Politicians and economists – who do you believe?

We find that the Prime Ministers of Australia and Canada are convinced that carbon taxes do not work. Munir Sheikh, an executive fellow at the School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, and a former chief statistician of Canada argues the case of the economists in Canada’s Globe and Mail. What do these PMs … Continue reading Politicians and economists – who do you believe? →

Addressing climate change does not have to cost the earth

Fred Pearce provides a useful article on the New Scientist website about a relatively low cost way to avoid climate change. Stopping harmful climate change is surprisingly cheap Saving our skins might be surprisingly cheap. To avoid dangerous climate change, the world needs to boost spending on green energy by $1 trillion a year. … Continue reading Addressing climate change does not have to cost the earth →

Texas and its climate change concerns

Texas has largely based its economy on exploiting its vast fossil fuel reserves. Neena Satija, however, writes in the New York Times about how the economic miracle has come at a price and that the state emits more GHG emissions than any other state. Yet, they fear that they can do nothing to reduce emissions … Continue reading Texas and its climate change concerns →

Environmentalists hone their lobbying skills

In the US, Coral Davenport writes in the New York Times that environmentalists show that using the same lobbying techniques as the oil industry is the best way to promote their case. Taking Oil Industry Cue, Environmentalists Drew Emissions Blueprint In November 2010, three combatants gathered in a sleek office here to build a carbon … Continue reading Environmentalists hone their lobbying skills →

New report from UK: Buildings and infrastructure ill-prepared for changing climate

The resilience of transport networks, homes, hospitals and water supplies in England need to be enhanced to counter the more frequent and severe flooding and heatwaves that can be expected in future. This is the key finding of a new report by the UK government’s official adviser on preparing for climate change. The findings are … Continue reading New report from UK: Buildings and infrastructure ill-prepared for changing climate →

Developing a strategy to avoid a climate catastrophe

Suzanne Goldenberg writes in The Guardian about a new report to the UN that to prescribes concrete actions that the biggest 15 economies must take to keep warming below 2C. Unfortunately, the report did not provide a cost-benefit analysis of the sweeping transformation that would be needed in all 15 countries to keep warming within … Continue reading Developing a strategy to avoid a climate catastrophe →

For China, the existential question remains whether it can simultaneously decarbonise and grow

EiD has had several posts on China and understandably it is necessary to follow what they are doing because of the global impact of their emissions. Eduardo Porter writes in the New York Times about the efforts underway, yet the balancing of growth versus climate action remains a concern. China’s Hurdle to Fast Action … Continue reading For China, the existential question remains whether it can simultaneously decarbonise and grow →

Global economic summit later this year will not be discussing climate change

The upcoming G20 summit in Australia November will not be discussing climate change according to Radio Australia. This obviously reflects the Abbott government that has totally downplayed climate change issues. This is unfortunate, given the important climate conference in Paris in 2015 that is to set a global commitment. No priority for climate change at … Continue reading Global economic summit later this year will not be discussing climate change →

Assessing how to decarbonise our energy systems

Jeff McMahon provides an important article on the effort required to decarbonise the US energy system. While it includes efforts on the demand side, it mainly relates to decarbonised energy supply. Hopefully this is leading to a better dialogue to gain some consensus on the way forward. What Would It Take To Decarbonize The Energy … Continue reading Assessing how to decarbonise our energy systems →

Reviewing the new report – Climate Change: Implications for Buildings

Those working globally, regionally or nationally to improve the energy performance of buildings have recognised and tried to explain to a wider audience the importance of having an ambitious approach to such improvements for both new and existing buildings. While one can go on and on about one energy supply source after another, what it … Continue reading Reviewing the new report – Climate Change: Implications for Buildings →