TalkClimateChange

Late last year, the European Union sensibly decided to impose strict targets on its car manufacturers to improve fuel efficiency standards. Fuel efficiency, which has barely improved in previous years, is seen as a key opportunity to bridge the growing energy gap in the near term future.
Under the scheme, manufacturers were, sensibly, given a […]

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 […]

 
Billionaire, entrepreneur, serial adventurer and airline owner Richard Branson is the man behind an innovation which may take the sting out of one of climate change’s biggest sins.
Next month a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 will make the world’s first biofuel powered flight between London and Amsterdam. Testing a blend of 80% conventional aviation fuel and […]

First tensions are emerging between EU lawmakers and businesses as plans are cemented to implement EU targets for climate change.
Joining the Red Team this week are French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and the European Trade Union Confederation, and joining the Green Team please welcome European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
Unions in Europe have expressed […]

The EU has at long last admitted that it’s policies on biofuels were a “mistake” and is implementing a policy review to redress the issue. Environment minister of the European Commission Stavros Dimas admitted that certain environmental and social problems associated with biofuels had not been foreseen.
Our view is that the impacts of many green […]

Civilization is in trouble. So claims president of the Earth Policy Institute Lester Brown according to a recent article in Time.com, writing that demands on mother Earth already exceed capacity by 25% - not considering projected increases in population of 3 billion by 2050 and the increasing demands made by existing populations.
However,  Brown has a […]

Indian industrial giant Tata today unveiled the world’s cheapest car. Selling at $2,500 the Tata Nano is targeted at a rapidly growing Indian middle class who until now have been reliant on bicycles, mopeds and public transport for mobility.The Nano has been eagerly awaited by potential customers eager to enjoy the benefits of their newfound […]

Much has been said following the Bali Climate Summit of the dangers to the world economy through emissions cap & trade schemes which threaten to hinder industrial development and cripple the world economy. Many observers are predicting the end of Western economic success as schemes are implemented which will limit growth - the main barometer […]

Against expectations US President George Bush has signed a bill mandating a 35mpg fleet average for the American auto industry to be achieved by 2020 amongst other measures aimed at reducing US Co2 emissions.

 
Two letters were written by two sets of credible scientists last week and addressed to the UN. One letter urged action to combat global warming by reducing Co2 emissions, and the other urged leaders to ignore the previous letter and focus on more pressing priorities instead. (see below for links and highlights)
It is clearly a […]

 
Yesterday we gave some reasons for giving up on the idea of emissions reductions due to the seeming impossibility of the task.
However, today we read in interesting article by Michael Gelobter at the Daily Grist who points out that too many of us dismiss the idea of change too readily just because it is hard […]

Between 1974 and 2005 food prices fell by almost 75%. Good news for the whole world, and a good barometer of human progress. Cheap food = well nourished, happy people.
And then came Global Warming.
Global warming threatens our world not by warmer temperatures (historically mankind has prospered in warmer times), but by poorly conceived schemes and […]

The outcome of current climate treaty discussions will revolve around the resolution of the current deadlock between the US, China and India. What are the options for resolving this issue, and what’s behind it? We’ve had an idea..
The US rightly says that any action on their behalf is pointless when China opens a new coal […]

Geo-engineering – the practice of artificially altering our plants systems to reduce atmospheric Co2 – is seen by many as one of the only practical and feasible methods of fully mitigating climate change.

 But, there are many people  who harbour serious concerns about such schemes. The potential to make things worse is significant, particularly since […]