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Today sees the closure of both Port Talbot's last blast furnace and the power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, which will effectively end coal-fired heavy industry in the UK when Scunthorpe's blast furnace goes imminently. To mark this "milestone", Radio 4 spoke to Baroness Worthington, the Powys-born architect of the Climate Change Act, in what was one of the most smarmy interviews I have ever heard. She is taking a break in California and basking in the reflected glory of having helped the UK become the first G7 country to end coal-fired energy generation. She spoke with delight at being congratulated by Al Gore. She talked of how wonderful it is that Port Talbot will now have a plant with modern, clean technology, omitting to mention that this signals the end of the UK strategic industry of primary steel production (and the importation of plenty of dirty steel). When pushed about the many thousands of workers who will lose their present jobs, she said that change happens, and the same has happened to bank staff and supermarket checkout assistants - many more she said if one took numbers across the UK. She said this was sad, but that as somebody who drives through Port Talbot from time to time witnessing the pollution, she feels the population will be better off with the change. She did not seem convinced by the BBC interviewer's question suggesting that the pace of change could have been somewhat slowed in line with what is happening in Germany and the USA. It is hard to escape the conclusion that, along with genuine concern for the climate, there is a big dollop of virtue signalling here. I hope Baroness Worthington will get a warm welcome whenever she returns to Wales.
So we will now have to import high grade steel even after the electric arc is built, obviously by ship from the likes of India and China where their blast furnaces are powered by fairy dust. The woman is so out of touch it's incredible
I can’t see any sort of issue with placing control of all natural resources, steel, energy and food into the hands of rogue nations that want to see us destroyed.
Seems to me we’ve just played into the hands of these other countries. All in the name of carbon neutral
Whilst at the same time,these despot countries do not a monkeys give about the environment Anyone thinking us cutting emissions will affect the world at large is living in la la land We’ve given jobs away and closed down whole industries and for what
It is really barmy, the pollution here will drop but the pollution in India will tise by more than that drop and it all goes into the same armosphere.
We are losing jobs, diminishing our economy and strength, will leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign politicians and to cap it all off, will make things (have already made things) in this country muvh more expensive on the back of a pipe dream.
Global emissions will rise, have risen. It's idiotic
It is really barmy, the pollution here will drop but the pollution in India will tise by more than that drop and it all goes into the same armosphere.
We are losing jobs, diminishing our economy and strength, will leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign politicians and to cap it all off, will make things (have already made things) in this country muvh more expensive on the back of a pipe dream.
Global emissions will rise, have risen. It's idiotic
How do we stop it when all the major parties and politicians are fully signed up to it and think anyone who objects is a far right racist gammon or words to that effect?
It is really barmy, the pollution here will drop but the pollution in India will tise by more than that drop and it all goes into the same armosphere.
We are losing jobs, diminishing our economy and strength, will leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign politicians and to cap it all off, will make things (have already made things) in this country muvh more expensive on the back of a pipe dream.
Global emissions will rise, have risen. It's idiotic
Bit like brushing the dust under the carpet, then saying " look how clean my house is"
It is really barmy, the pollution here will drop but the pollution in India will tise by more than that drop and it all goes into the same armosphere.
We are losing jobs, diminishing our economy and strength, will leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign politicians and to cap it all off, will make things (have already made things) in this country muvh more expensive on the back of a pipe dream.
Global emissions will rise, have risen. It's idiotic
As we close a blast furnace here, Tata in India opens a bigger one.
Said it for ages, its a massive con to rip off the tax payer and make these compactness who use the buzz word Net Zero richer. Look at the money they are throwing at these contracts to put Solar, ASHP's and EV's the cost of converting every eligible property owner who go for these offers is upwards of 40k all government funded and who pays for it, the hard working Tax payer.
Also, India increased its output by 50 percent of our total output last year. We are being taken for mugs.
To put it into context the population of China and India combined is not far off 4 billion. Ours is around 65 million. Even if we went back to Stone Age living today the effect on global air quality would be the equivalent of a bloke holding in a fart in the Grand Canyon.
It's producing Virgin Steel, so yes will be burning coke
Tata Netherlands is said to be building a hydrogen-fueled DRI stage at its IJmuiden plant , so in theory virgin steel can be produced in a different way. But yes, in India the fuel is still coke. In an ideal world Port Talbot could add a DRI front end to the electric arc furnace, and then it could process ore.
Yes their output has hit new record highs for the last3 years and in the last 5 years they're percentage of global output has gone from roughly 24 up to over 30%.
Unless China, Russia, the USa, India and Iran make the changes what the rest of us in Europe do is meaningless. An expensive meaningless too.
Yes their output has hit new record highs for the last3 years and in the last 5 years they're percentage of global output has gone from roughly 24 up to over 30%.
Unless China, Russia, the USa, India and Iran make the changes what the rest of us in Europe do is meaningless. An expensive meaningless too.
The way it's being 'sold' to us it is only the man on the street who is paying, when you look at the global context, for nonsense.
The way it's being 'sold' to us it is only the man on the street who is paying, when you look at the global context, for nonsense.
Everything is more epensive because of a "green initiative" that is a load of nonsense.
What they are making us do in the Uk will not make a bit oif difference. Cleaner air in Port Talbot one person said, yeah until the wind is blowing in the wrong direction.
Irrelevant of all this carbon neutral nonsense , lets all go green policy and we are all tree huggers now the bottom line is TATA will now open another blast furnace in India with no regard for their lawmaking over emissions , has China also pledged to reduce air pollution .
Tata has taken the UK Governments money , put a recycling drop off point in Port Talbot . India and their industries wlll be rubbing their hands , bring it on .
Bigger picture is Steel and Coal history are now lost from South Wales forever .
Some will applauded and cheer this news , but for me a sad day , our heritage gone .
Nice to see Stephen Kinnock resurface yesterday , mutter some small talk then disappear again .
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