Rich Cookson’s final blog from Sakhalin: “The VIP lounge at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk airport is packed with Russian politicians and foreign oil workers. Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev – the man tipped to be the next Russian President – is visiting the liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in the south of Sakhalin today. His delegation … Read More
Author: Andy Rowell
European Experts: Heat Wave is Global Warming
The heat wave sweeping Europe, that is already claiming lives, is a direct consequence of climate change, according to leading European scientists. “We are observing and suffering the first effects of global warming,” says HervĂ© Le Treut, a meteorologist at the French Centre for Scientific Research.“The emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are … Read More
Sakhalin – We Have to Ensure the Whales Survive
Rich Cookson’s next blog from Sakhalin: “The Russian frigate Nadezhda, packed with acoustic monitoring equipment, has arrived off Piltun. After a five-day journey from Vladivostok on the 108m-long, three-mast ship, the marine mammal experts and acousticians on board have started their work.
It’s a Sin to Fly or Drive a Gas-Guzzler
One of Britain’s most senior clergy, the Bishop of London has declared that it is a “sin” to fly on holiday, to drive a “gas-guzzling” car or fail to use energy-saving light-bulbs.The Bishop, Richard Chartres, told the Sunday Times that “making selfish choices such as flying on holiday or buying a large car are a … Read More
Sakhalin Energy: “Our Critics Are Wrong”
Rich Cookson’s next dispatch from Sakhalin: The Deputy CEO of Sakhalin Energy, David J Greer, is bullish about his company’s impact on Sakhalin, dismissing many of his critics’ claims as “absolutely wrong”. “We bring joy and happiness to the people of Sakhalin,” he says. “And we are providing clean and efficient energy to an energy-starved … Read More
UK Food Miles Increase
Carbon emissions from aircraft and lorries delivering food to British supermarkets and restaurants have increased so much that they are now at record levels, the UK government has admitted. Â Road and air food miles generated nearly 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2004, up 6 per cent on the previous year.
Sakhalin Energy: “We Have No Impact on Whales”
Here is Rich Cookson’s third blog from Sakhalin. “In early-morning off-the-record briefings, Sakhalin Energy’s (SE) employees – many of them from Shell – insist that the company is committed to protecting the island’s environment. They say, for instance, that the company has new scientific data which proves that its offshore activities have had no discernable … Read More
World Facing “Catastrophic” Loss of Species
Nineteen leading scientists are warning today that the Earth is on the brink of a “major biodiversity crisis” fuelled by the destruction of habitats and climate change. The scientists estimate that 12 per cent of all birds, 23 per cent of mammals, a quarter of conifers, a third of amphibians and more than half of … Read More
Sakhalin – “No Guarantees” About Engangered Whales
Here is Rich Cookson’s second blog from Sakhalin Island, off Russia’s east coast. Rich writes: “The Sakhalin Energy (SE) project, Sakhalin II, is the second of nine planned extraction projects around Sakhalin. Exxon holds a 30 per cent stake in Sakhalin I, an oil development on the northeastern Sakhalin Shelf. Affiliates of the Russian oil … Read More
Q: Why is it So Hot Today? A: Its Climate Change
Its 100F in California and it could well be over 100 degrees in London today. As we all wilt in the heat, everyone is asking is this climate change? The Independent in its front page thinks so. “Temperature set to hit 100 degrees – and global warming is to blame”, says one of the headlines … Read More