The UK's Taxpayer Alliance (TA) has released a report calling for a stop to future green taxes, while accusing the government of exploiting climate change fears to justify tax hikes.
Citing their own analysis of what they consider to be green taxes, the TA alleges that the average UK household pays £400 extra each year because green taxes were set too high - despite the fact that the country is one of the few in the world on pace to meet its targets for greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, the UK economy has enjoyed consistent long term growth.
So where does the real problem lie?
Bear in mind that taxpayer organizations have a peculiar but easily salable mission, namely to campaign for lower taxes. All of their recommendations go towards this one goal, with the assumption that it will translate into a better society and happier, healthier citizens. Anyone with a first year education in economics can tell you this assumption doesn't hold. More relevant here is that their report doesn't address reducing carbon (the real goal of climate change policy), but rather it analyzes something called "the social cost of carbon".
I have no idea what the social cost of carbon is, nor who is paying this (to whom) on behalf of co2. Climate change policy is about REDUCING CARBON. Costing of carbon is only a tactic in attaining this goal. The only true measure of climate change policy is whether or not it is in fact reducing greenhouse gases, in the amount needed, and in the most cost efficient way. That's not what this report is about.
Like most "taxpayer rights" rackets, the pencil pushers at the TA do a fine job playing games with numbers while managing to miss the point entirely. The UK is leading the developed world in revolutionizing the economy and tackling the greatest challenge of our day. Let's keep it that way.
Three fishermen from Wales have invented a box that can be fixed to the exhaust outlet of any vehicle and safely capture greenhouse gas emissions.
However, in addition to reducing the vehicle emissions by 85% to 95%, the Greenbox goes one step further by providing the raw ingredients for new biofuel production. Once full, the Greenbox can be detached from the vehicle and sent to a bioreactor where it provides food to algae that can then be converted to bio-diesel.
Through a chemical reaction, the captured gases from the box would be fed to algae, which would then be crushed to produce a bio-oil. This extract can be converted to produce a biodiesel almost identical to normal diesel.
This biodiesel can be fed back into a diesel engine, the emptied Greenbox can be affixed to the car and the cycle can begin again.
The process also yields methane gas and fertilizer, both of which can be captured separately. The algae required to capture all of Britain's auto emissions would take up around 1,000 acres
Although there are no immediate plans for production, the product has gained the attention of UK Labour MP David Hansen, and Toyota and GM have reportedly spoken to the inventors. Facilities and infrastructure are obviously lacking for both the mass production of the Greenbox and the associated biofuel production chain. However, at the bare minimum the announcement shows the sort of ecological and self sustaining solutions that are waiting to be discovered. Time will tell if it becomes economically viable.
Story via Reuters.
In a jaw dropping effort to get leaders to take action on global warming, endurance British explorer and endurance athlete Lewis Gordon Pugh has done the unthinkable - swim in the open waters at the North Pole.
Lewis Gordon Pugh swam Sunday for 18 minutes and 50 seconds in temperatures of –1.8 degrees in just a Speedo, cap and goggles.
“I am obviously ecstatic to have succeeded, but this swim is a triumph and a tragedy,” the 37-year-old British lawyer said after coming out of the water.
Are we gettting the message yet? In case the point needs to be belabored further, if Pugh was swimming in open water at the top of the planet, it means that a lot of ice is melting. That melt includes land base ice in Canada's North, in Greenland, Antarctica and alpine glaciers. It means the oceans are rising. It does not mean that selling swimming trips to the arctic is a new business opportunity, and it doesn't mean that global warming is a good thing.
Congratulations to the community of Cumbria, UK! They have emerged as the early front runner to host the the long-term disposal of 500,000 cubic meters of radioactive waste.
However, communities that have fallen behind the early favorite need not fear. The British government is still "eager for other communities to compete" with Cumbria's nation leading bid, and will be throwing in £300,000 in annual "community benefit packages" for the eventual winner.
Project costs are estimated at £10bn at 2003 prices. As a side note, is using 4 year old pricing working well for anyone at home?
Earlier this year, the British government announced an ambitious target of having all new homes built carbon neutral by 2016. This week saw the first step towards that goal as the "Lighthouse" was recognized as the nation's first zero carbon home.
The prototype is being billed as "the most environmentally friendly home yet built" in the UK, and it is the first to meet the government's highest standards for sustainability. Energy efficient construction methods were employed in the construction of the two bedroom house, which also features renewable and sustainable energy technologies such as solar powered water heaters and top notch water efficiency devices. In fact, a spokesman boasts that the building will only require heating 6 weeks of every year.
The Lighthouse also hopes to put money back in the pockets of consumers both through energy savings and lower price. By reaching "level 6" of the new government sustainability code, the Lighthouse is exempted from the federal stamp duty of 1% on new homes.
The unveiling is the first step in what housing minister, Yvette Cooper sees as a revolution in housing.
"A quarter of carbon emissions come from our homes. That's why zero-carbon homes are so important," said Yvette Cooper.
"We need a complete revolution in the way we design and build our homes. Many of the technologies exist already, as these new homes show. Now we need more work to test them and deliver economies of scale."
See the BBC article for a diagram of the interior layout or take the vidoe tour below.
British consumers wanting to address global warming will soon have the benefit of carbon labeling on the products they buy. The government has revealed a new plan that would show greenhouse gas emissions created by their production, transport and eventual disposal, similar to the calorie or salt content figures on food packaging.
Ian Pearson, the environment minister, said ministers would work with the Carbon Trust and BSI British Standards to develop a benchmark for measurements over the next 18 months, allowing businesses to calculate the impact of their goods and label them accordingly.
The measure will be voluntary, but major retailers like Marks and Spencer and Tesco are already on board.
Happy green shopping UK!
A paper to be published today will reassert the commitment of Britain's Labour government to nuclear power, despite legal challenges and continued public opposition.
An energy white paper published today will promise further consultation on the issue as demanded by the high court following a challenge by Greenpeace, but industry secretary Alistair Darling will make clear his belief that nuclear is essential if the UK is to meet growing energy demands and meet its Kyoto treaty commitments on C02.
The government insists that new nuclear capacity will be needed to reach their targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but they have so far failed to convince voters. In the Guardian's most recent public poll, 48% of those surveyed continued to oppose nuclear power while 44% were in favour. Interestingly, 62% of men support it while the same can be said of just 27% of women.
Although nuclear power emits no greenhouse gases, the disposal and storage of nuclear waste remains the biggest concern of both citizens and governments. Put another way....
Great Britain is poised to leap into the international lead in addressing global warming in the coming months. The UK's Environment Secretary David Miliband has unveiled a new draft Climate Change Bill that calls for legally binding carbon reduction targets as a prime part of a strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions 60% by 2050.
Unlike the debate on this side of the Atlantic, the proposed legislation is being welcomed by opposition parties, with the major criticism being that it does not go far enough in ensuring government accountability. Miliband's plan calls for an independent panel to set ministers a "carbon budget" every five years. However, opposition parties and environmentalists are calling for yearly reduction targets to ensure success and accountability.
As posted here a couple months back, both timelines are likely extreme. Yearly targets do not allow proper flexibility in the cases of extreme weather events, and could unduly restrict policy, whereas 5 year targets place the deadlines outside of single election terms, and will leave new governments holding the baggage for previous party's mistakes. Targets of two to three years would better serve both aims.
Last week, a rhino at the UK's Devon Zoo gave birth in what is believed to be the first such event broadcast live over the internet via webcam. Sita, a black rhino, gave birth to her female calf at 2010 GMT on Monday, March 5th.
The black rhino, though far less endangered than the northern white rhino that made news last week, is still critically endangered with less than 4,000 remaining worldwide.
Below is the video clip, courtesy the BBC.
In a week of big announcements and bold plans to tackle climate change, the city of London has thrown its hat into the ring. Today, Mayor Ken Livingstone unveiled a detailed plan to slash carbon emissions by 60% within 20 years and place the city at the forefront of the battle against climate change.
In introducing the plan, Livingstone said "All of us have a responsibility, actions taken at an individual level can have consequences that are unacceptable for society as a whole. Buying a gas-guzzling 4x4 vehicle is an 'individual choice' but it creates carbon emissions that contribute to global warming and harm everyone. It should be no more socially acceptable than to claim the right to dump rubbish in the street."
Specifics of the plan address domestic and commercial space, transportation and energy supply.
Domestic
- Up to 50% subsidies on insulation - free for homes on benefits - to target the 1.4m houses without proper insulation
- A "concierge service" costing £50 to £200 including an audit of a household and full management of the conversion to a greener lifestyle
- Green homes scheme to build on work of groups like the Energy Saving Trust
Commercial
- Promotion of projects to encourage energy efficiency and minimise waste; recognition of firms doing the most
Transport
- "Green consultants" to encourage cycling and use of public transport
- Promotion of fuel-efficient cars
Energy supply
- Encouragement of combined heat and power schemes for schools, hospitals and housing developments. London wants to generate a quarter of its electricity this way by 2025
The announcement represents a part of a larger movement among municipalities in the UK, as close to 200 local governments have now signed the Nottingham Declaration - a pledge to take action against global warming.
When he quits power this summer, British PM Tony Blair plans to continue the fight against global warming by bypassing US President Bush and going directly to State governments to bring them onside with European actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Blair has already shown his ability to do exactly this by reaching agreements with California Governor Schwarzenegger earlier last year. Meanwhile, northeastern states are moving forward with their own climate change plans in the face of absent leadership from Washington.
The environmental community is a few weeks overdue for some good news. Here are three news items to make you smile heading into the weekend.
1. From the Financial Times, the largest charity concert in history is being planned for July 7th. The theme? Global Warming. The Host? You guessed it, Al Gore.
The event is targeting an audience of 2 billion viewers through a series of coordinated film, music and television events in seven cities including London, Washington DC, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town and Kyoto. The formal announcement is expected by Mr. Gore today in London. Thanks to Lighter Footstep for the link.
2. Al Gore also checked in with Richard Branson today. Together they launched a $25 million contest with the money awarded to the person who comes up with the best way of removing significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
A panel of judges will oversee the prize, including James Lovelock and Nasa scientist James Hansen. Needless to say, Sir Richard will be footing the multi-million dollar bill.
3. Finally, British scientists are proposing a new method of carbon storage to help reduce Europe's greenhouse gas emissions.
Their cold storage technique would involve storing carbon in crystal and liquid form in cool, high pressure ocean sediments, and have already identified several potential test sites in Europe.
Link via Hugg.
Al Gore will speak at the University of Sheffield today, as a part of his keynote address to the Cooling the Planet Conference. The event forms the centre point of a week long initiative at the University called Sheffield Is My Planet Week - launched to help bring together members of the general public and the voluntary, public and private sectors and provide information to make South Yorkshire green and encourage energy efficiency.
Visit the Sheffield Is My Planet website for a complete list of events.
The UK is attempting to turn the tide against pro whaling nations with an all out recruitment drive to bring new countries into the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and reaffirm the international ban on commercial whaling.
Since 1946, the IWC has been charged with the conservation of the world's whale populations after rampant slaughter nearly annihilated many species. However, after implementing a complete ban on commercial fishing in 1986, there has been growing pressure from Japan, Iceland and Norway to resume the practice. To bolster their cause, Japan has been working behind the scenes to bring "sympathetic" countries into the IWC by exchanging foreign aid for pro-whaling votes.
This past June they tipped the scales and two decades after the ban went into effect, the IWC voted 33-32 in favour of the eventual return to commercial whaling. Shortly after that, Iceland announced annual quotas of 30 minke whales and 9 endangered fin whales and harvested their first catch - a 70ft fin - in October.
Its a controversy that will become more heated in the coming years.
As whale populations recover, the debate is slowly shifting from the outright preservation of whales a more subtle moral consideration of their value as unique intelligent creatures. Conservationists have acted for years under the implicit premise that whales should be set apart and afforded special protections that go beyond the mere survival of the species. The primary concern of pro-whaling nations is the management of the species for commercial harvest.
Tony Blair and the British government have embraced the conservationists view and are actively seeking other nations to join in the cause. Canada, despite having the longest coastline of any nation - and being home to 11 endangered whale populations - is not a member of the IWC.
To encourage Canada to join the UK's efforts write the appropriate Ministers below:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper - pm@pm.gc.ca
Environment Minister John Baird - John.Baird@ec.gc.ca
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Mackay - mackap2@parl.gc.ca
The British government is turning up the heat on Canada and pushing the Harper government to join a UK lead effort to create a post-Kyoto climate change plan and avert catastrophic global warming.
Canada and the other major sources of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions must lead the way toward a new, post-Kyoto climate-change deal or risk economic and environmental disaster, says British Prime Minister Tony Blair's special envoy on global warming.
That man is Elliot Morley who met with Environment Minister John Baird in Ottawa Wednesday. His intention? To get Canada plus 12 other countries to join a group dubbed the "G8 plus 5" in order to craft a climate change plan that would be tabled at this year's G8 meeting in Germany and be finalized at the 2008 meeting in Japan.
Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa would join the G8 nations in building the plan. Together, these countries represent 75 per cent of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions.
During his Canadian visit, Morley was refreshingly blunt in summing up the Conservative government's climate change stance to date.
"I think when the Canadian government was elected, the present one, their intention was to kick the whole climate-change issue into the long grass, basically, and I think they underestimated Canadian public opinion, the strength of the opposition parties."
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been in the news saying he will not follow US President Bush in setting hard targets for reduced oil consumption. he is also calling on CBC's French-language television network to retract a report that links the PM to a planned fivefold increase in oil sands production to fuel US consumption.
Seventeen people died in a suicide car bomb in Iraq over the past day as a part of the continuing violence waged for the protection of American access to oil.
Meanwhile, 65 have died in the US as winter storms continue to grip the so called Sun Belt states. To date, the cold snap has featured snows in the Malibu resort area of California and 33 deaths in the unlikely states of Texas and Oklahoma.
In northern Europe, 10 people have died and hundreds of air flights have been cancelled due to violent storms and hurricane force winds slamming into Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and France. The storms have also forced the cancellation of hundreds of air flights, including 123 at London's Heathrow, in addition to shutting down ferries, closing schools and roads, and causing the abandonment of a container ship listing in the English Channel. Germany currently has 40,000 volunteers on standby in anticipation of damage and flood.
So where is the greatest risk? In the savage unpredictability of unstable climate? or in the irrational fear of a decimated Muslim nation whose 95th ranked GDP could scarcely buy a plane ticket across the Atlantic, let alone pose a genuine threat to the US? The Bush administration has its own answer, and they continue to spend $300 million dollars per day to ensure the growing impacts of global warming by subsidizing the United States ongoing oil addiction through their war in Iraq.
Fair comparison? You decide. But the fact remains that top analysts estimate the total cost of the war will be $1.2 to $2 trillion dollars. A fraction of that total could make the United States the global leader in solving climate change while simultaneously offering all citizens the security of our survival - as a civilization and a species.