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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/10/uk-climate-assembly-economic-recovery-from-covid-must-tackle-global-heating
@GeorgeMonbiot Sometimes I despair.
Even when people care about global heating they haven't got the first clue how to solve it - they think the answer is piety: punish the sinners, taxes on air travel and SUVs and meat eaters.
Let's look at the numbers:
@GeorgeMonbiot Sometimes I despair.
Even when people care about global heating they haven't got the first clue how to solve it - they think the answer is piety: punish the sinners, taxes on air travel and SUVs and meat eaters.
Let's look at the numbers:
Latest complete UK GHG Emission figures (2018) here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/final-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-national-statistics-1990-to-2018UK
Total: 450 MtCO2e
Aviation: 1.1+0.4 = 1.5MtCO2e
Cars: 68.5
How many cars are SUV's? 20% https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50713616#:~:text=%22SUVs%20are%20larger%20and%20heavier%20than%20a%20standard,a%20medium-sized%20battery%20electric%20vehicle%2C%22%20said%20the%20UKERC.
How much more GHG does a SUV emit? 25%
Net effect: 25% x 20% x 68.5 = 3.4 MtCO2e
Total: 450 MtCO2e
Aviation: 1.1+0.4 = 1.5MtCO2e
Cars: 68.5
How many cars are SUV's? 20% https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50713616#:~:text=%22SUVs%20are%20larger%20and%20heavier%20than%20a%20standard,a%20medium-sized%20battery%20electric%20vehicle%2C%22%20said%20the%20UKERC.
How much more GHG does a SUV emit? 25%
Net effect: 25% x 20% x 68.5 = 3.4 MtCO2e
So even if the sin taxes halved the aviation and "SUV instead of a saloon" emissions, that gives 2.5MtCO2e out of 450M.
Where *should* we be looking?
The biggest emitter is HEAT. Approximately 140MtCO2e.
A switch from gas-fired boilers to electrical heat pumps would...
Where *should* we be looking?
The biggest emitter is HEAT. Approximately 140MtCO2e.
A switch from gas-fired boilers to electrical heat pumps would...
.... would reduce this to 50MtCO2e.
Combine with a zero CO2 grid and it reduces it to zero.
Next up: transport. 125MtCO2e
Switch all road transport to Electric and this comes down to 75MtCO2e.
Combine with zero CO2 grid and it drops to around 9MtCO2e
Combine with a zero CO2 grid and it reduces it to zero.
Next up: transport. 125MtCO2e
Switch all road transport to Electric and this comes down to 75MtCO2e.
Combine with zero CO2 grid and it drops to around 9MtCO2e
Next up: zero CO2 grid.
Power stations are responsible for around 67MtCO2e.
(And note the 13M for refineries which will disappear when transport is electrified)
So the Big 3 - Heat, Transport, Power - offer a reduction of 335 out of 450. A 75% reduction.
Power stations are responsible for around 67MtCO2e.
(And note the 13M for refineries which will disappear when transport is electrified)
So the Big 3 - Heat, Transport, Power - offer a reduction of 335 out of 450. A 75% reduction.
But what about cost?
1. Change from gas-fired boilers to electric heat pumps.
At present, every year around 1.7M gas fired boilers get replaced (1/15th of the UK total) at around £2-2.5K each including labour.
There is no reason why heat pumps should cost much more than this..
1. Change from gas-fired boilers to electric heat pumps.
At present, every year around 1.7M gas fired boilers get replaced (1/15th of the UK total) at around £2-2.5K each including labour.
There is no reason why heat pumps should cost much more than this..
... but due to much lower manufacturing volumes the cost is around £5K each. The Government could offer interest free loans to switch 2.5M boilers to heat pumps each year for 10 years at say £4K each.
The average cost to the exchequer would be £200M a year for 20 years.
The average cost to the exchequer would be £200M a year for 20 years.
Next up: switching road transport to Electric.
When running costs are taken into account the ownership cost of electric cars is actually lower.
So how about infrastructure costs: https://theicct.org/publications/charging-cost-US
(TLDR: around £400 per car - call it £10Bn - cost to taxpayer £75M/yr )
When running costs are taken into account the ownership cost of electric cars is actually lower.
So how about infrastructure costs: https://theicct.org/publications/charging-cost-US
(TLDR: around £400 per car - call it £10Bn - cost to taxpayer £75M/yr )
Last up: Zero Carbon grid.
The strike price of renewable power is dropping through the floor. I saw <1 eurocent per kWh for PV in Portugal a few weeks back and <5p per kWh for offshore wind recently. (Electricity at your plug costs 14p). There is enough profit in generating
The strike price of renewable power is dropping through the floor. I saw <1 eurocent per kWh for PV in Portugal a few weeks back and <5p per kWh for offshore wind recently. (Electricity at your plug costs 14p). There is enough profit in generating
& selling electricity to mean no taxpayer money is needed at all; there should be enough return for investors to pay for the upgrades (essentially doubling the annual kWh used by the UK)
In summary: we can go zero Carbon in 5 to 10 years, at very little cost; we just need focus.
In summary: we can go zero Carbon in 5 to 10 years, at very little cost; we just need focus.
