I guess there weren't too many surprises in the shadow cabinet elections (but isn't a wierd way of going about selecting your top team?). A couple of names to conjure with:
Yvette Cooper I found deeply unimpressive when she was at CLG. I can't really comment upon her performance at the Treasury. Does she have the oomph to be shadow chancellor?
Hilary Benn did good stuff at Defra - a certain amount subsequently undone by someone named Miliband! What's the betting on him having that shadow portfolio?
Caroline Flint I thought was a disaster at CLG. I'm not sure quite where her star is in the Labour firmament.
John Healey I found very impressive when I was party to the early discussion about a retailers' initiative on consumer electronics (he was at the Treasury at the time). I guess given his poll rating he'll get a reasonably senior shadow post.
So possibly Hilary Benn could get the shadow environment post - but who will cover Energy and Climate Change? I can't spot any obvious candidates.
Friday, 8 October 2010
Thursday, 7 October 2010
Rare Earths
A while ago I was debating with a good friend whether rare earth mining companies were worth investing in. This followed a report suggesting that demand for rare earths is likely to grow rapidly. The report suggests that supply may be insufficient to match this demand thus putting the brakes on electric vehicle and wind turbine production.
Now there's a report in the FT that China, producer of 97% of the world's rare earths last year, is consolidating production and cutting export quotas - the latter presumably in the expectation that the country can move out of low value-added ore extraction and processing and into finished product manufacture.
This rather throws the spotlight on other countries that have deposits but currently little market share because they cannot compete against China's low wage costs and lax pollution controls. There are plenty of reserves elsewhere (US, Canada, the former Soviet Republics, Malaysia, Australia, Greenland) but none of these has a developed supply chain and putting one in place could take years.
What price the UK government becoming the "greenest ever" under these circumstances?
Now there's a report in the FT that China, producer of 97% of the world's rare earths last year, is consolidating production and cutting export quotas - the latter presumably in the expectation that the country can move out of low value-added ore extraction and processing and into finished product manufacture.
This rather throws the spotlight on other countries that have deposits but currently little market share because they cannot compete against China's low wage costs and lax pollution controls. There are plenty of reserves elsewhere (US, Canada, the former Soviet Republics, Malaysia, Australia, Greenland) but none of these has a developed supply chain and putting one in place could take years.
What price the UK government becoming the "greenest ever" under these circumstances?
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Political Symbolism
News of two political symbols:
The White House will, after all, be installing solar thermal and PV panels (next spring)
and
HMG departments' energy use is now on-line.
Of course, as with much in the world of energy efficiency and sustainable energy, these individual acts will not, in themselves, make a huge difference to actual usage. However, they are very visible and do something to deflect the cynical argument that governments demand that we do as they say, not as they do.
The rating web site has some teething problems - as of today it is comparing the first 4 days in October (including 2 weekend days) with the totality of September and so is, not surprisingly, appearing to show large month on month savings - obviously a nonsence. However, what one can do is drill through to the energy rating certificate of each department's principal building. Both DECC (at Whitehall Place) and Defra (at Nobel House) are in E-rated buildings. What would be interesting to see over time would be what physical and behavioural measures are being put in place in each building in order to improve those ratings. If the White House can install solar panels how about government departments in Whitehall? Also, what about other departmental buildings? My memory of Defra's Ergon House (and my memory can play me false) is that it has a worse than E rating. To DECC's credit they also have (almost) instantaneous demand displayed on their home page. Hopefully this display will be adapted over time to cover more than the 24 hours currently shown. It's a good start! Are other departments doing the same (a quick search failed to find anything similar for Defra)? Spreadsheet-based datasets are available from the energy rating pages but that requires a bit of digging and then some user-analysis.
The White House will, after all, be installing solar thermal and PV panels (next spring)
and
HMG departments' energy use is now on-line.
Of course, as with much in the world of energy efficiency and sustainable energy, these individual acts will not, in themselves, make a huge difference to actual usage. However, they are very visible and do something to deflect the cynical argument that governments demand that we do as they say, not as they do.
The rating web site has some teething problems - as of today it is comparing the first 4 days in October (including 2 weekend days) with the totality of September and so is, not surprisingly, appearing to show large month on month savings - obviously a nonsence. However, what one can do is drill through to the energy rating certificate of each department's principal building. Both DECC (at Whitehall Place) and Defra (at Nobel House) are in E-rated buildings. What would be interesting to see over time would be what physical and behavioural measures are being put in place in each building in order to improve those ratings. If the White House can install solar panels how about government departments in Whitehall? Also, what about other departmental buildings? My memory of Defra's Ergon House (and my memory can play me false) is that it has a worse than E rating. To DECC's credit they also have (almost) instantaneous demand displayed on their home page. Hopefully this display will be adapted over time to cover more than the 24 hours currently shown. It's a good start! Are other departments doing the same (a quick search failed to find anything similar for Defra)? Spreadsheet-based datasets are available from the energy rating pages but that requires a bit of digging and then some user-analysis.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Barkham's Butterflies
Just read a review of Patrick Barkham's Butterfly Isles and viewed some of his photos on the Grauniad site. Having had several attempts at getting decent butterfly photos myself (I need a longer lens!) over the summer I can really appreciate some of his examples. This book has to go on the Christmas present list.
Schizophrenia in the Tory Ranks?
Interesting to hear the noises being made by Oliver Letwin at the conservative's conference about green policies. After all the negative noise being generated from within DECC and elsewhere suggesting that several green policies may go, or at best, be watered down Letwin essentially extolled the virtues of a "one coherent whole" policy package. So the Green Deal, FITs, electric vehicles etc all got a thumbs up.
Big Question: How influential is Letwin? Is this a rearguard action by someone sliding out of power or is he still a strong broker behind the scenes?
Let's hope that the latter is true.
He had some interesting things to say about NPV approaches to investment decisions - arguing that such an approach is OK for short term decisions but would never have allowed, for instance, Chartes Cathedral to be built. Actually, I don't think it's the approach itself that's flawed, more a case of too short an analysis period and/or a poor grasp of terminal values. Perhaps one could also add in not taking account of externalities correctly (which he did cite in a slightly different context).
So - we continue to watch this space.
Big Question: How influential is Letwin? Is this a rearguard action by someone sliding out of power or is he still a strong broker behind the scenes?
Let's hope that the latter is true.
He had some interesting things to say about NPV approaches to investment decisions - arguing that such an approach is OK for short term decisions but would never have allowed, for instance, Chartes Cathedral to be built. Actually, I don't think it's the approach itself that's flawed, more a case of too short an analysis period and/or a poor grasp of terminal values. Perhaps one could also add in not taking account of externalities correctly (which he did cite in a slightly different context).
So - we continue to watch this space.
Friday, 1 October 2010
Royal Society Climate Change Science Summary
The RS yesterday published an absolutely excellent layman's guide to climate change science. I commend it to anyone not completely immersed in the detail.
Mind you, I shared it with other respondents to one of Linked:Energy's discussion groups (The Darker Side of Green) and very soon had someone suggest it's a summary of "Junk" science. You can't win them all.
Mind you, I shared it with other respondents to one of Linked:Energy's discussion groups (The Darker Side of Green) and very soon had someone suggest it's a summary of "Junk" science. You can't win them all.
Statin' the Beedin' Obvious
Shock, horror! The Grauniad today reports Which's claim that "Free solar panels may not be the bargain that they appear to be". Surprise, surprise! Did anyone think that the companies making these offers would do it out of the kindness of their hearts? Just 5 minute thinking about the typical cost of capital for such concerns should persuade anyone that a standard loan and purchasing the equipment oneself will almost certainly be a better bet.
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