North Sea oil platform [image credit: matchtech.com]
Opponents say the UK should be cutting fossil fuel production but ignore the reality of continuing demand, meaning imports would have to increase. All they do is whine about the climate and call for ever more part-time wind power, which isn’t a direct replacement anyway. The carbon capture announcement is a bit of a joke when heavily subsidised but supposedly ‘green’ Drax wood burners are the UK’s biggest emitters of CO2.
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Summary – from BBC News.
The government will issue hundreds of new oil and gas licences for the North Sea, Rishi Sunak confirms
The first will be issued this autumn – with at least 100 in the next round
“We’re choosing to power up Britain from Britain,” says Sunak
And he says even when the UK reaches net zero in 2050, it will still need oil and gas
But the SNP warns that while energy security is important, the UK needs to consider “the looming climate catastrophe”
And Oxfam Scotland says drilling for more oil and gas in the North Sea is “short-sighted and selfish”
Downing Street also confirms millions of pounds for a new carbon capture scheme in north-east Scotland
Read more here.
Tallbloke's Talkshop 
The courts are going to have a field day with the JSO protesters 🙂
Oxfam Scotland says…
Big deal.
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Writing in a statement, he [Mr. Net Zero Shapps] said: “Safeguarding energy bills for British families and providing a homegrown fuel for our economy that, for domestic gas production, has around one-quarter the carbon footprint of imported liquified natural gas.”
That imported gas is mostly from fracking, but we can’t do that in the UK because it’s against our climate religion? Does not compute.
We’re not to be burning gas in our homes, eh? Dutch gas grid operator Gasunie and German energy firm RWE have received a €40 million ($44 million) German state aid measure for the construction of the planned onshore LNG import terminal in Brunsbüttel. https://www.dieselgasturbine.com/news/german-lng-terminal-gets-eu-approval/8030659.article
Other gases – ye jist cannae mak it up; a Ms Lambe (PhD) has secured funding for breeding Sheepies to emit less methane. https://www.sruc.ac.uk/connect/find-an-expert/nicola-lambe/ Cannae be Organic sheepies then, or ?
Climate luvvies can’t bear to be associated with fracking for gas or oil drilling in/near the UK, but importing is allowed as their lifestyles would collapse otherwise 🙄
Net zero sceptics warm to Rishi Sunak’s climate shift
Published today
A new stock phrase is being deployed by Rishi Sunak when talking about his government’s efforts to curb planet-warming carbon emissions.
Net zero will be met, the prime minister has said, in “a proportionate and pragmatic way”.
This has become his mantra on the 2050 target since his party’s unexpected win in a by-election last month, when the Conservatives capitalised on a backlash against the contentious expansion of London’s clean-air zone.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66388718
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Better than nothing but climate pseudo-religion is still in place. Clean air has nothing to do with CO2 anyway.
It’s a start…
Rosebank: MPs and peers urge Grant Shapps to block new oil field
Published today
Grant Shapps is being urged in the “strongest possible terms” to block drilling at Rosebank – the UK’s largest undeveloped oil field.
Fifty MPs and peers, from all major parties, have written to the energy secretary to demand a rethink.
It comes after the government said it would it would issue hundreds of new licences for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66396048
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If oil is in demand, supply it from the UK where possible. Importing instead makes no difference to how much is used here, but costs more and relies heavily on non-UK labour. What are these climate obsessives like?
[…] Posted on August 3, 2023August 3, 2023 by HiFast Sunak unveils expansion of North Sea oil and gas drilling, opponents prefer imports […]