healthier, happier and richer

Canada is responsible for only 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions and also 2% of the historic contribution. However, it uses a third more energy per unit of GDP than the USA, has per capita annual emissions of 23 tons and is developing tar sands – a wasteful way (from the point of view of energy and water) of getting oil from tar, which is notable for being an even more polluting energy source than coal.

Some good news – or at least good promises – from Gordon Brown. In his first interview since the G20, he told The Independent that this month’s Budget will make the UK “a world leader” in manufacturing, using and exporting electric and hybrid vehicles, and also lighter, more fuel-efficient petrol cars.

Last week, I went to Rome to talk to Chicco Testa, who used to be chairman of Enel, Italy’s largest energy utility (and the third largest in Europe). He has now set up an organisation called NewClear to press Italy and other European countries to build new nuclear power stations.

Last Friday Eon, announced that it is postponing its plan to build a new power station in Kent that would have demonstrated that carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology can be retrofitted. The same day, the energy regulator, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), published a report accepting that energy prices would have to increase, but would increase much less under a move to low-carbon energy than under a scenario under which the UK relies on gas and oil. And today, the Committee on Climate Change launches its first report on how the UK is doing on meetings its carbon budgets – basic message: ‘not nearly well enough’.

The President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, is aiming to make his country the first 100% renewable economy (for electricity, heat and transport).

Today, I attended a conference organised by Business for a New Europe and the Centre for European Reform on Is the EU good for business?. The general answers was (unsurprisingly, given the organisers) ‘yes, generally, but could be better’.

Should we worry about oil and gas running out? No – for three reasons.

“Think global; act local” – the phrase often used by of Friends of the Earth – is an excellent philosophy. Since most of us do not have the power to influence international events, we should focus more on taking practical steps in our own localities. Climate change is the ultimate global issue and it does not matter where greenhouse gases are emitted. So global thinking is needed. However, practical measures are more important than yet more thought and discussion or international targets. Copenhagen is important, but must not be the only focus at the moment.

This has been a good week for the climate and for the global economy. President Obama is now saying that the US economy may have begun to recover, although it will be a long and bumpy road.

On Saturday, I was on a panel at the World Science Festival in New York, with James Hansen of NASA and three others. Hansen’s position on nuclear can be summarised simply: it’s better than coal.

UK Energy Secretary, Chris Huhne, has proposed a radical overhaul of the UK’s electricity market. This is good news, but the government must do more to combat fuel poverty.

Presidents Hu and Obama met today in Beijing and climate change was high on the agenda. China and the US are now the two largest producers of greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for over a third of total annual global emissions – though the US has caused 30% of the total historical contribution, whereas China has contributed just 7%, and US per capita emissions are 23.5 tons, whereas China’s are 5.5 tons.

In November 2009, 3% of OECD electricity was generated by renewables other than hydro. 14% came from hydro. And this was only 17% of what electricity was then used, not total energy used.

President Obama has done more to control climate change than President Bush ever did. However, that is hardly setting the bar very high.

The Congress Party has won India’s general election, so will be in power for a further five years – and it looks like its position will more be more secure than during the previous five. This is significant because, arguably, it is crucial for India to now have a strong government as it is impossible to understate India’s importance as far as climate change is concerned.

Not surprisingly, the media discussion of climate change is dominated by the countdown to Copenhagen. EU environment ministers are meeting today to try to strengthen the European negotiating position, though they won’t be able to make progress on the key issue of funding, as this is up to finance ministers.

All low carbon options must be pursued to control climate change. However, that means all options that are genuinely low carbon, not all those that claim to be low carbon.

President Obama is committed to controlling climate change. He has allocated billions of dollars to renewable energy and promised to engage seriously with international negotiations. However, Obama is not perfect and should not be above criticism.

This is my article in the August edition of the ENDS magazine.

The Copenhagen Climate Summit starts today. Prospects are looking better than they were a few weeks ago and the fact that President Obama has decided to attend the final negotiating session, rather than just for a token visit at the start, is excellent.

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, today gave his pre-budget report to parliament. This included some good climate measures.

Agriculture is only directly responsible for a small percentage of carbon emissions, but it is responsible for a higher percentage of total greenhouse gas emissions due to emissions of methane (particularly from cows) and nitrous oxide (from the use of manure and artificial fertilizers). As far as forests are concerned, as well as being beautiful, vital for biodiversity and home to millions of people, they are crucial carbon sinks.

Our website, Climateanswers.info, is broadly split up into three: technological answers, political answers and behavioural answers.

Why have we done this?

Well, this site is really about actions and not prohibitions – what we can do, rather than just what we shouldn’t. We do not wear hair shirts at Climate Answers and we are born optimists!

In my opinion, electric vehicles should be strongly supported. Those concerned about climate change too often take an overly anti-car position.

All three main UK parties take climate seriously, and promise to reduce emissions and expand low-carbon energy. They all recognise the energy security and employment benefits. This article includes the relevant parts of the manifestos of the three main parties on transport, including rail, aviation and road.

This month air has become increasingly visible: literally and metaphorically. Suzanna Hinson considers what governments and the EU should do to deliver clean air.

The Committee on Climate Change sensibly calls for an ‘all of the above’ approach to decarbonisation.

A small island in Rio bay already gets most of its energy from renewables. It should move to become totally powered by solar, biogas and imported hydroelectricity.

How well have Obama and Energy Secretary Chu done so far on promoting energy efficiency, renewables, CCS and electric vehicles? A very positive assessment is made by the Center for American Progress.

President Barack Obama recently set out a stimulus package for the ailing American economy. In it, $80 billion was earmarked for the use of furthering renewable energy usage and other measures to promote a low carbon economy.

There is much talk these days of reducing our ‘carbon footprints’. But what does this mean in practice? Here is a list of things that I (and others) consider to be important if we are to take control of this important aspect of our lives.

For climate and air quality reasons, we need more gas. Shale gas is less bad than liquified natural gas – and better than coal.