TalkClimateChange

Considering things objectively, cars can be a proper nuisance. They are expensive, take up space, use fuel that isn’t cheap anymore, need cleaning, and need maintenance by some of the most customer un-friendly businesses in the world.
But, we love them. I love them. Cars are great, and I suffer from the typical male fascination […]

Another weird day in Climate Change, where I just cant quite get things to add up.
LONDON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Britain’s goal of cutting emissions of climate warming carbon dioxide by 60 percent by 2050 will be reviewed by the end of the year and may be raised, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said on […]

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone has recently introduced a significant increase to London’s congestion charge for drivers of gas guzzling cars. Presently drivers must pay £8 per day to enter the ‘congestion change zone’ in the centre of the city. Drivers of hybrids and low emissions vehicles are exempt from the charge, whilst under the […]

On the surface, Japan fails miserably on just about every measure when it comes to tackling climate change - rejecting a global 2 degree Celsius maximum warming target, and relying on voluntary industrial emissions targets which have so far seen Japan fall short of its Kyoto obligations.
Even so, Japan’s Prime Minister is keen to […]

Families in the UK could face increases in household costs of up to £1,300 this year as a result of higher energy and food costs, according to a survey published this week. That’s the bad news. The good news is that higher average UK temperatures will cause fewer deaths, preventing pensioners from freezing to […]

I’ve just been looking at DeSmog Blog’s database on global warming sceptics, which describes exactly how low the bar is to describe oneself as a climate scientist. Based on what I have just read, I think I could probably get away with describing myself as a climate scientist. Yet I openly admit that I […]

Unveiling its national climate change roadmap yesterday, India made it’s latest move in an ongoing stand-off against the US on Co2 emissions targets. The US has refused to set binding targets as long as rapidly developing nations remain unconstrained in their emissions outputs. Conversely, India is unwilling to reduce its emissions whilst the US […]

I’ve written on EcoWorldly this week about proposed legislation to ban the use of products which generate high levels of Co2 emissions. The EU is close to banning patio heaters, and calls for a total ban on high emissions vehicles have recently been made by the former head of oil giant Shell.
There is an important […]

This post was recently published at EcoWorldly.
Arthur C. Clarke once said that any sufficiently mature technology is indistinguishable from magic. However, as much as it has transformed our lives, the magic of electricity is something that we mostly take for granted – it’s readily available, relatively dependable, and cheap.
But this may change during the […]

“How can you be interested in Formula 1 Motor Racing?” a colleague recently said to me. Surely such a sport is increasingly irrelevant into today’s world of carbon footprints and sky high energy costs? Shouldn’t governments ban such sports all together?
Like most climate change related topics, there is more to the environmental considerations of […]

Aviation is usually near the top of the environmental hit list due to its rapid growth, damaging high altitude emissions, and the big impact it makes on personal carbon footprint calculators. But less often discussed is the impressive record of the aviation industry in emissions reduction and the continuing improvements which are likely in the […]

 
British motorists are in focus again as Green Britain considers additional taxes on gas guzzlers alongside incentives to encourage more eco-friendly vehicles.
A recent report from the department of transport has shown that the middle market – vehicles emitting between 141 grams and 225 grams of CO 2 per kilometre – is likely to be the […]

As environmental policies come into sharp focus - with the continuation of negotiations initiated in Bali last year, US Presidential Elections, British Nuclear Power decisions, new European initiatives on renewable emission and carbon trading, and a host of other initiatives – we’ve uncovered some useful guidelines for validating environment policy decisions.
In a paper titled […]

Yesterday the European Union announced a new energy emissions plan in its latest bid to fight climate change. As usual, nobody is happy, with businesses warning of higher prices and environmental groups claiming that the measures fall short of the actions needed.
In typical EU style, the plan aims to please everybody and is a […]

As Gordon Brown’s tour or India and China continues, the  British government has levelled criticism at India’s lack of commitment to dealing with climate change.
British Environment Secretary Phil Woolas recently drew a comparison of the two emerging economies, describing the Chinese Central Government as “part of the solution and not part of the problem“ whilst […]