a reference to "AroundEngland"
Of course while N. Ireland Politics, Welsh Politics and Scottish Politics all have detailed references to their own assemblies All the pitiful "AroundEngland" entry boasts is a section on "Blogs around the Regions" Ugh.
Obviously the Great Good and Extremely Well Fed at the BBC are still wedded to Prescotts "Final Solution" to the West Lothian Question. They are fully on-board the concept of destroyingEngland by dismembering it into some regionally antagonistic nightmare. The thought of having an area actually devoted to English politics is still a bridge too far.
I suppose this is progress. Even though it feels like we are all just trying to drag an rusty and obsolete old car up an steep incline. Maybe, one day, this festering travesty of a public service will actually fulfil its duty and really acknowledge anEnglish identity and the existence of English political issues.
Until then, in this blog,England remains stuck out.
The BBC's stance on the non existence of an
As it is a year since I wrote about this, I thought I would revisit the BBC monolith. Lo and Behold! The BBC has partially relented.
Today on This Page you will find a reference to "Around
Of course while N. Ireland Politics, Welsh Politics and Scottish Politics all have detailed references to their own assemblies All the pitiful "Around
Obviously the Great Good and Extremely Well Fed at the BBC are still wedded to Prescotts "Final Solution" to the West Lothian Question. They are fully on-board the concept of destroying
I suppose this is progress. Even though it feels like we are all just trying to drag an rusty and obsolete old car up an steep incline. Maybe, one day, this festering travesty of a public service will actually fulfil its duty and really acknowledge an
Until then, in this blog,
Labels:
bbc,
England,
West Lothian Question
A Christmas Wish
In the new year, may all of our lives be enriched by honesty.
May our politicians tell the truth and look out for those who elect them rather than just themselves.
May our bankers guard the money entrusted to them and fairly treat those indebted to them, rather than just lining their own pockets.
May our environmentalists devote themselves to facts and people rather than just fashion statements and wishful thinking.
Happy Xmas.
Love and Kisses.
Billothewisp
p.s. Yes. I know. Fat Chance.
May our politicians tell the truth and look out for those who elect them rather than just themselves.
May our bankers guard the money entrusted to them and fairly treat those indebted to them, rather than just lining their own pockets.
May our environmentalists devote themselves to facts and people rather than just fashion statements and wishful thinking.
Happy Xmas.
Love and Kisses.
Billothewisp
p.s. Yes. I know. Fat Chance.
Labels:
bankers bonuses,
christmas,
environmentalists,
politicians
Predicting the wind - update
Just an early morning comment. This is the latest NETA data
Notice NETA almost got it right. But the wind arrived late, about settlement period 7 ( 3.30am) on the 23rd when nobody wants it. NETA had estimated that the wind would arrive during peak household demand period in the evening of the 22nd.
Luckily, the amount of power (even from new higher wind) is so inconsequential it would not have caused any issues. But if we had been relying on wind for 30% of our power there would have been mayhem.
Look at the graph. When I say the "wind arrived" I actually mean the total metered wind turbine output rose from 2% of the much lauded turbine rating to a peak of 18.5%.
Just as an example. If this was the planned Alaska windfarm at East Stoke in the Purbecks which has a projected boiler plate rating of 9.2MW, the actual output would have risen from 0.184MW through to a peak of 1.7MW. That of course ignores the amount of power used internally to heat the turbine blades and gear box to stop them freezing.
Don't forget, these are nationally based statistics, and it has been like this (or worse) for days
Luckily, the amount of power (even from new higher wind) is so inconsequential it would not have caused any issues. But if we had been relying on wind for 30% of our power there would have been mayhem.
Look at the graph. When I say the "wind arrived" I actually mean the total metered wind turbine output rose from 2% of the much lauded turbine rating to a peak of 18.5%.
Just as an example. If this was the planned Alaska windfarm at East Stoke in the Purbecks which has a projected boiler plate rating of 9.2MW, the actual output would have risen from 0.184MW through to a peak of 1.7MW. That of course ignores the amount of power used internally to heat the turbine blades and gear box to stop them freezing.
Don't forget, these are nationally based statistics, and it has been like this (or worse) for days
Labels:
Alaska windfarm,
East Stoke,
purbecks,
wind power,
wind turbines
Predicting the Wind
If wind turbines are to be used productively then there the wind must be reliably forecast.
NETA produce a prediction of the wind power contribution to the grid. They produce a sliding three day window using their initial and latest predictions with the actual outcome shown for the (usually) first day and a half of the window.
NETA (New Electricity Trading Arrangments site) are the people who sort out trading in wholesale electricity. As part of this they have produced a really informative and detailed site that is constantly updated. They do their very best to stay on top of many different changing parameters that affect electricity generation.
In my post yesterday (and using their data), I indicated that the national output from the turbines looked like it was about to rise to 16% of their maximum rating. This was from around 4-5% per cent - where it has been languishing for days.
While 16% is still pathetically poor, the predicted wind has not arrived. The output prediction has now been ramped down to 147MW ( 6%)
Believe me, I am not getting at NETA for the variability in the figures. NETA is doing the very best job it can in exceptionally difficult conditions.
We call know about the unpredictability of the weather. We know how often the Met Office foul up on really short term weather forecasts. This again is not an issue of competence it is an issue of how very difficult predicting the weather is.
These figures underline in thick black pencil that nationally wind power is unreliable and unpredictable.
It should also be noted that the absolute maximum output that was very briefly reached on the 18th December was barely 23% of their advertised rating. Most of the time during these four days the national output of all metered turbines on the grid has been well below 10%.
I have added the last four sliding window graphs below. Remember they all overlap so you can see the initial forecast (orange), the latest forecast (blue) and the actual outcome (red line) for three of the four days. The settlement period indicates the time. NETA settle accounts in 48 half hour blocks, so block one starts at midnight, block 24 at midday and so on.
(Note: the vertical scale changes between graphs 2 and 3)
NETA produce a prediction of the wind power contribution to the grid. They produce a sliding three day window using their initial and latest predictions with the actual outcome shown for the (usually) first day and a half of the window.
NETA (New Electricity Trading Arrangments site) are the people who sort out trading in wholesale electricity. As part of this they have produced a really informative and detailed site that is constantly updated. They do their very best to stay on top of many different changing parameters that affect electricity generation.
In my post yesterday (and using their data), I indicated that the national output from the turbines looked like it was about to rise to 16% of their maximum rating. This was from around 4-5% per cent - where it has been languishing for days.
While 16% is still pathetically poor, the predicted wind has not arrived. The output prediction has now been ramped down to 147MW ( 6%)
Believe me, I am not getting at NETA for the variability in the figures. NETA is doing the very best job it can in exceptionally difficult conditions.
We call know about the unpredictability of the weather. We know how often the Met Office foul up on really short term weather forecasts. This again is not an issue of competence it is an issue of how very difficult predicting the weather is.
These figures underline in thick black pencil that nationally wind power is unreliable and unpredictable.
It should also be noted that the absolute maximum output that was very briefly reached on the 18th December was barely 23% of their advertised rating. Most of the time during these four days the national output of all metered turbines on the grid has been well below 10%.
I have added the last four sliding window graphs below. Remember they all overlap so you can see the initial forecast (orange), the latest forecast (blue) and the actual outcome (red line) for three of the four days. The settlement period indicates the time. NETA settle accounts in 48 half hour blocks, so block one starts at midnight, block 24 at midday and so on.
(Note: the vertical scale changes between graphs 2 and 3)
Labels:
weather reporting,
wind power,
wind prediction
Wind Power, Winter and No Wind
Just a short update on the contribution the theoretical 2.4GW of metered wind generation is making at this critical time.
Here are some figures from NETA and a little commentary from me.
Using the same data set, yesterday and earlier today, NETA came up with these predictions:
This gives peak output (NOT the average) as 4% rising to 5% of the rated output. The prediction is that output may treble tomorrow. But this will still be only 16% of the total boiler-plate rating - and will peak at 21:00 - just in time for people to start turning in for the night. Even then it is still a shamefully low figure.
If we look at the contribution made by different types of generation :
We see that the contribution from windpower is 0.1%. From the much lauded boiler-plate rating it should be just under 4.5%
That is, the total metered wind-turbine supply in all of the UK, at this time of maximum demand is providing us with 1/1000th of what we need. The boiler-plate rating the wind industry keeps boasting about states it should be about 1/25th.
We have actually been buying 12 times as much as this from the French. Even the pumped storage facility in Wales (usually used to meet short lived demand peaks and to control the mains frequency) provided eleven times as much. Hydroelectricity, of which we have very little, still provided double the wind power output.
It has been like this for days.
Luckily we are not in a position where we are dependant on wind for serious power generation.
But what if we were?
What if we were dependant on wind power or, in this weather, on its spinning reserve? What if the wind power "enthusiasts" get their way and we largely replace coal generation with wind turbines backed up by CCGT (Combined Cycle Gas Turbines)
On first look, it appears that it would not matter - during a time like this we simply would be using the CCGT spinning reserve.
Regrettibly it does matter. It matters massively. Dare I say it matters catastrophically. During weather like we are having right now, it would push our dependence on Gas to almost 70%. We would need to significantly increase the gas transport infrastructure to feed these CCGT stations. Most importantly we would need to stockpile much more gas. At the moment, our meagre 7 day supply relies on the fact that power generation can, over a number of days, maximise use of coal and nuclear and minimise gas. That goes out the window if you need to guard against wind power failing and have no other option but to use gas..
I'll explain fully in a future post. Possibly the next, maybe the one after that. But I havn't got time to elaborate at the moment.
Here are some figures from NETA and a little commentary from me.
Using the same data set, yesterday and earlier today, NETA came up with these predictions:
This gives peak output (NOT the average) as 4% rising to 5% of the rated output. The prediction is that output may treble tomorrow. But this will still be only 16% of the total boiler-plate rating - and will peak at 21:00 - just in time for people to start turning in for the night. Even then it is still a shamefully low figure.
If we look at the contribution made by different types of generation :
We see that the contribution from windpower is 0.1%. From the much lauded boiler-plate rating it should be just under 4.5%
That is, the total metered wind-turbine supply in all of the UK, at this time of maximum demand is providing us with 1/1000th of what we need. The boiler-plate rating the wind industry keeps boasting about states it should be about 1/25th.
We have actually been buying 12 times as much as this from the French. Even the pumped storage facility in Wales (usually used to meet short lived demand peaks and to control the mains frequency) provided eleven times as much. Hydroelectricity, of which we have very little, still provided double the wind power output.
It has been like this for days.
Luckily we are not in a position where we are dependant on wind for serious power generation.
But what if we were?
What if we were dependant on wind power or, in this weather, on its spinning reserve? What if the wind power "enthusiasts" get their way and we largely replace coal generation with wind turbines backed up by CCGT (Combined Cycle Gas Turbines)
On first look, it appears that it would not matter - during a time like this we simply would be using the CCGT spinning reserve.
Regrettibly it does matter. It matters massively. Dare I say it matters catastrophically. During weather like we are having right now, it would push our dependence on Gas to almost 70%. We would need to significantly increase the gas transport infrastructure to feed these CCGT stations. Most importantly we would need to stockpile much more gas. At the moment, our meagre 7 day supply relies on the fact that power generation can, over a number of days, maximise use of coal and nuclear and minimise gas. That goes out the window if you need to guard against wind power failing and have no other option but to use gas..
I'll explain fully in a future post. Possibly the next, maybe the one after that. But I havn't got time to elaborate at the moment.
Labels:
cold snap,
electricity,
spinning reserve,
wind power,
winter crisis
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