Using a killfile just masks the cause. If someone was dumping rubbish in your front garden, you'd object, I assume, rather than averting your gaze as you walk up the garden path. Would it be acceptable to cross- post here from a few high-volume groups, on the grounds that something vaguely relevant to DIY might sometimes appear? I don't think so.
Electricity is still around 3 to 4 time more expensive per kW than gas.
Not yet.
No, From coal. The reason we are running out of gas is that Thatcher allowed private companies to use cheaper gas to generate electricity when privatising the industry, in order to encourage them and get rid of the coal industry out of sheer spite. The 'Dash fro Gas', it was called. Coal mines with many years of coal in them closed down. If coal was used to generate electricity and gas reserved for domestic and some industry, then we would not be in the situation we are now in.
We are now short of gas, and looking to Russia for unreliable supplies, and looking at building more nuclear plants so we are not held to ransom by the likes of Russia.
It can be using a large thermal store that serves enough for all day, low temp underfloor heating and a heavy insulation and making the house air-tight.
Largely gas these days. Coal is much worse than gas for global warming. Better that it stays in the ground. The switch from coal to gas is largely responsible for the UK's reasonable record on CO2 emissions.
So you agree it is largely gas, then!
The sooner we run out of fossil fuels, the better. Imminent running out leads to greater investment in alternatives and means we still might have a planet left before it happens.
Christian.
While Thatcher is still - just - alive, can we not deliver a sack of coal to her door and suggest she expresses some regret?
MM
Crikey! Sounds like has got out of bed on the wrong side this morning!
Moan moan moan moan moan
MM
You are Mary Fisher in disguise, or Ophelia. Please donate your free AOLs, LOLs, and all tittle-tattle to alt.dev.null.
No. they squandered gas needlessly, when they knew the supply was limited. Coal could have been used only for power generation, and burned cleanly with new technology. The coal is now under the ground and unable to be extracted again. Wasted. 20 years ago the government could have insisted in high insulation levels to reduce consumption of energy. It is no secret. We are now paying the price for the wasting Thatcher years.
You might be right. But in the meantime how many die of cold related illness? Hypothermia, etc, untill it is all sorted.
If the cylinder is big enough and well insulated enough, yes. When I had E7 in one flat we only put the immersion on overnight every third day and that was with three people sharing.
Storage heaters do that, unless you actually turn the 'heat out' dial to min before going to bed, and turn it up gradually throughout the day to max in the evening.
They were also often installed in older and poorly insulated properties and were rather undersized for the job.
Owain
The coal is still there, if it was cost effective to go and get it they will. And when Gas prices itself more then coal, mining will be a renewed industry.....
Might I remind the Hon member that Mrs T has been out of government for a very long time now. The present incumbent has been there for quite some time but hasn't really done that much for the coal industry has he?...
What an odd approach!. As I understand it its been there for some million odd years or so, how come 20 odd years will spoil it?...
In the last 10 years nu laber could have done something but they havent have they?...
Page 15, Chart 5.2
44.4% Gas 25.4% Coal 21.4% Nuclear 6.6% Oil, Renewable's and Other 2.2% ImportsSo, that will be from gas then.
Old workings are likely to make it too dangerous to use unless constantly maintained.
Because most mines are now either flooded, filled in or subsided.
Coal mining is a dangerous business - mines are more than just holes in the ground. They go a hell of a long way down, a hell of a long way out, and are very complex affairs. Generations took that kind of work, and its inevitable dangers, for granted. That tradition was destroyed forever by Thatcher. Though substantial deposits were left and coal remains a viable fuel with appropriate technology.
Starting up new pits, even draining and re-starting old ones, would be a colossally expensive business, even if we could get people to go down there, which I doubt these days. I'm not sure even the expertise would still be readily available in any great quantity, let alone a workforce.
John
The main tradition that was destroyed was the industrial anarchy.
I am quite sure that when the price point of other fuels reaches a certain value, this will happen, provided that there are not cheaper imports from elsewhere such as China.
There will be suitable technology and pay levels sufficient to attract people to do the work. It's simply a question of what the figure is.
I am quite sure that that will be forthcoming as well.
In article , John writes
Yes, seems she's spoilt us..
Right..
How do other countries manage then???....
We do what we always do and allow in immigrants who have a stronger work ethic than us.
MBQ
I just tell myself "S**t happens, I'd better deal with it".
MBQ
How about using robots? In the last 20 years, robot technology has greatly improved, and industrial robots are used everywhere today. That way, it wouldn't matter so much if a roof collapse happened, as any trapped robots could just be abandoned, a bit like the chunnel drilling machines.
MM
Would make a great replacement for the ASBO methinks
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