Starmergeddon: They Came And Ate Us

[Dogbert]

Real World , Proven Technology

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/244 ... tish-loch/

The Hamilton-based Intelligent Land Investments Group is today lodging a Section 36 planning application with the Scottish Government for Balliemeanoch PSH, a significant 1.5GW pumped storage hydro (PSH) project in Argyll and Bute.

It is claimed the project will enhance the UK's renewable energy infrastructure, potentially powering 4.5 million homes and reducing the country’s carbon emissions by 200 million tonnes over the project’s lifetime.

But the NIMBY's and environmentalists will be out in force.

They certainly are Blackmac, they certainly are

Andrew Vows to Continue Fight Against Monster Pylons

https://www.andrewbowie.org.uk/news/and ... ter-pylons

[fishfoodie]

Might be a good time to introduce the ban on second jobs for MPs !

Nigel Farage to return to GB News despite Ofcom warning

The newly elected MP for Clacton will be back in the studios three days a week alongside his parliamentary duties



Nigel Farage will make a return to GB News next week to host a programme following his successful attempt to become an MP.

The 60-year-old Reform UK leader, who previously hosted a show from Monday to Thursday on the channel each week before stepping down in May, will once again front a show under his own name.

....

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/0 ... reform-mp/

[tabascoboy]

Might be a good time to introduce the ban on second jobs for MPs !

Nigel Farage to return to GB News despite Ofcom warning

The newly elected MP for Clacton will be back in the studios three days a week alongside his parliamentary duties



Nigel Farage will make a return to GB News next week to host a programme following his successful attempt to become an MP.

The 60-year-old Reform UK leader, who previously hosted a show from Monday to Thursday on the channel each week before stepping down in May, will once again front a show under his own name.

....

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/0 ... reform-mp/

What a surprise then, not going to let restrictions on MP activities stop his grift

[weegie01]

Real World , Proven Technology

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/244 ... tish-loch/

The Hamilton-based Intelligent Land Investments Group is today lodging a Section 36 planning application with the Scottish Government for Balliemeanoch PSH, a significant 1.5GW pumped storage hydro (PSH) project in Argyll and Bute.

It is claimed the project will enhance the UK's renewable energy infrastructure, potentially powering 4.5 million homes and reducing the country’s carbon emissions by 200 million tonnes over the project’s lifetime.

But the NIMBY's and environmentalists will be out in force.

They certainly are Blackmac, they certainly are

Andrew Vows to Continue Fight Against Monster Pylons

https://www.andrewbowie.org.uk/news/and ... ter-pylons

There was uproar when two large wind farms were proposed for near us Perthshire. According to the objectors the world as we know it was about to come to an end. They were built, no one really notices them anymore. Especially as they can only be seen in their entirety from one not very busy road.

Then there was the Beauly to Denny line. I do think they could have been a bit more sensitive and routed it a bit further away from some very scenic areas, but again, now its built no one really notices.

[Margin__Walker]

It's the kind of thing people get incredibly angry about locally, but people get used to it when the dust settles. I think something like onshore wind is a pretty cool addition to the landscape aesthetically, albeit I'm probably in a minority there.

I grew up in the shadow of the cooling towers of a massive coal power station. People locally were actually sad when they were taken down a few years ago as they were just part of the landscape with nostalgic connections by then. Crowds of people stood in fields at dawn to see them blown up in the end.

[weegie01]

It's the kind of thing people get incredibly angry about locally, but people get used to it when the dust settles. I think something like onshore wind is a pretty cool addition to the landscape aesthetically, albeit I'm probably in a minority there.

I grew up in the shadow of the cooling towers of a massive coal power station. People locally were actually sad when they were taken down a few years ago as they were just part of the landscape with nostalgic connections by then. Crowds of people sat on hillsides at dawn to see them blown up in the end.

I enjoy going down the M74. To me there is a grandeur to the hillsides covered in wind farms as opposed to mile after mile of mono-culture trees.

The A66 could do with few wind farms. It would brighten the area up no end.

[Tichtheid]

I have a friend who was born and bred on Lewis, she's a native Gaelic speaker going back generations forever. She was telling me a few years ago there was a proposal for a line of pylons across the islands, under the Minch and then on through the highlands on the mainland. I think that project was scrapped eventually.

However, the part of the story that stuck with me was that she had been walking through Glasgow late one even during the Celtic Connections festival (she works in the arts). She looked at at the lights blazing in shops that had been shut for hours and would be until 9am.
It struck her that the pylon lines through some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK were going to feed the grid that keeps those lights on over night.

This is just a little anecdote, she's no doubt a NIMBY to some, but her story did make me stop and think.

[fishfoodie]

I have a friend who was born and bred on Lewis, she's a native Gaelic speaker going back generations forever. She was telling me a few years ago there was a proposal for a line of pylons across the islands, under the Minch and then on through the highlands on the mainland. I think that project was scrapped eventually.

However, the part of the story that stuck with me was that she had been walking through Glasgow late one even during the Celtic Connections festival (she works in the arts). She looked at at the lights blazing in shops that had been shut for hours and would be until 9am.
It struck her that the pylon lines through some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK were going to feed the grid that keeps those lights on over night.

This is just a little anecdote, she's no doubt a NIMBY to some, but her story did make me stop and think.

Remember at the start of the Ukraine war all around Europe Governments announced they were turning off lights in public spaces, & turning the AC set points up a few degrees to save power; why don't the do that always ?

[Tichtheid]

I have a friend who was born and bred on Lewis, she's a native Gaelic speaker going back generations forever. She was telling me a few years ago there was a proposal for a line of pylons across the islands, under the Minch and then on through the highlands on the mainland. I think that project was scrapped eventually.

However, the part of the story that stuck with me was that she had been walking through Glasgow late one even during the Celtic Connections festival (she works in the arts). She looked at at the lights blazing in shops that had been shut for hours and would be until 9am.
It struck her that the pylon lines through some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK were going to feed the grid that keeps those lights on over night.

This is just a little anecdote, she's no doubt a NIMBY to some, but her story did make me stop and think.

Remember at the start of the Ukraine war all around Europe Governments announced they were turning off lights in public spaces, & turning the AC set points up a few degrees to save power; why don't the do that always ?

I think conservation has to play a big part in energy policy

[Margin__Walker]

Can't argue with that. It needs both.

[Calculon]

I have a friend who was born and bred on Lewis, she's a native Gaelic speaker going back generations forever. She was telling me a few years ago there was a proposal for a line of pylons across the islands, under the Minch and then on through the highlands on the mainland. I think that project was scrapped eventually.

However, the part of the story that stuck with me was that she had been walking through Glasgow late one even during the Celtic Connections festival (she works in the arts). She looked at at the lights blazing in shops that had been shut for hours and would be until 9am.
It struck her that the pylon lines through some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK were going to feed the grid that keeps those lights on over night.

This is just a little anecdote, she's no doubt a NIMBY to some, but her story did make me stop and think.

That doesn't really make sense, those pylons are needed even more during the day when there is a much higher demand for electricity

[petej]

It's the kind of thing people get incredibly angry about locally, but people get used to it when the dust settles. I think something like onshore wind is a pretty cool addition to the landscape aesthetically, albeit I'm probably in a minority there.

I grew up in the shadow of the cooling towers of a massive coal power station. People locally were actually sad when they were taken down a few years ago as they were just part of the landscape with nostalgic connections by then. Crowds of people stood in fields at dawn to see them blown up in the end.

The opposition to onshore wind in England is totally bizarre. You have them all over far more interesting and grander landscapes in Scotland and Wales and people just don't really notice it.

[tabascoboy]

It's the kind of thing people get incredibly angry about locally, but people get used to it when the dust settles. I think something like onshore wind is a pretty cool addition to the landscape aesthetically, albeit I'm probably in a minority there.

I grew up in the shadow of the cooling towers of a massive coal power station. People locally were actually sad when they were taken down a few years ago as they were just part of the landscape with nostalgic connections by then. Crowds of people stood in fields at dawn to see them blown up in the end.

The opposition to onshore wind in England is totally bizarre. You have them all over far more interesting and grander landscapes in Scotland and Wales and people just don't really notice it.

Just tell them onshore/offshore will "stop the boats"

[Blackmac]

I have a friend who was born and bred on Lewis, she's a native Gaelic speaker going back generations forever. She was telling me a few years ago there was a proposal for a line of pylons across the islands, under the Minch and then on through the highlands on the mainland. I think that project was scrapped eventually.

However, the part of the story that stuck with me was that she had been walking through Glasgow late one even during the Celtic Connections festival (she works in the arts). She looked at at the lights blazing in shops that had been shut for hours and would be until 9am.
It struck her that the pylon lines through some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK were going to feed the grid that keeps those lights on over night.

This is just a little anecdote, she's no doubt a NIMBY to some, but her story did make me stop and think.

I think they are different points in relation to the broader subject but yes she is bang on in that respect. We should be clamping down on that sort of unnecessary light pollution.

Half the houses in the fugly Cala estate behind us appear to have been fitted with down lighters under their soffits that stay on all night. I really can't understand the mentality.

[Dogbert]

I have a friend who was born and bred on Lewis, she's a native Gaelic speaker going back generations forever. She was telling me a few years ago there was a proposal for a line of pylons across the islands, under the Minch and then on through the highlands on the mainland. I think that project was scrapped eventually.

However, the part of the story that stuck with me was that she had been walking through Glasgow late one even during the Celtic Connections festival (she works in the arts). She looked at at the lights blazing in shops that had been shut for hours and would be until 9am.
It struck her that the pylon lines through some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK were going to feed the grid that keeps those lights on over night.

This is just a little anecdote, she's no doubt a NIMBY to some, but her story did make me stop and think.

That doesn't really make sense, those pylons are needed even more during the day when there is a much higher demand for electricity

Not scrapped at all , in fact one of the reason that the project has been delayed is that the original 600MW HVDC subsea link is being replaced by an upgraded 1.8GW HVDC subsea link.

The 1.8GW link will be sufficient to accommodate all known onshore and offshore wind in and around the Western Isles, including the two ScotWind sites in closest proximity to the islands, with some additional capacity to support future renewable generation developments.

SSEN Transmission is about to start Ground Investigation works along the underground cable route for the Western Isles HVDC starting the week commencing the 27th of May 2024 for approximately 12 weeks along the A835 and A832.

The project is part of SSEN Transmission’s Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) programme, which feeds into a wider £20Bn package of work to upgrade the north of Scotland transmission network,

[Slick]

Yes we're all basically hunkering down to wait and see what Labour can do to pull us out of the shit pile the Tories put us in.

Are you in probation as well?

I am, aye. It's not been fun in recent times.

In Newcastle? My sister has a load of pals in probation in Newcastle where she went to Uni, although she does it down in Bucks

[geordie_6]

Are you in probation as well?

I am, aye. It's not been fun in recent times.

In Newcastle? My sister has a load of pals in probation in Newcastle where she went to Uni, although she does it down in Bucks

Ah really? Yeah around that area

[SaintK]

All turning to rat shit in Wales for Gething!!!

Three ministers - Jeremy Miles, Lesley Griffiths and Julie James - and the government's top legal adviser - counsel general Mick Antoniw - all announced their resignations on X, formerly known as Twitter.
It follows months of rows since Mr Gething was installed in March, including a week of drama over a sacked minister, complaints over Mr Gething's campaign donations and a lost confidence vote.

[Biffer]

All turning to rat shit in Wales for Gething!!!

Three ministers - Jeremy Miles, Lesley Griffiths and Julie James - and the government's top legal adviser - counsel general Mick Antoniw - all announced their resignations on X, formerly known as Twitter.
It follows months of rows since Mr Gething was installed in March, including a week of drama over a sacked minister, complaints over Mr Gething's campaign donations and a lost confidence vote.

Gething has resigned

[SaintK]

All turning to rat shit in Wales for Gething!!!

Three ministers - Jeremy Miles, Lesley Griffiths and Julie James - and the government's top legal adviser - counsel general Mick Antoniw - all announced their resignations on X, formerly known as Twitter.
It follows months of rows since Mr Gething was installed in March, including a week of drama over a sacked minister, complaints over Mr Gething's campaign donations and a lost confidence vote.

Gething has resigned

Yep almost Truss like in his tenure!!!!!

[Margin__Walker]

Good old Jezza. Striking a blow for NIMBYs everywhere. 4 year fight to stop Ocado using a warehouse that was a warehouse when they acquired it. Clearly standing up for workers everywhere

[Biffer]

Good old Jezza. Striking a blow for NIMBYs everywhere. 4 year fight to stop Ocado using a warehouse that was a warehouse when they acquired it. Clearly standing up for workers everywhere

Ocado have paid four years rent on a warehouse and been stopped from using the warehouse as a warehouse. It'll now be a derelict site next to a primary school.

Our planning system just puts a big block on economic activity and growth. Hopefully the government will call this decision in.

[epwc]

Our planning system just puts a big block on economic activity and growth. Hopefully the government will call this decision in.

Can't begin to imagine how much this will already have cost

[Margin__Walker]

Our planning system just puts a big block on economic activity and growth. Hopefully the government will call this decision in.

Can't begin to imagine how much this will already have cost

It's just mental. There will be cries of 'It's next to a school!', but this is inner London FFS. Looking on google maps there's also a Royal Mail depot next to that same school and plenty of other industrial units. None of the traffic outflow goes out past school gates (or even the immediate estate).

Ocado were looking to employ 300 people there with 100% EV fleet. I bet a decent chunk of the people complaining have their groceries delivered. They'd just like it delivered from someone else's neighbourhood.

[Paddington Bear]

It’s always worth remembering that these are conscious political choices and are not set in stone. The government can change the system that allows people to carry on like this very easily

[epwc]

Ocado were looking to employ 300 people there with 100% EV fleet. I bet a decent chunk of the people complaining have their groceries delivered. They'd just like it delivered from someone else's neighbourhood.

Islington is Ocado central

[Margin__Walker]

It’s always worth remembering that these are conscious political choices and are not set in stone. The government can change the system that allows people to carry on like this very easily

Yep, this really isn't how these things are approached everywhere. As a nation we sleep walked into this absurd state of affairs and I'm glad it seems fairly high up the agenda for the new government. I hope they can deliver on it.

[inactionman]

I'm torn on this.

I was raised in a New Town just outside London, and the guts of the manufacturing and higher value industry was stripped out and replaced by big box warehouses - distribution centres for B&M and the like. They're shitty, menial, mostly temporary jobs within the warehouse, and the big box retailers are happy enough to close down and go elsewhere if there's a cheaper option.

I just get a shiver when I see plans for warehouses and distribution centres. Frankly, they're where hope goes to die.

Still, it needs to go somewhere. 'Not here' is only an acceptable response it's coupled with a viable 'but you can have it here'. Also, I appreciate the ocado site was a warehouse before, and its not like a science park is being flattened for a warehouse. I can understand that the nature of ocado means there's likely to be higher volume of smaller vehicles, as opposed to warehouses that have more bulk movements, but it's still not exactly Piccadilly Circus.

[Biffer]

I'm torn on this.

I was raised in a New Town just outside London, and the guts of the manufacturing and higher value industry was stripped out and replaced by big box warehouses - distribution centres for B&M and the like. They're shitty, menial, mostly temporary jobs within the warehouse, and the big box retailers are happy enough to close down and go elsewhere if there's a cheaper option.

I just get a shiver when I see plans for warehouses and distribution centres. Frankly, they're where hope goes to die.

Still, it needs to go somewhere. 'Not here' is only an acceptable response it's coupled with a viable 'but you can have it here'. Also, I appreciate the ocado site was a warehouse before, and its not like a science park is being flattened for a warehouse. I can understand that the nature of ocado means there's likely to be higher volume of smaller vehicles, as opposed to warehouses that have more bulk movements, but it's still not exactly Piccadilly Circus.

Yeah, that's the thing. It's a warehouse being used as a warehouse, with electric vehicles. If that can't get through planning, the whole thing is fucked.

[epwc]

To have a proper industrial base there has to be a national industrial strategy and investors need to stop looking for the fastest buck possible

[Sandstorm]

I'm torn on this.

I was raised in a New Town just outside London, and the guts of the manufacturing and higher value industry was stripped out and replaced by big box warehouses - distribution centres for B&M and the like. They're shitty, menial, mostly temporary jobs within the warehouse, and the big box retailers are happy enough to close down and go elsewhere if there's a cheaper option.

I just get a shiver when I see plans for warehouses and distribution centres. Frankly, they're where hope goes to die.

Still, it needs to go somewhere. 'Not here' is only an acceptable response it's coupled with a viable 'but you can have it here'. Also, I appreciate the ocado site was a warehouse before, and its not like a science park is being flattened for a warehouse. I can understand that the nature of ocado means there's likely to be higher volume of smaller vehicles, as opposed to warehouses that have more bulk movements, but it's still not exactly Piccadilly Circus.

Yeah, that's the thing. It's a warehouse being used as a warehouse, with electric vehicles. If that can't get through planning, the whole thing is fucked.

The whole "it's outside a school and we can't have children killed by 1.5 tonne green Ocado vans every day...." that caused this to 1) be held up in planning court cases for 4 years and 2) why the Ocado request eventually failed.

I'm sure the local's Waitrose deliveries will still come from two towns over, which will increase the likelihood of their kids dying from climate change in a couple of decades.....but hey, they won the case in 2024. Fucking Commie cnuts.

[Biffer]

To have a proper industrial base there has to be a national industrial strategy and investors need to stop looking for the fastest buck possible

Yeah, the lack on an industrial strategy in the UK is an absolute nonsense.

[Sandstorm]

To have a proper industrial base there has to be a national industrial strategy and investors need to stop looking for the fastest buck possible

Yeah, the lack on an industrial strategy in the UK is an absolute nonsense.

Bit late now the Brexit horse has shat on the lawn?

[Biffer]

To have a proper industrial base there has to be a national industrial strategy and investors need to stop looking for the fastest buck possible

Yeah, the lack on an industrial strategy in the UK is an absolute nonsense.

Bit late now the Brexit horse has shat on the lawn?

No. We still have industry, and there are multiple new technology industries where our research base can give us a head start. We need an industrial strategy and we need one quickly.

[epwc]

We still have industry, and there are multiple new technology industries where our research base can give us a head start. We need an industrial strategy and we need one quickly.

We are brilliant at research, but hampered by absolutely no industrial strategy and the short term view of the capital markets in the UK.

Companies like Amazon or Tesla just couldn't happen here, Amazon lost money for 20 odd years before it turned into the magic money machine that it is now

[Biffer]

We still have industry, and there are multiple new technology industries where our research base can give us a head start. We need an industrial strategy and we need one quickly.

We are brilliant at research, but hampered by absolutely no industrial strategy and the short term view of the capital markets in the UK.

Companies like Amazon or Tesla just couldn't happen here, Amazon lost money for 20 odd years before it turned into the magic money machine that it is now

Venture capital and investment are only interested in an exit strategy from day one. They want to invest half a million and sell for 5 to 10 million in five years. Growing a billion dollar company is of no interest to them.

[C69]

All turning to rat shit in Wales for Gething!!!

Three ministers - Jeremy Miles, Lesley Griffiths and Julie James - and the government's top legal adviser - counsel general Mick Antoniw - all announced their resignations on X, formerly known as Twitter.
It follows months of rows since Mr Gething was installed in March, including a week of drama over a sacked minister, complaints over Mr Gething's campaign donations and a lost confidence vote.

This was always the plan tbh.
Everyone knew this was on the cards after the GE results.
He is a corrupt fecker and needs to feck off the political stage.

[fishfoodie]

Yeah, the lack on an industrial strategy in the UK is an absolute nonsense.

Bit late now the Brexit horse has shat on the lawn?

No. We still have industry, and there are multiple new technology industries where our research base can give us a head start. We need an industrial strategy and we need one quickly.

Well yeah, but you've designated as a service economy, so WTF cares about making shit ?

I mean Dyson could have stayed in the UK, & made lots of money, but he's a greedy douche bag, so instead of making x billion, he moved to Far East, & fucked over his employees, so he could make 1.001x billions, because that's what his patriotism is all about !

I mean RoRo are developing their modular reactors, but will they actually make them in the UK ?

I believe JCB has moved a ot of their manufacturing to the EU too, so all that money they threw at the bumblecunt has really worked out well

Like you say, the UK has a great reseacrh base from their Universities, but the conversion from research to jobs is diabolical, & who'd go into STEM when you know you've almost zero prospect of converting your education into a career, because you know the Government don't value those skills; the companies will pay you worse than some gimp who has a BA.

[Biffer]

Bit late now the Brexit horse has shat on the lawn?

No. We still have industry, and there are multiple new technology industries where our research base can give us a head start. We need an industrial strategy and we need one quickly.

Well yeah, but you've designated as a service economy, so WTF cares about making shit ?

I mean Dyson could have stayed in the UK, & made lots of money, but he's a greedy douche bag, so instead of making x billion, he moved to Far East, & fucked over his employees, so he could make 1.001x billions, because that's what his patriotism is all about !

I mean RoRo are developing their modular reactors, but will they actually make them in the UK ?

I believe JCB has moved a ot of their manufacturing to the EU too, so all that money they threw at the bumblecunt has really worked out well

Like you say, the UK has a great reseacrh base from their Universities, but the conversion from research to jobs is diabolical, & who'd go into STEM when you know you've almost zero prospect of converting your education into a career, because you know the Government don't value those skills; the companies will pay you worse than some gimp who has a BA.

Well, if you look at things like photonics (laser manufacturing and such), that’s worth about £15 billion a year to the UK, or the space sector, worth about £8 billion in manufacturing, and a whole load of other stuff, we have a manufacturing industry worth over £420 billion, which is just under 20% of our economy. So it’s significant.

And when it comes to high tech, high value manufacturing, if you don’t do the hardware it’s more difficult to do the services related to the product, so we need to do more manufacturing to really build the economy in high value sectors.

And wrt graduates, the UK has a terrible shortage of engineers, so anyone doing mech, electrical, software, systems engineering etc has a wide range of jobs to go to, and wages are higher than average. Our graduates are not far short of forty grand in two years, and we still lose half of them to other organisations because they get significant pay rises.

[epwc]

I really hope that they keep on this trajectory, so far all I’ve seen is sensible policies and sensible appointments