The Scottish Daily Express reports that the SNP Government shelled out ‘jaw-dropping’ £340 million on consultancy fees for A9 and A96 to dual just 11 miles of road.
I lived in Scotland for 20-years at the time of the A9 dualing debate and seeing the work start.
The A9 is an extremely scenic road but also one of the most dangerous. With HGV’s governed to 40 MPH on single carriageway roads, frustration builds in drivers and reckless overtaking takes place with all the disastrous consequences that follow.
The cost of consultation is not the big issue, it’s the fact that the project is no where near complete and probably never will be.
The truth is that the majority of people who live in Scotland don’t live anywhere near the A9. They live in the central belt and that’s where they vote. So the A9 was and never will be a priority.
Pete if you want to get your teeth into another total failure of the SNP government in Scotland then have a look at the ferries scandal. Lifeline services that have suffered from chronic under investment of decades.
Remember if the polls are correct then the SNP will be the next government in Scotland which means they will have been the main governing party for 3-decades.
We also gold plate our projects, you may not need two lanes all the way, just overtaking lanes and good slip roads in strategic places - saves a fortune and reduces the environmental impact as well.
The supposition that climate change (warming) is due to carbon dioxide is far from proven.
The sun is the source of heating of the Earth and storage of its energy is predominately through the oceans.
Scientists who look at the cycles of sun spots say we are at the top of a curve that will over the next year or so start dropping dramatically and lead to inevitable colder weather for ten years or more.
I like predictions like this. They are verifiable over a shortish time period and show the confidence scientists have in their work.
I really don’t welcome colder weather (give me global warming over ice age predictions any time) - but if proven correct the carbon warming believers can join the Covid vaccine believers in the contempt of the masses.
It takes 3 to 4 years to open a coal fired power station (the fastest build power station available) so power cuts are inevitable, if the weather does turn colder - for years.
Just imagine what it’s cost the tax payer and will cost (in addition to deaths due to hypothermia) to implement all this madness?
I'm all for Rolls Royce infrastructure as opposed to Italian mafia bridge projects with too little cement in the mix but being an ardent and informed climate sceptic, its the sun that determines our planets temperature and NOT CO2, I'm completely against the environmental gold plating that delays and even cancels projects.
The newts, bats and other 'Green' issues are completely OTT with the current HS2 bat tunnel at £125 million being a good example.
As to the specifics of the issues with carbon stored in peat my belief from the 32 odd books I read on Climate Change would be that it is grossly over stated. It is true CO2 has risen from 200 to 400 parts per million over the last 100 years but the optimum for plant growth is 1400 ppm. On that bases if we want a greener planet then we should happily let carbon be released from peat lands.
For the first time ever I basically disagree with you Pete.
I see a great difference between climate eco-lunacy and caring for the environment so I don't disagree with Pete when he talks about care for the environment. However, it does sound as if the costs have run away. Something stinks here.
Indeed I want to protect the environment like solving the litter problem, our dirty rivers and seas etc but the eco zealots just want to return us to the Stone Age and are so clueless that they have no idea that oil makes everything they use from mobile phones to the washing up bowl in the sink!
That is so true. The ignorance is amazing. As soon as they find they can no longer watch Netflix and afford food at the supermarket, they will change their tune.
Meanwhile I have earmarked a nice spot, in the local woods, near to the damson and crab apple trees and deep into the overgrown blackberry bushes, but don't tell anyone!
Peat has an estimated 550gigatonnes of C02 stored in it worldwide. Even if you don't believe in climate change, that's a huge number. Peatlands also really reduced flooding. I agree it needs conserving
I lived in Scotland for 20-years at the time of the A9 dualing debate and seeing the work start.
The A9 is an extremely scenic road but also one of the most dangerous. With HGV’s governed to 40 MPH on single carriageway roads, frustration builds in drivers and reckless overtaking takes place with all the disastrous consequences that follow.
The cost of consultation is not the big issue, it’s the fact that the project is no where near complete and probably never will be.
The truth is that the majority of people who live in Scotland don’t live anywhere near the A9. They live in the central belt and that’s where they vote. So the A9 was and never will be a priority.
Pete if you want to get your teeth into another total failure of the SNP government in Scotland then have a look at the ferries scandal. Lifeline services that have suffered from chronic under investment of decades.
Remember if the polls are correct then the SNP will be the next government in Scotland which means they will have been the main governing party for 3-decades.
Yes, not enough people know about the total cock-up the ferries have been.
Disagree, the cost of the consultation alone is a huge issue. Though it’s indicative of even worse issues.
We also gold plate our projects, you may not need two lanes all the way, just overtaking lanes and good slip roads in strategic places - saves a fortune and reduces the environmental impact as well.
That works quite well on the equivalent tourist routes into Cornwall
Perhaps we need a few Romans…..
The supposition that climate change (warming) is due to carbon dioxide is far from proven.
The sun is the source of heating of the Earth and storage of its energy is predominately through the oceans.
Scientists who look at the cycles of sun spots say we are at the top of a curve that will over the next year or so start dropping dramatically and lead to inevitable colder weather for ten years or more.
I like predictions like this. They are verifiable over a shortish time period and show the confidence scientists have in their work.
I really don’t welcome colder weather (give me global warming over ice age predictions any time) - but if proven correct the carbon warming believers can join the Covid vaccine believers in the contempt of the masses.
It takes 3 to 4 years to open a coal fired power station (the fastest build power station available) so power cuts are inevitable, if the weather does turn colder - for years.
Just imagine what it’s cost the tax payer and will cost (in addition to deaths due to hypothermia) to implement all this madness?
I'm all for Rolls Royce infrastructure as opposed to Italian mafia bridge projects with too little cement in the mix but being an ardent and informed climate sceptic, its the sun that determines our planets temperature and NOT CO2, I'm completely against the environmental gold plating that delays and even cancels projects.
The newts, bats and other 'Green' issues are completely OTT with the current HS2 bat tunnel at £125 million being a good example.
As to the specifics of the issues with carbon stored in peat my belief from the 32 odd books I read on Climate Change would be that it is grossly over stated. It is true CO2 has risen from 200 to 400 parts per million over the last 100 years but the optimum for plant growth is 1400 ppm. On that bases if we want a greener planet then we should happily let carbon be released from peat lands.
For the first time ever I basically disagree with you Pete.
I see a great difference between climate eco-lunacy and caring for the environment so I don't disagree with Pete when he talks about care for the environment. However, it does sound as if the costs have run away. Something stinks here.
Indeed I want to protect the environment like solving the litter problem, our dirty rivers and seas etc but the eco zealots just want to return us to the Stone Age and are so clueless that they have no idea that oil makes everything they use from mobile phones to the washing up bowl in the sink!
That is so true. The ignorance is amazing. As soon as they find they can no longer watch Netflix and afford food at the supermarket, they will change their tune.
Meanwhile I have earmarked a nice spot, in the local woods, near to the damson and crab apple trees and deep into the overgrown blackberry bushes, but don't tell anyone!
Well that will be our little secret but rather you than me living off a diet of damsons, crab apples and blackberries!
...and the occasional deer/rabbit!
Government is corruption and waste.
That's why peat makes such a good fuel. Now there's an idea ...
Only for the comparatively few with wood burners!
3,364 gigatonnes of C02 in the atmosphere.
Peat has an estimated 550gigatonnes of C02 stored in it worldwide. Even if you don't believe in climate change, that's a huge number. Peatlands also really reduced flooding. I agree it needs conserving