Europe

Does the European Union really leads on climate ?

Some six weeks ahead of Copenhagen, the Guardian published an article on how the European Union believes it is taking the lead on climate change mitigation. At first I was quite optimistic with the title. However there is nothing new: the EU is still willing to cut by 20 percent its emissions by 2020 and […]

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United Kingdom may need to import cereals

I am absolutely no fan of biofuels, and am even believing they are more a problem than a solution as still hundreds of millions people are starving. It seems that it could also pose problem in the richest nations. Indeed, Green Inc. noted that the United Kingdom may have to resort to cereals imports in

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Norway to cut its emissions by 40 percent

After the United Kingdom which pledged to cut its greenhouse gases emissions by 34 percent by 2020 and Japan by 25 percent, Norway is another country to pledge to drastic emissions cuts. Meanwhile, the European Union still clings to cuts from 20 to 30 percent if other major emitters join them. It would be nice

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EU to give 50 billion euros to energy research

The European Union will give over the next decade up to 50 billion Euros to research on low carbon energy. Solar energies will receive 16 billion euros, wind power 6 billion, nuclear 7 and energy from waste and biomass 9 billion. This is due to enable the 27 members to compete on cleantech with the

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Why Merkel’s reelection may be good news for climate

As Angela Merkel was reelected German Chancellor and is due to begin a new coalition with the Liberals, nuclear power plants may not be phased out in 2020 as it was previously agreed. Meanwhile, and if Germany keeps it targets of renewables answering 33 percent of the electricity demand in 2020 this may mean that

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The Alps are endangered by climate change

To the latest report of the European Environment Agency, climate change “poses a grave threat” to the snows of the Alps, and thus will decrease the amounts of water received by many rivers like the Danube, Rhine, Po and Rhone. At the center of Europe the Alps – like the Himalayas are for Asia –

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Romania builds largest onshore wind farm in EU

This just broke in : Romania will have in 2011 the largest onshore wind farm in the European Union with 240 wind turbines accounting for no less than 600 MW of installed capacity. This 1.1 billion Euro ($1.6 billion) project is done in order to offset the emissions of the dirty coal fired plants of

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European emissions keep on decreasing

Some might say that this year the cuts in greenhouse gases emissions are due to the recession. It might be the case, but here the news nonetheless: the European Union decreased its emissions for the fourth year in a row in 2008. But there is more to it : the European Union and its 27

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The European Cap and Trade system works fine

To a new study presented by a US non-governmental organization, the European cap and trade system – called Emission Trading System or ETS – seems to finally work after a much difficult start. To TreeHugger: The trading system has created a healthy carbon market now worth 56 billion US dollars, and (…) has been responsible

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Floating wind turbine may be a game changer

Offshore wind energy may soon change thanks to a new kind of turbines that literally floats on water. The first 2.3 MW prototype was installed 10 kilometers off the Norwegian coasts on June 8th. Developed jointly by Siemens and StatoilHydro the Hywind windmill can be located where seas depths reach from 120 to 700 meters,

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