Blair goes, now we are all FCUKED

The air has been thick with hagiographers telling us of his legacy. Not a single commentator has mentioned the gaping hole he leaves in the energy security of the nation.

Indigenous oil and gas reserves (- Compared with 2005, Total indigenous UK production of crude oil and NGLs in 2006 decreased by 76.6 mn tonnes = 9.6 %. - Total indigenous UK production of natural gas in 2006 declined by 8.6 % over 2005.) fast dwindling, negligible coal resource available (Annual coal production for 2006 was 18.6 Mn tonnes, 9.3 % down on production in 2005- Imports of coal in 2006 were record level of 50.3 Mn tones , 14.3 per cent up on 2005,) a half cock "sustainable" energy resource which consists of a few wind farms that farm subsidies rather than the wind... and a reliance on imported (and expensive) gas from Russia. Algeria ... in competition with the US where domestic gas costs the consumer double the price paid in the UK.

The only serious off shore wave energy project is being installed in Portugal through lack of foresight, effort and money in Whitehall.

Now, because Blair despised and ignored the Parliamentary process, any attempt to build nuclear power stations is stalled moving any possible benefit many more years away - made even more difficult by the intense Scottish resistance to building any new power stations North of the Border. (Which since this was first written, is increasingly unlikely as the Greens have formed an Alliance with the SNP on a stated basis of resisting the building of more nuclear power stations)

Even the LNG pipelines from Milford Haven, (after steamrollering the dockside facilities regardless of maritime safety) are held up by an attempt to railroad planning permission through rural councils.

The sole benefit in Blair's 10 years for the UK energy policy is that the neo-con re-writing of the Middle East map which he has supported by lies, deceit and against all opposition has pushed oil up to US$70 a barrel, without which Mr Brown would have had some serious problems in balancing his books.

We are all now members of the Forth Coming UK Energy Deficit. FCUKED.

The Department of Trade and Industrypublished the Energy Trends and Quarterly Energy Prices March 30th 2007 : Full details posted here "Fiddling whilst the lights go out

TOTAL ENERGY: 2006

- Total production in 2006 was 196.4 million tonnes of oil equivalent, 8.8 % lower than 2005.
- Between 2005 and 2006 coal and other solid fuel consumption rose by 11.0 %
- Oil consumption increased by 1.1 %
- Gas consumption fell by 5.5 %.
- Primary electricity consumption decreased by 6.5 %.

Whilst energy conservation has been a success - and litle remarked, it reflects the staggering costs increases a reduction in industrial use and the consequent irreversible trend in declining industrial output and remarkably mild winter weather compared with the rest of Europe and Scandinavia.