CCCRdg will be representing Climate Change mission in the Reading / Thames Valley Berkshire area at the Future of Places (FOP) Conference

Newsdesk

Climate Change Centre Reading
How can Reading / Thames Valley Berkshire become a role model in Climate Change? How can our leadership in in this very current area attract green businesses to the region? How do we form a strong sustainable community 2020-2050? These are questions the Climate Change Centre will address in Driving Readings bid for the 2017 European Green Capital Award; and in doing so will help safeguard the future of our children;

“Streets as Public Spaces,” reflects the importance of modern street design in enabling – or damaging – the well-being of city dwellers. Streets serve a broader function than the efficient conveyance of vehicles or pedestrians from one location to another. They, and their adjacent spaces, form a critical connective network within the city, profoundly influencing, and potentially limiting, social and economic development.

Please see our press release here: http://media1.tvb-climatechallenge.org.uk/2014/03/Press-Release_Climate-Change-Centre-Reading22.pdf

Following the 2013 Future of Places conference in Stockholm, Sweden, Ax:son Johnson Foundation, together with its partners UN-Habitat and Project for Public Spaces, are pleased to announce the next conference in the series. The theme of the 2014 conference, “Streets as Public Spaces,” reflects the importance of modern street design in enabling – or damaging – the well-being of city dwellers. Streets serve a broader function than the efficient conveyance of vehicles or pedestrians from one location to another. They, and their adjacent spaces, form a critical connective network within the city, profoundly influencing, and potentially limiting, social and economic development.

BACKGROUND TO THE PUBLISHER:

Towards Habitat III 2016

‘Habitat III’ is the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, to take place in 2016.

Habitat III will be one of the first global conferences after the Post 2015 Development Agenda. It is an opportunity to discuss and chart new pathways in response to the challenges of urbanization and the opportunities it offers for the implementation of the sustainable development goals.

The conference promises to be unique in bringing together diverse urban actors such as governments, local authorities, civil society, the private sector, academic institutions and all relevant interest groups to review urban and housing policies affecting the future of cities within an international governance architecture, with a view to generate a ‘New Urban Agenda’ for the 21st century which recognizes the ever-changing dynamics of human civilization.

Habitat III offers Member States an opportunity to discuss a New Urban Agenda that will focus on policies and strategies that can result in effectively harnessing the power and forces behind urbanization.

“Consider Climate Change in every action”~Climate Change Centre Reading

More information:
See UN-Habitat Vision for Habitat III

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.

Targets for Renewable Energy achieved !

Targets for Renewable Energy achieved

Sweden have already exceeded their own and the EU renewable energy target for 2020 According to figures from the Swedish Energy Agency.

According to a report produced by the Energy Agency, Sweden has already managed to achieve a share of 51 per cent renewable energy. This exceeds the EU Directive of 49 percent, as well as its national target of 50 percent.

The most successful sector is heating sector, where biomass accounts for the greenest item. The second largest contributing sector is the electricity sector, thanks to a massive influx of wind turbines to reach the established goals.

Sweden has abundant renewable resources – with the sun, wind, water and forest. The very fact that it has already reached and exceeded the EU’s 2020 targets on renewable gives Sweden an excellent starting position for the coming negotiations, which commenced in early 2014 on a new climate and energy policy framework for the EU for 2030.
it-and Energy Minister Anna-Karin Hatt wants to see Throughout the EU more renewable energy and more renewable fuels in the transport industry.

Source: Wind Power News

BIKES vs CARS

Bikes vs. Cars, a new film project from BANANAS! * and Big Boys Gone Bananas! * director Fredrik Gertten. Climate change and the daily stress of being locked up in a car frustrate people more than ever. People in cities around the world take on the bicycle as a Do It Yourself tool for change. But still: Car sales are booming. 1 billion cars today. 2 billion in 2020.

A film by Fredrik Gertten
Release 2014

BIKES vs CARS TRAILER from WG Film

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

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.

Read more here .

Water pollution from fracking confirmed in multiple states

Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Texas have received hundreds of complaints, an AP investigation revealed

LINDSAY ABRAMS

$fracking-water-recycling.jpeg3-620x412$

A jar holding waste water from hydraulic fracturing is held up to the light at a recycling site in Midland, Texas, Sept. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

For a process that’s driving America’s energy boom, the things we don’t know about fracking for oil and natural gas often seem to surpass that which we do. One thing we do know: It involves pushing gallons of chemical-laden water into the ground, which has the potential to seep into nearby sources of drinking water. Leaving aside the fact that gas and oil companies aren’t required to disclose exactly which chemicals they’re using, actual information about water contamination’s scope and severity, along with other details crucial to public knowledge and health, is hard to come by.

In states at the forefront of the past decade’s boom in drilling for gas and oil, the Associated Press found hundreds of complaints about well-water pollution, a number of which were confirmed by officials:

— Pennsylvania has confirmed at least 106 water-well contamination cases since 2005, out of more than 5,000 new wells. There were five confirmed cases of water-well contamination in the first nine months of 2012, 18 in all of 2011 and 29 in 2010. The Environmental Department said more complete data may be available in several months.

— Ohio had 37 complaints in 2010 and no confirmed contamination of water supplies; 54 complaints in 2011 and two confirmed cases of contamination; 59 complaints in 2012 and two confirmed contaminations; and 40 complaints for the first 11 months of 2013, with two confirmed contaminations and 14 still under investigation, Department of Natural Resources spokesman Mark Bruce said in an email. None of the six confirmed cases of contamination was related to fracking, Bruce said.

— West Virginia has had about 122 complaints that drilling contaminated water wells over the past four years, and in four cases the evidence was strong enough that the driller agreed to take corrective action, officials said.

— A Texas spreadsheet contains more than 2,000 complaints, and 62 of those allege possible well-water contamination from oil and gas activity, said Ramona Nye, a spokeswoman for the Railroad Commission of Texas, which oversees drilling. Texas regulators haven’t confirmed a single case of drilling-related water-well contamination in the past 10 years, she said.

via Water pollution from fracking confirmed in multiple states – Salon.com.

BBC comments – Cameron urges fracking opponents to ‘get on board’

13 January 2014
BBC comments – Cameron urges fracking opponents to ‘get on board’

Councils that back fracking will get to keep more money in tax revenue, David Cameron has said as he urged opponents to “get on board”.

Comments

Mrs Vee
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:35

If fracking was the right thing to do Cameron wouldn’t need to offer tax bribes, would he?
Remus
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:32

Bedrock that has taken millions of years to form – destroyed in moments for a quick profit. And the irony is that some fracking will be done by companies from countries where the practice is banned. We need more research before taking this irreversible step.
AMc
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 12:17

What concerns me is the blatent ignorance around this whole subject. Just look at all the comments on this posting. I’m neither for nor against as no one has actually properly explained the pros & cons. But we can’t all keep saying to No Nuclear, No Windfarms, No burning of coal, No Solar Farms, No fracking, we need proper debate and leadership based on facts not emotion.
reenie
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:30

Total is investing in u.k. franking because France has rejected it outright. What does that tell you !!
Megan
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:27

This is a flagrant abuse of the taxation system. A council’s obligations & duty of care to those living in its area won’t change, so altering its funding on such a flimsy pretext is outrageous – whatever you think about fracking!
Lai
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:31

David Cameron is a threat to the British public.
Simon Johnson
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 11:22

It seems clear that we do not know what irreversible damage fracking might cause. If multinational corporations, and a Conservative government, were not promoting it, we might be able to believe what the scientists say. As it is, we can’t. This is short-term profit and long-term risk. If it were about fuel security, we would be exploiting sustainable resources. Shale gas is not sustainable.
stokiemart
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:37

In addition to the obvious conflict of interests this corrupt government is engendering one notes that Total cannot destroy the French environment as fracking in illegal there. But hey, come over to the UK, the Tories will sell anything they can get away with and will help you profit at the expense of the British people and environment. You live in a corporatocracy dressed as a liberal democracy.
Spycatcher
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:28

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules.
BDS Now
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 11:48

Lets all club together to get a licenses to frack in Chipping Norton, near Chequers, Windsor and Sandringham. If they are rejected … then we know for sure / conclusively that there is something wrong with fracking.
Mark
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:46

Fracking in the USA has resulted in gagging orders.
This in itself is an infringement on freedom of speach.
If fracking companies had nothing to hide, then why the gagging orders?

The French have banned fracking.

Pumping carsagenic chemicals into the ground will seep into the water table.

Councils of the UK. Beware the poisoned apple you being offered.
Mark
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:30

Is this just not bribery?

Council funds cut by reduced parking charges and austerity measures will need to fill the gap.
tempting them with revenue from fracking is perverse to say the least.
flipmode
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:28

Let’s hope the local council leaders take the correct advise from specialists rather than seeing ‘££££’ signs appearing infront of their eyes.

As most councils are short of money this could be an easy way out without looking into all apsects of fracking
Sixp
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:46

62. RonnieP

The sooner the left wing open toed sandal brigade understand this, the better.

==
Just grow up.

There’s a pile of evidence to illustrate environmental concerns over fracking and a proper debate is needed.

You may not care a less about the environment, others do.
Davertheraver

13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:38

All our energy needs could met and then some, by investing in insulation, solar panels on virtually every roof, more off shore wind, tidal power, combined heat and power… the solutions are all there. But the ruling class wouldn’t tolerate the people being dependent from the state-corporate alliance for energy, it’s far more profitable to give the Earth an enema and continue ‘business as usual’
Nemesis
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:50

Blackmail & corruption is truly wonderful isn’t it?
They would turn in their graves
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:42

Once they’ve dug these fracking wells, they turn their drills horizontally and can drill for 2-3 miles in every direction, blasting rock with high pressure mains water(expect water prices to increase and become scarce). They could be drilling right under your house and you don’t even know it! Or under an entire town!
Water gets everywhere, just ask a plumber, and this is HIGHLY TOXIC water.
JayTime
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:36

Cracking is a terrible idea. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that pumping large quantities of water and chemicals into the ground is going to cause problems.

Another case of short term financial gain setting the stage.
Cheddy
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 10:48

The downside of 5-year gov is no one wants to care beyond the 5-year mark. Fracking creates jobs, but at what cost? Smoking create jobs too – look where that got us. Legalising drugs will also create jobs.
The gov hires PR companies to look at which short term plan the people are more likely to swallow and then jump on it.
When it goes wrong, we won’t get the truth – just years of finger pointing.
dmcc
13TH JANUARY 2014 – 11:21

1. Bribery, pure and simple. I bet that councils which refuse get their grants cut.

2. So much for the “greenest government ever”.

3. I note it’s Total, a French company. Fracking is banned in France.
Funny, that.

Source: bbc

The doubling of a city’s production of solar electricity

Stockholm’s largest photovoltaic plant has been inaugurated. The plant supplies approximately 180,000 kWh per year, which is a doubling of Stockholm’s production of solar electricity.

– I am proud that Ports of Stockholm now has a photovoltaic system that contributes to the increased use of an alternative and environmentally-friendly energy sources. This is the first time that a photovoltaic system has been economically viable, and produced a profit, says Sten Nordin (M), Mayor of Stockholm.

The photovoltaic system consists of 919 solar panels, which cover an area of 1,500 square meters and are mounted on the roof of Tray 6 in Frihamnen. Tray 6 is a giant ( 40 000 square meters ) building of archives, warehouses and offices. 15 percent of the building’s total annual electricity needs will be met by solar energy.

The price of solar panels has dropped so much that for the first time we can expect to be able to produce electricity at a cost that is competitive. We will pay a lower price for it, than we currently pay for “normal” electricity, says Helena Bonnier (M) , Chairman of the Ports of Stockholm.

Source: energinyheter.se

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

Towards Habitat III 2016

Davertheraver