TheMertonRule.org News Round Up
Genasys has got the power
IF you’re thinking of sticking a small wind turbine on your home to pay your electric bills forget it, says Simon Jarvis.
Renewable energy may be top of the pops with the government, but Mr Jarvis, who set up Genasys Power Systems in 2001, is afraid that some horses are not being sold for courses where renewable energy is concerned.
The 40-year-old said: “There is a big move in the industry at the moment of people being pushed by some companies towards attaching one turbine to their house... more
Turbine work to start
WORK was expected to begin today erecting Cumbria’s tallest wind turbines.
The pair will be sited at the Eastman factory at Siddick, near Workington.
Each will measure 108 metres from the ground to blade tip, making them twice the height of existing nearby turbines.
Once they are operational they will supply about a third of the energy needs for the factory... more
Royal Society tells Exxon: stop funding climate change denial
Britain's leading scientists have challenged the US oil company ExxonMobil to stop funding groups that attempt to undermine the scientific consensus on climate change.
In an unprecedented step, the Royal Society, Britain's premier scientific academy, has written to the oil giant to demand that the company withdraws support for dozens of groups that have "misrepresented the science of climate change by outright denial of the evidence"... more
Why my house is a disaster zone
In the second of three extracts from his new book, George Monbiot wonders how we can hope to cut carbon emissions and stop climate change when our own homes are so environmentally unsound
My house is an ecological disaster. In the two years since we bought it, I have slowly been finding out that there is scarcely a disease from which it does not suffer. Neither the walls nor the floors are lagged, the windows rattle, there are gaps in the roof insulation nine inches wide, and the lights are embedded in the ceiling - which means that much of the electricity they use illuminates the underside of the floorboards... more
Report: Renewable Energy Gains Competitiveness on Fossil Fuels
Rising petroleum prices along with rising production of bio-based fuels are changing the cost picture.
Renewable resources provide about 6% of total U.S. energy these days, but that could be changing according to a new report from the Worldwatch Intitute and the Center for American Progress. The report - American Energy: The Renewable Path to Energy Security - offers a look at renewables.
According to the report, new technologies that harness renewables are, or soon will be, economically competitive with fossil fuels. As production of renewables rise, the cost of production tends to decline. Since 2000, global wind energy generation has more than tripled; solar cell production has risen six-fold; production of fuel ethanol from crops has more than doubled; and biodiesel production is up four fold. The cumulative investment in renewable energy since 1995 is nearly $180 billion... more
Climate change remains top priority
In this second of two articles arguing for and against radical spending on climate change, Green MEP Caroline Lucas responds to a piece by Bjorn Lomborg, author of The Skeptical Environmentalist, published on Wednesday 20 September.
We live in a world of desperate inequalities, grinding poverty and disease. On this website Bjorn Lomborg eloquently argued that we must prioritise - and that tackling climate change must be put on the back-burner until we've solved more pressing and "manageable" problems. He cites curing HIV/Aids as an example.
But his analysis is deeply flawed, for three key reasons, and in truth only massive international efforts to avert the worst consequences of climate change now can prevent an exacerbation of global poverty and devastation on an unprecedented scale... more
Bioenergy policy criticised by MP committee
Government policy on bioenergy has been criticised as lacking coherence and commitment by a cross-party group of MPs.
The Enviroment, Food and Rural Affairs select committee this week published the findings of its investigation into the role of bioenergy in helping the UK reduce carbon emissions.
"Government policy on bioenergy is piecemeal and so lacking in ambition as to raise questions about the extent of the government's commitment to its domestic climate change agenda," the report states.
Government departments need to work much more closely together on bioenergy to develop a more streamlined strategy, it recommends... more
Wymondham College green bid
A Norfolk school is hoping to do its bit for the environment by using renewable energy.
Wymondham College is exploring the possibility of putting up two wind turbines, an anaerobic digestion plant, biomass boilers and solar thermal tubes.
The aim is to reduce its energy bills and use of fossil fuels, as well as making use of renewable energy sources available locally... more
Hydro power scheme back on agenda
Controversial plans for a hydro electric scheme in Perthshire are to go back before the local council, after the proposals were delayed.
However, councillors are still expected to object to the River Braan scheme because of environmental concerns.
The proposal by energy firm Npower Renewables had earlier been withdrawn from council consideration after a large number of objections... more
Beckett: Business must tackle climate change
Speaking in New York, the foreign secretary has urged the private sector to tackle global warming.
Margaret Beckett warned Wall Street executives that tackling global warming is "a business imperative, not a business choice".
"Climate insecurity means greater global insecurity," she said.
"That is a problem for politicians like me, but it is a problem for business too. It makes managing commercial risk much harder."
The introduction of key environmental agreements and measures already decided on are being brought in too slowly, Beckett believes... more
Bike will win race to save the Earth
TOMORROW morning commuters will set off from Ocean Terminal, Newcraighall, Little France (Royal Infirmary) and Ingliston with more than just the journey to work in mind.
They will all travel into the centre of the city as part of a Commuter Challenge to mark European Mobility Week.
Four types of transport will be used: car, motorbike, bicycle and public transport. Starting at the same time, and observing the Highway Code, the commuters will all try to reach their destination in Castle Street in the shortest possible time.
These journeys take place at the height of the rush hour, and the first arrival at Castle Street is expected at about 8.15 am. They range in distance from three to ten miles, but one thing is certain before they even start - the car drivers are all going to come last in the climate change challenge, even if they arrive at the finish point first... more
Authority faces up to climate change
COUNCIL bosses are to prepare a strategy to help halt climate change.
Halton will join local authorities throughout the UK in making plans to help prevent global warming.
Members of the executive board are today expected to rubber stamp proposals for Halton to sign the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change and appoint a councillor to champion climate change both in the borough and at meetings throughout the country... more
Geothermal Energy At The Next Station
It is the world’s oldest underground railway system and for over one hundred years the clay surrounding its tunnels has been absorbing heat from trains and passengers. Now, each summer passengers travelling on ‘the tube’ have to endure temperatures in excess of those recommended for the safe transport of animals. Passengers are advised to carry water at all times and emergency services are frequently called upon to revive passengers who collapse from heat exhaustion. According to a report published this week by Cambridge UK analysts CarbonFree the overheating on London’s mass transit system typifies the problems that exist within so called ‘Urban Heat Islands' - basically energy ends up stored in the wrong place at the wrong time... more
Solar Cell Company Completes $22 million Financing
Solaria says its $22 million in Series B financing is complete. The funding round includes investments from Sigma Partners and NGEN Partners, two leading venture capital firms; Q-Cells AG, the world’s largest independent manufacturer of crystalline silicon solar cells; and Moser Baer, India’s largest and the world’s second-largest manufacturer of removable optical storage media... more
Climate change ministry unveiled
Plans for better co-ordination of Whitehall climate change policy have been unveiled by the Government.
Environment Secretary David Miliband said ministers have agreed to the new Office of Climate Change (OCC), its scope, role and initial work plan.
The OCC will support ministers as they decide future UK strategy and policy on domestic and international climate change, providing high-level management and reporting on progress on existing commitments... more
Renewable Energy Reaching a Positive Tipping Point
History will judge 2006 as the start of a major paradigm shift for the world's energy infrastructure, according to a leading environmental thinker.
Flavin said the tipping point toward renewable energy is forming now. The growing momentum will soon force the political realm and the business sector to change one another, drastically transforming the energy economy.
Speaking on RenewableEnergyAccess.com's Inside Renewable Energy podcast, Worldwatch Institute President Christopher Flavin said, "While much more needs to be done, I think we will look back and say, 'this was the moment.'" ... more
Rethinking Design : Towards a Low-Carbon World
Energy awareness and a growing consumer appreciation for ecological and social responsibility have come together to create a new market for sustainable design.
Ireland, with its tradition of entrepreneurism and its robust economy is well placed to develop this sector, and a range of national and European programmes are now in place to support individuals and businesses wishing to move in this direction.
The urgency of building an effective and integrated response to the twinned pressures of climate change and energy scarcity present an opportunity for developing a wide range of new products and technologies that use less fossil fuel... more
Brown is only politician who can meet global challenges of our times
Iain Macwhirter on the green chancellor… and a question of indepencence
WHAT a week. The government of California took leading car manufacturers to court for manufacturing polluting vehicles; Richard Branson said he would plough the proceeds of his various transport interests into renewable energy; we learned that the Arctic is melting so fast it’s possible to sail to the North Pole; and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change research said we would have to cut CO2 emissions by 90% by 2050 to avert catastrophe.
What does all this have to do with Gordon Brown? Everything. Assuming he makes it to Number 10, climate change is the issue that will dominate his administration. Brown will have to be green. Management of the environment will dominate all democratic politics over the next two decades... more
Get ready for oil supplies to dwindle, experts warn
Crude oil makes Kjell Aleklett think about wild strawberries.
Aleklett, a Swedish professor of physics, sees inescapable similarities between the steady depletion of the world's most coveted energy source and the foraging habits of berry afficionados.
"In Sweden we have strawberry fields where you can go out and pick for yourself. If you go out there in the morning there is a possibility that you can pick a big volume of strawberries. But the first picker picks the big ones. The last one is left with the small ones. It's very much the same thing when it comes to the production of gas and oil.
"The goodies, the big ones, have been picked. It's true all over the world. Now we have to stick to the small ones. That means it's harder to fill the basket."... more
Climate Change Question Time - belated report with audio
On Friday 15th September, Swindon Climate Action Network held a climate change question time event, which was attended by around 100 members of the public. The panel consisted of the leader of Swindon Borough Council, the two Swindon MPs, author Mark Lynas and climate scientist prof Julia Slingo.
A write-up of most of the questions and answers, with audio... more
A tax worth paying due to the grounds?
IN the distance, the hills flanking the Great Glen can just be made out. In the other direction, the view is of the Highlands' rolling fields. A mile outside Inverness, John Martin's timber-framed house, home to him, his wife and their son, is a rural haven.
It is also one of Scotland's most environmentally friendly houses. All the materials were sourced locally, including the untreated wooden walls, made from larch wood, well known for its resistance to rain and rot. Within the wall, 200mm of insulation (50% more than the necessary amount) has been packed in, using so-called 'warm cell' material, made of recycled newspapers and rock wool.
Large windows gaze southwards, catching every glimmer of sunshine that makes its way through the clouds, producing so-called 'passive solar heating' to warm the rooms within. At the house's centre is the wood-burning stove, a carbon-neutral burner which provides the family with all the extra heating and hot water they require. "Our usage of mains electricity is very small and the reason for that is that the house is oriented towards the south and there is a lot of glazing," says Martin... more
Planning 'must be climate-proofed'
New regional and local development plans must be "climate proofed" with binding carbon dioxide reduction targets and adaptation measures to help communities withstand extreme climate impacts including flood risk, campaigners say.
Friends of the Earth and the Town and Country Planning Association are calling for the move in a "mock" planning policy statement on climate change published ahead of the first Government draft due later this year.
It is supported by more than 20 experts, businesses and campaign groups... more
Oil crunch
U.S. Energy Department study concludes crude production will peak, requiring other energy forms
Last September, a Chronicle editorial warned that global oil production would peak in this decade or the next, and then inexorably decline. Given that likelihood, the United States would have to embark on a crash program to develop alternative energy sources or endure crippling increases in the price of energy.
Last week, a study performed for the U.S. Department of Energy concurred with the editorial's conclusions... more
Branson Pledges Airline and Train Profits to Renewable Energy Research
Sir Richard Branson, head of Virgin Atlantic Airways and other travel concerns, last week pledged all future profits from his transportation businesses to the Clinton Global Initiative in order to fund research for renewable energy. Total donation: approximately $3 billion over the next 10 years. According to a Forbes report, the announcement of the gift brought an “audible gasp” from the press gathered at President Bill Clinton’s summit in New York City. To Branson, it wasn’t a gasp-worthy gesture; it was simply the right thing to do. His businesses burn tons of fuel and, therefore, are part of the reason the world is facing a climate crisis. “I’ve got children; hopefully I’ll have grandchildren,” he said. “Everything I’ve read about the world shows we need to reinvest in new sources of fuel. I’m in a position to do something.”... more
Darling pledges climate change action
The trade and industry secretary has said that tackling climate change is a key issue for the Labour Party.
Speaking at the Labour Party's annual conference in Manchester, Alistair Darling said the UK "must do more" to meet its goal of 60 per cent reduction in CO2 by 2050.
Addressing delegates on Monday morning, he said the UK had proved it could compete in the global marketplace, but cautioned that with globalisation came a series of threats including global warming... more
Pundits who contest climate change should tell us who is paying them
Covert lobbying, in the UK as well as the US, has severely set back efforts to combat the world's biggest problem
On the letters page of the Guardian last week, a Dr Alan Kendall attacked the Royal Society for "smearing" its opponents. The society had sent an official letter to Exxon, complaining about the oil company's "inaccurate and misleading" portrayal of the science of climate change and about its funding of lobby groups that deny global warming is taking place. The letter, Kendall argued, was an attempt to "stifle legitimate discussion"... more
Climate change protestors stage airport 'remembrance service
A group of protesters held a "service of remembrance" on the tarmac at Nottingham East Midlands Airport (NEMA).
Twenty-one protestors sat on the taxiway between two cargo holds, led by Baptist Minister Reverend Malcolm Carroll, a spokesman for the airport confirmed.
Ryan Martinez, from NEMA, said the group staged a peaceful protest and that the airport was operating as normal... more
Office of Climate Change starts work
The Office of Climate Change (OCC) will work across Government to provide a shared resource for analysis and development of climate change policy and strategy, Environment Secretary David Miliband said today.
Mr Miliband was speaking after Ministers met yesterday to agree the new body's scope, role, and an initial work plan.
The OCC will support Ministers as they decide future UK strategy and policy on domestic and international climate change by:
- High level management and reporting of progress on existing commitments
- Consolidating existing analysis to develop a cross-government consensus on current progress and outstanding issues
- Identifying short and medium term goals for particular sectors/ areas and consequent priorities for action
- Carrying out time-limited policy-focussed projects where Ministers agree that this adds value
- Promoting understanding of climate change across government and supporting departments to adapt their policies
... more
