The strange tale of the lights that went out...but then didn't...!

James Delingpole is back and he's angry! Be in no doubt about that....the reason he's so angry is because the lights it now seems are staying on and this will cost a lot of money. Since about 2005 there has been much talk about 'the lights going out' and the UK 'freezing to death in the dark' The basis of this argument being the closure of old power stations (both nuclear and conventional ) because they have passed their safe working life and agreed (and very welcome!) C02 reduction targets.

James Delingpole, Christopher Booker and others involved in the anti-renewable/climate change denial cultlet have all claimed that by 2016 Britain would be facing electrical blackouts because of reliance on windfarms and other renewables.  All of a sudden we can keep the lights on but will have to use 'dirty diesel' to do so at the cost of £1 billion pounds with rises in bills of a staggering £21 a year (that's 41p a week-no wonder barricades are going up everywhere!!) So as it turns out the 'blackouts' story was just that: A staged attempt by vested interests to scare the general public into accepting more fossil fuels and nuclear energy when there is really no need to. It hasn't worked though as up to 70% of those polled support renewable energy, the worlds largest windfarm has now opened and in case you haven't noticed the Arctic keeps melting at unprecedented levels.

The Billion a year spent on 'dirty' diesel ( for someone who says the Green movement is nothing but mad eco loons we should wonder why Mr Dellingpole is so incensed about diesel fuel?) is small fry compared to the £44 Billion plus spent on cleaning up the toxic waste caused by the nuclear industry. Then of course there is the f word. Despite heavy handed attempts by the shale extraction industry fracking remains  deeply unpopular especially with those whose communities are about to bear the brunt of the 'shale gas revolution' So despite all the scare stories and promises of endless cheap and consequence free energy, the renewable path remains the best way forward for Britain, a fact that the UK public supports wholeheartedly. James Delingpole can be angry and remain so. The impact he is having seems as little as his percentage of the vote in last years Corby by-election....