National Energy Independence: A Principle of Sovereignty
Culzean is the biggest offshore gas field project in the North Sea in the last 25 years. Pic from Total Energies here.
This is Part 7 of our series "Basic Principles of Patriotic Sovereignty". These principles lay out the fundamentals which underpin a national ideology. If you believe in "the nation" as an organising principle of politics, then you believe in these principles. You judge national policies on whether they accord with, or contradict, these principles.
Our 7th Principle is National Energy Independence.
It can be called Energy Security, or Energy Sovereignty, but a short definition is: "the state in which a nation does not need to import energy resources to meet its energy demand."
Its measure is the extent to which it has to rely upon outside sources for its energy requirements.
It may not be possible for a nation to become fully "Energy Independent". The aim should be to become as energy independent as possible, given the circumstances.
A nation which is unable to achieve Energy Independence may become unnecessarily and perilously reliant upon outside sources, may find its cost of living increasing, or may even need to develop imperialistic policies which threaten other nations.
The destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline, in 2022, demonstrated how vulnerable we are without domestic resources to fill the gap, and how financially costly this becomes to the average person.
ENERGY SHORTAGE MEANS PRICE INCREASE!
We need energy to power our electricity, to build things, to keep us warm, to keep vehicles on the road, and to produce our food.
For example, modern farming requires high energy inputs, in particular, diesel to run the machines, and nitrogen fertiliser to help grow the crops. Nitrogen fertiliser is produced by natural gas.
According to Fertilizers Europe:
For nitrogen-based fertilizers, the largest product group, the process starts by mixing nitrogen from the air with hydrogen from natural gas at high temperature and pressure to create ammonia. Approximately 60% of the natural gas is used as raw material, with the remainder employed to power the synthesis process.
The ammonia is used to make nitric acid, with which it is then mixed to produce nitrate fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate (AN). Ammonia may also be mixed with liquid carbon dioxide to create urea. Both these products can be further mixed together with water to form UAN (urea ammonium nitrate) solution.
That means that if our source of natural gas becomes scarce, then there will be less nitrogen fertiliser produced. This means it will become more expensive. This means that farmers will have to pay higher prices for their fertilisers. This production cost will get carried over into higher food prices at the end of the day.
It also means that the fields cannot support as many animals, and fewer crops can be grown. This means there will be less food, and so the price increases that way too.
This will drive some farmers out of business, which can also lead to higher prices.
In short, if you wanted to make the cost of food higher, you would restrict the production of oil and natural gas!
If you wanted to make people colder, you would restrict the production of oil and natural gas!
If you wanted to make it harder for people to travel around their own country, you would restrict the production of oil and gas!
If you wanted to de-industrialise the country; destroy small, medium and large manufacturing industries; and run down the economy, you would restrict the production of oil and gas, and the coal which is essential for the steel industry.
Yet this is what our politicians are effectively doing to us.
A nation which refuses to exploit its sources of fossils fuels is committing a financial crime against its own people!
"FOSSIL FUELS"
Examples of "fossil fuels" include coal, crude oil, shale oil, natural gas, tar sands, and petroleum products – such as petrol and diesel – which are derived from oil. When burned, fossil fuels release carbon dioxide.
THE DRIVE FOR "NET ZERO"
The "Net Zero" theory says that the carbon dioxide released by fossil fuels "traps heat in the atmosphere" and this is bad because it causes "Climate Change" which is meant to be dangerous.
According to the United Nations, "net zero means cutting carbon emissions to a small amount of residual emissions that can be absorbed and durably stored by nature and other carbon dioxide removal measures, leaving zero in the atmosphere."
In the United Kingdom, in 2024, all the mainstream parties believe "Climate Change" is a danger of some kind, and they believe in achieving "Net Zero".
They all believe it is a necessity, because this release of carbon dioxide is "dangerous". They differ only in the speed at which they think we should approach the goal of "Net Zero", but they all want to cut out fossil fuels entirely at some point in the future.
IMPORTANCE OF CHALLENGING the "NET ZERO" ORTHODOXY
There are no mainstream parties pointing out that whether or not the climate is changing, and whether or not such change might be man-made or natural, it is actually nothing to worry about in the first place!
There is nobody – other than smaller parties – saying openly that Net Zero is Nonsense; that creating a fear of "Climate Change" is foolishness, which looks a lot like deliberate scaremongering!
Therefore, so long as this "climate change fear" grips the political class; and is heavily promoted in the media and academia; and by moneyed interests; and is widely believed; and so long as these people are committed to the goal of "Net Zero" then it is going to be hard to make the changes necessary to ensure Energy Independence for the United Kingdom.
It is not possible to accept the premise that the world is "in danger" from fossil fuels and hope somehow to create Energy Independence for the nation! This is because Energy Independence will require the exploitation of "fossil fuels", at least for a very long time to come!
Therefore, creating National Energy Independence also requires challenging the Net Zero narrative.
3 GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR A NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY
We advocate that Energy Policy should be based on the Principle of National Energy Independence – rather than "Net Zero for fear of Climate Change".
We base Energy Policy on the following principles:
1. Energy Independence – at National, and also at Local and Personal Level
Guided by this first and most essential principle, energy mechanisms must be chosen for their ability to provide the necessary power, efficiently, at the appropriate level, whether National, Local or Personal. This will lead to a wide range of energy alternatives, including and especially the use of readily-available, easily accessible, relatively cheap "fossil fuels"; as well as those effective forms of renewable energy which are utilised where they can most efficiently be applied.
a) This means we must continue to encourage North Sea oil and gas drilling and exploration.
b) We should investigate on-shore fracking.
c) In order to facilitate this, we must repeal the "Climate Change Act 2008" which commits the UK government by law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 100% of 1990 levels by 2050. It creates "a legal duty to act" to achieve the aim. This is an unusual requirement for an Act of Parliament, which should never have been allowed in the first place!
It means that a government's energy policy is now "justiciable" – subject to trial! For example, someone could argue that a particular policy – for example, new licenses for North Sea exploration – would contradict the Act because the Act is aiming to reduce emissions. The Court would then be expected to rule on highly debatable scientific points of view, as well as make political judgements on the matter – none of which is the proper role of a Court.
2. Freedom from Pollution and Environmental Destruction
Guided by this principle we aim to reduce levels of toxic fumes in our atmosphere – such as those produced by fossil fuels in some areas such as city centres – but importantly without compromising the first essential principle of National Energy Independence, and without doing so justified by spurious "Net Zero" targets, and without threatening the economic viability of city centres. We reject those energy proposals which cause widespread environmental damage, such as industrial-scale Wind Farms.
3. Renewables – to the extent that they work – are often best Applied on the Small-Scale
The concept of renewable energy flows from the heart of ecological awareness; which is the understanding that small is beautiful, that our footprints on the planet should be light, that we seek to live in harmony with nature. Renewable energy proposals must be applied within that understanding. Clearly, industrial wind farms contradict this essence of ecological awareness.
Instead, for example, wind power is best utilised on the small-scale, to provide an element of self-reliance and less pollution at the level of a home, a hotel, a farm, a community, an institution, or a public sector building, with proper consideration given to planning permission. Such a principle in action would help people to "live off the grid". It would encourage them to utilise wind and solar energy for their own power generation, which could be sold to the National Grid if it generated more than they needed.
That is, if we had an energy policy based on National Energy Independence, then "renewables" could play a part, if applied appropriately where they are most efficient – that is, on small-scale, not industrial, levels.
ENERGY POLICY DOES NOT EXIST IN A VACUUM
There are bigger issues related around our consumption of energy which the government must address – otherwise all the coal fields and wind farms from John o' Groats to Penzance will never keep up with demand!
a) Cut Down on Immigration
Ultimately, energy needs are dependent upon the quantity of people. The more people, the more energy needed. And the fewer people, the less pollution! This is something that the so-called "Green Party" does not want to talk about! So, we must cut right back on immigration and "asylum seeking". See Part 6 of "Basic Principles of Patriotic Sovereignty".
b) Re-orientate Trade to the Local
A policy of National Food Sovereignty (See Part 8 of "Basic Principles of Patriotic Sovereignty" ) would help cut back on unnecessary long-distance trade.
c) Build Social Cohesion
If people are using cars more often, is it because they are scared to walk the streets or use public transport? In which case, energy use is related to Social Breakdown, and inter-related with Law and Order issues. In this sense, the physical danger from electric bikes on our pavements ("The Deliveroo Army") is an example of a "renewable" policy which has paid no attention to Social Cohesion.
BASIC PRINCIPLES of PATRIOTIC SOVEREIGNTY Series
Part 1: Ensure the Integrity of the Democratic Process in the first place: Scrap Postal Voting on Demand.
Part 2: Uphold Freedom of Speech, Debate, Enquiry, Assembly and Protest: Abolish Anti-Free Speech Laws.
Part 5: National Voting Rights Derive from National Citizenship: Repeal Voting Rights based on Residence.
Part 7: National Energy Independence: A Principle of Sovereignty.
Part 10: Self-Defence for Self-Determination.
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