Month: January 2014

Calling for common sense to promote energy efficient lighting

Simon Brammer, who works for works for the sustainable energy charity Ashden, writes an excellent article in the Guardian Professional about consumer confusion over choosing energy efficient lighting.  His suggestions call for common-sense labelling and better marketing. How many incentives does it take to change a light bulb? If I asked you to give me … Continue reading Calling for common sense to promote energy efficient lighting →

New Chatham House report on shale gas

Paul Stevens, Distinguished Fellow at Chatham House, a renowned think-tank on international affairs, recently published an excellent new report on shale gas in the UK. There have been several parliamentary inquiries into shale gas operations in the United Kingdom. The House of Commons Select Committee most recently reported in April 2013. In June 2013, the … Continue reading New Chatham House report on shale gas →

Being irrational and “religious” in opposing fossil fuel development

The heat is being turned up in Britain to ensure that the country becomes a world leader in fossil fuel production from fracking.  Now, in an article by Patrick Wintour in the Guardian, the Prime Minister is saying that those opposing are irrational.  There can be a NIMBY attitude but it hardly seems to me … Continue reading Being irrational and “religious” in opposing fossil fuel development →

Agreeing on 2030 climate and energy goals proving illusive within European Commission

Reuters news service provided an article in The Guardian about the controversy within the European Commission itself in agreeing on climate and energy goals for 2030. Undoubtedly, the EU wants to be a global leader but there is also the cold reality of trying to re-build momentum in the lagging economy.  Can the two be … Continue reading Agreeing on 2030 climate and energy goals proving illusive within European Commission →

Coal use in Germany increases even though the low carbon transition is underway

No one said the transition to a low carbon economy would be high and everyone is watching Germany’s effort with great interest. Stefan Wagstyl writes in the Financial Times that electricity production from brown coal actually rose last year and now it is at the highest level since 1990. The new coalition government envisages the … Continue reading Coal use in Germany increases even though the low carbon transition is underway →

How rooftop solar systems are affecting energy companies

We talk about being in an energy transition and it cannot always be a win-win situation, as much as we would like it to be.  Mark Chediak, Christopher Martin and Ken Wells from Bloomberg news service write a very detailed account in renewableenergyworld.com about how utilities in the US are starting to fight back.  This … Continue reading How rooftop solar systems are affecting energy companies →

We need to live within our biosphere’s thresholds

Andrew Simms of the New Economics Foundation wrote in the Observer about society’s need to live within our means in a material sense.  As he argues, limits govern everything, even though the way we behave gives no indication we have learned that lesson.  Simms argues that our economies – and this is a lesson that … Continue reading We need to live within our biosphere’s thresholds →

Harvesting the benefits of LED lighting

Eleanor Harding recently wrote in the UK’s Daily Mail about the effect that LED lighting is having on growing strawberries.  Essentially, LED lighting confuses the fruit into thinking it is summer.  Wish it worked that way for all of us but this is a good start.Strawberry yields forever: LED lighting fools plants into thinking it's … Continue reading Harvesting the benefits of LED lighting →

Evaluating behavioural energy efficiency programmes

Katherine Tweed writes on the Greentechefficiency website about the difficulty in evaluating many energy efficiency programmes in the US.  She reviews a recent report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). She explains that a dearth of data is making it difficult to effectively evaluate nearly 300 programmes across the U.S.   Can … Continue reading Evaluating behavioural energy efficiency programmes →