Jesus wept.
That is all
just facepalm and move on. you did what you could
I found this really helpful as a basic understanding of what is actually happening. Basic internet searches on Climate Change are pretty crap.
4 Likes
Bugger
1 Like
I donāt think that was unexpected. Itās a freak year but the trend is only going one way.
2 Likes
Anecdotal evidence only, but we had a thunderstorm last night. That simply doesnāt happen in February. But neither do temperatures of +7 C.
1 Like
It will be absolutely devastating to Europe. I am reminded of my ancestors in the Selkirk Settlement, early Scottish settlers in Manitoba who were brought over by a well-meaning lord on the basis that they were already accustomed to life at a similar latitude. The UK simply doesnāt have the housing stock to face the sort of winter temperatures that will be routine without the AMOC, nor indeed the summer highs.
1 Like
If it stops the constant rain Iām happy.
Seriously though I agree, combine that with economic situation and it will be catastrophic.
Iām still left wondering what it will take to stop the conspiracy priests
2 Likes
If the current houses wonāt be sufficient for future temperatures perhaps they will be upgraded or altered to meet the new reality?
I was thinking of the fact that Labour just announced they are cutting that spending area in half from what they had planned. If some of the possible scenarios play out, the scale of the required spending to upgrade is staggering. Only about half of English homes have wall insulation at all, and that is to a fairly low standard (3.3 m2K/W).
1 Like
Hopefully if more extreme temperatures arrive, it will help reorder priorities.
Itās ridiculous of course that planning hasnāt been better, and even worse that agreed upon goals among the global community to combat climate change have been missed/ignored.
Itās more difficult with solid walls but itās one of those things that is a win at every stage (except for the power companies who can do one): It improves housing stock. It reduces emissions. It reduces peak and total energy requirements which is a national security gain. It provides income for firms manufacturing insulation and building materials. It provides income for the fitters. It reduces costs for homeowners. All these savings and income will typically go back into the local economy. Homes are genuinely warmer and more comfortable which can also have a benefit in reducing illness amongst the vulnerable. This saves money for the NHS.
Itās one of those policies which is boring, but effective on almost every measure. Itās also one which has at best only been implemented half-heartedly.
2 Likes
Agree but I dont think any government pays for that.
Correction. Welsh government does offer house upgrades for people on benefits and earning under Ā£31k per year. Sadly thereās holes in that policy. Pensioners with no pension credits get no assistance for example.
Everyone else has to sort themselves out.
Iām not aware of any equivalent scheme in England or Scotland (or N. Ireland).
The result is that everyone turns the heating upā¦
1 Like
They should do and did do at one time. The boost to the economy is bigger than the expenditure.
1 Like
I dont disagree, but the message will be giving people something for nothing. Thatās a red rag to a bull for the Express.
Maybe they should just tell the Express to go fuck themselves?
2 Likes
Actually, itās probably worth giving Express readers the benefit. Fuck all they can do then.
Just be careful not to single out, or leave out any particular group.
But thereās also a limit where you have to say that a certain group earning more than Ā£x should sort themselves out. Not sure where that line should be to be honest.
1 Like
I can remember Roy Hattersley saying that the advantage of universal benefits is that they are generally accepted by everyone because everybody gets a fair share. If someone who is very wealthy says that they donāt want to receive that benefit, what they actually mean is that they donāt want anyone to receive it.
2 Likes
I couldnāt say, not really familiar with the UK building trade. We have had a succession of programs to incentive energy efficiency investments for the residential sector, going all the way back to the 80s. The most recent one is going to run out of money a year early in a matter of weeks. There is also a net zero energy building code coming down the pipe, which will define all new builds.
But the scale of the problem in the UK is staggering, simply because of how old the building portfolio is - here, the percentage of dwellings that are older than 1960 is really small, and a significant percentage of the housing stock is less than 20 years old. The effect is that while the 1980s building code is pretty tame by todayās standards, it is still something - and the vast majority of the housing stock is that or better. In the UK, the portfolio needs far more investment if there is a significant climate shift to more extremes. The same building envelope that swelters in 30+C will pour heated air into the winter -10 C snaps.