Post by Teddy Bear on Mar 15, 2014 21:49:30 GMT
Christopher Booker with his most recent observation of the BBC skewing reality with their agenda.
BBC puzzles viewers on energy
The BBC's National Grid documentary is selective in what information it tells viewers
Christopher Booker
We have long been aware, of course, that the BBC displays quite shameless bias whenever it covers energy or climate issues. But rarely do we see such a demonstrably dishonest example of this as the programme with which on Monday it opened its new Bang Goes The Theory series.
With full co-operation from the National Grid, three wide-eyed young presenters addressed Britain’s forthcoming “energy crisis”. At present, thanks to the coal, gas and nuclear plants which provide 90 per cent of our electricity, “the grid has enough power to supply all our needs”. But since, within six years, we are committed to reduce our CO2 emissions by 34 per cent, we could soon be facing “catastrophe”.
The coal that currently meets half our needs may be cheap but it is “dirty”. Almost all our remaining coal-powered plants will have to close. Nuclear may be “carbon free”; but eight of our remaining plants will also have to close because they are too old. Gas may be “flexible” but, with the North Sea running out, we cannot rely on Russia and the Middle East for ever-more expensive supplies.
So, to meet our “targets” and to replace the power stations that presently meet 90 per cent of our needs, we will have to rely on those wonderful “renewables” (cue shot of reporter looking up in awe at giant offshore wind turbines). The only problem with this, she admitted, is that “the wind doesn’t always blow” (as I was re-watching this on Thursday evening I saw that wind was supplying just 81 megawatts, one 500th of all the electricity we were using). But have no fear, soothed the BBC. The National Grid has a “secret weapon”: “demand management”. Cue sequence showing a firm called KiWi Power, which can use its computer system automatically to switch off the power used by hundreds of buildings; just long enough for no one to notice, and saving enough electricity to keep the grid in business.
What the programme-makers must have known, since they were so heavily featuring KiWi Power, is that this firm is not just into “demand management”. It is also, as its website shows, one of those many firms signing up with the National Grid to provide instantly available back-up power from thousands of diesel generators, hidden discreetly in old quarries and industrial premises across the land. That is the real “secret weapon” whereby the grid hopes, at a potential cost of billions, to keep our lights on whenever those windmills cease to turn.
The BBC must have known this. But, of course, any mention of all those “dirty” generators, pumping out CO2, would not have fitted the silly propaganda narrative they were so shamelessly trying to sell us.
The BBC's National Grid documentary is selective in what information it tells viewers
Christopher Booker
We have long been aware, of course, that the BBC displays quite shameless bias whenever it covers energy or climate issues. But rarely do we see such a demonstrably dishonest example of this as the programme with which on Monday it opened its new Bang Goes The Theory series.
With full co-operation from the National Grid, three wide-eyed young presenters addressed Britain’s forthcoming “energy crisis”. At present, thanks to the coal, gas and nuclear plants which provide 90 per cent of our electricity, “the grid has enough power to supply all our needs”. But since, within six years, we are committed to reduce our CO2 emissions by 34 per cent, we could soon be facing “catastrophe”.
The coal that currently meets half our needs may be cheap but it is “dirty”. Almost all our remaining coal-powered plants will have to close. Nuclear may be “carbon free”; but eight of our remaining plants will also have to close because they are too old. Gas may be “flexible” but, with the North Sea running out, we cannot rely on Russia and the Middle East for ever-more expensive supplies.
So, to meet our “targets” and to replace the power stations that presently meet 90 per cent of our needs, we will have to rely on those wonderful “renewables” (cue shot of reporter looking up in awe at giant offshore wind turbines). The only problem with this, she admitted, is that “the wind doesn’t always blow” (as I was re-watching this on Thursday evening I saw that wind was supplying just 81 megawatts, one 500th of all the electricity we were using). But have no fear, soothed the BBC. The National Grid has a “secret weapon”: “demand management”. Cue sequence showing a firm called KiWi Power, which can use its computer system automatically to switch off the power used by hundreds of buildings; just long enough for no one to notice, and saving enough electricity to keep the grid in business.
What the programme-makers must have known, since they were so heavily featuring KiWi Power, is that this firm is not just into “demand management”. It is also, as its website shows, one of those many firms signing up with the National Grid to provide instantly available back-up power from thousands of diesel generators, hidden discreetly in old quarries and industrial premises across the land. That is the real “secret weapon” whereby the grid hopes, at a potential cost of billions, to keep our lights on whenever those windmills cease to turn.
The BBC must have known this. But, of course, any mention of all those “dirty” generators, pumping out CO2, would not have fitted the silly propaganda narrative they were so shamelessly trying to sell us.