Yesterday saw BP join Shell and Exxon in reporting record profits of $19.3bn (£11bn). What the three company results highlight is the fundamental flaw of how they are valued by city investors. As both Shell and BP posted record profits their share price actually went down as the profits were not as large as some … Read More
Climate Change
UK Climate Change Strategy “Paralysed”
More on that story of Britain’s stagnated climate change strategy. The Guardian reports how the strategy has “been paralysed for seven months by a dispute between two Whitehall departments.” So yesterday we find out that Blair says climate change is worse than previously thought – the greatest threat facing humanity. Today we read about the … Read More
Even Blair Says We are in Trouble Because of Climate Change
Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair has admitted that climate change could be much more serious than previously thought in a new government report on global warming published today. The report is a major update to a scientific conference held in Exeter last year by the British government on the subject.
Meanwhile Shell’s vision is ….. “green fossil fuels”
Whilst everyone else gets excited about the potential for renewable energy, the Chief Executive of Shell, Jeroen Van Der Veer shows a remarkable lack of foresight or imagination. Writing in the Financial Times this week, Van Der Veer outlined his “vision for meeting energy needs beyond oil”.
Two continents: Same message: The solutions are there.
Let’s move on from the last blog about the political will being needed to make technological change. Two reports on two different continents show how we could reduce our oil dependency now, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions given political will and economic investment.
Gaia Scientist Says we are Doomed as BP Says it is “Time To Listen”
Today’s Independent newspaper carries an indepth interview with celebrated scientist, James Lovelock who invented the “Gaia” theory thirty years ago. His new book, called the The Revenge of Gaia is published next month. In it Lovelock argues that climate change has already past the point of no return and that billions of people will die … Read More
Expect a New Backlash On Climate Science
The news reported in the scientific journal Nature this month that trees might be account for about 10 to 30 per cent of the potent greenhouse gas methane that is entering the atmosphere is a gift to climate skeptics and the oil industry. For years they have tried to argue that man-made emissions were not … Read More
Montreal Fall-Out – Historic Step or Risible Rubbish?
Some two weeks after the UN Montreal talks scraped together an 11th hour deal on climate change there is still a raging debate on whether it was a good deal or not. Environmental groups from Europe were surprising upbeat about Montreal in the immediate aftermath. Friends of the Earth called it an “historic step” forwards … Read More
What’s Happened Since Montreal?
Blair gets an Official Warning over Inaction on Climate The US is usually seen as the villain over climate and rightly so – see – click here However, the day after the Montreal meeting, Tony Blair faced the wrath of his own watchdog on sustainable development. For the first time ever the “Sustainable Development Commission”, … Read More
Russian Gas Fallout – from the Frying Pan to the Fire
Although Russia has now switched the tap back on allowing gas exports to resume at full strength to the Ukraine, the ramifications of the dispute are still rumbling across Europe. You could argue that the Russian action could be beneficial in that it has woken people up to the problems of long-term energy security based … Read More