Sunday, July 31, 2011

The world's most radical conservationist, Watson is being sued for $1.4m (?850,000) by a Maltese fishing company, Fish and Fish, one of Europe's leading tuna processors. The law suit against Watson's Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was filed last year after activists aboard the Steve Irwin freed 800 bluefin tuna from a pen in the Mediterranean.

After a fracas in which there was hand-to-hand fighting between the two crews, Sea Shepherd sent in divers to release the 800 tuna.

Catches are limited to two weeks a year and ship owners have been given strict quotas to meet by governments, but, with little policing, the industry has been able to openly flout the law in Libyan waters.

Greenpeace and WWF called last month for a suspension of the Mediterranean tuna fishing season, saying that stocks were at critically low levels. "Mediterranean bluefin tuna is on the slippery slope to collapse," said Dr Sergi Tudela, of WWF Mediterranean.

"The group to document the seal slaughter has been tried, but Namibian special forces detected," said Watson. "It was a good plan, but Sea Shepherd is not a game for the Namibian military." The group fled to South Africa, having broken into his room and cameras destroyed.



One word is missing in the American debate over the debt crisis: austerity. It's a revealing absence. In spite of the vast deficit, and despite the US being the home of individualism, no way is being offered for individuals to make a difference by changing their lifestyles.

Not so in the U.S.. In the five months I spent there earlier this year, I've never heard the word austerity measures in the political debate. The republican discourse is all about how the government is too much. The government needs to tighten their belts. There was nothing to people living beyond their means and no evidence that individuals have a role to play in the solution.

But the U.S. deficit is established for excess, and allows too much consumer credit, less well recognized, too much credit environment. In the current war of words in Congress, there is no evidence of unethical lending that people could not afford it encouraged to invest in the American dream. That 's, which led to the property crash and the financial crisis. That has completely disappeared from the political argument.

From people I did not hear about the need for wealthy people to change their habits. Of course there are many worthy "green shoots" how "locavore" movement or the "Greening the campus" initiative at the university I was visiting, where a newly appointed Sustainability Officer tries heroically cut energy consumption. But people like him have their work before. The entire East Coast and the Rust Belt are big, shocking landscapes, to which many Americans seem to forget. This is a society that has lived on not only its economic resources, but those of his environment as evidenced by the hundreds of miles of abandoned buildings, abandoned cars and endless highways.

But living the American dream. You 're either in or out of it. As a means out of poverty. Individual lifestyles boom or bust. In the UK, I know many people who reject consumerism, to engage in poorly paid work or political environment. We view them as more honest. In the U.S., if you don 't have money you don' t count.

Nothing to suggest it, we 've come to the right it was. Far from it. David Cameron, the politicians listen to most often referencing saving measures, is not it linked a vision for a green economy. And the relaxation of planning controls that have the potential, which garbage would be environmental, such a case. But at least words like frugality, simplicity and sustainability don 't such a negative connotation. They suggest that we have at least one place of work. In the United States, the ideological mindset of these negative conditions, which in turn is the future bleak. My problem isn 't just mounting government expenditures, but ultimately are the real costs of the American way of life.


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Ferran Adri? today closes his award-winning restaurant El Bulli. Are we coming to the end of our love affair with liquid nitrogen and molecular gastronomy?

Ferran Adri? is not closing El Bulli, the world's (ex-) best restaurant, tonight, he is simply "changing, moving on … improving", a process that involves, erm, closing it. It will reopen as a "creativity centre" in 2014. He announced this decision two years ago, the reason given being that it loses half a million euros a year. Insiders counter that it was a kind of loss-leader, the high concept of the place cross-fertilising other ventures. Or, as Joe Warwick, co-founder of The World's 50 Best Restaurants by Restaurant Magazine, put it: "He has so many commercial endorsements coming out of his arse, I can't believe he's short of money." He meant it in a nice way.

There was another reason given, although that was the weight of expectation: while only 8,000 guests were always served in a particular season, tried to book two million people. They flocked to the flavors that were only air, has been formed for the things that really looked like olive jelly with liquid inside, for the rabbits look like a chestnut. This level of learning takes all the creativity that humanity can muster, since the well Adri? \ documents 's case: He' sa genius. Everyone knows that he 'sa genius. Hollywood makes a movie about what he is a genius.

His ingenuity has made the judgments of some over-weaning food critic in an undisputed pillar of the global culture passed. I 've checked restaurants for the Sunday Telegraph for five years from the time when I began, the Spaniard was already a legend. I haven 't been to the restaurant. Given the proviso that he 's unparalleled course I'm the kind of thing that he does not somehow replicate the razzle dazzle end of the English restaurants seen: Sat Bains in Nottingham, Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley and in a less imaginative, more traditional way, Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, Nathan Outlaw.

Probably the only English cookery, suffered the same curse of El Bulli would be Heston Blumenthal - and the longer they are open, the more word spreads her surprise, and the more people come to expect. It 'sa race to the top, but at some point one must ask, above, what? This type of cooking is extremely labor intensive, and if you '\ go too little blood present in a pouch on the side of the plate, not to eat, to smell only, you'll need more than one chef and sous chef. There are probably as many people a radical textures in this three-star restaurant, as there are in a major research university to determine fusion. As a restaurant insider said. "I would not devote a brigade of 70 people turn out to be something that looks like an olive, but really something else I don 't think that' sa proper use of 70 highly qualified employees."

Just because El Bulli closes mean doesn 't, the world has lost this complexity of the endeavor. In Copenhagen, Ren? Redzepi far only two Michelin stars, but El Bulli restaurant makes its best in the world title in 2010 and retained the award this year. As a character, seems Redzepi, the essence of what we at the moment to distill a "best": There's nothing fussy or fancy about him, he is the opposite of what you 'd think, than the Michelin "character". If you were asked to guess what he did, you would probably say, concept artist: \ he's taciturn, watchful, amused.

His restaurant, Noma, takes the efforts of excellence one step further and links the experiments that Adri? and Blumenthal trail blazed with an obsessive dedication to localism and seasonality, so that in the depths of winter, all you can eat at Noma stuff that 's been preserved in ice (or, as we might say, "freezing") or buried in soil for two years. Adri? didn 't really care where his doves came from, that' s what people were saying, anyway. Of course you can never really know a man 's heart when it comes to a turtle dove.



To raise the dependency on fossil fuels makes the price of carbon, after which conversion to gas, which produces fewer emissions

The UK 's greenhouse gas emissions are likely to fall and the cost of carbon dioxide emissions for the industry as a result of Germany \ rise decision to shut down their nuclear power plants, has shown a new analysis.

He said the use of renewables was also likely to increase as a result of the changes.

Emissions will not rise overall across the EU because of Germany's decision, however, as under the EU emissions trading scheme there is an absolute cap on emissions from energy-intensive industry until 2020. But within Europe, countries where generators switch away from coal are likely to see their emissions dip.

The EU's emissions trading scheme imposes a cap on the amount of carbon that can be emitted from heavy industry, including power generation. Under the scheme, companies are awarded a quota of permits, each representing a tonne of carbon dioxide, and if companies wish to emit more they must buy spares from cleaner companies. This is supposed to spur the take-up of clean technologies, and spur greater energy efficiency.

In the case of fossil fuel generators, a higher price on carbon will make it more costly to burn coal, and encourage companies to switch to gas and renewables.



Saturday, July 30, 2011

They had no evidence whether this could be true, and said nothing about whether the Maunder minimum was related to a long cold spell known in Europe and other parts of the northern hemisphere as the Little Ice Age.

How strong a connection there is between a small ice age and a Maunder Minimum? "Not as strong a connection, as you might think," said Hill. "The Little Ice Age lasted for hundreds of years actually, of which only a small segment of the Maunder Minimum. My opinion is that it's only an anecdotal connection without a lot of scientific background behind it."

Some commentators have argued that the cooling influence could potentially lower sunspot activity is warming the lift due to human activities that produce greenhouse gases causing climate warming. Hill denied this. "In my opinion it is a big leap to an abrupt global warming because the connections between solar activity and climate are still poorly understood very," he said.

Across the sun 's 11-year solar cycle varies the entire solar energy reaches the earth, by less than 0.1%, and even chill over the period since the Little Ice Age, did not climb as more solar yield about 0.12%, according to the 2007 IPCC report. Subsequent assessments Judith Lean of the Naval Research Laboratory and others have the solar contribution of the 20th Century warming at 10% or less bound.

Mike Lockwood, a professor of space physics at the University of Reading, said: "Our research on the behavior of the sun over the past 9000 years is based shows that there is indeed an 8% chance of return we will order on the minimum conditions Maunder the next 40 years. But there is absolutely no evidence that this may cause an ice age, and given the observed and predicted increases in greenhouse gases, we find it not as slow global warming to do a little \. "


Friday, July 29, 2011

"The government 's proposals may be dominated by financial considerations and with that comes great danger to our landscape, historic environment and precious local places that people value," she said.

"This sounds the death knell finally the principle established in the 1940s found that the planning system are used, they should protect what very special to be in the landscape."

The new policy was determined using a "Practitioners Advisory Group", the members of a conservative council, director of housing company Taylor Wimpey, a planning consultant, the main developer is at government level and pulled an officer included the Royal Society for the Protection of birds.

"By sharing more than a thousand pages of national policy, with around 50 written simply and clearly, we again allow people and communities in planning," said Clark.

But the design changes seem likely to produce a popular game, according to conservationists. The National Trust is asking its members to sign a petition urging ministers to reconsider.

The Campaign for Better Transport and Friends of the Earth have also attacked the plans.



Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Get Britain Building. Absolutely. But don 't repeat the mistakes of the past with the same new items plonked miles from anywhere

'Get Britain building \ should be "an over-arching theme to ministers, as they flatlining head for their summer break. The economy is a long overdue boost for housing is a sure way to bring workers back into jobs and reinvigorating ailing construction companies promote rapid assignment building materials sector while critical, addressing an acute shortage of new and renovated houses.

Britain, especially England and Wales, has not only the oldest and probably also the least energy-efficient buildings in Europe. It is also failing miserably to meet housing need with supply. Current projections show that in England and Wales, household numbers will grow from 272 000 per year by 2033. But as the Home Builders Federation points out in the last year, the lowest stages of development built since 1923, with around 100,000 homes. "This year is not much better,", an official says wearily.

England has an acute housing crisis – compounded by the government's arbitrary decision last year to scrap regional planning strategies, a mechanism that sets housing targets and, crucially, lets builders, as well as energy and water suppliers, plan for the future with a degree of certainty.

When replacing the history of this conservative-led government is written, the unfathomable decision to develop these policies to scrap rather than in preparation for a new planning regime, is considered the ultimate triumph of ideology over common sense are - roughly satisfy Eric Pickles 's visceral dislike of anything smelling of "regionalism".

The impact of this decision is now clear. New figures for the National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations, showed that 221 000 houses proposed by the planning system have been removed, since the government scrapped this regional strategies. And numbers are the worst in the southern regions of England, where demand is highest.


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Tuesday, July 26, 2011

He aims to recruit the best and persuade big names from every sector of hospitality to teach them. "Industry has always come to the college saying 'you're not up-to-date, you're not supplying the quality we need,'" he says. "And the college replies, 'you're not supporting us'."

Investing the time to find out more about applicants' attitudes certainly exposes the faint-hearted: one student, asked to taste and identify the offal, shrieks, covers her mouth and jumps up and down in horror. Though Southcott's expression remains admirably non-committal, this reaction doesn't bode well.

Steve Edwards, who heads all front-of-house services for Caines's Abode group and is interviewing applicants about their views on the service side of hospitality, says that this selection process must also assess enthusiasm and understanding of the importance of engaging with customers.



Photojournalist is not the disturbing story of bird-lover Simon Richardson 's be surprised with the law.

Richardson, who is opposed to a cull of parakeets, took pictures of environment department (Defra) staff as they removed nests from a tree in his neighbour's garden.

The birds, which are often kept as pets, are said to pose a danger to crops and pylons because they build large communal nests, as well as to other species.

A Hertfordshire police spokesman quoted by the MoS apologised for there having been a "confusion."


Monday, July 25, 2011

Only 40 cases have been prosecuted since new offence came into effect in April 2010, Home Office strategy reveals

"There is growing awareness amongst consumers of the harm caused by unethical business practices. But more needs to be done to increase understanding and encourage greater corporate moral and social responsibility within the private sector," the strategy acknowledges.

Home Office Munster until the end of this year reviewing the current legislation on human trafficking, to ensure that it supports the effective prosecution of traffickers. The strategy recognizes that there are some problems caused by the fact that human trafficking is prosecuted for sexual exploitation under the 2003 Sexual Offences Act, while labor-trade comes Act under the 2004 Asylum and Immigration, which causes different requirements of proof has.

"There are a successful prosecution under both, there are some differences, the legal framework is less easily could, as it can be for the prosecutors. In addition, the different levels of proof that it is difficult for the exploitation of to pursue work force, "says the new strategy. Crown Prosecution Service figures show that only 48 people were on trafficking crimes prosecuted in England and Wales.

The Official Guide says a key element in disrupting the market for trading and reducing its profitability is for those who pay for sexual services of women trafficking destination. In particular, called the Policing and Crime Act 2009 to compel a criminal offense subject to the payment for the sexual services of a prostitute, introduced deception, threat or any other form of coercion.

"This means that someone who for the sexual services of a woman (whether they know the women victims of trafficking) can be arrested and prosecuted paid," says the strategy. It notes that in June, only 40 crimes have someone that collected since April 2010 and involved belongs to crawl even cases of curb.

The strategy confirms that as of this month to play a central role in the Salvation Army in the ? 2m-a-year program to assist adult victims of trafficking.


Saturday, July 23, 2011

But this vision turns out to be icy extraordinary. Was for most of the past 100 million years, the South Pole a tropical paradise, it seeps.

"It is a beautiful place was green," said Professor Jane Francis, University of Leeds 's School of Earth and Environment. "Many furry mammals, including possums and beavers lived. The weather was tropical. It is only in the recent geological past, it was so cold."

Professor Francis said last week at the International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences in Edinburgh. More than 500 polar researchers gathered for the latest information from their studies, research that has disturbing implications discussed at the planet 's future. Drilling and satellite surveys show the whole world, not only by the Antarctica the temperature was rising and that this affected were related closely to fluctuations in concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

"Fifty five million years old, there were more than 1,000 parts per million (ppm) carbon dioxide \ in the atmosphere," said Professor Stephen Pekar, the City University of New York. "That fueled the world enough to melt all their ice caps. Almost 200ft sea level would be higher than today."

Currently there is 390ppm CO in the atmosphere, a rise – caused by emissions from power plants, factories and lorries – from preindustrial levels of around 280ppm. This has already raised global temperatures by almost one degree Celsius. At its present rate of increase – around 2ppm a year - it will still take a long time to reach 1,000ppm.



Friday, July 22, 2011

Environment secretary says farmers will be allowed to kill badgers if pilot schemes confirm shooting is humane and effective

Fiona Harvey


Thursday, July 21, 2011

Nordic nation 's leading green ambition is in stark contrast with the exploitation of oil, which delivers its world-leading wealth

The race for the Arctic's natural resources, set out in our special series, is best explained by a tale of two countries. The first country is as near to nirvana as we have on Earth. It is rich and comfortable, with the highest standard of living in the world and the lowest murder rate. Its workers are the most productive in the world; its goods are consumed in every part of the globe; and its $550bn nest egg is currently the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world.

This country is also very friendly to the environment. At home, its environment minister is from the Green party and 95% of its electricity is zero carbon. Its huge fisheries are the most sustainably managed in all the oceans. Abroad is it spending more on rainforest protection than any other nation.

The second country is very different. It is one of the largest oil and gas exporters in the world, driving exploration into risky new areas against the advice of his own environmental research institutions. It is mining coal and iron ore in one of the most sensitive habitats on Earth. This country 's wealth is invested in dirty sands projects, and it is a major arms exporter. It is miserably failed to achieve its own goals for the carbon emissions that are fueling climate change will be cut, while exceeding in the oceans, their fish farms far the wild populations and the spread of the disease.

The first nation is Norway. And so is the second. Norway's world-leading green ambition contrasts stunningly with its lust for the black gold that delivers its world-leading wealth. The contradiction is acknowledged even at the highest levels. "Yes, it is a dilemma," Jonas Gahr St?re, Norway's foreign minister, told me last month when I visited the Arctic. "But it is not for Norway alone, it is the world's dilemma."

But the world is not about the fate of the Arctic. The five Arctic nations will fall under the jurisdiction of more than 80% of the oil, gas and mineral rights, control of the region. And if Norway, the most favored nation on earth, can not resist the lure of buried treasure, what the environmental cost, then who? The other core members of the Arctic Council - the U.S., Canada, Denmark and Russia - have not hardly poor.

The Arctic is irresistible for three simple reasons. First, a global economy addicted to fossil fuels at almost any price will always find a dealer willing to find and sell them their fix at almost any cost. Second, the strong demand for iron, uranium, gold and other metals shows little sign of ending, and won't until new goods are refashioned from old.

Third, and most telling, the most valuable features of the Arctic are economically worthless. The ice cap reflects sunlight and cools the planet, free of charge, while tundra trap large amounts of potent greenhouse gas methane. The Arctic seas to protect some of the richest fisheries in the world, without the settlement of the fishing fleets that harvest it. And the fragile wilderness that is the last witness of a pre-human planet, is not worthy of more than philosophical.

Taking advantage of the ice to bring to light oil and gas, the melt still further fuel is a grotesque irony. But the race in the Arctic is in a world where the prices of mineral resources inevitable, but the natural world takes for granted. Thaw resistance to transformative action on climate change and environmental degradation that lead to the true value of the Arctic is melting through our hands like water.

Damian Carrington

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Wednesday, July 20, 2011



A climate change wiki is a good idea - but not if its climate sceptic organisers block alternative views

But perhaps the new wiki is is an attempt to put the record straight and prove his critics wrong? Is there a better way to show you are fair and balanced than an open wiki invites all help set?

But my first impression of the wiki didn 't exactly satisfied me with hope that they, the concept of fair and balanced understood. To say that wiki 's article would be subjectively putting it mildly. It is often a case of what they want rather than to leave just plain wrong. There are dozens of examples on the wiki highlight, but why not start with the entry on the "hockey stick trend" out there "is repealed Climate Change Reconsidered, a work of non-governmental International Panel on Climate Change" to \ , a group of U.S. climate skeptic Fred Singer and Craig Idso conducted:

One of the most famous pieces of "evidence" for the anthropogenic global warming brought in recent years was the "hockey stick" graph Michael Mann and his colleagues. Since the graphics played such an important role in mobilizing concern about global warming in the years since it was first released, and since the IPCC continues to rely on and defend in its latest report devote some space we are here to to explain its unusual origin and subsequent rejection of much of the scientific community.

OK, so that these people clearly don 't like a man or his hockey stick. We get it. But the beauty of wikis is that everyone gets the chance to suggest a change or perhaps even edited. (Man 's own property Climate website a climate runs wiki, the people invited, "dive in and make changes,".) This is particularly important in this case because, as Heartland himself says, in this wiki at \ goal "of any high school students to scientists in the field".

So I looked around the site for a logged no joy. The only place where users are prompted to log in, is limited to pre-registered users. And the only way to become a registered user is initially reviewed by the Heartland Institute. Suddenly this wiki didn 't feel very open.





[3] http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11676&page=R1


* Chen, C., Harries, J., Brindley, H., & Ringer, M. (2007). Spectral signatures of climate change in the Earth's infrared spectrum between 1970 and 2006. Retrieved October 13, 2009, from European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) website.




On 17 June, following a nudge, I received an update from Lakely: "We have our staff on it, but it's not a big staff. We'll give you an answer, probably next week."

The climatewiki is so dangerous because it presents itself as providing 'neutral' information about climate change, when in fact it is a highly selective and ideologically filtered presentation of climate science and politics.


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Tuesday, July 19, 2011


2 emissions.



Monday, July 18, 2011

Could become European Green MEPs 'carbon dioxide emissions ambitions, as the Conservatives dilute proposals

The European parliament on Tuesday rejected a key report that would have toughened the EU stance on greenhouse gas emissions, after political wrangling that wrecked hopes of a compromise.

A rebellion of the UK 's Tory MPs contributed to the vote against a tougher target, how much carbon dioxide emissions should be Swing in 2020, but was not decisive, according to insiders.

The vote not to put an end to green activists 'hopes for a more ambitious reduction target - a bigger cut of 30% to 2020 levels by 1990 instead of 20% - will be discussed as the subject further, but it is a setback.

The political wrangling involved a number of changes proposed by conservative factions of deputies, that the resulting resolution weakened to an extent which would not be acceptable, the Green MEP grouping.

Greens in Parliament will now try to push harder for the target in future votes, and by involving Member States and the European Commission.

Several MEPs echoed Martin Callanan, who told the Guardian: "Conservative MEPs have always been sceptical of the EU unilaterally increasing its target to 30% without a worldwide agreement. I am in favour of increasing the EU target to 30%, or even higher, in the context of a global agreement where our competitor countries take similar action. Increasing our own targets while the rest of the world does nothing will have virtually no measurable effect on global emissions, because it will force large EU emitters to relocate to other countries outside the EU where they will continue to emit at a much lower cost."



The vote not to put an end to green activists 'hopes for a more ambitious reduction target - a bigger cut of 30% to 2020 levels by 1990 instead of 20% - will be discussed as the subject further, but it is a setback.

The political wrangling involved a series of amendments, proposed by Conservative groupings of MEPs, that would have weakened the resulting resolution to an extent that was not acceptable to the Green MEP grouping.

Greens in Parliament will now try to push harder for the target in future votes, and by involving Member States and the European Commission.

Nick Stern, former Treasury economist and now chairman of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, said the vote result: "This fall's a missed opportunity and the EU risks in the economic growth story of the future \. "

When the vote was originally scheduled to take place, on 23 June, a survey of Tory MEPs by the Guardian found that the leader of the Conservative party in the European parliament, Martin Callanan, was advising his colleagues to vote against the higher target, and several were planning to comply. Only one of those contacted in advance of the vote said she would definitely vote for the higher target.

The revelation prompted a parliamentary inquiry to the Prime Minister who, to convince the deputies that he swore. But a follow-up study of The Guardian and The Friends of the Earth has determined that the Prime Minister has failed to persuade them to agree to lower carbon dioxide emissions.

At least eight members of the group of 23 said they would vote against the measure, while most others do not respond to e-mails and phone calls. Only two MPs said they would definitely vote for it, and a handful were undecided.


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Sunday, July 17, 2011

• Record levels of export sales give glimmer of hope to Ireland's battered economy
• Among the major Irish export success stories are baby milk and Subway Sandwiches

After all these months of bad news, time for some good news.

I 'll rush past, the latest grim statistics - the number of unemployed still have retail index down - and get to Ireland \ Entreprise' s annual report, from the straight and shows an economy on the mend.

The agency is responsible for nurturing companies that export and the report shows that sales overseas in the past year are at record levels – up 10% to €14bn (?12.7bn).

Entreprise Ireland 's CEO, Frank Ryan, is effusive about the numbers. "All the focus has been on the real estate sector and we 've about the economy, we have built, forget," he said.

He says it has a strong rebound in the EI sectors, under the food business, life sciences, electronics, machinery, software and consumer retail. So strong is the rebound that the export sector now has all the losses experienced in 2009, won with an increase in exports for 22 consecutive months.



The MEPs' reluctance to agree with the coalition's climate aims is at odds with Cameron's statements. Only last month, after committing the UK to the toughest carbon targets in the EU, Cameron reiterated his green claims: "When the coalition came together last year, we said we wanted this to be the greenest government ever. This is the right approach for Britain if we are to combat climate change, secure our energy supplies for the long-term and seize the economic opportunities that green industries hold … the UK can prove that there need not be a tension between green and growth."

Fiona Harvey

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The number of coal-fired power stations in China multiplied enormously in that period: the electricity-generating capacity rose from just over 10 gigawatts (GW) in 2002 to over 80GW in 2006 (a large plant has about 1GW capacity).

The effect also explains the lack of global temperature rise seen between 1940 and 1970: the effect of the sulphur emissions from increased coal burning outpaced that of carbon emissions, until acid rain controls were introduced, after which temperature rose quickly. Some have even proposed sulphur dioxide could used to geoengineer the planet by deliberately injecting millions of tonnes into the atmosphere to combat warming.

The new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, analysed possible reasons for the flat 1998-2008 temperature trend using climate models and concluded that it was unlikely to be due simply to the random variation inherent in the planet's climate system. Instead it found the effect of sulphur, the sun and El Ni?o dominated, with the El Ni?o climate phase peaking in 1998 – the hottest year ever recorded – then moving into a phase dominated by its cooler mirror image, La Ni?a. The scientists ruled out changes in water vapour or carbon soot in the atmosphere as significant factors.



Saturday, July 16, 2011

At home, the PM is doing well on green issues. Now he needs to take the fight into the global arena

In January 2004 I caused some consternation, particularly in the White House, when I said that global warming was our greatest threat – greater even than global terrorism. My statement prompted George W Bush to call Tony Blair, demanding a gag order be placed on me. I refused to be gagged and that statement, along with others, spurred the UK to develop a leadership role on climate change in the international community. Seven years on – and with global climate talks struggling – that leadership is needed more than ever.



"It is a national disgrace that millions of people were in cold homes, they 't heat can afford to suffer - insulating it would help correct poor households save money on heating bills and stay warm and healthy," he said.

Climate change minister Greg Barker admitted the fuel poverty figures were unacceptable but blamed past Labour policies and the state of the UK's housing.

"The fact is that households in Great Britain the most expensive in Europe heat, but we don 't have the most expensive gasoline and energy prices," he said BBC Radio 4' s you and yours program.

"In the next year [we start] the most ambitious home improvement since the second world war, where we 're not just a little bit lagging in people' s loft, but [is] to turn on a whole house basis, Millions of households for the next ten years. "

The Green Deal promises to insulate all the houses, with costs covered by savings in future energy costs. But the government is phasing Labour 's Warm Front program, which provided grants for draughtproofing and help with utility bills available.

The Department 's numbers caused an additional 100,000 in fuel poverty by hiding the true emergency rising fuel prices for millions of the UK' s poorest people, according to Consumer Focus.

"If these [new price rises] are in line with British Gas and Scottish Power, around 12 million people, or 6.4 million British households, are likely to be in fuel poverty," she said.



With a fourth child, say the couple into the ranks of the irresponsible, population experts concluded

David and Victoria Beckham may have been happy to welcome their new daughter, Harper Seven, last week, but for a growing group of activists to prevent the birth of her fourth child the couple bad role models and ecologically irresponsible.

As the world 's population is seven billion eventually meet in the coming days, there is an increasing demand for the UK to a public debate about how many children to open people.

Now, the Green MEP Caroline Lucas, has joined other leading environmentalists to call for destruction of what called the TV naturalist Sir David Attenborough 'absurd taboo "in the discussion of family size in Britain.

Lucas said: "We need to have a far greater public debate about population, whether it focuses on improving family planning or reducing global inequality – and looking again at how we address the strain on our natural resources. The absence of an open and honest discussion about this issue means most people don't give much thought to the scale of global population growth in recent years. In 1930, just one or two generations ago, the world's population stood at around two billion. Today it is around seven billion, and by 2050 it is projected to rise by a third to 9 billion.

"We live as if we have three planets instead of one. It is interesting that people in public life, environmental groups and NGOs in general, rather it distract the population to the extent that it 's is a taboo subject has become. The terrible consequences of China 's one-child policy and other draconian measures to have to regulate the reproductive system, for many, made discussion of the topic completely inedible. But as long as an issue remains a taboo subject, where no one talks about it, then there 's very little chance that the solutions we need. "



The case that mandates and subsidies for biofuels have contributed to price rises by diverting huge volumes of food crops to fuel is compelling and widely accepted. (Around 40% of the US corn crop now goes to petrol tanks.) Both the FAO and the World Bank have called for the G20 to stop promoting biofuels. But the two big ethanol producers, the US and Brazil, blocked agreement. American geopolitical interest lies in using its vast agricultural surplus to wean itself off Middle Eastern oil; Brazil's growth, meanwhile, is driven by its agroexports. So the biofuels issue has been kicked into the long grass of "more studies needed".


5.5 homes spend more than 10% of their income on fuel bills and will continue to rise, new electricity networks Fund

The figures show a huge increase in UK households in fuel poverty predicted well before the expected rise in prices for gas and electricity, and charities that this winter would be millions more people struggling to see your home warm.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change statistics show 700,000 more UK families fell into fuel poverty in 2009, bringing the total to 5.5 million - one fifth of all households. In Britain, the fuel poverty if the household needs of more than 10% of its income on fuel to make their home at a reasonable heating and hot water and run lights and appliances.

The department acknowledged that another 100,000 families were expected in England alone, in the fuel poverty this year.

The figures come less than a week after British Gas, said its gas prices rise by an average of 18% and electricity bills by 16%. Scottish Power has also increased its gas prices by 19% and electricity by 10%, while the other energy companies are expected to follow this example, the wholesale price of gas debt.

The government has admitted that bills must occur in addition to a major reconstruction of the UK 's pay electricity networks.

Michelle Mitchell, Director of charity Age Britain, said it was amazing that will help for poorer households through the Warm Front grant scheme has been phased out despite "scandalous 'electricity bills. "The promised solutions contained in the [Government 's] Green Deal don' t in effect, come to the end of 2012 - too late for the millions of people struggling to heat their homes in winter," she added .

Luciana Berger shadow of climate change minister said the government had the support for households by scrapping Labour 's Warm Front Scheme, which provided two million households with heating in winter and reduce fuel from payments of up to ? 100: "Ministers must act now warm homes, instead of leaving millions deliver chills. "

Terry Macalister


Friday, July 15, 2011

Australia 's PM Julia Gillard faces hard fight to convince before parliamentary voting public

Australia has unveiled its most sweeping economic reform in decades, including a plan to tax carbon dioxide emissions from the country 's worst polluters. As the largest system for emissions trading outside Europe, it revived hopes for stronger global climate change.

The country's prime minister, Julia Gillard, said 500 companies, including steel and aluminium manufacturers, would pay a A$23 (?15.40) per tonne carbon tax from next year, rising by 2.5% a year and moving to a market-based trading scheme in 2015.

"It 's time to deal with this, we'll have you done this \," Gillard said after a hard struggle for the political support for a system that polarizes voters and the economy to win. A parliamentary vote on the legislation before the end of the year expected.

Australia developed the world 's worst is per capita emitter of greenhouse gases due to their heavy reliance on cheap coal to generate electricity. The emissions are likely to rise in the booming economy without a carbon tax, the government says.

The stakes are high for Gillard's Labor party, which relies on the support of Greens and independents for a one-seat lower house majority. Her popularity has slumped to record lows over the scheme.

Gillard is now trying to distract voters as opposed to the plan before the vote to convince the parliament and try to launch a campaign against them through the hardest-hit businesses. "It is absolutely crucial that the government sells these to \ very effectively," said Tony Wood, director of the energy program at the Grattan said institute policy think tank.

Australian retail and clean energy stocks was expected that under the plan 's winner, and the airline industry and the miners to be among the losers, but analysts said financial markets were likely to take the policy into account.

The program aims to represent the national emissions by 5% from 2000 levels by 2020, representing an average of about 160m tons. The package has the broad support of the Greens and independents, although crossbenchers said they had some additional measures to help to protect jobs in the coal and steel industries.

The Parliament has two previous attempts to tax carbon dioxide emissions in 2009 and no fresh discharge in the next vote, expected around October, would seriously threaten Gillard rejected 's government. A vigorous campaign by the conservative opposition and business associations could erode public support and political backers scared before elections in 2013.

"Will go this tax and rises and rises as time goes by. I think this package is about the trust issue that the Prime Minister has been following link. This package certainly the next election is a referendum on his carbon tax "said the conservative opposition leader, Tony Abbott.

Abbott has seized upon voter fears of a new tax and higher costs from a scheme that aims to transform how the nation generates and uses energy across the economy.

To neutralize the opposition, said Gillard be more than A $ 24 billion in pollution permit sales increases over the next three years would be the households with generous tax cuts worth more than A $ 15 billion to go.

Australia 's system is 60% of carbon pollution in addition to excluding land-cover and car emissions, it shows with their own models of consumer price index would increase by 0.7% in its first year.

It could also help the global efforts to carbon pollution, which largely came to a halt as the U.S. president, Barack Obama has to fight last year in a federal climate bill in its current term of office ruled. Outside the EU only in New Zealand has a national carbon regulation.

"Other countries are in one of the most polluting coal economies on the planet that has kept major step forward towards putting a price on carbon, and," said John Connor, CEO of The Climate Institute.

Australia said it hoped its regime, which would cost A $ 4.4 billion to implement compensation for households and industry, linking to other international emissions trading and reduction in land systems when running their emissions market.



The country's prime minister, Julia Gillard, said 500 companies, including steel and aluminium manufacturers, would pay a A$23 (?15.40) per tonne carbon tax from next year, rising by 2.5% a year and moving to a market-based trading scheme in 2015.

The stakes are high for Gillard's Labor party, which relies on the support of Greens and independents for a one-seat lower house majority. Her popularity has slumped to record lows over the scheme.

The scheme aims to cut national emissions by 5% of 2000 levels by 2020, which would mean a cut of about 160m tonnes. The package already has the broad support of the Greens and independents, although crossbenchers said they had yet to support extra measures to protect jobs in the steel and coal industries.

Abbott has on voter fears of new taxes and higher costs of a scheme to transform the how the nation produces and uses energy in the whole economy will be confiscated.

To neutralize the opposition, said Gillard be more than A $ 24 billion in pollution permit sales increases over the next three years would be the households with generous tax cuts worth more than A $ 15 billion to go.

Australia 's system is 60% of carbon pollution in addition to excluding land-cover and car emissions, it shows with their own models of consumer price index would increase by 0.7% in its first year.

It could also help the global efforts to carbon pollution, which largely came to a halt as the U.S. president, Barack Obama has to fight last year in a federal climate bill in its current term of office ruled. Outside the EU only in New Zealand has a national carbon regulation.

"Other countries are in one of the most polluting coal economies on the planet that has kept major step forward towards putting a price on carbon, and," said John Connor, CEO of The Climate Institute.

Australia said it hoped to link its scheme, which would cost A$4.4bn to implement after household and industry compensation, to other international carbon markets and land abatement schemes when its emissions market was running.



Denham and Eagle added that future rolling stock awards, for the Crossrail and High Speed Two projects, are likely to be tilted in favour of the company producing the 1,200 Thameslink carriages, which will run on a north-south rail line that bisects the capital.

"It is clear that this decision could bring the country 's ability to provide these high-quality contracts a serious disadvantage in the competition," says the letter. The call for a review of the decision, he adds: "The Thameslink contract must draw a comprehensive independent review of a review is to consider the impact on the UK economy, the loss would be under this contract to a foreign consortium \ .."

Last week a letter to Cameron from Philip Hammond, the Minister of Transport and Vince Cable, the business secretary, implies that other European countries more to protect their economic interests are at the handover from construction contracts. "There is a perception that other EU countries to their public procurement processes with a greater focus on domestic supply, as we \ manage to appear so far," said the letter.

Cable and Hammond said an overview of how the government should strengthen the private sector, "check out what we can do even more to \ improve the business environment in the competition for public contracts." However, presented the letter that corresponds to EU rules, to require transparent and non-discriminatory treatment of bidding for government contracts.

Nonetheless, union officials believe to manage other EU countries to protect their domestic political interests, despite the strict rules. The union Unite said the UK the example of Germany, where government-supported German Railways awarded following a € 6 billion (? 5.4) should speed train contract to Siemens.

However, EU public procurement directives explicitly state that governments should not be based awards to a bidder 's location or nationality. Was connected to a Siemens-led consortium as preferred bidder for the contract announced last month, said the rail minister, Theresa Villiers, the deal would create 2,000 jobs in the rail industry supply chain. However, the trains in Germany, only to be built with components made in Britain.



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