BP and Shell caused almost $50 billion of environmental and social damage last year – double the amount of profits they made in the past 12 months – according to a report by WWF and the New Economics Foundation. The two groups are urging the British Government to slap an “oil legacy fund” on the … Read More
Author: Andy Rowell
Blair the Climate Change Hypocrite
The hypocrisy of Blair’s government on climate change is all too evident again. On the one hand it has emerged that Blair has failed to tackle UK greenhouse gas emissions that are now at the highest level since Labour came to power. On the other Blair continues to warn others that we must act. Last … Read More
Climate Change Will Cause Refugee Crisis
Climate change will cause hundreds of millions of environmental refugees according to a new report, from the aid agency Tearfund. The study, “Feeling the Heat“, says there are already an estimated 25 million environmental refugees, and this figure is likely to soar as rain patterns continue to change, floods and storms become more frequent and … Read More
Close to the Tipping Point of No Return
In his latest book, Paul Brown ex-environment editor at The Guardian ponders how close we are to the tipping point of runaway climate change. The phrase “tipping point” is certainly heard a lot more from scientists these days. It is, says Brown, where a small amount of warming sets off unstoppable changes, for example the … Read More
The Scam of Carbon-Offsets
Finally someone has come out and critizised carbon off-setting for the scam it is. As George Monbiot writes in today’s Guardian: “Rejoice! We have a way out. Our guilty consciences appeased, we can continue to fill up our SUVs and fly around the world without the least concern about our impact on the planet. How … Read More
Will American Motorists Switch to Clean-Burn Diesel?
The Financial Times has reported how a “drive to convert American motorists to diesel will take a big step forward during the next few days as a more environmentally friendly version of the fuel goes on sale. The clean-burning ultralow sulphur diesel emits only 15 parts per million of sulphur, compared with 500 parts for … Read More
The Contradiction of Flying
There is no way around the conundrum – either countries reduce aircraft travel or they will not be able to reduce their carbon emissions. There is no technical fix. That is the conclusion of an authoritative report by Oxford University that looked at the contradiction in the UK’s position on climate change.
The Great Oil Shale Rip-Off
Hidden incentives to oil companies to develop oil shale reserves in the US could amount to billions of dollars, according to a report in the LA Times. According to the paper: “Tucked into a massive energy bill that would open the outer continental shelf to oil drilling are provisions that would slash future royalties owed … Read More
To the Moon and Back 14 Times
The hypocrisy of the UK Labour government and its position on climate change has been highlighted by figures that show that the total distance flown by Blair’s ministers and senior officials last year alone is equivalent to 14 return trips to the Moon. Tony Blair, his cabinet colleagues and their officials clocked up 6.5 million … Read More
UK Government Plans Legislation Over Climate
The British government has signalled that it is planning legislation to tackle climate change, as it acknowledges the formidable political consensus that has emerged in the UK over the need for action. The new law, likely to introduce controls on carbon dioxide emissions and an independent system to gauge progress in reducing greenhouse gases, was … Read More