Hardly a week passes by these days without some news about how Ed Miliband (a.k.a. Mad Ed) – the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero since July 2024 – keeps upping the ante in the ‘fight against climate change’. As a politician, of course, the ante he keeps upping is not his personal cash but taxpayers’ funds.
On Monday, the same day that Stellantis, owner of Vauxhall’s 120-year old van-making factory in Luton, announced the plant’s closure, putting at risk over 1,100 jobs – which it said was brought on in the context of Britain’s Net Zero policies – Mr. Miliband said this in Parliament:
Despite all the difficulties, at COP29, one truth was overwhelmingly clear: the global transition away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy is happening, and it is unstoppable because clean energy is the route to energy security, unstoppable because it is the economic opportunity of our time, and unstoppable because people in Britain and around the world can see that the climate crisis is here, and that unless we act, things will only get worse.
In less than five months, this Government have [sic] shown that we will seize the opportunities of speeding up at home, and have demonstrated climate leadership abroad, in order to deliver energy independence, lower bills, good jobs, economic growth and the security of a stable climate. We are doing all we can to keep the British people safe, now and for generations to come.
Anyone with even a modicum of understanding of energy markets will be left wondering whether Mr. Miliband really believes in what he says. His detractors must wonder if he is really that illiterate about energy affairs. How does he square his claims of an “unstoppable energy transition towards clean energy” with what is really happening in energy markets in the U.K. and globally? What happens when his climate evangelism inevitably clashes with energy reality?
What the ‘Energy Transition’ Means for You and Me
Mr. Miliband’s boss, Keir Starmer, attended the annual UN climate summit in Baku (COP29) to sign Britain up to be at the “forefront of the battle against global warming” by promising to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% by 2035 compared with 1990 levels. Note the spurious accuracy of 81%. Why not a rounded 80% for a target to be achieved a decade hence? Would that make it any less believable?
In an interview at the summit, Mr. Starmer claimed with a straight face that his Government has no plans to “start telling people how to live their lives. We are not going to start dictating to people what they do”. Perhaps the Prime Minister is unaware that his Government’s Net Zero policies need to do precisely that – dictating approved and unapproved behaviours by businesses and consumers with a system of taxes, subsidies, fines and regulations – to get the greenhouse gas emission cuts that he is espousing.
Subsequently, Bill Esterson, Labour Chair of the Commons Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, seems to have let the cat out of the bag, saying “we will all have to change our lives” if we are to decarbonise the power grid by 2030 (en route to a full transition away from fossil fuels by 2050).
The U.K. target — ratcheted up from targets pursued by the previous, equally climate-obsessed Tory Government – is in line with the weighty recommendations of the ‘non-departmental public body’ the Climate Change Committee, which is described as “U.K.’s leading independent authority on climate change”. When one examines just what such emission targets actually mean for U.K. businesses and consumers, the list of what must happen is startling.
In a detailed document issued by U.K. FIRES, a research programme funded by the Government, official targets of “Net Zero by 2050” will require all airports except Heathrow, Belfast and Glasgow to close by 2030. No one will be flying at all by 2050. There will be no new gasoline or diesel cars by 2030 and by 2050 road use will be restricted to 60% of today’s level. Food, heating and energy will be restricted to 60% of today’s levels by 2050. Beef and lamb will not be on the British menu by 2050.
Restrictions on mobility and social activity will be achieved by ‘15-minute cities‘ where daily necessities and services, such as work, shopping, education, healthcare and leisure “can be easily reached by a 15-minute walk or bike ride from any point in the city”.
These consequences of Net Zero for the U.K. – and by extension the rest of the West if other countries are foolish enough to implement Net Zero targets – are thus not mere conjectures. They constitute the economic and physical-science realities of Miliband’s “unstoppable transition away from fossil fuels”.
Economist Jeff Currie of Goldman Sachs has a stat for Mr. Miliband. At the end of 2021:
Overall, fossil fuels represented 81% of overall energy consumption. Ten years [before that], they were at 82%. So though all of that investment is in renewables, you’re talking about $3.8 trillion, let me repeat that $3.8 trillion of investment in renewables moved fossil fuel consumption from 82% to 81% of the overall energy consumption. … The net of it is clearly we haven’t made any progress.
The results of Government policies since the U.K. Labour Government under Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2008 committed the country to a legally binding target of reducing carbon emissions by 80% from the 1990 level by 2050 are plain to see.
The U.K. now has higher electricity prices for its businesses than even Germany, the world’s epicentre of self-destructive green policies. In Miliband’s five months in office, the country’s last coal plant and its Port Talbot steel plant shut down, regulatory approvals for solar farms were rushed through in the teeth of objections in the local community, and the North Sea’s oil and gas field development has been sacrificed to an unchallenged climate lawsuit brought by Greenpeace.
Last week, Mr. Miliband introduced a “Warm Homes Plan” to fine gas boiler manufacturers if they do not sell a certain amount of heat pumps. The plan, dubbed the ‘boiler tax‘, requires manufacturers to sell at least 6% of their total sales as heat pumps or face a fine of £500 for each missed installation in the first year, rising to £3,000 in subsequent years. Many firms have already raised the price of their boilers by around £100 in a bid to offset the cost of possible fines.
As if this were not enough punishment on those wanting to keep warm in winter, Mr. Miliband is also relaxing the size and noise restrictions on heat pumps. This led the Telegraph to warn last week that the lifting of the noise restrictions will risk turning neighbourhoods into “war zones”.
What makes green ideologues tick?
In an article written over a year ago on luxury beliefs, I asked: “How did a leading economy like Great Britain come to have Governments (from both sides of the aisle) that promise their people penury and a future without the basic freedoms Westerners have taken for granted for over two centuries?”
Rob Henderson, who coined the term “luxury beliefs” defined them as “ideas and opinions that confer status on the rich at very little cost, while taking a toll on the lower class”. Conspicuous consumption of status goods and services by the super-rich – having Bentleys and butlers for instance – might be frowned upon by the likes of Ed Miliband. His moral worth is instead related to his luxury beliefs, of which the “fight against climate change” is the crowning achievement – at relatively little cost to himself personally but at great cost to the lower and middle classes.
Another aspect of the luxury beliefs espoused by Ed Miliband and Keir Starmer is the need to claim ‘climate leadership‘ in international forums. Asked if he was disappointed other world leaders had not attended COP29 – such as those from the top 13 GHG emitting countries including China, the U.S., India, Indonesia, the EU, and all but Georgia Meloni of the G7 countries – Sir Keir said the U.K. was at the summit to “show leadership”.
Evidently, it does not matter to Mr. Starmer that some of the world’s largest developing economies with GHG emissions that dwarf the U.K.’s, such as China (by 35 times) and India (by 11 times) are not on the hook to curtail emissions until aspirational targets kick in decades later (theoretically in 2060) under the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities”. Furthermore, these countries are not required to contribute to the $300 billion a year in climate finance promised by the attendees at the just-concluded COP29 climate summit in Baku.
Nor does it seem to matter to Sir Keir or to his green commissar Mr. Miliband that President-elect Donald Trump, an avowed climate contrarian, has already made clear his intentions to exit the U.S. from the Paris Agreement under which the developed countries are expected to achieve Net Zero by 2050. Chris Wright, the nominee to be the next U.S. Secretary of Energy, has this to say about the U.K. in his book Bettering Human Lives:
The U.K., although no longer part of the EU, has continued aggressive climate policies that have driven up energy prices for its citizens and industry. The results are troubling. … The once-leading United Kingdom now has a per capita income lower than even the poorest state in the United States.
The impoverishment of Great Britain does not seem to concern Ed Miliband, one reason he has been labelled “Britain’s most dangerous man” on TalkTV.
Dr. Tilak K. Doshi is an economist, a member of the CO2 Coalition and a former contributor to Forbes. Follow him on Substack and X.
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Well, he is just carrying out policies agreed on by almost every major political party in most rich world countries.
Not so. There are plenty of truly rich (unlike the UK) non-Western countries – e.g. China, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Singapore – where these mad policies most certainly are far from being agreed.
Sorry, yes, I guess with “rich world” I was referring largely to Western countries. Countries that are busy making themselves less rich…
A curious concidence that, the synchronicity of effort… one might almost suspect collusion, or conspiracy.
There are 800 million middle class Chinese, and growing, and 400 million middle class Indians, and growing. China and India both have space industries – China has landed on both the Moon and Mars and India has landed on the Moon.
The OECD considers both India and China as developing.
Hmmm, not exactly developing
Maybe still more relatively poor people than here but not for much longer
What makes Miliband tick? Hopefully he has swallowed an explosive device.
Where’s Gerry Adams when you would this time need him?
I’d drop a bomb in this Milibin.
EDIT, don’t want a Non Crime Hate Incident logged against my name and I also don’t want the rozzers knocking on my door, so will of course add here that this is HUMOUR and most definitely NOT an incitement to violence, domestic terrorism nor anything else like that.
Perhaps a collision with a double decker bus might do the trick and ofcourse you and I would send our condolences.
NCHI or not, the people driving this absolute nonsense must have some skin in the game.
Milibrain, all Civil Serpents in the Department for Zero Energy Security, together with the Independent Committee for Climate Change should face impeachment and ruin if their virtue signalling boasts fail to work on time and within budget.
I’m talking about consequences more severe than those faced now by us plebs.
A guillotine erected outside the Palace of Westminster might concentrate minds. And I am NOT joking.
Miliband is a zealot, the son of Marxist prof Ralph Miliband and brother of David whose green charity will rake in millions from climate change.
I met Ed briefly over a decade ago and judged him to be a total wonk with few social skills but an assurance of his own intellect. For some reason everyone fawned over him but I thought he should be kept in the back room. Another of Nassim Taleb’s Intellectual Yet Idiot (IYI).
Absolutely.
And to continue the Nassim Taleb theme, he’s a classic example of a ruling class figure with no Skin in the Game: in other words, his position isolates him from the disastrous effects his policies impose on other people. Even if / when he gets voted out of office, he’ll get a comfortable pension, lecture tours etc.
Maybe we were better governed in previous times when bad leaders could reckon with a sticky end.
Not that I’m advocating such a thing, of course.
Of course not.
The revolving door between the deep state and the Government. It will be a test for Trump. The test for RFK is to have the mRNA banned in the first six months according to Neil Oliver and his guest.
“A consummation devoutly to be wished”.
It is simply astounding that such people are leading the country – and leading it down the path to self-destruction. This is democracy? And all I hear is “Oh, it will never happen, there will be a revolution before it comes to that”. Well, the government is clearly ensuring there will be no revolutions with its enforcement of so-called hate crimes and its suppression of free speech.
Where is UK’s Donald Trump for climate and when will he be voted into office?
Trump needs to invade…Humanitarian Intervention.
I was thinking that the other day – scary I know, but an invasion and takeover of the UK by the US would be an improvement in some ways, we are the 51st state anyway
Hubris. Hubris is what makes these people tick. An unshakeable conviction that they are right, no matter the volume of empirical evidence to the contrary. They will happily destroy societies, impoverish millions and endanger the security of such things as food supply, energy availability and national product; all the while achieving nothing towards their stated aims.
Like “hate crime” investigations – it’s all about the process and not the end result, the adulation these people can bask in along the way, supplied by their acolytes. It’s a need for approval, an egotistical exercise supported by cult-like behaviours amongst its adherents, and damn the consequences.
“An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground to rule over the ashes”
Attrib Lao Tzu
I don’t think he’s evil, I think he’s just deluded.
Intermittent supply of something which is in constant demand is an obviously stupid idea that will not work (unless your aim is not what you say it is). How can he not understand that?
Delusional thinking is impervious to rational arguments.
I have known very few people who I would say are sincerely delusional. Someone I know has bipolar disorder and in his manic phases his grasp of reality is, well, different to mine. I know a couple of people with body dysmorphia tendencies. I don’t think most people who spout seemingly delusional stuff really mean it – they are just repeating stuff they have learnt or that sounds good or they are lying. I don’t think Miliband is mentally ill.
Hubris and narcissism.
The aim of nut zero and certainly in the UK is the wholesale destruction of the country in all its aspects. We are to be cleansed from the map of the world and re-designated with some obscure code such as Lot 1 or similar. Depopulation will remain an undeclared priority although it clearly will be the real goal of the eco madness. Quite possibly these islands have already been sold – Billy, Blackrock, Soros, to be re-invented as some sort of modern medieval playground with serfs and masters just as Chuckles always imagines it should be.
Milliband, like the rest of his cohort sold his soul and will flog his eco lies to his dying day. Hopefully Hell beckons.
According to that leftie (that i would love to knock out) we have no business questing the motives of Gates, Blackrock etc, and have no business asking the PM why they met and what those meetings were about because the BBC damn well won’t investigate. BTW for all the anti free speech zealots, love to punch is not intent. I know context is not their strong point.
The Leftie on GBN last night.
Net Zero Mad Bad Dangerous
Just because someone looks extremely weird doesn’t mean they’re not extremely weird.
Gordon Brown
Ed Miliband
David Miliband
Boris Johnson
Michael Gove
Or maybe it does.
Most countries have worked out that following the “leadership” of the UK will lead to rack and ruin. Basically saying “we’re glad it’s not us”.
What Makes ‘Britain’s Most Dangerous Man’ Tick?
Correction.
What Makes ‘Britain’s Most Dangerous Man’ Thick?
Answer: he’s evil.
He thinks he will be rewarded, not punished when it all hits the fan. At this time, they have us over a barrel, but things can change. More from Clarkson please.
It’s a shame there isn’t a more thorough procedure to vet these wonks like Millipede before they apply to become MPs. They shouldn’t be anywhere near the political arena until they have served at least 20 years in a back office somewhere where their limited managerial skills and intellect can be assessed for their suitability (or not) for public office.
Plus an IQ test of course.
Louis 14th kept these types busy by demanding that they learn lots of complicated dances in return for their freedom.
But he is the perfect WEF stooge like so many of the young global leaders. They don’t want anyone with principles.
But/… but… they’ve all been thoroughly steeped in Oxbridge political science lectures. What more screening could you want?
Perhaps they should demonstrate their technical understanding and ability by wiring up a three pin electric plug, and switching it on whilst standing in a well earthed cast iron bath half full of water.
Surely at some point someone in the House of Commons will stand up and point out that this man has misled Parliament at the very least or even lied to the House in reality with these erroneous statements. Incidentally, yesterday morning with freezing temperatures on the Welsh borders, there was no wind blowing and no real sunshine until well after 10.00am due to the time of year and the fog. How much green energy was being produced. Interesting as well to see all the electric cars being driven well below the speed limit, not because of ice risk, I am sure, but to try and desperately extend their mileage while running the heater. My petrol car, I am pleased to say, sailed on past them. 🙂
Surely at some point someone in the House of Commons will stand up and point out that this man has misled Parliament
Indeed. I guess they either agree with him; don’t have the skills to challenge him; or are spineless and self-serving.
Is there a fourth option, to give us hope?
No!
Like the jab rollout, because so many were in on it, it may be pushed into the eternal long grass. Andrew Bridgen knows a few things about that.
If in Wales that could be the 20MPH speed limit, that too was not voted on by the public.
Reading through Ed Milibrain’s second paragraph of waffle was quite disturbing. Normally politicians manage to include something in their list of intentions that I can find at least vaguely plausible. But his list contains aspirations that are the exact opposite of what any sane, thinking person expects to happen in real life.
Our leadership role on climate change policies is rather like that of the lemming at the front, hurtling towards the cliff edge.
Miliband has an agenda. Climate activists have an agenda. Business’s have an agenda. I have an agenda. They are all in conflict and democracy is supposed to arrive at an agreeable compromise. Unfortunately there is a suppression of views which can accept another groups agenda.
My perspective is that it commenced with an anti-capitalist agenda borne of envy. A not uncommon emotion. It then morphed into security i.e. independence of powerful groups controlling a necessary resource. Finally it encompassed the environment, about which we are all concerned but cannot agree on solutions.
As someone with a scientific bent, experiment in conflict with predictions means re-examining both. To say the science is settled is a red rag to a bull for me. However for the group of people who have no concept of science, envy, security and the environment trump everything.
A recent quiz show asked the question of four ‘celebrities’ – what is the melting point of gold? The answers ranged from 60C to 120C. These are presumably people who have a concept of 1.5C global warming.
Education has forgotten basic knowledge.
I will not live to 2050 (probably) but it is imperative that those who will are allowed to question the promoters of any agenda.
People’s perception of scale, distance , volume etc. is also completely divorced from reality.
I blame a lot of this on such things as schoolbook illustrations of the solar system.
I sometimes test people’s sense of the scale of the planet versus humans by asking them to first guess and then calculate the required dimensions for a hole in the ground to hold all 7.1 billion humans. The guesses never cease to amaze me and I rarely get calculated answers, even from apparently numerate and curious people.
Assume average human weight is 50kg and that we are roughly the density of water (and that we would all be very tightly packed, i.e. no voids between us).
Answers, sceptics!
PS Not meaning to be morbid! 😂
If we dug a hole 20m deep and liquidised all 7.1bn humans at an assumed average of 50kg each [Americans?] into gloop with an SG of 1, the hole required to contain it would have a radius of 75 kilometres
If we added the resultant gloop to the calculated volume of water in the earth’s oceans, the increase would not be detectable [0.0000000025%] UNLESS you are the Met Office, which can detect anything, inlcuding the ‘fact’ that 2024 was ‘the warmest year on record’….
You don’t get any marks because you didn’t show your workings.
To get anything changed will require a miracle!
Here’s Dominic Cummings, highlighting some deficiencies in the state apparatus, including the MOD, and others:
https://youtu.be/5EK3diXgqbI
It is funny, unless you happen to live in the UK.
Frankly we’re all pixxing into the wind on here.
All this bluster and stating the excrutiatingly obvious doesn’t stop this in any way.
The UNIparty has been ordered to turn us back to the stone age, and the ruddy plebs can’t stop voting for them, assuming democracy actually has the power to reverse anything that is! If it worked they wouldn’t let you do it.
What makes him tick? Money. He expects to become very, very rich on the back of the Climate Scam and the immiseration of the British people.
And he doesn’t give a 4X about that. He’s either on the Spectrum or is a Sociopath …. or both.
Excellent summary of the pseudo scientific fraud which is really global communism with climate as the plausible excuse. ——-If information like this appeared on BBC or SKY News etc the general public might have the chance to see how they are being fleeced under the false pretences of a climate crisis, but alas the BBC refuses to ever question any of it and are simply climate change activists, with SKY News not far behind who also have their “Climate Show” where all manner of encouragement is given for us to consume less of EVERYTHING. —-Consumption is the key. Because from the UN and WEF comes this idea that we in the wealthy west have gotten the standard of living we have by using the finite resource of fossil fuels and if there is to be a level playing field all over the world, in other words a redistribution of the word’s wealth then we will have to stop doing that. Our own Political Class are fully onboard with this Marxist One World Government Politics and are putting in place Net Zero with all manner of excuse like climate change, energy security and us being world leaders in going after this “economic opportunity”——A bit like a pride of lions inviting antelope to a dinner party.
Despite all the difficulties, at COP29, one truth was overwhelmingly clear: the global transition away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy is happening, and it is unstoppable because clean energy is the route to energy security…
I’m just not seeing it.
Agreed – you’ve got to hand it to China though, they are really going for it and executing their long term plans
Moribund is, like most politicians, quite thick. He is a schoolboy playing in a grownup world – like all of the Labour communists. I hope we bring back capital punishment for those who are and will be the cause of the coming pain and suffering. Evil, low intellect, self important cretins.