The Queen and COP26

Norway may be very good at renewables and green energy for itself but it’s exporting more oil and gas to other countries than ever before.

Biomass fuels are also now under the spotlight because they’re not as environmentally friendly as first thought.

It’s a conundrum. Our neighbours have just had an air source boiler installed, here in NE Scotland. It’s working well now but it’ll be interesting to see how efficient it is if the temps drop to the lows we had last winter, when it was down to minus 17 at night and didn’t rise above minus eleven in the day.

They have very high insulation standards in Scandinavia, so their houses let out very little heat. They also use wood pellet stoves and central heating systems, which are more efficient than traditional wood fired systems. Grammaretto you could look at a domestic biomass boiler which runs on wood pellets, I know somebody who has one and they are economical and environmentally sustainable. .

So what do the Scandinavian countries use for heating apart from wood burners? It's cold up there, but they are generally ahead with greening so surely they have a solution? I doubt very much they use air source heat pumps as these would never cope with their cold weather.
I know the Aussies use reverse cycle air conditioning, which provides cold in summer and hot in winter.

I need to replace my ancient gas boiler. What is the alternative? It seems another gas boiler.
Air source heating doesn't work when the air outside is freezing.
Yes the Scandis are much better at renewables Chestnut but try asking Norwegians to give up their wood fires or me for that matter I think you'd get short shrift.

We must all make sacrifices in our living standards - (and you nexus has had to involuntarily) changing habits of a lifetime, as Urms said, won't be popular. but the alternative is a horror story for our descendants.

Agree with Polly. Charles would be a good King as long as Camilla is not Queen. Never really forgiven Charles for what he did to Diana. He should not have married her. However, in matters of the environment he is wise and so are William and Katherine, being younger and with a young family. Good role models. However I realise Charles will want to be King when the time comes, which I hope isn’t for ages as I love the Queen, (despite her sticking up for that ghastly son).
I won’t buy anything from China. Would rather do without or pay more. We have to start recognising the true price and value of things and people.
The speech yesterday by the Kenyan Ambassador was excellent, she was so quietly spoken and eloquent, what a lovely person.
If we all do our bit then our consciences can be clear and we can influence the way things go.

He's no spring chicken either.

There’s always Prince Charles Elegran

We could also contribute by using our expertise and our enthusiasm, if we could just generate enough of it. If only David Attenborough were twenty years younger. Who is there with as much knowledge and gravitas as him, but who isn't 95 and likely to wear out before this project is accomplished?

Needn’t be prohibitively expensive. Huge opportunity for British inventors and entrepreneurs. Have faith.

We could all make a start by refusing to buy one single bit of plastic tat, mostly coming from China.

China, India and Russia don’t want to engage just yet. They want their turn at industrialisation on a huge scale before they commit. Meanwhile our (huge for us but minuscule world-wide) efforts will be very expensive for the UK population. It won’t be popular.

PollyTickle sorry but I don't feel very hopeful. Turning green is a huge challenge even for the UK, a very small country. What hope that the big polluters China, Russia and the USA will do anything significant? As the Queen said, all talk and no action. The Scandinavian countries are well ahead of everyone on greening up, we should follow their lead as best we can.

I’ve just listened to Prince Charles speech. He was clear, passionate, informed and forthright. I heard him speak many many years ago warning about this very thing. At the time he was laughed at by many and yet I’ve never heard him say ‘I told you so’.
Listening to him today I feel that he will make an excellent king.
Where our queen has been dutiful and a stabilising force, I think Charles will show more care for our planet, be more passionate and more proactive within his remit.
Sir David Attenborough is a wonderful speaker too.
This morning I feel more hopeful for the future. I hope many of you do too.

Update.
Listening to the radio this morning it seems that Prince Charles is in Rome and will be at COP26 but only, as they put it “as part of the UK warm up”
My original question was asking why isn’t he representing the Queen since she can’t go, as I hadn’t seen any news coverage on the question. Or did I miss it?

I think PollyTickle is right.

at the moment i don't care who goes to this, i live in the west end of glasgow and had to cancel two hospital appointments due to road closures and buses being diverted, i know that cop26 is very important but they started closing streets/roads last week, i have nurses in every day and they are having problems, even fire and ambulance vehicles. and yes prince charles should go in the queens place, if delegates from over the world can make the trip, surely he can come from england.

It is my understanding that Prince Charles will be addressing the conference.
The Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will also attend according tho today’s Times.

www.reddit.com/r/korea/comments/qgirn7/south_korean_ambassador_wears_hanbok_and_gat/

yes, i noticed that a month or two ago.
her clothes seem to hang on her somehow.
presumably this is quite recent or else they would have been altered, or new ones made ?
hope she's ok.
did you see that wonderful hat the ambassador from south korea was wearing, think it's called a gat.

HM the Queen has been advised today to only do desk-bound duties for two weeks. I think recent photos show her lovely smile - one that genuinely lights up her face. But she has lost weight.

I didn't know he wasn't coming. I am surprised.

The Queen was not taking part in any discussions, she was going to meet and greet at an evening reception