Scientists and other experts must become more attuned to the different roles that they play in broader society, especially what it means to be facilitators of democracy rather than advocates for more authoritarian political systems. In practice this means recognizing that the main function of expert advisory bodies is not to tell the public what should be done, but rather what could be done. Experts, such as the Global Challenges Foundation … [Read more...]
Christoph Frei, World Energy Council: “Resilience will rise to top of agenda”
The chances that we will be able to meet our climate targets are becoming increasingly slim, notes Christoph Frei, Secretary-General of the World Energy Council (WEC) in an interview with Energy Post. The main reason for this is that CCS (carbon capture and storage), a crucial element in any emission reduction strategy, “is not happening”. This means, says Frei, that “if no radical policy shift takes place, concerns will shift from mitigation to … [Read more...]
Nuclear Power: the Faustian Bargain
There are good reasons to be in favor of nuclear power – for now. There are even better reasons to want to replace nuclear power by renewable energy – in the not too distant future, writes Allan Hoffman, former energy expert at the US Department of Energy. This is the second of two articles in which Hoffman, who runs the blog Thoughts of a Lapsed Physicist, reflects on a sensitive energy topic. In his first article he weighed the pros and cons of … [Read more...]
Integrating energy and climate policy for low-carbon growth in Europe
Europe’s efforts to control emissions are failing, yet the necessary technologies are already here – decarbonising the power system and then using it to run more of our economy is the key, say Johannes Meier, CEO of the European Climate Foundation, and Arne Mogren, Director of the European Climate Foundation’s Power Programme and Member of the Energy Roadmap 2050 ad hoc Advisory Group. Photo: Avedøre power plant, Denmark (by Martin Nicolaj … [Read more...]
Report: Poland can handle higher carbon prices
A new report from Oliver Sartor of CDC Climat Research and Thomas Spencer of IDDRI (Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations) shows that the impact of higher carbon prices will not drive the energy-intensive industry out of Poland. Photo: Patnow coal power station (photo: Ecotist) … [Read more...]
Finally, a brilliant plan for a climate policy that should please everyone
Policymakes have been faced with huge dilemmas when considering climate change policies. But now a brilliant plan has been conceived to come to a global climate change policy that no reasonable person could object to. It has the beauty of being able to appeal to both climate change believers and sceptics – and anybody in between. And no, I am not joking: it is a serious proposal, made by Canadian economist Ross McKitrick, who presented it to the … [Read more...]
EIB cleans up its energy lending policy
The European Investment Bank (EIB) intends to place stricter CO2 emission standards on coal power plants that it finances, but not as strict as the standards president Obama recently proposed in the US. The EIB is also considering investing in shale gas projects, according to a draft of its new energy lending policy. NGOs accuse the EIB of a “missed opportunity to politically reject coal”. With the EBRD and World Bank also mulling new investment … [Read more...]
Europe’s unresolved energy versus climate policy dilemma
The creation of a pan-European energy market is being undermined by member states’ reluctance to align their national renewable energy policies, or to rely on their neighbours for back-up capacity, writes David Buchan, Senior Research Fellow of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. According to Buchan, “the Commission now has to take a very strong stand if it is to regain control over the forces of disintegration that it failed to anticipate … [Read more...]
The surprising new Schwarzenegger movie “Total Transition”
Energy Post editor Karel Beckman went to the première of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new movie “Total Transition” which had its first showing in the European Parliament in Brussels. His verdict: not too much action, but definitely worth seeing if you have anything to do  with "transitions". Photo: Eva Rinaldi, Celebrity Photographer … [Read more...]
Op-ed: BusinessEurope’s can’t do attitude
Brook Riley of the Climate Justice and Energy Team of Friends of the Earth Europe sent us a letter on what he regards as BusinessEurope's dragging-its-feet attitude towards EU climate policy. He suspects its BusinessEurope’s goal "to obstruct, to delay and to create doubt in the minds of policymakers about the need to address global warming". Climate change is truly a life-and-death challenge for all of us. With such high stakes, it’s … [Read more...]
The President’s Climate Action Plan: it sounds very European
President Obama on Tuesday presented a “new climate action plan”. Most if it could have come straight from Brussels. But there are some differences with the European approach. The US is not going to back out of fossil fuels and nuclear power. And it pays serious attention at last to mitigation and adaptation. Photo: 350.org … [Read more...]
The President’s Climate Action Plan: sounds very European
President Obama on Tuesday presented a “new climate action plan”. Most of it could have come straight from Brussels. But there are some differences with the European approach. The US is not going to back out of fossil fuels and nuclear power. And it pays serious attention at last to mitigation and adaptation. Photo: 350.org … [Read more...]
Interview Marcin Korolec, Polish Minister: “We will fight for climate agreement”
Last year at the UN Climate Conference in Doha, Poland surprised everyone by proposing to host the next Conference of the Parties (COP). As president of COP19 in Warsaw in November of this year, Polish Environment Minister Marcin Korolec will play a key role in paving the way for a worldwide agreement on climate action. A sharp contrast to the Polish position in Brussels, where the country is often perceived as “sabotaging” EU climate policy. How … [Read more...]
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