"Green" policies are destroying this country

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514709#Comment_119514709

energy bodies have been warning about our current situation for years, for easily the last 10, as far as im aware, we clearly had no governments since then, and none of our current parties played a role in forming these non existing governments!

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514586#Comment_119514586

Which parties were in power up until 2020?

The green party cannot come into power and instantly transform the energy infrastructure. It takes years. The storage facilities were shut down before the greens were in power, the power plants were scheduled to retire before the greens came into power.

ginger22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514700#Comment_119514700

Have noticed that there are only basically 2 posters on here defending the greens. What does that say.

ginger22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514722#Comment_119514722

Well they certainly have done good job destroying the energy infrastructure. What has been added since they came into power.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514776#Comment_119514776

that maybe the majority of green supporters are simply not on boards, and/or are simply too busy to be involved in the current debates, and the fact the greens are only a minor party in the country, whereby only a small percentage of the electorate actually support them, or maybe im just completely wrong....

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514776#Comment_119514776

If the attitude of the majority of CA posters is the gauge then it would indicate that the nation should be ruled by a right wing, xenophobic, pickup truck driving, turf burning vigilante who will spend the nation in crippling debt for short term gains.

So yeah, not the best barometer

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514776#Comment_119514776

It means the Lunatics have taken over the asylum

charlie14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514211#Comment_119514211

You can say what you like about SF but when it comes to elections they rarely make the same mistake twice in a row so they are not going to run less candidates next time out. I have never voted for them, but they are politically astute.

Some here have been having a go because SF will not get into a debate on policy with the Greens. The way I see it is that they are looking at Green seats they feel they left behind them in 2020 and from looking at the polls they see there are no seats to be gained from climate change and do not see the need to give the Greens air by getting into a tiff with them over it. Cynical if you will, but politically astute.

Come a GE though outside of Dublin they will be taking lumps out of both FG and FF for backing Green policy as a vote winner. Something that FG appear to be getting an idea on, but something FF with Martin acting the choir boy are still dithering on, although with him either going or being pushed when his term as Taoiseach is up I can see changing. Especially if O`Callaghan gets the nod with him being in the same constituency as Ryan.

On present poll figures both Labour and the Greens would end up with around 3 seats. Neither will be king makers with that, but if that turns out to be the number required, then I could not see anyone going for the Greens compared to the much more pliable Labour party.

tom1ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514606#Comment_119514606

Doesn’t really matter though does it.

A GP ministers holds the portfolio currently and will be left holding the hot potato.

He’s had almost 3 years to sort it.

tom1ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514722#Comment_119514722

Could the GP have reopened the storage facility or built new facilities within the 3 years they’ve held the energy portfolio?

They most certainly could have started the conversation on it, but they haven’t as it doesn’t suit their narrative and thus has left the energy infrastructure in Ireland in danger of blackouts.

ginger22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514789#Comment_119514789

and speaking of vigilantes, in the Independent today, shannon LNG protesters threaten Listowel legal firm, see the link. https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/news/kerry-lng-row-protest-letters-sent-to-businesses-over-alleged-link-with-us-company-41929083.html

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514782#Comment_119514782

Oh, yeah, I remember seeing Eamon Ryan out with a pickaxe smashing up MoneyPoint last week......

What has been added? has been a new regulatory framework to fast-track renewable energy projects through a simplified application process, they conducted the first auction of offshore wind resources in March 22

Since 2020, the number of offshore wind projects have skyrocketed from basically none, to 50 new projects in the pipeline

Offshore Wind farms in Ireland | 4C Offshore

Battery Storage is gone from 'That can't be done' to 2.5gw being delivered over the next couple of years

9 new gas turbines approved as peaker plants while we transition...

The greens have done more in 2 years for Ireland's long term energy supply than FF/FG have done in the last 20 years

What they also need to do are secure the funding (controlled by the finance minister, who isn't in the green party) for the grid upgrades that we need to allow quicker connections to the grid so we don't have resources sitting there idle waiting for Eirgrid to hook them up.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514934#Comment_119514934

...so the fact our energy needs have been largely ignored for years, prior to the current government, doesnt really matter, how so!

...oh the cynic in me tells me ffg knew full well what they were at handing this hot potato over....

...yes hes had 3 years, and he to has largely failed, but maybe the facts above was gonna truly lead to the current outcome to.....

...again, an entirely green problem, i dont think so.....

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514942#Comment_119514942

the most obvious approach has been a rapid expansion of off shore wind and major on shore invest, that hasnt happened yet, so.....

charlie14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514606#Comment_119514606

The problem for the greens is that they have added to the problems rather than doing anything to alleviate them.

They knew that just like Germany we had an unsecured gas supply and have done everything in their power to keep it that way. At least with Germany they have taken steps to change that, whereas here the only solution from greens is building more gas plants depending on that unsecure gas while blocking any other means of supply or storage of gas. Try explaining that to a 6 year old and they would rightly look at you as if you had entirely lost your marbles.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514934#Comment_119514934

Just a slight correction, this govt is barely 2 years old, not 3

charlie14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514815#Comment_119514815

I have never said the Irish Green party were complete lunatics, but right now they are not looking that far removed.

tom1ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119515035#Comment_119515035

apologies.

tom1ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514992#Comment_119514992

what have they done for the transitional fuel that we need up to 2050?

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119515027#Comment_119515027

yup, each government has been adding to this problem, but again, baring in mind, the greens are only a minor part of the current government, i.e. its not only their decisions that are leading to this outcome. we ve known for decades that we have had to come off fossil fuels, and we have largely failed to prepare for that, so here we are, in a panic, baring in mind, it was the previous ffg government that initiated the whole gas 'transition' approach!

germany arent really doing anything about this at all, they to are panicking, stalling their nuclear shut down, and rebooting their coal approach, i wouldnt exactly call that 'sorting the problem'!

....but in saying that, the greens need to take their heads out of their holes, and start actually looking at more green approaches such as nuclear, as gas and renewables, isnt gonna cut it, in the long run!

tom1ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514997#Comment_119514997

I didn’t say it was entirely a green problem but the GP are in charge of the energy portfolio now and for the last 2 years so they will rightly take the blame.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119515074#Comment_119515074

again, these issues are actually very complicated, you cant largely ignore your energy demands, ignore expansion of your energy networks, yet keep ramping up that demand, energy networks require an astonishing amount of investment, over long periods, in order to fulfill such demands, i.e. this has been going on for years. what resources have been provided to the greens to fulfil their portfolio, baring in mind, multiples of billions are required immediately, in order to resolve these issues, where is this money, where has it been announced to provide this capital?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119515071#Comment_119515071

Nuclear will never happen here though. Its fuel source is also non-renewable or very secure so its just a another route to many of the same problems as fossil fuels.

That's not to mention the waste issues or what community is going to sign up to locating it nearby.

Also, we'd need 2 as a min as they need to be backed up by an equivalent reserve of baseload.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119515114#Comment_119515114

both agree and disagree, i suspect nuclear would only be accepted here, if we experience long term and regular blackouts, baring in mind, a small percentage of our current power comes from this source anyway, and more is already in the pipe line, even though i do realise setup costs are off the wall, its far better than our current fossil fuel approach. i also suspect we re slowly starting to realise this reality, so nuclear may not be that far away, but who knows, it currently would be impossible to get though the planning process, but if blackouts become the norm....

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514942#Comment_119514942

1. The facility was privately owned so the GP couldn't simply re-open it
2. They've been in government for just over 2 years, not 3 years. During most of that 2 years, there was low gas prices and we were in the middle of a global pandemic where almost all construction projects ground to a halt (in case you have forgotten) and government funding was almost entirely focused on keeping the economy going through lockdowns and travel bans and all the global disruption they caused.
3. The Gas crisis has only happened since Putin invaded Ukraine earlier this year, not enough time for any government to create new infrastructure from scratch. If we don't have adequate reserve infrastructure now, it's not the fault of the green party no matter how much you want it to be.

patnor1011

People are starting to wake up. We really should focus on relevant topics and problems we can solve quite easy like pollution, recycling, recovery.

All this climate nonsense is slowly starting to crumble.

https://legalinsurrection.com/2022/08/over-1000-scientists-and-professionals-sign-formal-declaration-there-is-no-climate-emergency/

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119515291#Comment_119515291

what climate nonsense, and whats crumbling?

cnocbui

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119513772#Comment_119513772

A good thing there is such a big push being made for making society cashless. That should make buying necessities easier when the power is out.

EOQRTL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119511128#Comment_119511128

When people can't afford to heat their homes or run their cars they won't get TD's elected. It will be pretty hard to be a kingmaker when you've no TD's.

cnocbui

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119515301#Comment_119515301

The power grid is crumbling. I'd say coal is going to make a spectacular and rapid return from the dead.

charlie14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119515071#Comment_119515071

Don`t take me up wrong, the Germans are no geniuses either. Their whole approach and our greens following it have only added to the problems. Their whole lunacy on nuclear hasn`t helped Europe where energy is concerned, but at least they are looking as if they are making an effort with coal, LNG and exploration, even if I think coal is nuts while they are still talking about closing the rest of their remaining nuclear plants.

The problem here is the greens have spent the last two year plus painting themselves into a corner and have now made themselves look absolutely clueless where all they have to offer is more gas fired plants. I have no problem with renewables, but I do have a problem with this cart before the horse approach of throwing more money and resources at them attempting to reach a level that when there is little or no wind then there is enough of them to provide the supply needed. Especially where nobody has a clue as to what that level is, which from recent prolonged period of low wind would be as much as 12 times or more of the present capacity when the present nameplate renewable capacity is 75% of our needs. The whole "It will all work out and we will make a profit from that when there is storage" just doesn`t wash either.

Agree completely on them needing to take their heads out of their holes on nuclear for the long run, but for the interim they need to do the same for LNG, gas storage and exploration.