Covid jabs are poised to double to a million a day to get all over 50s vaccinated by the end of April. It seems Britain’s army of medics, volunteers, scientists, logistic experts, ministers, civil servants, the PM and Uncle Tom Cobley and all, have indeed cracked it. This calls for a huge collective sigh of relief and massive big ‘Thank You’, to all concerned.

The recent freezing conditions here, through Europe and across Texas, raise important energy issues which cannot be ignored.

More than 4 million homes throughout southern Texas were without power and safe drinking water, as ice storms hit the state. This partly due to the freeze putting wind turbines out of action.

The sub-zero temperatures resulted in a surge in the demand for electricity to heat homes and businesses, operate water treatment plants, hospitals and civic buildings, as well as power up battery operated vehicles, and much else besides.

The state of Texas was in total lockdown with homes so cold that people were finding warmth in cars which resulted in the tragic death of individuals and families, due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Germany is held up as the world’s wind and solar capital. As the wind turbines froze solid and millions of solar panels were rendered useless as they were covered in snow, the country had to rely on natural gas and nuclear power to keep the lights on.

It is worth noting that a constant supply of electricity from the grid is used to heat the internal workings of wind turbines so they don’t freeze up! Really?

It would be ironic if not so serious to see helicopters which are running on fossil fuel, spraying chemicals made from fossil fuels onto wind turbines made with fossil fuels, during the ice storms.

Most of this winter German’s approx.30, 000 wind turbines have been largely out of action. In a world 100% reliant on green energies, this would result in near 100% darkness.

Fortunately for them, Germany’s existing coal and nuclear power infrastructure is still there to step in and keep the lights on, and the country operating.

As Germany runs helter skelter towards the ‘green’ ideology, there are warnings that in the future they will increasingly need to rely on natural gas from Russia, coal power from Poland and nuclear from France.
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Should the UK become equally reliant on other countries, some hostile, for our energy and power?

Global warming is of course an issue but if we are in for hot dry summers with little wind to power the wind turbines as happened last summer, we should perhaps be taking note of he scientists warnings that the winters will become increasingly colder and more extreme.

It would therefore surely be unwise to rely entirely upon the UK’s electricity supply to be generated solely by ‘green’ wind and solar power.  

Before it is too late the government should consider the age old saying: don’t burn your bridges.  

If all vehicles; including ambulances, police cars, army tanks, personnel carriers, delivery trucks, agricultural machinery, public transport and private vehicles have to rely on electricity to charge their batteries, the country could metaphorically and practically speaking, grind to a complete halt.
 
The whole question as to what powers Britain should be revisited. Those with common sense must be given the task to come up with the right answers. They will no doubt recommend a balance between nuclear, shale and natural gas, coal, oil and green energy.

We all wish to leave the planet for our children and future generations in a better state than we inherited it. However, beware unrealistic goals, and the folly of ignoring the hidden damage much of the ‘so called’ green agenda is already wreaking on the planet.

The vaccine roll out is increasingly impressive as over 15m people had first doses by Monday.
 
Having experienced the process first hand, I am impressed by the ‘human effort’, at several centres.
 
From the volunteers on car park duty, the door keepers and registration teams, to the administrators of the jabs, and those sanitising the seats as you leave. They are without exception amazing, cheerful, competent and very kind. Exactly as one would expect from Britain’s army of volunteers.
 
The sooner the whole country is vaccinated the better for everyone.
 
It is good news that the West Cumbrian Mining project in Whitehaven was given consent. How wise of Copeland Borough Council to approve this project, and that the government decided not to intervene.
 
What is puzzling is the decent by spokesmen from Friends of the Earth, Green Peace, Cumbrian Wildlife Trust, and the PM’s father Stanley Johnson, who criticise the decision.
 
This proposed deep coal mine will remove coking coal from beneath the Irish Sea, for the production of steel in the UK. The project will create at least 500 jobs at the mine, and enable the UK to manufacture more British steel rather import so much from European countries. Even manufacture wind turbines rather than import them from China. ‘Green Warriors’ should be ecstatic not critical.
 
Who needs enemies when Boris has a father like Stanley, and some of his more disloyal siblings?
 
The PM has promised repeatedly that he wishes to build, build, and build. So it goes without saying that we need steel. Surely British steel, manufactured using UK coke, in our highly efficient state of the art steel works, by British workers, is more environmentally sustainable than shipping steel half way round the world. Scope 3 should not be ignored.
 
I am sure ‘Climate Warriors’ would admit, if they would draw breath from criticising the PM, that environmentally British steel is far less damaging, effecting ‘climate change’, than importing the stuff.
 
The PM has repeatedly said he wishes to shift away from fossil fuels to protect the planet. A very laudable aim, but not one which can or will happen overnight, certainly not by 2030 or even 2060.
 
This mine is in an area of high unemployment. Yes, jobs should be generated by investing in clean energy and we can be sure in time they will. Technically steel can be made using low-emission methods which will in time phase out metallurgical coal/coke. The limiting factor now and the foreseeable future is cost.
 
Just because something can happen, does not mean it should – yet. For example, solar-powered flight is now technically possible. They have managed to circumnavigate the world in a solar-powered plane. We can (technically) travel by solar-powered plane.
 
However, when you consider the economics, it’s not a practical, affordable solution. It took 505 days at an average speed of 70km an hour and could only carry two people. It is not economically feasible for solar power to replace fossil-fuel passenger jets. The energy density of sunshine and battery storage is just too low to make it practical and affordable.
 
The UK is hosting the COP26 climate summit later this year. Far from the PM being “humiliated” as has been suggested, those with an intellectual understanding of the science, logistics and technology will praise this mining project and admire those who have supported it.
As Mike Starkie, the Conservative mayor of Copeland Borough Council, said: “I think the project is fantastic, it’ll bring jobs and prosperity to the area, and is broadly welcomed across Copeland. I have never known a project that has carried so much public support.”
 
Let us hope they and the government are not knocked off course by those who clearly do not wish GB to prosper, develop and enlarge our manufacturing capabilities.

More good news as over 12m had received their first vaccination by Monday. The big concern is the number refusing to accept the jab; the government must address this matter firmly but surely.
 
The Prime Minister has ‘killed off’ the idea of a carbon tax. A bad idea which would have played into the hands of the environmental lobby, filling the pockets of their paymasters.
 
Should the government also forge ahead with the impractical project insisting all homes attain EPCs of C and below by 2030? Unachievable at best, potentially damaging to old properties, and at worst causing health issues to some of those living in them.
 
The frantic rush to become ‘green’ through powering everything across the nation by electricity, from battery operated cars, mobile phones, cooking, manufacturing, power stations, heating systems - even if disguised as ‘ground or air sourced heat pumps - is perhaps a slippery slope with no exit strategy.
 
The growing dependence upon electric power from wind turbines, many off the coast of Brighton and beyond, is not so very ‘green’.
 
What we are not told is they are mostly made in China, shipped across the planet, and stood in concrete on the sea bed. Or, that they often don’t generate enough electricity over the course of their useful lifetime to justify their carbon footprint before being decommissioned in 20-25 years.
 
This does not compare well to generating electricity from domestic gas, mostly more efficiently from an emissions perspective and using modern engineering in a well-regulated oil and gas industry. Compare this to importing turbines from China, and consider the thousands of migratory birds, including kittiwakes and sea eagles, killed by the turbines.
 
I believe Boris should reflect on the age old proverb ‘don’t put all your eggs into one basket’.
 
Growing up on a farm in Scotland Rubies in the Rubble founder Jenny Dawson learnt to be resourceful and creative with food.
 
Food waste is an issue that occurs throughout the food supply chain. Some produce is discarded before it even leaves the farm, some is rejected when it arrives at the supermarket or restaurant, and some simply ends up in household bins or compost heap.
 
Surviving the journey from farm to fork is an increasingly complicated journey with many hurdles along the way. Often driven by the high demand from the public for ‘perfect’ looking fruit and veg, over-forecasted demand and inefficiencies in storing and distributing.
 
Rubies in the Rubble is a sustainable food company that makes delicious relishes and ketchups with fresh fruit and veg that would otherwise be discarded.
 
When ingredients aren’t standard size they become tricky to process for the major food processing companies, including well-known household brands.  When a tiny onion or odd shaped carrot for example, doesn’t fit into peeling machines, it is discarded as the over mechanised processing plant cannot handle them.
 
Rubies in the Rubble based in London, works with farms across the UK, bringing the freshest and wonkiest ingredients to their factory in Devon. With their growing range of delicious award winning chutneys, relishes and ketchups, they provide a practical solution to food waste.
 
In 2020 it became the first UK condiment brand to become a certified BCorp, meaning they put people and planet in line with profit, and see business as an active force for good. They were also awarded Great Taste Producer.
 
Jenny’s delicious and sustainable products are available in all Waitrose stores across the South East and beyond. Give your taste buds a treat at the same time as supporting farmers across the country and cutting down on waste.
 
Thousands of tons of fresh fruit and veg have been rescued which some labelled as ‘a load of rubbish’ -  Jenny takes that as a ‘condiment’!

Another week full of positive news stories. At the time of filing my copy 9.5 million people have received their vaccine, a record breaking 1.1million in24hours, and all older people in English care homes have been offered the vaccine.
 
It is sad that as we pass the anniversary of the first confirmed cases of Covid, 100,000 people have died; Covid noted on death certificates.
 
We should not forget that the UK has the highest rate of obesity in Europe, and we are the 5th fattest nation in the world. It is significant too that high numbers of vulnerable ethnic minorities work in care homes and the NHS. And, a high proportion of our elderly reside in care homes. Other countries tend to care for loved ones at home where most die of ‘natural causes’, not kept going despite their poor quality of life.   
 
The Prime Minister not only ensured the UK booked millions of vaccines from a variety of sources last summer, but by doing so and paying for the jabs at the time, ensured the pharmaceutical companies, scientists and their research teams had the finances secured to enable them to do their vital work.
 
His leadership skills were on display when dealing firmly but diplomatically with the hopeless EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She is clearly out of her depth and dodgy; threatening to revoke Article 16 creating a hard border across Ireland.
 
Boris is renowned for his ability to put the right people in the right jobs: Health Secretary Matt Hancock who used his intelligence and guile to ensure that the UK dramatically increased its domestic production capacity for vaccines last year. He also refused to sign the contract between Oxford University and the US drugs giant Merck, placed on his desk by civil servants, when spotting it failed to give binding guarantees over supplies for the UK.
 
Alok Sharma brilliantly oversaw the Vaccine Taskforce, Kate Bingham who assembled a committee of experts from big pharma, scientists and logistics businesses.  She was also responsible for recruiting over 400,000 people of all ages by investing in advertising to reach these vital volunteers, who acted as guinea pigs for the vaccines.
 
The list also includes Professor Van-Tam the Deputy Chief Medical Officer who ensured the UK bought adequate numbers of freezers and vials. These extraordinary people, and those now administering the vaccine, and scientists still toiling behind the scenes, have been working flat out to get us to where we are today. They deserve our unconditional respect and eternal gratitude.
 
Thank goodness No 10 said, “Thanks but no thanks” to the EU last July when invited to join its vaccine procurement scheme. At the time Labour’s Europe spokesman Catherine West said the decision was ‘dumber and dumber’. Now who is looking dumb besides her? The Commission President who behaved disgracefully last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and the other power crazy mob running the EU?
 
It is interesting that for the first time the Independent is praising Boris, criticising and questioning their beloved EU’s competence, and almost but not quite – yet, suggesting that the UK has benefitted from Brexit.
 
I wonder how long before the Independent, perhaps even the Guardian, will be suggesting Brexit was their idea all along? I agree as others have suggested that in 10 years’ time you will struggle to find anyone who will admit to voting Remain.
 
I wonder when all the clever clog ex-prime ministers, left wing opinionated BBC , C4, LBC and other broadcasting commentators, as well as the remaining Remainers, will admit that unless you are the Prime Minister receiving the benefit of ‘intelligence’ day in, day out, you really haven’t got a clue what is going on, and should therefore pipe down.