Comments for Better Nation

Comment on Two bald men fighting over a comb by Max Oakes

Max Oakes — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:59:14 +0000

I think the rebound in production from 2012 to 2016 is unrealistic. With recent annual declines up to 25% per year we have to run to stand still, like the red queen. An the chinese want their share too.

Forget alternative fuels for mass motoring. We might have electric police cars and bin lorries but you can forget 10000 miles per year on an average wage for the 2 million cars in Scotland. We are struggling for electric generating capacity already. A serious switch to electric cars and trucks would double grid demand. Not going to happen.

You need oil for tarred roads too. With one third of motorists reporting pothole damage, the end of tarmac may be as serious as the end of cheap diesel. You can’t surface a road with the toxic sludge leftover from windpower. Our biggest national investments are mega road projects. We don’t have the will (yet) to shift resources to future fuel, and now we build vast roads we can’t afford to maintain, with all the resources we can muster.

Can you imagine living on Barra with only sailboat transport? Car ferries are the ultimate gas guzzlers.

The future is about less travel, economic contraction and a whole lot of peace and quiet.

Numbers here:
http://www.eia.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=UK

Comment on Two bald men fighting over a comb by Hayden

Hayden — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:58:23 +0000

Great article, I pretty much agree with Manny on the issue though I’d really emphasise the importance of ‘Plan B’ – it would take a long time (a lot of paperwork, a lot of bureaucracy) to get it all set up, but once it’s all up and running then it’s somewhat plain sailing.

Germany might be a good one to look at for this – as they’re moving away from nuclear and into wind/solar energy. Nailing that transition would be pretty important.

[Also, brief obligatory project plug - I'm working on a collaborative arts project to do with the independence debate, you can find out more at the attached link.]

Comment on Two bald men fighting over a comb by James

James — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:16:39 +0000

I’m afraid the data was given to me on an unattributable basis. You’ll hopefully take my word for “industry source”. How was your conference with Rob Edwards?

Comment on Two bald men fighting over a comb by Mandy Meikle

Mandy Meikle — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:58:08 +0000

Good article, James. Any chance of a credit/source for that output graph?

Comment on Two bald men fighting over a comb by Manny

Manny — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:04:28 +0000

As oil starts to run out globally and the price is driven up, that price increase will force us to switch to alternate fuels (Every car manufacturer has an electric car for sale now, I reckon over the next 10 years we’ll see a shift towards the electric car in the west). I suppose when that happens the price will drop again as demand falls, so it might solve the problem of us becoming a net importer but it will also mean it might not be profitable to extract what remains in the North Sea (Not to mention the environmental argument).

I think we could look to oil revenue to help get an independent Scotland on it’s feet over the next 10 to 15 years but after that we need a plan B. Investing the oil revenue into setting up wind/wave/tidal/hydro electricity generation could see the export of electricity become lucrative for Scotland in the longer term (Particularly as demand for electric increases as we move away from the fossil fuels).

PS Good article, James.

Comment on Bearding the Tavish in his den by Manny

Manny — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:52:40 +0000

“but could this be a straw in the wind as to what happens when a non-nationalist case for independence is made?”

The SNP have allowed the no’s to make the debate all about the SNP and SNP policy and I think this has been a big mistake.
The yes campaign need to get across that the referendum is about the ability to decide for ourselves on issues such as trident, nato, currency etc. by voting for whichever party’s policies we like best in an independent Scotland. It’s not a vote on SNP policy.

I think Patrick Harvie and the Greens could be the ace up the sleeve for Yes Scotland but they need to give the Greens (and the socialists) more of a voice in the campaign.

Comment on Questions for Better Together by James

James — Sat, 11 May 2013 12:06:08 +0000

At least it’s not an unnecessary and superfluous tautology.

Comment on Questions for Better Together by James

James — Sat, 11 May 2013 10:18:42 +0000

“unnecessary prolixity”

Isn’t that unnecessary prolixity? Or at least tautology. Is there such a thing as necessary prolixity?

Comment on Questions for Better Together by Indy

Indy — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:28:40 +0000

The 500 questions is interesting though inasmuch as they have given them all away. It could possibly have been more effective if they had done one a day.

Comment on Questions for Better Together by Indy

Indy — Fri, 10 May 2013 07:31:02 +0000

Utterly disastrous PR I would say. No actual press coverage. Google 500 questions and there are only two stories – one from the BBC saying that the thing was being launched and one from the Scotsman solely about the highly amusing twitter reaction.

It was a bonkers idea. No undecided voter in the world would sit and slog their way through a 38 page pdf which they’d have to download first. Massive fail as the kids say!