Former BP boss Lord Browne, now President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, tells us in the Times Thunderer column today how we should have lots more wind power ‘cos it will create lots of lovely jobs (mentioning by the way that most of the jobs it’s created so far have gone overseas but swiftly and gayly skipping on from that, presumably on the assumption that now he’s pointed it out it will swiftly be put right). Yes it will need container loads of government cash to make it happen he cheerfully acknowledges, but this is all right ‘cos North Sea oil and gas needed government incentives in the early days too.
Can you believe that such a big name can write such utter bollocks, totally ignoring the massive differences between the oil and gas markets and the renewables market? The Royal Academy of Engineering exists we are told to promote excellence in the science, art and practice of engineering. Browne clearly thinks it exists to procure shed-loads of government cash to create jobs for the boys.
Notice also that another whole-page article in the same issue is devoted to telling us how much inflation is outstripping our incomes, without telling us how much of that is being taken from us by utilities forced by the government’s Climate Change Act to buy wind power at exhorbitant prices.
Last week they allowed David Aaronovitch to rant on for half a page in support of wind power, the only argument in support of which he could think of was that opponents are, in his anything-but-humble opinion, nimbies.
God help us all. Our parliament, our great institutions and our media are all fatally penetrated by people who cannot see the real world for bullshit, or can but don't give a shit.
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