The massive jump in electricity demand, which a wholesale shift to electric vehicle demands, can’t be met with wind turbines. The same campaigners oppose tidal power and nuclear energy. Thus, the power would come from more conventional, fossil fuels.
Recent power cuts in August 2019 have shown the fragility of electricity supply.
And there’s the thing, it is utterly irresponsible to displace the emissions from, for example, central London to the Midlands.
Furthermore, the environment lobby mixes up the difference between local air pollution and global climate change emissions. Ironically, in their demand for cleaner air locally, they have succeeded in adding this aspect to ‘climate change emissions’, mainly due to increased fuel consumption from low-NOx producing vehicles.
Most disappointing of all is the willingness of these same campaigners to introduce a ‘pay to pollute’ principle.
You can emit as much as you want if you can afford to pay a surcharge!
If the lobby really believes these gases have fatal consequences for the public, it means you may kill people if you’re rich enough to afford it. This is a morally bankrupt position which any right-minded person can see is loaded with contradictions.
In reality, they know the science does not back up the scaremongering claims of mortality. If they believed that the science DOES back up the claimed death statistics, they are paradoxically endorsing wholesale eradication of the public through transport, gas cookers and any other NOx producing devices.
The Department of Environment’s ‘Road to Zero’ Strategy, published July 9, 2018, endeavours to outline how the British Government will support the transition to zero emission road transport and reduce pollutants from conventional vehicles during the transition. Their strategy is outlined as long term in scope and ambition, and claims all the influences of change, the opportunities and risks to 2050 and beyond are included in this vision.
Its prime focus, however, is on what the UK will do now to lay the foundations for the transition.
According to the celebrity, well-financed*, environmental campaign group, ClientEarth, the government’s plan to tackle air pollution in some of the worst affected cities in the UK is unravelling into a “shambolic and piecemeal mess”.
This group of lawyers has successfully defeated the Government, three times in court. They say, ‘the emphasis in the Government’s Strategy on local authorities taking action was backfiring with no joined-up strategy, delays and poorly researched proposals.’
*David Gilmour’s (Pink Floyd) guitar auction shatters records in New York.
The sale of 127 items from David Gilmour’s personal collection fetches $21,500,000 in New York. He said “I hope that the sale of these guitars will help ClientEarth in their cause to use the law to bring about real change.”
The FAIR FUEL APPG, along with Client Earth and the Government share the obligation to lower emissions of toxic pollutants in our urban conurbations, that are generated by vehicle internal combustion engines. BUT it is vital we mustn’t ignore the plethora of other polluting sources too.