Early this morning, the 28 EU leaders agreed in principle to set a landmark deal to reduce CO2 emissions by 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2030.
EU politics
Putting Tar Sands in Your Tank …
Disaster One. New estimates put the amount of oil per day pouring into the Gulf of Mexico at one million gallons a day. If this is so, BP’s disaster may have spilt more oil than the Exxon Valdez, when at least eleven million gallons poured from the stricken tanker. Disaster Two. There is another ecological … Read More
EU “Deadlocked” over Climate Deal
Much of the political chatter across Europe this morning is about the prospect of ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair becoming the new President of the European Council, if and when the Lisbon Treaty is ratified by all Member States. But behind the scenes at today’s Brussels Summit a huge political row is raging over not … Read More
BP “Exerting Too Much Influence” at the EU
Despite announcing profits of $25 billion yesterday, shares in the oil giant fell by over 4% after it reported a 24% drop in quarterly profits for the last quarter of 2008. Like the other oil majors, the company was hit by the falling oil price. Oil industry analysts said that the company’s profits were “well … Read More
Climate Change Happening Faster, Stronger, Sooner
Just as European leaders are faltering in their efforts to tackle climate change, a new survey of the science by WWF has found that the climate is changing much faster, stronger and sooner than even the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) forecast. According to WWF, research on climate change and its impacts published since … Read More
EU CO2 Targets in “Disarray”
Far from the financial crisis acting as a spring board for a green revolution, several EU leaders produced a predictable political response yesterday by trying to undermine ambitious CO2 targets. President Sarkozy of France, who holds the EU presidency, led the way in appealing to all 27 countries to stick to their target to cut … Read More
“A Good Day for Democracy”
Whilst the biggest political fight of the moment in Congress concerning the toxic bank bail-out continues to make headlines, another bitter political fight is coming to a head, but this one is in Brussels. On the one side are progressive MEPs, and members of the European Commission coupled with environmental groups and scientists who are … Read More
Russia “may cut off oil flow” to West
There is something absurdly silly about threatening a country with sanctions if it has something that you are completely dependent on. But that has now happened with Russia and the West over the crisis in Georgia. With the EU threatening Russia with sanctions, the Daily Telegraph reports that “fears are mounting that Russia may restrict … Read More