What the new head of the World Bank needs to cope with

Rachel Kyte, Dean of the Fletcher School, Tufts University, writes on The Conversation website about what the next head of the World Bank needs to do to address our climate and debit crises. It should be noted that Ajay Banga is the only candidate for World Bank president. Can this former CEO fix the … Continue reading What the new head of the World Bank needs to cope with →

A political battle over firewood’s future in the EU’s energy transition is playing out in Brussels

As Europe races to replace Russian fossil fuels with cleaner power sources, EU lawmakers are weighing up the future of firewood as a renewable energy source. The debate is getting heated. In an article on the Deutsche Welle website, Sarah Steffen and Tamsin Walker discuss latest developments. EU weighs up future of wood-burning as … Continue reading A political battle over firewood’s future in the EU’s energy transition is playing out in Brussels →

“We are not fully in agreement yet” – Germany facing a growing backlash inside the EU over its U-turn on a law to phase out the combustion engine in new cars by 2035

The row is a further signal of tensions over the green deal landmark proposals to tackle climate crisis. In an article on the Guardian website, Jennifer Rankin and Philip Oltermann discuss what happened in this week’s meetings in Brussels. Germany faces EU backlash over U-turn on phasing out combustion engine Germany is facing a … Continue reading “We are not fully in agreement yet” – Germany facing a growing backlash inside the EU over its U-turn on a law to phase out the combustion engine in new cars by 2035 →

Rather than embrace the task of decarbonising the Australian economy, the new government is going all out to exploit fossil fuels

Richard Denniss, Adjunct Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy at Australian National University writes on The Conversation website about the impact that new fossil fuel projects in Australia will have. It will be interesting how the Australian government explains this at COP28. Australia’s 116 new coal, oil and gas projects equate to … Continue reading Rather than embrace the task of decarbonising the Australian economy, the new government is going all out to exploit fossil fuels →

Plans for first vertical takeoff and landing pre-commercial taxi service in the world at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Aircraft will take off and land vertically, and carry a single passenger between transport hubs, says the capital’s airports operator. Yes, there are problems getting around Paris at the best of times, but this seems unbelievable. The first test centre has been opened in the suburbs, so it appears we may actually see them next … Continue reading Plans for first vertical takeoff and landing pre-commercial taxi service in the world at the 2024 Paris Olympics →

Increased risk of extreme heat and droughts amid climate change could impact nuclear plants

Muriel Boselli writes on the Montel news website that France faces major problems with its nuclear fleet because of the impact of climate change. Regardless of one’s position on nuclear energy, France is heavily dependent on it. Could this lead to a re-think of its entire energy strategy? What are your views? Climate change … Continue reading Increased risk of extreme heat and droughts amid climate change could impact nuclear plants →

“The highly profitable and fast-growing bottled water industry is masking the failure of public systems to supply reliable drinking water for all”

As the bottled water market grows, it is more important than ever to strengthen legislation that regulates the industry and its water quality standards. Such legislation can impact bottled water quality control, groundwater exploitation, land use, plastic waste management, carbon emissions, finance and transparency obligations, to mention a few. Zeineb Bouhlel and Vladimir Smakhtin from … Continue reading “The highly profitable and fast-growing bottled water industry is masking the failure of public systems to supply reliable drinking water for all” →

A new paper argues there’s another way to hold big oil accountable for climate damage: trying companies for homicide

Authors of a paper accepted for publication in the Harvard Environmental Law Review argue firms are ‘killing members of the public at an accelerating rate.’ The paper is rooted in part in the growing body of evidence fossil fuel companies knew of the harm their products caused and misled the public about them. Brian Kahn … Continue reading A new paper argues there’s another way to hold big oil accountable for climate damage: trying companies for homicide →

A pact to phase out fossil fuels in November’s UN climate talks is the only credible response to the warnings of scientists

Simon Lewis, professor of global change science at University College London and University of Leeds provides an opinion piece in the Guardian giving two reasons why the just published IPCC synthesis report is crucial for the upcoming COP28 in November-December. What are your views? The IPCC’s climate report has drawn the battle lines for … Continue reading A pact to phase out fossil fuels in November’s UN climate talks is the only credible response to the warnings of scientists →

New EEA briefing on the way we see ourselves in relation to nature

Can the way we see ourselves in relation to the natural world create a greater sense of responsibility and stewardship towards nature? Global awareness about the degradation of nature, climate change and unsustainable resource use is increasing and our responses to these challenges need to accelerate. A new European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this … Continue reading New EEA briefing on the way we see ourselves in relation to nature →