Carbon tax only a good start for Australia, report says.
Sydney Morning Herald 05 Feb
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Other NewsClark softens approach to sustainability as part of B.C.'s new energy strategy.Vancouver Sun 04 Feb How the Sierra Club took millions from the natural gas industry — and why it stopped.Time Magazine 03 Feb EditorialsReduce gas escapes at well sites.Natural gas is widely touted as a clean alternative to coal and other fossil fuels. But evidence that the drilling process itself releases quantities of dangerous methane gas into the atmosphere should prompt a closer look at the supposed advantages of natural gas' role in the energy supply. Stroudsberg Pocono Record 06 Feb Buyers will be key to state goal of cleaner cars.The California Air Resources Board has pushed the envelope yet again. But the history-bending rules will do what they are designed to do – reduce pollution and cut greenhouse gases – only if the public buys the new clean cars in the volumes predicted. That's the big uncertainty. Sacramento Bee 01 Feb Mr. O'Malley's misguided effort to aid Maryland wind projects.Gov. Martin O’Malley wants to erect wind turbines off Maryland’s coast, eventually generating perhaps a third of the state’s electricity. But it’s a bad deal for nearly everyone in Maryland — including people who believe, as we do, in moving away from fossil fuels. Washington Post 31 Jan Taking the long view on the world's energy supplies.Now researchers are warning that energy sources we normally think of as innocuous could affect the planet's climate too. If we start to extract immense amounts of power from the wind, for instance, it will have an impact on how warmth and water move around the planet, and thus on temperatures and rainfall. New Scientist 31 Jan Mileage regulations are good for air and for California.The cries will surely come, and were already being heard last week: "We can't afford more government interference now! Let the private sector work! This is more job-killing regulation!" In the (useful) cliche of the moment, go call a wahhhmbulance. Pasadena Star-News 30 Jan Edano should be open about energy plans.It would be best if we could get along without nuclear power generation. Our experience this summer could provide a model for how Japan can move toward a future without nuclear power. It is, therefore, vital that the government’s preparations are sound. Asahi Shimbun 29 Jan California air board's vision of green cars requires huge new sources of electicity.California is taking a bold step toward transforming the automobile industry with its highly ambitious new rules mandating a steady increase in the sales of ultralow and zero-emission vehicles. Contra Costa Times 29 Jan In defense of clean energy.After months of standing by as Republicans tried to gut environmental laws and discredit his clean energy initiatives, President Obama blasted Republicans for their single-minded commitment to fossil fuels, argued the case for a diversified energy strategy and dared to talk about climate change. New York Times 28 Jan OpinionEd Davey's promotion is a great opportunity for a greener future.A new energy secretary for the UK means a new chance for Prime Minister David Cameron to mend fences with the coalition and reaffirm his commitment to making "the greenest government ever." The Guardian 07 Feb Fulsome fossil fuels and the 'Peak Oil' myth.With “Peak Oil” exposed as yet another Chicken-Little fallacy, those of us who rejected the idea of CO2-caused planetary meltdown and instead embraced reduced dependence on foreign oil as a reason for widespread vehicle electrification are seemingly left with a solution, but no credible problem. Forbes 07 Feb Why Tory wind opposition will drive up costs.The door had not even swung back behind the departing energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne before his opponents seized their chance. Over 100 Conservative MPs wrote to prime minister David Cameron demanding cuts to support for onshore windfarms and easier ways to block them through planning objections. The Guardian 07 Feb Co-operation in a world of scarce resources.From competition among hunter-gatherers for wild game to imperialist wars over precious minerals, resource wars have been fought throughout history; today, however, the competition appears set to enter a new - and perhaps unprecedented - phase. Al Jazeera 06 Feb Britain's green-minded climate change minister resigns: Why that's good for the environment.From a distance it must be hard to feel excitement at the news of the resignation of Britain's energy and climate change secretary. But this domestic hiccup matters to anyone with an interest in the fate of climate change targets agreed by EU countries back in 2007. Economist 06 Feb Nuclear is not the answer - but not why you'd think.If we are to maintain a planet whose energy inputs are in equilibrium with our outputs, then energy from the Sun is the only possibility. The nuclear reaction taking place inside our nearest star is the only form of energy we can harness at a scale fit to service the billions of us eking out a living on this globe without changing the balance of our energy in-energy out equation. Australia ABC News 06 Feb Chris Huhne's exit gives Cameron the chance to end the scourge of wind turbines.Under Mr Huhne’s stewardship, Britain has been saddled with the most fanatical deep green energy policy in the world. Those who have been horrified by this lunacy are pinning their hopes on Mr Huhne’s successor, fellow Lib Dem Ed Davey. London Daily Mail 06 Feb Let's use sustainable renewable energy sources.Undeniably and regrettably so, increasing demand, seen growing 29 percent this year, will be met by exploiting dangerous carbon-emitting fossil fuels such as coal that has been instrumental in driving the menace of global warming and climate change. Harare Herald 06 Feb |
Special report: Peak everything.By 2030, the global middle class is expected to grow by two-thirds. That’s 3 billion more shoppers. They'll all want access to goods, including water, wheat, coffee and oil. Is there enough for everybody? Can business satisfy demand and avoid hitting "peak everything?" Bloomberg News 07 Feb Take zap! Tech geeks, starved for more battery power, give themselves a charge.Any geek can tell you that battery life hasn't kept up with gadget innovations. But not to worry: Inventors are figuring out how to turn geeks into batteries. Wall Street Journal 07 Feb Americans gaining energy independence.The US is the closest it has been in almost 20 years to achieving energy self-sufficiency, a goal the nation has been pursuing since the 1973 Arab oil embargo triggered a recession and led to lines at gasoline stations. But the expansion in oil and natural gas production isn’t without a downside. Bloomberg News 07 Feb Another green energy company stumbles.Fisker Automotive, maker of exotic electric sports cars being built with help from a $529 million federal loan, has announced layoffs at its Delaware plant as it tries to persuade the Department of Energy to continue backing it with public money. Center for Public Integrity 07 Feb Britain's most wasteful cities: New thermal images show huge amounts of energy being wasted across the country.A series of thermal images have been released showing energy wastage in Britain's cities, as part of a British Gas initiative to cut power use by small and medium-sized firms. London Daily Mail 07 Feb Energy efficiency: How do you overhaul the way buildings use energy?Jim Freihaut and his team have a five-year charter – one year already down – and $122 million from the federal government to meet this challenge: Convince the Philadelphia construction industry to do deep energy retrofits on some 7,000 commercial buildings, by proving it makes good business sense. ClimateWire 07 Feb UK emissions rose 3.1% as economy recovered in 2010.The dramatic fall in greenouse gas emissions caused by the recession has proved to be a blip, with UK emissions rising 3.1% in 2010 as the economy recovered. The UK's emissions have been falling over the past decade as energy generation has switched to less carbon-intensive gas power, but this is the first time emissions have risen since a modest rise in 2003. The Guardian 07 Feb Electric cars: 'Plug-ins' look for spark in 2012.Automakers in 2012 will launch 13 plug-in vehicles, running on electricity alone all or most of the time. This is the year that will tell whether the electric car market has a roaring liftoff or a slow-rolling start, analysts say. Christian Science Monitor 07 Feb Anti-nuclear Tokyo mayor challenges big utilities.Setagaya’s mayor is determined to turn this city ward of 840,000 people, the largest in Tokyo, into the front-runner of a movement that will put an end to Japan’s reliance on atomic power and accelerate the use of renewable energy. Wall Street Journal 07 Feb Offshore wind turbines set to benefit British industries.British industries from boat-building to concrete, and electric cabling to gearbox manufacturing are in the line-up to benefit from the construction of thousands of offshore wind turbines, if new plans go ahead. The Guardian 07 Feb Big wind farms 'alter climate', but could be used to control the weather.Wind farms are intended to help combat global warming, yet they can themselves alter the climate, say scientists. Sydney Australian 07 Feb Kelly Blynn: Activists not "letting the pressure off" on Keystone pipeline.Along with Bill McKibben and a small cadre of passionate environmental activists, Kelly Blynn co-founded the climate activism group "350." The group has been hard at work to stop the Keystone XL pipeline. Mongabay 07 Feb Mitt's Solyndra? He handed out renewable energy subsidies, too.Republicans are pounding Barack Obama on Solyndra, but it may be a complicated argument for their front-runner to maintain: While Mitt Romney was governor, Massachusetts also picked some winners and losers with energy subsidies. Politico 07 Feb Energy industry dollars flow to Romney .The energy industry is beginning to coalesce around Mitt Romney as its preferred candidate for president, according to an E&E Daily review of contributions to the various presidential candidates and political action committees associated with them. E&E Daily 07 Feb UK committed to green economy, new secretary says.Though greenhouse gas emissions from the United Kingdom were up, London aims to meet its overall climate objectives, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey said. United Press International 07 Feb Subsidy cuts could pull the plug on community green energy schemes.Community scale green energy projects could be put out of business by Scottish Government plans to slash subsidy support for onshore wind and hydro schemes, the SNP has been warned. Edinburgh Scotsman 07 Feb Nick Clegg defends wind power subsidies after Tory-led attack.Nick Clegg has led a fightback against concerted attacks by Conservative MPs on government subsidies to support wind power. The Guardian 07 Feb Battery boom.Battery makers' factories are built or nearly completed. Yet they also find themselves uncomfortably out in front of their biggest customers—the automakers—and in need of other homes for their products while they wait for the coming electric vehicle revolution. Chemical & Engineering News 06 Feb Diesel makes a clean break.Diesel-powered vehicles used to get a bad rap for being noisy, dirty and slow. But they have been getting an image makeover thanks to "clean diesel" that emits less pollution - a change that could shake up the race with eco-friendly hybrid and electric vehicles. Osaka Daily Yomiuri Shimbun 06 Feb How to make electricity using plants and sunshine.An international consortium of scientists have created a truly green solar cell—and one that can be made from something as common as grass clippings. Scientific American 06 Feb Wind farms can actually increase climate change by raising temperatures and causing downpours, warn academics.They have long been championed as a way to combat global warming by creating clean energy. But wind farms can actually alter the climate according to a new study by a group of American scientists. London Daily Mail 06 Feb Dueling claims on Obama's energy record ignore production boom and reasons for it.You wouldn’t know it from the Republicans, but these are boom times for American energy. And you wouldn’t know it from President Barack Obama, but he has very little to do with that. Associated Press 06 Feb UK's new energy secretary confirms green targets.Britain's newly-appointed Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey on Monday confirmed the country's commitment to its green energy targets and its focus on growing the offshore wind power generation capacities. Reuters 06 Feb 100 Tories call for wind-farm subsidy cuts.The Scottish Government has launched a robust defence of its flagship green energy policy after concerns were raised by more than 100 Tory politicians about the cost of subsidies paid for onshore wind farms. Edinburgh Scotsman 06 Feb On Keystone pipeline, GOP plays Buffett card to counter Dems' Koch claims.Senior Capitol Hill Democrats battling the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline are casting the project as a sop to the Koch Brothers, billionaire industrialists who pour money into conservative causes. The Hill 06 Feb Sacrificing the desert to save the Earth.Industrial-scale solar development is well underway in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. The federal government has furnished more public property to this cause than it has for oil and gas exploration over the last decade — 21 million acres, more than the area of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties put together. Los Angeles Times 05 Feb Euro Parliament backs low-carbon road map.A European Parliament committee this week approved an EU "road map" to a low-carbon economy that seeks to go beyond current greenhouse gas reduction targets. United Press International 05 Feb Massachusetts greenhouse gas pollution sources described by EPA.Power plants throughout eastern Massachusetts are the largest industrial sources of greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change in the state, according to new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Milford Daily News 05 Feb A solar farm's slow going.When Bob Keares proposed building Pennsylvania's largest solar farm, he expected a warm reception, certainly from environmentalists. Since announcing his intentions, however, he has been confronted by the expected opponents, but also some he never unexpected: environmentalists. Philadelphia Inquirer 05 Feb Wind farm subsidy cut urged by British conservatives.More than 100 Conservative MPs have written to the prime minister urging him to cut subsidies for wind turbines. BBC 05 Feb |
