EU can do better

“What we are presenting today is both ambitious and something that we can afford” President Barroso stated while presenting the European Commission’s proposal on climate change for the EU by 2030.

Its main target is to reduce EU Carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030. Also two previous cases regarding renewable energy and energy efficiency are not legislated at present. When comparing that to Stockholm’s current 50% slash since 2007 it is absurd to call a 40% reduce in emissions over the next 16 years as “ambitious”

The criticisms from environmental organizations have come in thick and fast.  Both Stefan Löfven (S), and Asa Romson (MP) have demanded in an article that all three goals should be mandatory not a “goal”.

There is every reason to be crital of the EU Commission’s lack of ambition. In the struggle to save the climate, it is not clear that the three goals are better than one.

We must look to be critical and push for more, as the more we do now the better infrastructure we will have to tackle climate change in the future.
 

How can we over achieve?
Renewable energy and energy efficiency is really the only means to achieve the main goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. With a functioning emissions offset trading system combined with a carbon tax. We will increase the amount of renewable energy and therefore energy efficiency will take off simply because it will be more profitable to do so. On the contrary, the more goals there are to fulfill. It will make it more expensive and more difficult than necessary to achieve the goal of reducing emissions,

The real scandal of the EU Commission’s proposal is rather than accepting the goal of limiting global temperature increase to two degrees is unattainable and creating a new achievable programme based on three point five global temperature increase. Environmental experts now say that it means that the EU now don’t actually stand behind their goal of limiting global temperature rise to two degrees and are looking into other less relevant methods.

Environment Minister Lena Ek, (C) claims (C) Are washing their hands of their responsibilities and she had a tougher global temperature increase target. However Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said that no country raised any such requirements.

EU Commission’s proposal will now be discussed by the Government and the European Parliament. But the situation is indeed grim. A few years ago Barroso spoke with a strong voice on the EU to take on a leading role in climate change. Now it has died down in favor of defensive talk that Europe takes its share of responsibility. But it is only reasonable that the EU with its developed countries take the lead and provide more time for poor countries to adjust.

Although there are no guarantees that the big emitters like China would follow Europe if we embarked on a more ambitious climate path.  Are we really left with an alternative?

With climate threat hanging over us, we can hardly afford not to be ambitious.

expressen.se

Glass tiles make the roof for solar panels

Glass tiles make the roof for solar panels

A new technology that allows sunlight to heat up the house completely silently, with zero carbon and with minimal running costs are now being developed. With the help of KTH researcher Peter Kjaerboe and many others. This is through the use of glass tiles on the roof, which allows light which can be used as energy to pass through to the fabric layers below.

Glass tiles are the same as conventional roof tiles, except the glass passes light to the fabric substrate.As a result When light passes through the glass and hits the fabric it is converted into heat.The heated air can then either heat the house directly or transferred to the liquid-heat, says Peter Kjaerboe.

The system can be integrated with other energy systems such as district heating, geothermal heating, heat pump, pellet, wood, oil or electric boiler.

Climate Pact member SolTech Energy markets solar power solution, whose life expectancy is estimated to be at least 40 years.

soltech

Read more here .

Why it is likely that global temperatures will rise by 10 degrees in 10 to 20 years

6 reasons why the global temperature is rising

1. The rate at which the ice poles are melting is increasing. ( There is nothing that we can do about this. )

2. The melting of the ice poles releases enormous amounts of methane from the sea bed. ( There is nothing that we can do about this. )

3. The increased use of fossil fuels for energy.

4. Bush and forest fires contribute to more heat, and also to less material for the binding of greenhouse gases. ( Unfortunately fires destroy vegetation and ecosystems faster than new ones can be created. )

5. The amount of water in the ground, water reserves and watercourses is being reduced, and will eventually disappear. (This will create enormous problems for an increasing world population. )

6. Factor X – We are in the process of learning the effects of climate change, and a hot future will tell….

A 10 degree rise in temperature will ruin our basic crops and cause food shortages.

In order to STOP the next climate change disaster, we should have a one year amnesty, where Climate Change counter-productive activities are replaced with eco-friendly activities until late 2014.

UK Carbon emissions in 3 minutes

Carbon Omissions Animation – In this provocative short animation, Guardian columnist George MONBIOT teams up with Leo Murray and green charity PIRC to explain the UK’s ‘carbon omissions’. Officially, UK carbon emissions have been falling for the past decade, but when you count the carbon outsourced to China and other countries, the UK’s emissions have actually gone up by around a fifth.

Source: http://www.taylorenergy.co.uk/news/

EU Environment Briefing: ILUC, ETS, Emission Standards and Waste

Brussels Briefing on Environment: All you need to know for the month of October 2013


October 9, 2013 – Environment

In this latest Brussels Briefing on Environment, leading environment journalist Sonja van Renssen provides an overview of the latest developments in the field of EU Environment Policy.

Topics discussed include:

– Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC)

– European Emissions Standards for cars and vans

– Emissions Trading System

– Ban on F-Gasses

– Plastic waste and a Landfills ban proposal

Featuring statements by: Corinne Lepage MEP, ILUC Rapporteur and Jos Delbeke, Director-General for Climate Action at the European Commission.

via EU Environment Briefing: ILUC, ETS, Emission Standards and Waste.

George Osborne unveils ‘most generous tax breaks in world’ for fracking

We must have centralised energy policies at ALL COSTS!

@ClimateRDG This is an open request to Reading Climate Change Partnership #Climateready

SUPPORT CCCRdg now! – https://tvb-climatechallenge.org.uk/partners/

Anti Fracking – UK anti-fracking animation June 2013. “There’s No Tomorrow”

Links:
George Osborne unveils ‘most generous tax breaks in world’ for fracking
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/jul/19/george-osborne-tax-break-fracking-shale-environment?

Fracking Water Warning As Tax Break Announced
http://news.sky.com/story/1117721/fracking-water-warning-as-tax-break-announced

UK Fracking WARNING idiots – Risk of small earthquakes triggered by larger temblors across the globe
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/distant-quakes-trigger-temblors-in-the-oil-patch-study-16238

Former Mobil VP Warns of Fracking and Climate Change
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/17605-former-mobil-vp-warns-of-fracking-and-climate-change

This Is What Fracking Really Looks Like
http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2013/07/19/nina_berman_fractured_the_shale_play_looks_at_lives_affected_by_fracking.html?utm_source=tw&utm_medium=sm&utm_campaign=button_toolbar

Gangplank to a Warm Future
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/29/opinion/gangplank-to-a-warm-future.html?_r=1&

,,and the list goes on and on..

Team CCCRdg

OECD: Green Growth in Stockholm, Sweden

OECD conference in Stockholm on green growth

Green Growth in Cities was the theme of a conference arranged by OECD in Stockholm. Based on the reports which were launched, the conference elaborated on the potential of cities and regions around the world to foster economic growth and reduce environmental impact through innovative policies and political commitment.

H.R.H Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden was present during the Green Growth in Cities – Urban Evolution conference in Stockholm, here with Sten Nordin, the Mayor of Stockholm and Yves Leterme, deputy secretary general of the OECD.

renewable energy, green certificates, climate change mitigation policy, climate change, carbon tax, greenhouse gas emissions

Stockholm was the subject of a case study, find it here

 

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Sweden has developed an extensive and sound policy framework to limit greenhouse gas emissions. It is now one of the OECD countries with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per capita and it has successfully managed to decouple GDP growth from emissions growth. However, as Sweden has already significantly lowered its greenhouse gas emissions, the cost of reducing them further could be very high, making it urgent to improve the cost-effectiveness of Sweden’s climate change policies. A strategy to enhance the cost-effectiveness of this policy framework would include: i) reducing differences in carbon prices between sectors and increasing even further the role of market-based instruments; ii) limiting overlap between targets and policies; iii) raising Sweden’s participation in greenhouse gas emission reductions abroad; and iv) improving the assessments of the policy framework. This Working Paper relates to the 2011 OECD Economic Survey of Sweden (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/Sweden).

OECD_Green_Growth_in_Stockholm

Download full report here: OECD: Green Growth in Stockholm (123 pages)

http://www.mynewsdesk.com/pressroom/stockholmbusinessregion/document/download/resource_document/27275