Politics

European Parliament calls for 30 percent cuts

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Good news everyone ! As I noted in my latest post for Cleantechies : ” The European Union has been committed for years to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020 (compared to 1990). “ ” As we have seen in a recent article, reaching such targets is very plausible and wouldn’t … Read more

What Obama’s re-election means for climate

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US President Barack ObamaBarack Obama’s re-election this week occurred shortly after the Hurricane Sandy that killed dozens people and inflicted for billion of dollars of damages to the US economy. The past year has been the hottest ever for the United States.

On a positive note, President Obama have introduced various bills and laws to help America become cleaner and more efficient. In the meantime, coal has decreased in the local electricity generation from 50 to 37 percent.

Under attack, the fossil fuels lobbies have literally showered the country in ads to try and sell natural gas, dirty coal and other nefarious stuff to electors.

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The definite article on climate change

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I tweet dozens of articles each week if not every single day. I read however very few of the articles they are linking to. Last week however, I was driven to reading the latest article from Bill McKibben on Rolling Stones. “Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math” is a five-page piece that offers the latest of … Read more

US fossil fuels interests are getting desperate

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Fossil fuels lobbies and anti climate change think tanks alike are getting more and more desperate as connect the dots and demand action on greenhouse gases and pollutions of all kinds.

As if this wasn’t enough, Senator Bernie Sanders (Independant from Vermont) and Congressman Keith Ellison (Democrat from Minnesota) introduced a bill to end polluter welfare.

If such a move was enacted, fossil fuels subsidies – due to be over a hundred billion dollars in America in the next ten years – would come to an end.

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Rio20+ is another missed opportunity

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The conference that took place in Rio de Janeiro last week was due to bring a new start to sustainable development. The original event which took place at the place twenty years ago and was a fiasco.

Indeed out of the 90 goals outlined at the time, only FOUR have shown improvements. And despite we hear of climate change mitigation almost every day since then, our emissions have kept on increasing and increasing.

Sustainable development is to many an empty promise. The Rio20+ conference was due to get sustainability back on rails, but it clearly has failed in this regard.

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European Energy ministers to meet this week

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Some great people are making a difference. Among them is Alice Stollmeyer, one of my most recent “discoveries” on Twitter. Alice is an independent energy policy advisor and specialist in European public affairs. Her first blog post is on the incoming European Energy ministers meeting which will take place between Wednesday and Friday in Denmark. … Read more

Mexico passes ambitious climate law

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Yesterday the Mexican Lower House (Chamber of Deputies) passed a most ambitious law to fight climate change.  As the local newspapers report, this was a landslide as there was 280 votes for and only ten against. As Kees van der Leun noted on Twitter, the country would slash by 50 percent its greenhouse gases by … Read more

Protect our winters : ” get political, be vocal “

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You might be familiar with the problem if you are an avid skier or snowboarder : the climate is getting warmer and warmer, thus reducing the possibilities of enjoying your favorite sports.

This led a pro snowboarder, Jeremy Jones, to start the Protect Our Winters campaign ” after having been turned away from areas that had once been ride-able and seeing resorts closed due to lack of snow.”

Their latest campaign – the POW SEVEN – is heralded by Grist as ” the best green action plan” they have ever seen. It indeed ask its followers to get political and be vocal.

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President Obama rejects Keystone XL pipeline

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If you aren’t familiar with US environmental politics, you might not have heard about Big Oil’s latest craze : building a 1.700 mile (2,736 km) long pipeline to bring tar sands oil extracted from Canada to the US Gulf coast. After many twists and turns, President Barack Obama – the green Prez that should have … Read more

European Union unveils its Energy Roadmap 2050

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Is Europe finally moving ? To the European Commission‘s official website : ” On 15 December 2011, the European Commission adopted the Communication “Energy Roadmap 2050. “

” The EU is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 80-95% below 1990 levels by 2050 in the context of necessary reductions by developed countries as a group. “

I believe this is a sound decision, but its is lacking intermediary deadlines like -30 % percent by 2020. (highly feasible as we have seen).

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Mixed feelings about the Durban climate talks

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As you sure know, the Durban Climate talks ended Sunday. There are some good news, but they are mostly bad. Good news first : The Kyoto Protocol has been extended until 2017.

Another good news : the Durban agreement was the first ever to bind all countries to act on climate change. Sure, this is merely halfway through business as usual and the needed target.

But this is the further we have ever been on climate negotiation ! Even if it won’t be enough, even if it is far from what should be done at a global level, we are going forward on climate.

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A real must-see and must-share video on climate

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While reading Climate Progress I came across a must-see speech from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, from Rhode Island. As the description on Youtube notes :

” There are some laws that Congress can change. The laws of nature aren’t among them. While lobbyists continue to call for more and more “second” opinions, Sheldon points out to his colleagues that the scientific community is solidly behind the fact that climate change is a real threat. “

This speech clearly contrasts with the environmental bashing of most Republicans and most Democrats keeping quiet on those very issues. Please watch this video, please share it !

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