STALL EVENT DAY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE CENTRE READING 23/05/14‏

News Desk

Climate Change Centre Reading
STALL EVENT DAY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE CENTRE READING

Climate Change Centre Reading wants to advance and plan the education of the public on the subject of climate change and reach long term sustainability. We hope a new show room in town centre would be a great source of inspiration for new school projects, business and ours. Placemaking can be an excellent entry point to dealing with climate change. Looking to unlock Reading’s green potential – Driving Readings bid for the 2017 European Green Capital Award.

Where in the high street Reading on the 23rd of May

Please see our press release link here: http://media1.tvb-climatechallenge.org.uk/2014/05/Press-Release_Climate-Change-Centre-Reading33.pdf

Press-release_CCCRdg_180613

Togethernessship – All about Placemaking to be truly inclusive and Safeguarding the future; Habitat III in 2016, which will have the overall aim of contributing to a New Urban / Rural Agenda designed for people and places.
“Consider Climate Change in every action”~Climate Change Centre Reading

Time for the topic “Climate News” in the daily news flow

Time for the topic “Climate News” in the daily news flow

May 12, 2014

DEBATE. Party leaders’ debates is an embarrassing evidence of how little interest the first generation of climate-conscious shows in the subject environment. It writes Helen Rosell who is the writer and composer with great interest in environmental issues.

After only 50 years of intensive industrialization, we have found out that with current politics and lifestyle will pass the 2-degree target and instead are heading for 4 degrees.

We have found out that it means a disaster for all humanity.

We have found out that we already would have to suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and that human civilization can not handle 4 degrees (desperate message on 2-degree target, SVT.se September 28, 2013).

We have learned that we are close to many “tipping points” where the climate can shift to a mode of self-reinforcing mechanisms, and never able to recover.

We know that climate change is already negative for food production in the world, crop yields are affected, increasing emissions.

We have heard about the risk of future mass migrations, strife, rising sea levels, fires, droughts, floods, water scarcity, ocean acidification, melting of ice … but there is no policy that indicates that we are on track to break the trend.

Instead, increases carbon emissions in an exponentially rising curve.

SO WHAT? Who cares?

One feature of CLIMATE NEWS in the daily news flow – and no longer would be able to miss the ocean acidification and impoverishment, whisk away the food question or dilemma melting ice affecting the global climate and ecological balance. It would kick start vital debates, bringing the population and provide “the sleeping people” something extremely important to talk about and get involved in. No one could escape the questions anymore.

… Not even the politicians.

What news could well be more important?

Text: Helen Rosell

via Helen Rosell: Time for the topic “Climate News” in the daily news flow.

How Sweden can reduce emissions for real

Published March 28, 2014

How Sweden can reduce emissions for real

Sweden’s emissions of greenhouse gases are increasing instead of decreasing, if we include the aviation and our imported consumption. The government’s response is to hand over responsibility to the consumers. But the government should look at themselves  to reduce Sweden’s carbon footprint both at home and abroad, writes Pia Björstrand and Samuel Jarrick, Klimataktion.

SVT’s newscast last Thursday asked Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt a question that he has never had to consider: Why potray the government continually insures Sweden is a climate model with emissions falling, when our overall impact on the climate is actually increasing?

It is quite correct that Sweden’s emissions, according to official UN statistics dropped by 20 percent since 1990. Partly it’s because Sweden early introduced a carbon tax and invested in heating and more, partly due to emissions of heavy industry moved overseas.

If we instead look at our total consumption, the picture is quite different. Then, total emissions increased by 15 percent during the same period, according to the Environmental Protection Agency statistics from 2012. Increased consumption of harmful climate imported goods and services, electronics, meat, long holidays, etc., have eaten up all climate efforts we made at home.

SVT’s story got the Prime Minister therefore asked whether we Swedes really are living more and more climate-friendly. His response: I think we are largely getting more and more tools that enable to reduce our carbon footprint, but then of course there is also a personal responsibility.

Common political commitment

Fredrik Reinfeldt suggesting that it is up to us consumers to ensure that the carbon footprint is reduced. But it is unrealistic to think that we as individual consumers should be able to do what is needed to meet climate challenges. According to a report from the Nordic Council of Ministers, Sustainable behavior must be promoted by the consistent message that is not only conveyed through information dissemination, but also through other strategies, such as infrastructure, marketing, pricing and social institutions. This calls for a common political commitment to the Swedes should be able to reduce their emissions from consumption.

There is an inconsistency in the government’s climate policy. The goal is to reduce emissions by 40 percent by 2020, where a third of the reduction shall be credited by actions in other countries. The government wants to count on the emission reductions our policies help in other countries, but do not want to take any responsibility for the emissions increases that our lifestyle causes in other countries.

Offensive climate policy

With an aggressive climate policies at home, we can tackle this inconsistency. We propose the following actions:

First Environmental Management across central and local government own procurement, where low carbon footprint given a higher priority than low prices, and where businesses are encouraged to sustainable consumption.

2nd Tax / VAT exchanges where low-carbon goods and services enjoy a more favorable tax treatment than carbon-intensive goods and services.

The third the face of a meat tax, slowing imports of climate-damaging concentrate and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. Decrease in return VAT on vegetable, locally grown and organic food.

4th Facing a climate tariff on imported emissions heavy goods that provide an economic incentive for producers to shift and consumers to choose climate-friendly goods.

5th Replace consumption driven tax cuts, such as earned income tax credits and interest deductions of investments in climate adaptation and green jobs.

6th Count In international aviation in the national emissions statistics.

7th Let more message than encouraging consumption take place in the public sphere. Limit climate malicious advertising.

Stricter ambitions

The level of ambition needs to be tightened considerably even when it comes to the emissions created in Sweden. The decrease is not nearly as fast as is required if we are to take our justice responsibilities to meet the 2-degree target. Climate science shows that in countries like Sweden would have to be almost independent of fossil fuels in the coming decades about the risks of climate landslides are to be avoided.

The transition should be operated on, for instance through aggressive investment and a conscious use of pension funds for more rapid development of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency among residential and industrial.

If we Succeed the government can reduce both our domestic emissions and the imported emissions, Sweden can be a real role model in international climate policy.

Pia Björstrand and Samuel Jarrick

spokespersons for Climate Action

via How Sweden can reduce emissions for real – Debate – Gothenburg Post.

First ever global assessment of best practices in green growth reveals pathways for success – Regions 20

First ever global assessment of best practices in green growth reveals pathways for success

Category: News

Published on Tuesday, 11 March 2014

R20 is pleased to announce the release of the summary of key findings from the Green Growth Best Practice (GGBP) book, ahead of its full release in June 2014. This summary report was unveiled at the 1st Global Conference on Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) in Dubai earlier this month.

The Green Growth Best Practice book is the result of an initiative led by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), and was written by 75 authors in the field of green growth from a variety of organizations, including R20.

Lead authors Christophe Nuttall (R20’s Executive Director) and Tadashi Matsumoto (OECD Senior Policy Analyst), wrote the chapter on National and Subnational Integration that explores approaches to advancing green growth through coordinated national and subnational programs and across government. Several co-authors contributed to this chapter, including Denise Welch (R20’s Director of Research & Technical Initiatives).

By analyzing around 60 specific government programs from different countries and regions around the world, the GGBP makes recommendations for effective green growth approaches, based on the experience of early movers, and provides practical guidance for national and subnational policy planning.

Green growth strategies play vital roles in unlocking synergies between economic growth, environmental protection and poverty reduction, and enabling a transition to an inclusive green economy.

The Synthesis of Key Findings elaborates on nine key actions that enable effective green growth policy:

·      Use well-designed planning and coordination processes;

·      Establish clear visions, targets, and baselines;

·      Undertake robust analysis and balanced communication of the benefits of green growth;

·      Prioritize options and develop credible pathways towards targets;

·      Design policies to address multiple goals and respond to specific market failures;

·      Design public finance instruments to overcome barriers and mobilize private investment;

·      Tap the power of public-private collaboration;

·      Pursue mutually reinforcing action across all levels of government;

·      Build and maintain strong monitoring and evaluation systems.

The report and supporting case studies will also be available in the form of an online “living handbook,” which will feature an interactive interface.

Read the Synthesis of Key Findings here.

via First ever global assessment of best practices in green growth reveals pathways for success – Regions 20.

Waste not want not – food waste used a fuel

Waste not want not – food waste used a fuel

Stockholm is in 2015 to get a biogas plant in Sofielund in Huddinge. Energy company Eon and Scandinavian Biogas namely signed an agreement for the delivery of over 4 million cubic meters of biogas per year, and the biogas will be supplied from the plant in Sofielund as Scandinavian Biogas plan to build.

The plant will mainly be supplied with food waste from Stockholm’s southern municipalities. The agreement means that an increased supply of locally produced biogas is ensured, and that the share of biogas in the vehicle gas supply Transport market of Stockholm, is growing.

– Increased production of biogas is of national interest, and deemed necessary if Sweden is to achieve its set carbon target, where Eon is a vital player in the market. In our cooperation we create synergies for both parties and we look forward with confidence for the future, remarked  Michael Olausson (Vice President of Scandinavian Biogas)

Source: energinyheter.se

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.

Fracking in Sussex – What is Fracking?

Fracking in Sussex – What is Fracking?

@DECCgovuk “Just don´t believe what you read on the Internet”~Francis Egan was not right. Information is Knowledge STOP F-g IT’S OIL OVER #Balcombe
Source BBC

Write to your MP
Write to your local councillor

Pls show a little support to the Community Villagers #Balcombe over the weekend (majority voted against fracking in the BPC).

Pls RT facebook-Climate Change Centre Reading (CCCRdg) Pls “Like” us by visiting our new page https://www.facebook.com/CCCRdg  #Balcombe #fracking

The part on climate change from the G8 communique – definitely not enough

, and it wasn’t high on the agenda or saying anything particularly new – but worth a read anyway.

“Climate change is one of the foremost challenges for our future economic growth and well-being. We remain strongly committed to addressing the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly by 2020 and to pursue our low carbon path afterwards, with a view to doing our part to limit effectively the increase in global temperature below 2ºC above pre-industrial levels, consistent with science.

We will pursue ambitious and transparent action, both domestically and internationally, in the UNFCCC, complemented by actions addressed through other relevant fora.

We recognise climate change as a contributing factor in increased economic and security risks globally. The G8 has agreed to consider means to better respond to this challenge and its associated risks, recalling that international climate policy and sustainable economic development are mutually reinforcing.

We … note with grave concern the gap between current country pledges and what is needed, and will work towards increasing mitigation ambition in the period to 2020. We reiterate our commitment to the developed countries’ goal of mobilising jointly $100billion of climate finance per year by 2020 from a wide variety of sources in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and are advancing our efforts to continue to improve the transparency of international climate finance flows. We welcome the efforts of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to mobilise political will through 2014 towards a successful global agreement in 2015 during the Conference of the Parties that France stands ready to host.”

From: (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/207771/Lough_Erne_2013_G8_Leaders_Communique.pdf):

via Healthy Planet UK.

In 1897, a Bicycle Superhighway Was the Future of California Transit

By Brian Merchant

1897

Image: Wikimedia Commons

In 1897, a wealthy American businessman named Horace Dobbins began construction on a private, for-profit bicycle superhighway that would stretch from Pasadena to downtown Los Angeles. It may seem like a preposterous notion now—everyone knows Angelenos don’t get out of their cars—but at the time, amidst the height of a pre-automobile worldwide cycling boom, the idea attracted the attention of some hugely powerful players. And it almost got built…

via In 1897, a Bicycle Superhighway Was the Future of California Transit | Motherboard.