The joys of electric car ownership!

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
If you are asking a nation to make drastic changes to the way they have lived for decades then the goal has to be both achieveable and worthwhile, making big changes that have a negative impact on a society for no other reason than to be able to try and earn some brownie points at the next COP get together is not a good enough excuse especially as we have thrown what credability we did have down the drain by allowing a new coal mine.
Absolutely true! If we are dealing with a global challenge,we should require all nations to do their part.A few dozen new coal fired power stations in China each year utterly eclipse our efforts to clean things up.Something also needs to be done to persuade Billy-Bob in Alabama that he doesn't actually need a three ton pickup to transport himself and his testicles to the supermarket for a loaf of bread.Logically, a level of taxation that corresponds to the same proportion of average pay ought to be applied.No American politician would dare suggest such a thing as $4 or less per gallon is practically a birthright and an environmentally sensible step would guarantee political oblivion.

In the meantime,our political classes have just began to have doubts that imposing the hairshirt lifestyle on us is actually the route to acquiring or retaining power.I suppose they might have been blinded by operating in a zone with abundant public transport,and even so TFL have had rather a lot of money put their way to bail them out.Those of us in the wastelands outside the M25 have a much sparser provision of public transport.I certainly don't advocate doing nothing but imposing expensive new requirements on us collectively will inevitably divert money from other things and who can predict the level of shrinkage that will be experienced by other areas of the national economy?

I'd be fascinated to see a map showing where the necessary new power stations will be located and the routes of the grid connections that will be needed.Locally we have the inevitable protest group objecting to a line of new pylons,although their fears may be somewhat relieved by the windfarms at the end of them being put on hold as the economics don't work with current interest rates.We also have the Stop Sizewell C group doing their best to keep capacity down.We need an awful lot of generating capacity and we need it soon.
 
I think this has actually been quite a good thread in the end. There hasn't been too much throwing of toys which makes it far more productive overall.

I think I've said everything I wanted too so I'd mostly be repeating myself if I add anything else.

Whilst I haven't changed my position as such, it's been good to understand others thinking and concerns and there will be some bits I need to do more research into to have a better understanding of the pros/cons.
 
who can predict the level of shrinkage that will be experienced by other areas of the national economy
We need forward thinkers though who will push for developing the renewable tech that we can sell to others. We can be world leaders, not the ones following and having to buy in the tech from others.

(yes I know I literally just said I'd stop repeating myself in the above post but for me this is one of the most important selling points and is a win for everyone)
 
If you are asking a nation to make drastic changes to the way they have lived for decades then the goal has to be both achieveable and worthwhile, making big changes that have a negative impact on a society for no other reason than to be able to try and earn some brownie points at the next COP get together is not a good enough excuse especially as we have thrown what credability we did have down the drain by allowing a new coal mine.
er - you've completely missed the point!
It's not about Brownie points it's about averting a global catastrophe which is already happening worldwide, as forecast for many years
 
The obvious answer to that is that we reduce our diet by that 46%. In carbon footprint terms this is quite feasible merely by stopping meat consumption but it would be a very boring diet.
Or wind power and the revival of sail.
https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-is... meat accounts for,two years and four months.Alternative technological solutions are on the way of course, with wind/solar looking good.
But basically the question is not being answered as we wait instead for technological solutions.
I suppose the start would be cessation of all non essential use, which is fairly easy to identify. And then organising essential use efficiently with a view to reducing it as fast as possible
We need to act as though in a wartime emergency situation, the threat being far more serious than any war so far in history - and global - there are no hiding places.
The emphasis on EV and personal transport is just fooling around and irrelevant.
If we don't do these things they get done for us by climate change, but in ways beyond our control.
Jacob, are you seriously suggesting that all non essential travel should be stopped. No holidays, no weekends away, no pub lunch or evenings out in the countryside, no travel to sports venues for ourselves, children, grandchildren - the list goes on...

The bottom line is that a huge part of our economy turns on travel and leisure. Additionally without social interaction from these activities, quality of life for all age groups would suffer.

As for vegetarianism, I am a meat/fish eater, but I don’t try to tell vegetarians and vegans they should eat meat! However if it came to it, us meat eaters only need a nice bottle of Chianti and some fava beans and a victim😏

Myself and my wife are fully retired and travel, by car, to visit our children and grandchildren (who live over 100 miles away) is very important to us, as is travel for leisure. I have no intention of reducing my use of our car.

Public transport in our area is inefficient, patchy, busses are not reliable, and many of the places we visit are not served by what there is. I feel that much of the anti car movement stems from city dwellers who rarely travel out of large cities where there is efficient public transport.

I should stop now…

I have had a free ‘bus pass’ for about six years now and can count how many times i’ve used it on my fingers.

edit. I also believe that until countries like China, America, Russia start reducing their output of pollutants (including that which arrises from bombing other nations), what little we can do in the uk will make little difference globally.
 
Jacob, are you seriously suggesting that all non essential travel should be stopped. No holidays, no weekends away, no pub lunch or evenings out in the countryside, no travel to sports venues for ourselves, children, grandchildren - the list goes on...

The bottom line is that a huge part of our economy turns on travel and leisure. Additionally without social interaction from these activities, quality of life for all age groups would suffer.

As for vegetarianism, I am a meat/fish eater, but I don’t try to tell vegetarians and vegans they should eat meat! However if it came to it, us meat eaters only need a nice bottle of Chianti and some fava beans and a victim😏

Myself and my wife are fully retired and travel, by car, to visit our children and grandchildren (who live over 100 miles away) is very important to us, as is travel for leisure. I have no intention of reducing my use of our car.

Public transport in our area is inefficient, patchy, busses are not reliable, and many of the places we visit are not served by what there is. I feel that much of the anti car movement stems from city dwellers who rarely travel out of large cities where there is efficient public transport.

I should stop now…

I have had a free ‘bus pass’ for about six years now and can count how many times i’ve used it on my fingers.
I think you are beginning to grasp the seriousness of the situation!
Better late than never, I suppose. You have some catching up to do.
The point is; if we do nothing, if it's not already too late, then life as we know it is going to be massively changed in ways beyond our control.
I agree that at the personal level then there's nothing much we can do, other than voting green and joining the protest movements.
Extremely bad news here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-66357043

Get up to speed here? climate change news - Google Search
 
Last edited:
I think you are beginning to grasp the seriousness of the situation!
Better late than never, I suppose. You have some catching up to do.
The point is; if we do nothing, if it's not already too late, then life as we know it is going to be massively changed in ways beyond our control.
I agree that at the personal level then there's nothing much we can do, other than voting green and joining the protest movements.
Extremely bad news here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-66357043

Get up to speed here? climate change news - Google Search
I will never, ever vote for the Green Party. While some of their agenda makes sense, there is much of it I could never support, not even in two lifetimes.

As for joining protests, I strongly resent the stop oil, extinction rebellion and other such groups causing mayhem on our streets and would love to see them summarily locked up for a few weeks every time they are caught inconveniencing those who are just trying to live their life.
 
I will never, ever vote for the Green Party. While some of their agenda makes sense, there is much of it I could never support, not even in two lifetimes.

As for joining protests, I strongly resent the stop oil, extinction rebellion and other such groups causing mayhem on our streets and would love to see them summarily locked up for a few weeks every time they are caught inconveniencing those who are just trying to live their life.
Have you any suggestions about how else we could speed up the close down of fossil fuel use?

PS It's interesting seeing pennies dropping here and there! Slow process though.

https://www.theguardian.com/comment...eece-wildfires-climate-crisis-developed-world
 
Last edited:
I will never, ever vote for the Green Party. While some of their agenda makes sense, there is much of it I could never support, not even in two lifetimes.

As for joining protests, I strongly resent the stop oil, extinction rebellion and other such groups causing mayhem on our streets and would love to see them summarily locked up for a few weeks every time they are caught inconveniencing those who are just trying to live their life.

I can't help noticing that flinging orange dye around is a great deal easier than studying engineering and actually producing solutions.
 
Have you any suggestions about how else we could speed up the close down of fossil fuel use?

PS It's interesting seeing pennies dropping here and there! Slow process though.

https://www.theguardian.com/comment...eece-wildfires-climate-crisis-developed-world
Nope, no suggestions to offer. I feel we must agree to differ on this…

Must dash, we have decided to go out for a drive, probably to a nice river estuary for a walk, followed by lunch somewhere nice, out in the sticks. The question is whether we go to one of our local favourites which are 45 to 75 miles round trips, or roll on and have a mini tour of some of Suffolk - these jollies are usually about a 150-200 miles day😀
 
I think you are beginning to grasp the seriousness of the situation!
Better late than never, I suppose. You have some catching up to do.
The point is; if we do nothing, if it's not already too late, then life as we know it is going to be massively changed in ways beyond our control.
I agree that at the personal level then there's nothing much we can do, other than voting green and joining the protest movements.
Extremely bad news here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-66357043

Get up to speed here? climate change news - Google Search
"EXTREMELY BAD NEWS....." Why.?
If its going to replace imported fuel the net change to the emissions UK produce is Zero, so not bad.
It will reduce the need to transport vast quantity of fuel to IMPORT into Britain, net result, GLOBAL EMISSIONS REDUCTION.
 
I can't help noticing that flinging orange dye around is a great deal easier than studying engineering and actually producing solutions.
The protests are about drawing attention to those who have been studying engineering (and the science) and actually producing solutions. The consensus is that the speedy cessation of fossil fuel use is the essential solution, the rest being details of how to cope with this..
 
"EXTREMELY BAD NEWS....." Why.?
Because the one essential solution to the CC crisis is the cessation of fossil fuel use, including imports.

If its going to replace imported fuel the net change to the emissions UK produce is Zero, so not bad.
It will reduce the need to transport vast quantity of fuel to IMPORT into Britain, net result, GLOBAL EMISSIONS REDUCTION.
Nope - the maths doesn't work that way!
 
Because the one essential solution to the CC crisis is the cessation of fossil fuel use, including imports.


Nope - the maths doesn't work that way!
But it does, we reduce import traffic = we reduce emissions. Simples!
 
Nope, no suggestions to offer. I feel we must agree to differ on this…

Must dash, we have decided to go out for a drive, probably to a nice river estuary for a walk, followed by lunch somewhere nice, out in the sticks. The question is whether we go to one of our local favourites which are 45 to 75 miles round trips, or roll on and have a mini tour of some of Suffolk - these jollies are usually about a 150-200 miles day😀
I do hope your eating vegetarian?!🤣🤣🤣
 
The protests are about drawing attention to those who have been studying engineering (and the science) and actually producing solutions. The consensus is that the speedy cessation of fossil fuel use is the essential solution, the rest being details of how to cope with this..
Silly me! I thought it had a bit to do with demonstrating that a bunch of people had nothing more pressing to do during the working day and had fun causing disruption.Those actually studying to provide solutions would have been inconvenienced too and we might perhaps skip past the deaths caused by the delay to ambulances when the Dartford bridge was closed and tailbacks ensued.It might have been more useful if they had put their bicycles on stands and connected the dynamos to the national grid.
 
The catch is - we burn the imported fuel and increase emissions by far more than any saving via importing.
You can't reduce global fossil fuel use by simply buying it from another country, or even from another planet for that matter!

https://www.theguardian.com/comment...-green-energy-for-all-is-the-only-way-forward
Yes you can if your not burning 1000s tonnes of heavy oil to transport it to UK because some orange protesters say no to extracting it in North sea!!
 
😂😂😂😂 Not a chance in hell of me going veggy’….
might take a fishing rod and a few lures to see if there are any Bass about - firm bash on the head and in the oven it goes for supper😋
Oh, I thought that he said are you eating vegetarians ! 🤣🙊🙉🙈🙊
 

Latest posts

Back
Top