2012 – the year in graphs

The Washington Post asked many experts for the graph that they felt best explained 2012. Two of the graphs relate to sustainable energy. First, the nominee related to climate change was Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org. The second graph is by Michael Greenstone, professor of economics at MIT and Director of the Hamilton Project. It … Continue reading 2012 – the year in graphs →

Increased self-generation of electricity in German industry

Deutsche Welle, the German international broadcaster, reports on an important trend in German industry towards investments in self-generation. German firms invest in generating energy themselves An increasing number of German companies are in the process of decreasing their dependency on external energy suppliers by generating energy themselves. They're wary of the government's current course. More … Continue reading Increased self-generation of electricity in German industry →

Fracking debate brings out interesting characters

Reuters provides a curious article on how fracking is getting to be big business by a wide range of celebrities in order to try and influence public opinion. There certainly is a growing debate on fracking or not in the US. Stay tuned, it could next happen in Europe. Insight: In Fracking Culture War, Celebs, … Continue reading Fracking debate brings out interesting characters →

Quote of the week

Tim Yeo, MP, Chair of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee in the British Parliament, in reacting to the government’s pro-gas stance: "Lumbering the UK economy with a centralized power system largely reliant on gas, would be like running an office using a fax machine in the age of the iPad," he said. Mr. … Continue reading Quote of the week →

Everyone knew there would be costs involved to meet energy goals but . . .

Conor Keane, Business Editor of the Irish Examiner reports on the estimated costs for Ireland to meet its legal obligations under EU Directives Meeting energy goals to cost €23bn Ireland needs to invest €22.8bn between now and 2020 if it is to fulfil its legal obligations under EU directives on the environment and energy efficiency … Continue reading Everyone knew there would be costs involved to meet energy goals but . . . →

bigEE launched

bigEE has now been launched. bigEE is an international initiative of research institutes for technical and policy advice and public agencies in the field of energy and climate, co-ordinated by the Wuppertal Institute (Germany). Its aim is to develop the international web-based knowledge platform bigee.net for energy efficiency in buildings, building-related technologies, and appliances in … Continue reading bigEE launched →

EC launches public consultation on Emissions Trading System

The European Commission has launched an online public consultation, calling for comments from all stakeholders or experts in the field of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). The Commission is seeking feedback on structural options and views reflected in the report, titled “The state of the European carbon market in 2012,” which was published in … Continue reading EC launches public consultation on Emissions Trading System →

Renewable energy investments in UK

Tom Bawden of The Independent newspaper highlights the concerns that investment in renewable energy has been decreasing at rate that is raising many concerns. Investment in renewable energy has halved in just three years, says alarming research Fundamental ideological disagreements within the government about renewable energy have turned away droves of potential investors in crucial … Continue reading Renewable energy investments in UK →

Renewable energy policy in Germany

Paul Hockenos of Renewable Energy World provides an excellent blog on the lead Germany has in deploying renewable energy by focusing on benefits rather than on costs and sacrifices. Fight Climate Change like a German The in-progress Doha Climate Change Conference presents the perfect opportunity to read Global Cooling: Strategies for Climate Protection by Hans-Josef … Continue reading Renewable energy policy in Germany →

New study on attitudes on energy consumption to begin

Rachael Fergusson for Energy and Technology Magazine describes the start of an important new study on attitudes about energy consumption in the work place. Project to study attitudes to energy use at work A new £1.3m project is to examine people’s attitudes to energy consumption in the workplace. Led by researchers at the University of … Continue reading New study on attitudes on energy consumption to begin →