Ten things that will make no difference to climate change

Ten things that will make no difference to climate change
 1. Carbon offsetting
Keep your money in your pocket.
2. Carbon Trading
You cannot use the principles of the casino to help the climate unless the house wins every time
3. The Clean Development Mechanism
No more than a good opportunity for free money for large corporations
4. Biomass burning
Keep the trees in [...]

Burning forests around the world and burning coal in Washington

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reported that the growth in greenhouse gas emissions over the past forty years has largely been down to increased use of energy. They mean by energy both power and heat, not just electrical energy.

The Committee on Climate Change – Will Mr Miliband try to compromise with the laws of physics?

 
The United Kingdom Committee on Climate Change, an independent body set up by law  under the Climate Change Act has advised the UK government that the United Kingdom ought to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 21% of the 2005 figure for emissions by 2020 – in twelve years time. It sounds such a modest [...]

A new eco friendly standard

It is easy to become an eco sceptic because so many firms are claiming an environmental benefit of using their products in an effort to sell more by pricking the public conscience. Until recently the epithet “eco” or “eco friendly” is used with impunity; the Advertising Standards Association is getting complaints and is ruling on [...]

Predicting the future climate

Fortune telling is the preserve of entertainers and charlatans but predicting future climate changes is a science, albeit one in its infancy and that is a paradox, considering just how complex this infant is. Nevertheless this infant science is all that our leaders have to guide them in making the decisions that they make today. [...]

Gordon Brown, markets and the need to cage the beast

Gordon Brown thinks that markets (and this this context he really means the financial markets) must reflect society’s values which include fairness, stewardship and co-operation. He is wrong on both counts, Markets actually never reflect society’s values, but operate on a value system of their own. All markets have to be competitive, uncooperative and only [...]

Taking the long view, for banking and the environment

For the past few weeks the main problem that has been exercising governments has been dealing with the crisis of confidence and trust in the world wide banking system. It has been an immediate problem and one that had to be dealt with as a matter of urgency. It looks as though, now that the [...]

Some advice for the new Energy and Climate Change Minister

Gordon Brown’s reshuffle created a lot of headlines, mainly because he brought Mr Mandelson back into the Government fold, but the most important thing he announced was to create a Department of Energy and Climate Change and point the Secretary of State – in this case Ed Miliband – as a Minister with cabinet rank.

We are using failed strategies to fight climate change

Now that we are in the middle of a banking crisis the environment and climate change has been largely ignored while we ponder on whether the steps being taken around the world will prevent the world’s economy from falling into a long period of depression. Will the policies that we are using to fight climate [...]

Why I do not buy carbon offsets

I do not buy carbon offsets.
The carbon offset is now big business. Plenty of people are being offered carbon offsets when they book air travel. In a moment of environmental concern many people do sign up. I do not recommend that you do buy a carbon offset . These are my reasons.

We do not really understand how to [...]