In the face of gobsmacking evidence of climate breakdown, such as 2023 being the warmest year for at least 125,000 years, opponents to net zero policies are needing to work harder and harder to justify their climate change denial.
On Sunday it was recent Reform Party convert Lee Anderson MP and his electric lawnmower. In a 25-second video posted to X, Anderson claims that the batteries in the lawnmower he had just used were likely charged by electricity generated by a local gas and coal-fired power station. In his video, he concludes: “What a load of nonsense that is net zero.”
The irony of Anderson’s outburst is that the decarbonisation of the UK’s electricity system is perhaps the country’s greatest climate success. In the 50s, more than 90 per cent of electricity generated in the UK came from coal-fired power stations. This proved to be its peak, with coal use declining until the past decade where it has effectively collapsed. It’s hard to say exactly, but it’s very likely that at the time of Anderson’s observations on energy and climate policy, coal was generating less than 1 per cent of the UK’s electricity.
Much of the historic decline in coal can be attributed to the building of new gas power stations. These still produce vast amounts of carbon dioxide, just not as much as coal. But the revolution of the UK energy system over the past 10 years has been driven by the rise of solar, and most importantly wind. The UK has more than 11,000 wind turbines which collectively generate nearly a third of all electricity. For the first three months of 2023, wind turbines produced more electricity than the country’s gas-fired power stations.
Net Zero Nonsense.
Cutting my lawns with a battery powered lawnmower (a gift) gets you thinking. pic.twitter.com/QTk2vKt4kD
Beyond the climate imperative, there are pretty straightforward financial reasons to ditch coal and gas. In the UK, just like most countries, it is now much cheaper to generate electricity with wind and solar farms than coal or gas power station. This is why we are seeing exponential increases in renewables.
There are also important demand-side reasons. Let’s look at Anderson’s battery lawnmower. In the video he was careful to point out that this was a gift to him – apparently he didn’t want people to think that he had bought it. But battery lawnmowers make so much sense. You aren’t limited to cable length and there is no risk of cutting the cable. You just plug them back in to charge once you are done. No need to keep a can of petrol in the shed, no noise and smell, and yes no carbon pollution. They are simply better machines overall.
It is ease of use and improved performance which drives electrification. Electric vehicles, for example, offer many advantages over petrol or diesel powered cars. My favourite is the electric bike because it can produce transformative change. With a modest motor and battery – a tiny fraction of the cost and weight of electric powertrains in today’s electric cars – a bicycle becomes a low-cost, low-polluting, traffic reducing, easy parking, safe, versatile, and quiet transport system. Large panniers or long wheel base versions means two kids can be cycled to and from school, and a weekly shop can be brought back home without the need for a lycra-clad intensive cardiovascular workout.
Anderson may eventually conclude that battery lawnmowers are simply superior to petrol models. Dare we hope he goes one step further and use any type of lawnmower less? No Mow May is approaching, after all. Launched in 2019 by charity Plantlife, No Mow May asks gardeners to leave their mowers in the shed that month. This would help the growth of wildflowers, which are vital sources of nectar for bees, butterflies, moths, and beetles.
When it comes to gardening, less really can be more. Less lawnmowing, less fertilisers, and less disturbance can produce beautiful and biodiverse gardens. Even better, they take less effort.
Think of all that time, energy, and money Anderson could reclaim while doing his bit for wildlife. Perhaps he could make a video about that?
James Dyke is an associate professor in earth system science at Exeter University
FAO Lee Anderson: how electric lawnmowers work
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25.03.2024
In the face of gobsmacking evidence of climate breakdown, such as 2023 being the warmest year for at least 125,000 years, opponents to net zero policies are needing to work harder and harder to justify their climate change denial.
On Sunday it was recent Reform Party convert Lee Anderson MP and his electric lawnmower. In a 25-second video posted to X, Anderson claims that the batteries in the lawnmower he had just used were likely charged by electricity generated by a local gas and coal-fired power station. In his video, he concludes: “What a load of nonsense that is net zero.”
The irony of Anderson’s outburst is that the decarbonisation of the UK’s electricity system is perhaps the country’s greatest climate success. In the 50s, more than 90 per cent of electricity generated in the UK came from coal-fired power stations. This proved to be its peak, with coal use declining until the past decade where it has effectively collapsed. It’s hard to say exactly, but it’s very likely that at the time of Anderson’s........
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