In the same week oil corporation Shell announced their truly fantastic $7.8 billion profit achieved in last three months, due to record historically oil prices, Shell also canceled its involvement in London Array wind farm project, which should have delivered 1GW of power to the households in the river Thames estuary. That would have been enough power to supply 25% of homes in Greater London area.The last blow Shell has delivered to the British public and to the Greater London area, which is otherwise economic super power of England and Europe, only shows how very powerful Multinational Oil Corporations are these days. They completely control our life to a such extent, that their public relations departments do not even need to care when and where they publish so very negative announcement. This was a kind of 'total disintegration of British government renewable energy plan' of building new 33 GigaWatts of off-shore wind farms till 2020, as it was stated in official government plan about renewable energy sources.
Judging by Shell's decision and its loud public announcement, it was obvious that British government did not think seriously about renewable energy in its official paper, and it was all only Labour political 'public spin', again.
Luckily, Labor party was totally defeated on local elections all over Britain and they even lost the most powerful position in UK - the title of Mayor of London, last week. London Mayor controls more than $60 billion budget, which increases every year.
Can you imagine how did Shell attack government plan about renewable energy sources and showed off with the highest profit at the same time? Very courageous act, indeed.
That only shows, what Shell really represents in relation to British government. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is just a 'little servant' of this 'Grand Oil Master', who could order to Prime Minister what to do and what not to do, not to endanger the interests of Oil corporation. Millions of citizens do not count. They are useful only as buyers to pay for patrol and its ever rising prices, which have already broken the mark of $10 per gallon.
Even though, Britain is not located south and doesn't have many sunny days, there is more than enough solar power reaching the country's surface every single day to cover absolutely all its power needs, if only its government would have decided to become energy independent and environmentally sustainable.
Situation of solar power is much better in the USA, if we consider its geographic location and the average power of sun light there. USA has also a vast resources of non populated areas, which are more than appropriate for harnessing solar energy to produce electricity or heat.
The government could have achieved at least 50% price cut of solar panels, solar shingles, other photovoltaic devices and about 100% increase of their efficiency rates, if only their political leaders would have committed to such a goal.
Solar energy could power the world very soon, if America takes such a decision. Yet, there is a real problem there, if the president of this great country is a Oil Magnate. ):
Photo by kevindooley Thanks!
Some links to the original announcements and statements quoted in this article would improve its authority and help some of us trying to follow the story.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nicholas
Dear Nicholas, thank you for your comment. You are absolutely correct in your advice.
ReplyDeleteYet, this blog is not meant to be a factual data base and a copy of our research work, links and technical calculations about our work, analysis, renewable energy sources, their direct and indirect possibilities, implications, etc., to different locations and societies in the world.
This blog has 'low profile' promotional purpose for wider use of solar power and especially the use of vast forgotten surfaces of our roofs in the meaning of production of renewable energy, as electricity or/and heat.
For the fact, that Oil lobby, because of its financial and human resources superpower (all world political, financial and business leaders) totally control the life on earth, it is even more interesting to observe the 'fight' and relations between Old Power and New, Young, Environmental Conscience of people.
You can find sources in following British daily newspapers and its on-line editions.
(Sources: The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Independent)
p.s.
Try to observe, how quantitative expressions (numbers, power units) are written in these media, which is just another very interesting, yet very important variable in Oil/Renewable equation.
Curt, that was good article. I just wanted to make a side note on writing style: you're using commas wrong, and they seriously break up the flow of the text. You also have unnecessarily long phrases, and they tire and confuse.
ReplyDeleteI hope my comment doesn't offend - it's meant as "constructive" feedback.
Thank you very much for your comment! I am learning and I want to learn...I hope it is going to improve improve.
ReplyDeleteWhat needs to happen is that the sorry and expecting people of this world need to wake up and stop depending on the Governments.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to the old days when the PEOPLE would get togather and make things happen?
I am sure that the people could band together and put op 100 bucks each, fund the project theirselves and then put the squeeze on the OIL companies.
No oil sold due to renewables means they no long have the ability to "OWN" Governments.
Only the people can stop this!
Nevermind the grammar folks, the real WTF here is the complete absence of research. Shell is a company that buys and sells companies all the time. It invests and divests. The solar angle, well PV sucks. Too inefficient compared to what's in development (..so where do you think Shell is putting its money, huh?). The reference to USA made me laugh as that is precisely where Shell is going focus its wind-based investments - for a whole variety of reasons you may care to research. Or not, as the case may be. Or hey, here's an idea - why not just read the news without your heavy confirmation bias.
ReplyDeleteExactly as you have figured it: 'Shell is a company that buys and sells companies all the time.'
ReplyDeleteThey buy oil time, as well.
By buying and selling in this manner it could easily buy a few years here(UK) and a few years there(US), and the conclusion is tens of billions more on their corporate account, due to (not endangered) oil sale in meantime.
Renewable energy, perceived as their competition was successfully postponed and publicly downgraded, feasibility wise here (even though, it had been project chosen and widely promoted by them).
Global corporations are much better organized, than the most countries. They are more powerful, than the most smaller countries put together.
They are going to do all in their power to continue their businesses in their own way, no matter the cost to the environment, no matter the consequences to the people of this planet.