The troubling trend of SUVs getting wider

Spurred on by rising sales of large SUVs, newly-sold passenger vehicles are getting one centimetre wider every 2 years. Bigger cars more likely to kill people, release more toxic gas and are outgrowing design of cities. Ajit Niranjan writes on the Guardian website about new analysis about this latest trend. Note also that on February … Continue reading The troubling trend of SUVs getting wider

New report from EU climate Advisory Board: focus on immediate implementation and continued action to achieve EU climate goals

In a new report published this week, the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change recommends a series of actions to put the EU on track towards climate neutrality. Some recommendations require immediate action and others should be considered when shaping the EU's post-2030 climate policy framework. Based on an assessment of more than 80 … Continue reading New report from EU climate Advisory Board: focus on immediate implementation and continued action to achieve EU climate goals

Is CCS the way forward in addressing climate change?

Oxford University’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment reveals alarming economic consequences of CCS dependency. One of the authors Rupert Way, discusses many of the conclusions of the report in an article on the smithschool.ox.ac.uk website.   Heavy dependence on Carbon Capture and Storage ‘highly economically damaging’, says Oxford report high Carbon Capture and … Continue reading Is CCS the way forward in addressing climate change?

European Commission calls on Member States to improve their National Energy and Climate Plans to ensure collective achievement of the EU´s 2030 targets

The Commission recently published its assessment of EU Member States' draft National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) and issued recommendations to assist Member States in raising their ambitions in line with EU targets for 2030. The final Plans must be submitted by 30 June 2024. The draft updated NECPs bring us closer to meeting the … Continue reading European Commission calls on Member States to improve their National Energy and Climate Plans to ensure collective achievement of the EU´s 2030 targets

Environmental scientists in Canada continue to be stifled in their ability to conduct and communicate their research

In an article in The Conversation website, Alana Westwood, Manjulika E. Robertson and Samantha M. Chu, all from Dalhousie University in Canada, discuss how Canadian scientists face interference in communicating their research findings. A recent survey shows that 92 per cent of the environmental researchers reported having experienced interference with their ability to communicate or … Continue reading Environmental scientists in Canada continue to be stifled in their ability to conduct and communicate their research

“Wood burning is not a solution for reaching net zero or avoiding high bills for individuals”

Experts say wood-burning is not cheaper or truly renewable and constitutes a major health risk. Gary Fuller discusses recent research in an article on the Guardian website.   The health cost of burning wood to warm homes Dr Tom Smith is a wildfires scientist. His career has focused on tracking down wildland fires in savannahs and … Continue reading “Wood burning is not a solution for reaching net zero or avoiding high bills for individuals”

Energy in Demand News, December 3, 2023

This week’s quote below is indicative of how the oil and gas industry sees climate change – as conveyed by Darren Woods, CEO of Exxon Mobil, last week at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco. Then, in Dubai, attending his first global climate conference, Darren Woods  told the Financial Times (behind a … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, December 3, 2023

New EEA report on European air quality health assessment

Air pollution in Europe remains well above recommended World Health Organization (WHO) levels, posing a significant threat to our health. According to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality health assessment published this week, 253,000 deaths could have been avoided in the EU if the fine particulate matter concentrations had met WHO recommendations. Exposure … Continue reading New EEA report on European air quality health assessment

New research assesses the size and uncertainty of remaining carbon budgets

Chris Smith, Senior Research Fellow in Climate Science at the University of Leeds and Robin Lamboll, Research Fellow in Atmospheric Science at Imperial College London write on The Conversation website about new research they are involved in that effectively gives the world just six years to get to net zero. Will anyone listen?   Carbon … Continue reading New research assesses the size and uncertainty of remaining carbon budgets

Economists underestimate climate risk, says Finance Watch

In a new report, the NGO judges that by underestimating the financial repercussions of climate change, economists are encouraging politicians to inaction. Climate risk is growing to disruptive levels throughout the financial system and the guardians of financial stability urgently need to adapt their tools to regain control. Finance Watch’s new report published on its … Continue reading Economists underestimate climate risk, says Finance Watch