Eric Forth

[alternative-energy]

For those who don?t know Eric Forth is one of the MPs who is holding back The Private Members? Bill ?The Climate Change and Energy Bill? which would encourage a greater uptake of mirco-generation technologies through incentives and reduced planing permission for domestic wind turbines.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... 006017.pdf
Basically he keeps on waffling until the time runs out.
I?ve written to him a couple of times (trying to be as polite amenable as possible) and I would like to share my correspondence with you. If you would like to email his PA I have included an email address... Though I don't know with this old dinosaur whether it would just strengthen his resolve...Eric doesnt do emails!!!

DonnellyK@parliament.uk

Dear Mr Forth,
Micro-generation and Mr Lazorowicz's Sustainable Energy Bill
Our country, and the world as whole, will increasingly see energy supply and security becoming more prominent in the future. Some even regard it as the biggest threat we will face to our continued prosperity.
We cannot rely upon our gas and oil fields any longer as they are now in decline. We have very little energy storage capacity in this country and will rely more heavily upon Russia and Iran (where the largest reserves of gas can be found). Coupled with this of course is the threat of Global Warming which is now irrefutable and is of course caused by the burning of fossil fuels for our collective energy.
Micro-generation (whilst not solving all of our future energy issues) can go a long way to securing energy supply and can hugely decrease our carbon dioxide emissions if embraced in large enough numbers throughout the country.
Due to the reasons cited above, I will be installing Photovoltaic Solar Panels to my house next month. Through these panels I will be producing 3000kwh, easily enough electricity for my house's needs each year and infact some of the energy generated will be exported so others can benefit from clean energy. These panels will save 1265 kg of CO2 each year. I have made this investment because I believe it to be beneficial on so many levels
There are countless people in the UK who could benefit from just such technology and there is a huge ground swell of people who wish to see this technology utilised for the good of our country's energy supply and the world's climatic well-being. I realise that you do not subscribe to this view point and respect your opinions, however I do see that the Conservative Party, under the new leadership of David Cameron, will increasingly see that this type of energy generation fits in with conservative principles of self-reliance coupled with National responsibility.
I live in Tunbridge Wells, not a million miles from your constituency, would you accept my invitation to make a visit to see my photovoltaic solar panels in operation.
You have my word that I shall inform no-one of your visit ( unless you wish me to) and any dialogue that we might have will remain private.
I look forward to hearing from you

Reply from Eric

Thank you for your recent message about the Lazarowicz Bill

I enclose an ariticle by Lord Lawson with which I agree, and a draft paper of my own (Both of these people are not climate scientists so i think we can safety say that these articles are utter rubbish).
"There are for example climate scientists who believe thatthe principle cause (global warming) has been land use changes. (Scientists not cited)"

The fact that you have decided to install solar panels suggests that further legislation may not be necessary - particularly if the installations (wind turbines, genearting plants) are intrusive or prejudical to amenity.

I am well aware of the claimed benefits of solar panels - so respectfuly decline your kind invitation.

MY 'dialogue' will continue in the Huse of Commons!

Yours sincerely,

Eric Forth

Reply

Thank you for your letter and enclosed documents which I have read with interest.
Howeve,r I can see within them no mention of future energy security for the UK. Perhaps I did not emphasis this fully in my previous correspondence but I feel this is more pressing than Climate Change to our country?s future economy and prosperity. I am sure you aware the today Russia has indicated its intention to build a Gas pipeline to China and expects it to be completed by 2011. By this time our gas reserves will be further depleted and we will be relying more heavily then ever on imported gas for our electricity generation. By this time our nuclear power stations will be nearing decommissioning and it is doubtful if we will be anywhere near replacing them. Our coal will lie safely flooded underground and sequestration of CO2 contained within will still be at the embryonic stage.
At this moment in time demand for energy throughout the world is at record levels. Difficulties in securing supply will only increase, prices will continue to rise.
However, you could say, I am one of the luck ones. I will soon have inflation-proof energy generation technology fitted to my roof because of the house?s southerly aspect and local high light conditions. In other areas of the country harnessing electricity generation from high local wind conditions would be far more favourable and cost effective.
An increasing number of people wish to install these technologies to their houses I feel they should be encouraged to do so and The Climate Change and Energy Bill tries to make this happen. Wind turbines might be ?intrusive to amenity? when they are first installed but will soon blend in with the urban and suburban landscapes as do satellite dishes, TV aerials and the millions of cars and caravans and that are parked on the front gardens of people?s houses without planning permission.
If the Bill isn?t passed at the third reading it will make no difference to my personal situation but it will do to the collective energy security of hundreds of thousands of households at sometime in the future.
I hope you can reconsider your position.
Yours sincerely,

Paul Norris

[Cycloloco]

For those who don?t know Eric Forth is one of the MPs who is holding back The Private Members? Bill ?The Climate Change and Energy Bill? which ....
Basically he keeps on waffling until the time runs out.
I?ve written to him a couple of times (trying to be as polite amenable as possible)....
Paul Norris

You are wasting your time trying to explain the issue rationally to Forth. He has a record of opposing all Private Members Bills on principle. His attitude appears to be that they are a waste of time and that, if an issue is important, the Gov't should/will take it up.

It is necessary to use dirty tricks to counter that attitude by frightening him into leaving the issue alone.

[snow hope]

I don't know this MP, but he seems like a right plonker..... there's always one....

[Billhook]

Cycloloco -

Innovative education campaigns in his constituency may be more effective -

for instance displaying 100 A3 posters showing plainly starving children in a drought-wracked African countryside,

with wording overlaid giving the most authoritative GW to African drought links,

plus a report of Forth's conduct over the bill,

plus sending a copy to Tory HQ,

might well get him to back off.

regards,

Bill

[Cycloloco]

Cycloloco -

Innovative education campaigns in his constituency may be more effective -

Bill

That's what I mean by a dirty trick and the organisers of the Bill may be working on something like that but it takes time.

I forgot to say last time that the organisers want all supporters to write to their own MP to ask them to attend the HoC on the relevant Friday so that they can force closure over Forth's filibuster. The originator of this thread shows as in Kent so his MP could stay in the HoC on a Friday afternoon and still get home easily on Fri night. Writing to your own MP asking them to stay and support the Bill is more useful than writing to Forth.

[Cycloloco]

Eric Forth died on 17th May. Obituaries in recent serious newspapers. Looking forward to easier passage for Private Members' Bills.

[skeptik]

Cycloloco -

Innovative education campaigns in his constituency may be more effective -

Bill

That's what I mean by a dirty trick and the organisers of the Bill may be working on something like that but it takes time.

Eric Forth died on 17th May. Obituaries in recent serious newspapers.

Well I call that damn fast work!

[alternative-energy]

The originator of this thread shows as in Kent so his MP could stay in the HoC on a Friday afternoon and still get home easily on Fri night. Writing to your own MP asking them to stay and support the Bill is more useful than writing to Forth.

Well did a little better than that.... My MP did attend this Bill after visiting my house and seeing my PV in operation. He even quotes his experience when addressing the house....

If you want to read some of this Bill see
http://www.alternative-energy.co.uk/cli ... 0bill.html

Great to see things have progessed and this Bill passed its third reading.

As for Forth the last thing he wrote to me was
'MY dialogue will continue in the House of Commons'
MY was underlined for effect

Arrogance is a terrible thing...


Hope his family are getting over their loss.

[caspian]

The originator of this thread shows as in Kent so his MP could stay in the HoC on a Friday afternoon and still get home easily on Fri night. Writing to your own MP asking them to stay and support the Bill is more useful than writing to Forth.

Well did a little better than that.... My MP did attend this Bill after visiting my house and seeing my PV in operation. He even quotes his experience when addressing the house....

If you want to read some of this Bill see
http://www.alternative-energy.co.uk/cli ... 0bill.html

Great to see things have progessed and this Bill passed its third reading.

That's fantastic news - I was trying to find out information a couple of weeks ago about when the Third Reading was taking place, but couldn't find anything on it. What are the next steps before it becomes law? Is there time in the Parliamentary calendar?

Great to hear about your MP's visit - he sounded quite inspired by it. You must be well chuffed to have made that kind of impact.

[alternative-energy]

caspian wrote

What are the next steps before it becomes law? Is there time in the Parliamentary calendar?

The Bill was considered by the House of Lords, with a ?Second Reading? on 25th May. The Bill will then have to go through Committee and Third Reading stages in the House of Lords.... the slow wheels of democracy

http://www.marklazarowicz.org.uk/bill/bill05.06.htm


I don't know what the outcome of the 25th May was but this all should be a rubber stamping excercise from here on in.

Yes, it's nice to have made a little impact along the way...