I KNOW that there are a number of Jersey politicians who believe that a wind farm and electric cars will make a huge difference in reducing the tiny amount of CO 2 we in Jersey produce from almost nothing to absolutely nothing.

It’s a shame that they haven’t caught up with the latest information about what goes into the manufacture of either of these items.

Some of the climate activists they echo claim to be concerned about the world’s environment to such an extent that they are prepared to deface famous paintings, stop traffic by gluing themselves to roads and even disrupt parliaments.

Their aim is to stop the use of any form of transport/heating/power generation using fossil fuels – oil and gas – which have been providing the civilised world with crucial energy for generations – and have helped raise tens of millions around the world out of poverty.

Like many of my Jersey-born generation, I know what it was like to live in a house at Grosnez, where I was born in the late 30s, before “the letrit”arrived in our part of St Ouen. The horror of power cuts still lives with me and I understand why we must have a reliable and constant source of reasonably cheap electricity. I am in doubt that we cannot get that from a wind farm.

Lighting in our home at Grosnez was by oil lamps, cooking was on a wood stove and bathing in a metal bath in front of a wood fire. The bedrooms were bitterly cold going to bed and getting up in the morning; there were no telephone, radio, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, electric razors or hair-dryers.

A similar life, in fact, now to many people in other parts of the world who live in poverty because they are denied cheap electricity by these environmentalists who believe they are going to stop the world boiling or freezing, depending on which misguided person they believe.

The time has come for environmentalists to face some truths.

As I have constantly mentioned, Jersey should not even be part of any attempt to reduce global warming. Even if you believe that global warming is caused by human activity, such as driving cars, heating homes with systems powered by oil or gas and other activities, Jersey’s contribution is a minuscule 0.0008% of global emissions, so tiny that it would not even be noticed. Yet the cost and disruption to our lives will be hugely damaging to our economy.

Environmentalists want us to switch to electric vehicles. Quite apart from the amount of steel that will be required to make an electric car, the huge batteries which are a major component, will, according to my internet research,require the following to be excavated:

•12 tons of rock for lithium.

•5 tons of cobalt minerals.

•3 tons of mineral for nickel.

•12 tons of minerals for copper.

A total of 250 tons of land needs to be moved to obtain:

•12kg of lithium.

•13.6 pounds of nickel.

•22kg of manganese.

•6.8kg of cobalt.

•200kg of aluminium, steel and plastic.

The Caterpillar 994/A used to remove this earth consumes 1,000 litres of diesel in 12 hours.

Considering that there are between 1.1 and 1.5 billion cars on the world’s roads that will all have to be replaced, the very idea that creating the vast mines necessary to provide the necessary components and transporting them around the world to be used in factories making electric cars will help to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere simply does not add up.

Neither do the statistics about the construction of the huge windmills necessary for a wind farm to operate.

To produce each pole, turbine and platform takes:

•1,300 tons of concrete.

•205 tons of steel.

•48 tons of iron ore.

•24 tons of fibreglass.

•4 tons of copper.

•4 tons of neodymium.

With 72 of these windmills proposed for the Jersey wind farm, that manufacturing process will require:

•93,600 tons of concrete.

•14,760 tons of steel.

•3,456 tons of iron ore.

•1,728 tons of fibreglass.

•288 tons of copper.

•288 tons of neodymium.

The amount of carbon dioxide createdto produce these components is massive, with the manufacture of steel and cement creating huge amounts of the gas. Then add to this the transport element of getting all of those components to Jersey to even start the process.

It is difficult to appreciate the full size of these windmills. The new St Brieuc wind farm has 62 of them, each with a hub height of 207 metres. The length of each of the three blades is 81 metres, giving a 167-metre-diameter rotor which gives a total height to the tip of the blade arc of 288.5 metres (945 feet) with a swept area of 21,900 square metres.

Throughout the world, evidence shows that many bird populations are seriously damaged by the wind farm activity. The Société Jersiaise’s ornithological section has submitted a powerful, well-constructed report to the Environment Department about the threats they perceive could arise to the Island’s existing and migratory bird flock.

I recommend it to all local people interested in our natural environment.

There are also concerns expressed overseas of the deaths of whales and porpoises located around wind farm areas due, it is suggested, to the amount of noise and sounds that are created by the turbines which confuse their navigation systems.

All this begs the question of why we are bothering with a wind farm.

The electricity wind farms produce is unreliable, the costs are prohibitive, the wind farm won’t be ours and the electricity we currently get from France is low carbon from nuclear and hydro, is reasonably priced and reliable.

Why don’t we simply sign a new 15-year contract with them, and if nuclear, tidal or any other development advances in that time we can decide whether or not to change things and just get on with life as usual?

Attack on landlords

I see that Reform Jersey are attacking landlords again through their leader and now Housing Minister, Deputy SamMézec, who keeps constantly referring to “how people are being evicted from their properties in ‘no-fault evictions’ – and my new law will stop this practice”. The problem he has is that there is no such thing in Jersey as a “no-fault eviction”.

If a Jersey landlord wishes to evict a tenant from his property for any reason, he has to take it to the Petty Debts Court.

The tenant can then explain how such an eviction would affect him/her and the landlord needs to give his reason for the eviction.

Even where a failure to pay rent for over six months or in cases when proven anti-social behaviour affects the lives of other tenants, the court gives adequate time to the renter to find alternative accommodation.

The problem a Jersey landlord faces is that even after a court order, officers of the Viscount’s Department, who are charged with carrying out orders of the court, often refuse to forcibly remove tenants who defy court orders.

I know of one case where a tenant was subjected to numerous court eviction dates. He had paid no rent for 18 months and ignored all of the Magistrate’s instructions, and the Viscount’s Department refused to take any action to evict him.

This saga lasted nearly 19 months, causing financial hardship and worry to the property owner. There is no point in having a court system if it has no power and becomes a mockery of justice.

Deputy Mézec should start talking to people who know what is going on in this area and stop this posturing to his supporters.

What do you think?

•Is it worth producing electric cars?

•Are wind farms too dangerous for wildlife?

•Is there any point in Jersey aiming to become carbon-neutral? Send your thoughts to editorial@ jerseyeveningpost.com or #jointhedebate on social media