Not much really going on today so just a couple of interesting items.
First, don’t let anyone tell you that renewable energy is not a hot growth sector – at least that’s what Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine Westphalia, would like you to believe. What follows is yet another example of tricks used by climate scientists, media, governments and green proponents. We’ve seen this kind of slithery behaviour time and again before.
Hat-tip: Science Skeptical blog.
The government of North Rhine Westphalia has a graphic to show you. In the chart that follows, the horizontal curve shows the consumption of primary energy in the state. The hockey stick shape curve shows the consumption of renewable energy in the supposedly fast-becoming green state of North Rhine Westphalia.
Holy moly you might think at first glance – renewable energy is the business to get in on! Look – it has actually surpassed the consumption of old, dirty primary energy.
But take a closer look at the vertical scales. The left hand vertical axis is the scale for the consumption of primary energy, while the right hand axis is the scale for renewable energy consumption. It just happens that the left scale is about 25 times bigger than the right one.
While the graphic is not telling a lie, it certainly is misleading and manipulative. The author used a clever “trick” to hide the disproportion. What happens if both variables use the same scale? Here’s what the real story looks like.
Yawn. Suddenly one sees that reality is much less dramatic. Of course the first graphic is intentionally presented in a misleading way in order to manipulate general audiences.
Next item: Green Party leader begs Germans to fly to Tunisia.
Dirk Maxeiner here brings our attention to German Green Party Chief Claudia Roth’s plead that Germans fly to Tunisia for their summer holidays. Maxeiner’s question is: “Well, is flying now good or bad? The answer of course is that it is good only when Claudia tells you it is.
As Tunisia tries to regain political stability, German tourists have been wary to book holidays in the sunny north African country. During a visit in Tunis, Ms Roth tried to reassure the German public all is now okay in Tunisia:
Those who wish to make holidays ought to come to Tunisia – this is a way of support.”
She is de facto advocating that people produce lots of CO2 to boost the Tunisian economy. I thought using less CO2 was supposed to lead to new economic growth and green jobs. Depends which scale one uses, I guess.
Anyone who went on vacation to the north African Med’ was a brave man or woman, a constitution of iron – a requisite imperative.
Frau Claudia, is being reckless to suggest tourists should now venture into a region which at best, is unstable, at worst on the brink of a war zone and leads me to ask – who’s paying her?
I would think a week on the Baltic coast much more preferable, nearer too and the Riviera only a train ride away…. providing you have the correct paperwork!?#!
Money for nothing
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/8486449/Wind-farms-paid-900000-to-switch-off-for-one-night.html
“Wind farms operators were paid £900,000 by the National Grid to disconnect their turbines for one night because the electricity was not needed. “
Unbelievable – money for nothing.
Re Frau Roth: In the 70ies Italy was the most important holiday destination for Germans and we travelledn there with our cars by the millions.
Today, the entire Eurozone is too expensive for holidays; German consumer prizes are lower than in those countries in most cases; wages as well. So we fly to Turkey, North Africa, the Carribean, wherever we don’t have to pay in Euros.
It is the expansion of the EU itself which forces us to go longer and longer distances… Not that i’m worried, i’m bullish and long on air travel.
Let’s face facts.
The Co2 cycle won’t stop if we stop burning fossil fuels.
We are an integral part of the CO2 cycle, if we like it or not.
To claim anything else, like the people who are set to take the carbon from our food, is pure lunacy.
That said we can conclude that we are ruled by lunatics.
Lunatics however with an agenda.
And that’s the point where it’s all about.
These are the new NAZI’s and we better get rid of them before they dress up in an uniform and start marching again.
As for Tunis, I agree that we should send as much tourists as possible.
But that also goes for Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, just to mention a few countries that are highly depending on tourism.
The reality of the day however is the fact that no tourist wants to sit on a terrace when a bomb goes off. No tourist wants to sit on a camel ride with bullets flying around.
If there is a lack of security there is no basis for tourism.
Now with Gadaffi troops crossing the border of Tunis and the increasing threat of counter attacks outside the Libyan territory aimed at the West and Westeners I think Tunis at this time is not a good place to be.
As long as our own Governments are slamming the door on their own populations set to reduce the use of electric and fossil power driving down consumption, prosperity and freedom we can hardly expect that they will do anything to boost progress in the Maghreb.
If we really want to serve the world and do ourselves a favor, we have to get rid of the ruling political elite ASAP.
When we have achieved this objective we have our hands free to really do something for the well educated young generations of NA and the ME who’s only wish is to be free, get married, have a job and a place to live.
Just like the young generations in the EU.
Our current leaders are steeling our futures.
Time to sack them all.
I am sick and tired of the German AGW propaganda machine.
Now we have Gerneral Practitioners telling the public that Borleosis is caused by Global Warming.
We have scientists telling the public that the “Fichte” or “Tanne” in the German mountain forrests have to be replaced by leaf bearing trees because of Global Warming.
And so it goes on and on.
There is no longer objective news just propaganda.
Yes, but not very many people believe them any way. See my latest post.
By the way, did you know that farmers in NRW who grow food stocks are loosing their lands to farmers who grow their crops to feed bio reactors generating so called green electricity?
One hectare of agricultural land costs 450 Euro per year. Any higher prices can’t hold the books for crop farmers as they would write red figures.
Farmers who grow fuel crops however pay up to 1.000 Euro per hectare.
When this continues we will have to import our food stocks.
This is becoming a criminal act.