Another of these may be about to happen on a planet near you.
The Maunder Minimum
Early records of sunspots indicate that the Sun went through a period of inactivity in the late 17th century. Very few sunspots were seen on the Sun from about 1645 to 1715. Although the observations were not as extensive as in later years, the Sun was in fact well observed during this time and this lack of sunspots is well documented. This period of solar inactivity also corresponds to a climatic period called the "Little Ice Age" when rivers that are normally ice-free froze and snow fields remained year-round at lower altitudes. There is evidence that the Sun has had similar periods of inactivity in the more distant past. The connection between solar activity and terrestrial climate is an area of on-going research.
Global cooling when it happens is going to bite the Eco loons in their arses.
You take the average ecoloon.
He’s bought his eco friendly modern box which has all the credentials that will have Caroline Lucas wetting her pants with joy.
Loft insulation
Cavity wall insulation
Double glazing
Environmentally friendly paint
Eco friendly electric lamps
Condensing central heating boiler.
He might even have fitted a wind turbine or a solar panel or two.
The Scenario:
It’s now the year 2030 and world temperatures have continued to fall. The UK, in the years before the hysteria about global warming/climate change was in full swing, failed to invest in conventional power generation. Coal, gas an nuclear. The time is nine O’clock at night, in the month of December. A high pressure is expected to sit over a province of the United States of Europe. (UK to you and me).
Disaster strikes.
One of our last overloaded coal fired power stations fails due to a bomb attack by one of the increasing number of home grown Muslim insurgent groups.
The temperature as forecast by the discredited Met Office is minus two degrees and rolling blackouts are happening all over the country.
Oh dear,you greens might say. We have made the concession that we support natural gas as an interim, not so dirty solution.
FAIL
I’m afraid to say that your modern condensing boiler will not work without those wiggly things called volts. IE Electrickery.
You have just condemned the young, infirm, and the elderly, to death through hypothermia.
Luckily FE will not be one of them because he lives in one of those old fashioned houses that have a fireplace and a chimney.
FUCK YOU CAROLINE LUCAS.
Rant over. Apologies for the bad language. (NOT)
Our older boiler (see earlier post comments) won't work without electrickery either. However it's a very simple device and runs happily from a battery powered inverter. In desperation I could get it working manually.
ReplyDeleteThe big problem in your scenario is that our "other" grids i.e. gas and water will fall over as well, and don't even think about nipping down the filling station for a gallon of petrol to run your generator....
As you said - "FUCK YOU CAROLINE LUCAS."
And when it gets really cold, those who had to have condensing boilers fitted find they've gone to 'lockout' because the condensate drain has frozen. [Unless they've had the entire condensate drainage pipe well insulated - particularly the external connection into the drain.]
ReplyDeleteLuckily FE will not be one of them because he lives in one of those old fashioned houses that have a fireplace and a chimney.
ReplyDeleteCAROLINE LUCAS
Could you not combine the two to keep warm?
My condensing boiler drain pipe is now fitted with a heater tape. That will prevent it freezing down to minus fifteen degrees.
ReplyDeleteTBF
The smell of burning greens would be untenable.
See amid the winter’s snow
ReplyDeleteThe thermometer is five below.
With no power it’s such a pain –
(Bloody windmill’s stopped again)
h/t Elvira, Fife and the IET.
@ TBF
ReplyDeleteThe smoke from burning Greens would undoubtedly breach the Clean Air Act.
When the new Maunder minimum arrives, and temperatures drop, then (after the decade or so that it will take for them to admit that temperatures are dropping), somehow I feel confident that the cause of the falling temperatures will be somehow related to cars and to capitalism.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I feel equally confident that there will be a range of easy-to-implement new taxes which will solve the problem in one fell swoop.