Coal kills

I have always admired those who have risked their lives and health to work in coal mines. I expect that they never did so out of choice but out of necessity. Working in mines is very dangerous and working with coal is very dangerous. There are dangers underground, dangers in the pollution and emissions of [...]

Rising energy bills and the scramble for energy

When I first started to write about the forthcoming energy crisis, many years ago, it was because it was something that I had studied and analysed; it was my reason for founding Genersys, a renewable energy company; in this case the analysis created the decision, rather than the decision to found Genersys creating my views [...]

No coal burning at Kingsnorth yet; a sliver of good news

A small sliver of nearly good news (well, actually not bad news) has just been reported. E.on, the multinational energy firm and one of the big six United Kingdom energy suppliers, has decided to defer its plans to build a new coal fired power station at Kingsnorth. It is not more than a sliver of [...]

The energy policy vacuum

The Confederation of British Industry has called the United Kingdom’s energy policy “disjointed” by claiming that there is too much investment in wind energy and not enough investment in nuclear energy and “clean coal” energy. I think that the Confederation of British Industry is wrong on every count.

Mr Miliband’s climate change ambitions

Every few months the leaders of the Group of 8 industrialised nations (USA, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United Kingdom) meet. They call themselves the G8. The purpose of each meeting is to fix the world’s problems. It is nothing to do with the leaders getting some excellent publicity so that they [...]

Solar systems and solar geysers in South Africa – a real no brainer

If common sense governed the affairs of people South Africa would be one of the world’s leading markets for solar thermal technology and there would be a solar system on every roof in that great republic.

Energy independence and freedom

I have written a great deal about energy from the climate change perspective. This has roused, from time to time, the ire of climate change deniers, who have often not bothered to read my views but argue against opinions that I do not hold. However, in all the arguments of those that think that climate [...]

Consumer energy price rip off or not?

I wrote yesterday about the allegation by Consumer Focus that the big six energy companies are overcharging their customers, because they are not putting prices down as energy prices fall. A year ago oil and gas prices (as well as coal prices) were at an all time high. Oil was $147 a barrel and it [...]

How much fuel is left in the world?

In London when I was much younger there were two fellows who walked around with sandwich boards, not because of their occupations, but as a result of their preoccupations. One chap’s board had a message that warned against the eating of beans and pulses, which according to this chap were at the root of all [...]

Coal Reserves – and the future of coal

Where is all the coal and how long will it last?