This is a diplomatic row that has been rumbling for some time and it could get nasty. Back in 2009, the EU proposed legislation that would cut imports of dirty tar sands from Canada, as part of its Fuel Quality Directive, which was introduced to encourage cleaner, greener fuels. Canada was worried that the tar … Read More
European Union
A €30 Million Joke
For a long time the concept of carbon trading has had its critics. The primary one is that trading carbon does not really get rid of the problem: the emissions of carbon dioxide. It merely changes pollution into a commodity that can be traded. As the NGO Carbontrade Watch argues: “Carbon offsets allow companies and … Read More
Time to Vote in the EU Worst Lobby Awards
It’s that time of year again. Over in Europe, a coalition of NGOs is running the “Worst EU Lobbying Awards” and one of the categories for this year’s award is “climate”. There are three nominees for companies and organisations who are the worst offenders when it comes to undermining action on climate change. To vote … Read More
The Madness of US and EU Biofuels Policy
Sometime you just cannot make sense of the madness. In its desire to rid itself of the ravages of foreign oil addiction, the US is subsidizing domestic ethanol production. The success of this programme means that nearly four out of ten bushels of this year’s corn crop will be made into fuel for your car. … Read More
Its January, must be time for a Russian energy dispute
It’s that time of year again. It’s January, snow is on the ground (and no that doesn’t mean that climate change is not happening), it’s freezing outside and … Russia is having an energy dispute with its neighbours. Somethings never change. This time it is Belarus and the spat is about oil rather than gas, … Read More
“Spend as much on climate change as war”
When the Nobel Peace Prize committee decided earlier this year to award the prize to President Obama, they could not have envisaged that it would be in the same month as he sent 30,000 more troops to war. Giving the peace prize to the Commander in Chief of American forces involved in two brutal and … Read More
EU Stance on Climate Undermined by its Dirty Bank
On the eve of the Copenhagen Summit, the EU’s attempts to portray themselves as leading the international effort to reduce carbon dioxide have been shown to be completely hypocritical by a new report. Despite the promises by the EU’s politicians to lead on climate change, the EU’s own bank continues to invest heavily in fossil … Read More
Electric Vehicles May Increase CO2
Finally someone has stated the blindingly obvious… For years the car industry has argued that electric vehicles are the answer to climate change. They have even had the audacity to call them “zero emission vehicles”. At the moment, electric vehicles are all the rage. At this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show visitors would have been left … 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
UN Accuses EU of “Shifting the Goalposts” on Climate
Politicians would not be politicians if they did not wriggle out over promises they have made in the past. Ask them a straight question and you never get a straight answer. If they give a firm commitment, often they renegade on it. So should we really be surprised that the UN’s chief negotiator on climate … Read More