Electric cars.

The Norwegian government passed a bill earlier this year to allow commercial deep sea mining in an area of 110,000 sq miles in the North Sea. Environmental scientists have warned it could be devastating for marine life, with the likes of the UK and the French of just a few nations opposing the mining. Just because the government passed a bill, it still does not mean that the mining will go ahead, example. Our current government gave it's approval for a new coking mine to be opened in West Cumbria, this has been blocked numerous times and they are still waiting on an independent enquiry if the mine will be allowed to go ahead, the result is well over due. So, even though the Norwegian government has passed a bill, whether the mining companies are successful in being issued with a license to mine the seabed, will probably end up in the courts.

 

Here’s hoping the mining is blocked or at least much more research is done before the go ahead is given. I’m all for trying to save the planet but not convinced of some of the measures which have been taken to achieve this. In Scotland alone the SNP have admitted that 16,000,000 trees have been cut down to accommodate wind farms. I expect the number to be far greater and as far as I know, no one is keeping a record of the numbers of birds and bats slaughtered by them. However, lots of companies and private individuals are making lots of money, so that’s ok then!

 

Farmers in Wales have been told they have to plant trees on 10%of their land and another 10% has to be turned wild, but at the same time they are cutting trees down for windfarms none of it makes much sense to me.

 

I don't know how many trees have been felled since human civilization but it will be in the trillions. They reckon if a trillion trees were planted, it would cancel out the last ten years of C02 emissions. The volume of trees that have been lost, we are basically swapping a green (earth) for green (cash).

 

Strangely enough I've just been watching Titchmarsh on TV and a guest was Ray Meers and he said something along the lines that the UK was originally 90% forest, its down to 14% now and 7% of that is plantation forest.
Might have the figures slightly wrong but it's close.

 

New car registrations for February in the UK have not been released yet, however the Irish have released their figures. Overall this year, new car registrations are up by 25% yet the uptake in BEV is stuck in the mud. The market share of BEV for Feb is 15.5% lower compared to Feb 2023, with the overall share so far this year being 2% lower.

Its interesting how popular diesel powered cars are with the Irish, having a 23.76 market share, compared to the UK where it is 6.5%.

The current market share in Ireland for 2024 is Petrol 32.97%, diesel 23.76%, HEV 21.51%, BEV 12.46% and PHEV 7.76%. Where the UK it is Petrol 57.3%, BEV 14.7%, HEV 13.1%, PHEV 8.4% and Diesel 6.5%.

Off topic but relevant, I am rushed off my feet with compost orders, Feb was up 25% compared to last year and my wagon is already fully booked for March with orders, not bad considering how wet the weather has been. It's not just an increase in my regular trade customers buying more but I am getting more enquiries for my products. Consumers are not sold on the peat free lark and there is an increase in people who don't believe in the climate crisis, you only have to look at the recent Covid enquiry how trust in politics is at a whole time low.

 

I find HEVs BEVs and PHEVs pretty confusing personally.

 

So the HEVs and the PHEVs, can you get them in diesel and petrol versions.

 

Whiskey.

 

Easy, the other 1.54% must run on.