Britannist

Russia may cut off supplies of gas tomorrow (31.12.2006) to its neighbour Belarus (White Russia), the Belfast Telegraph reports today. The two countries are arguing over the price of gas.

If supplies to White Russia are cut off - the loss of gas could cause also problems for the UK (as well as for the people of White Russia). One of the routes by which Russian gas supplies are sent to much of continental europe goes through White Russia.

If Russia cuts off gas supplies to White Russia, there could be problems in getting enough gas across western europe and through the two gas interconnectors between the UK and continental western europe. Western european nations grabbed most of the gas the last time supplies ran short (in a dispute between Russia and the Ukraine over gas prices) - leaving the UK with practically nothing. The greed and selfishness of continental EU nations when the going gets tough on gas supplies led to a complaint from the UK being lodged with the EU Commission.

Some gas supplies to the UK come from Russia through White Russia and through the gas pipeline from Belgium and a new link just opened from Holland. Another gas pipeline - one from Norway to Easington (on the north-east coast of England) - was opened up in October of this year. It is thought that although Norway has huge supplies of its own gas, some of the gas arriving at Easington also comes from Russia.

There's more on this at:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ne...cle2110824.ece

John Carter

I thought we were self-sufficient in gas and oil, and that the only reason we imported any was the same idiotic commie thinking that has us exporting the same amount of potatoes to Germany that we import from Germany?

Britannist

I think last year - or the year before - we become a net importer of gas. Although I believe we still have some of our own gas, we now are relying more and more on supplies from foreign lands.

You mention the fact that we export as many pototoes as we import from Germany. It reminds me of the fact that we export a small amount of our own oil to the USA (about 2% of the oil America uses is from the UK) - yet we import some from other nations ourselves.

Also, I just want to mention that the EU won't let any of its member states become self-sufficient in milk supplies. Although we are capable of producing all the milk we need - we have to buy a certain amount from other EU nations.

The whole thing is scandalous. Yet another reason why we need to quit the loony bin that is the EU.

John Carter

Commies hate self-sufficiency - it kind of prevents them from spreading their filth.

Britannist

Agree. They don't even like the mass of the population owning cars, do they. Harder to hit people with a transport strike if the majority aren't on the buses and trains in the first place.

Aardvark

The BBC have been covering this subject for a few days now:


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6215767.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6211605.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6215249.stm

The real issue is the ownership of the pipelines across Belarus. The Russians want to control the gas flow through the country and to put their people in Minsk. Lukashenko will have to do what the Russians want or face the consequences of having his people freeze. Once he's backed down on this issue, which is inevitable, then he will be back under Putin's thumb.

Britannist

Interesting articles Aardvark (on links provided to BBC website).

Proof that there is other news about (other than that about Saddam Hussein that is) if people look for it.

All this squabbling between Russia and Belarus (White Russia) is just another example of the wonders of european co-operation in practice.

It's just the same in western europe, too. They might try to hide it all behind the cloak of the EU - but the fact remains that there are nations in the EU that detest each other.

Just as the people of Belarus (White Russia), no doubt, can't stand Putin/Russia for the way he/it has the upper hand over them in the vital area of energy supply.

Let's hope we never become so reliant on a continental EU nation for all our energy (as White Russia is on Putin's Russia). We are already to reliant on France for electricity in my view and on gas through pipelines passing through a number of EU nations.

Thank goodness there is the new gas pipeline from non-EU Norway to Easington (opened in October 2006). At least it (and the supply by ship of liquified gas delivered from Algeria to south Wales) gives the UK some sort of 'safety net' if gas supplies via the interconnectors between Holland and the UK and Belgium and the UK stop for whatever reason.

There is no such thing as 'european unity' as constantly promoted by those up at the top of the EU in order to protect their fat salaries and perks. In europe and the EU - it's every man for himself as far as energy is concerned. And the same applies to all other political and trade issues to. The EU is a group of nations most of whom can't stand each other. If gas supplies ran short, we would soon see just what these countries all really thought of each other if one managed to get supplies of gas and refused to share with nations on the 'wrong' end of the wrong gas link.

Germany, for instance, is building its own direct gas link to Russia under the Baltic. Just in case a country like White Russia or the Ukraine stopped providing it with gas on its way from Russia because of some local dispute not involving Germany.

That's trust for you. There is none in the sham that is the EU.

Britannist

There's a report on gas supplies from Russia in today's Sunday Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.../24/noil24.xml

Karen

The problem stems from the myth of global warming/climate change. Blain and Major signed anything foreign put in front of themn so to reduce emissions of CO2 Blair signed the Kyoto agreement, restricting the advance of civilisation. To comply with the fantasy more electricity had to be generated by burning our gas. To cover the outcry at such a waste all these windmills have been built. This bought him a couple of years until the fact that windmills do not add to power supply because they need complete back-iup from real power stations to stop the national grid deviating from 50 cycles per second; which blacks out whole cities. Now that it is revealed that only Scroby sands off Yarmouth is the only farm reaching as great a level as 29% capacity is there a sudden panic to import gas from the evil Putin. Who can blame him from squeezing Blair's balls when he has put them in Putin's hand? What is needed now is to ignore the agreement and restart Ferrybridge (coal) and Dungeness (nuclear) to save our gas.

Feldoon

Ah yes.

And nuclear power causes all the evil in the world, too.

Go Wind or Go Away!

Ugh.