Greenpeace have been rather pleased with themselves over a recent campaign win. Unilever has announced that they will support the call for an immediate moratorium on any further deforestation for palm oil in Indonesia. Even though they represent only 3 per cent of the palm oil purchasers, they are the biggest buyer, so this is a big win. Although the campaign was fronted by endearing orang utans, the impact of rainforest destruction goes much further. Apparently, because of deforestation, Indonesia's CO2 emissions are the third highest in the world (a quick Google search finds this).
Still a long way to go (and the whole issue of palm oil for biofuel as well) but it's a good start.
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Dodgy dealing
An interesting (and depressing) front-page story in the Guardian yesterday. The system established by the Kyoto process which allows rich countries to meet emissions targets by funding clean energy projects in developing nations is not just being abused, but abused on a massive scale. Apparently billions of pounds have been spent on dubious projects which do not do what they claim to.
That is why one of the House of Lords amendments to the UK Climate Change Bill is important: it stipulates that at least 70% of the UK's emissions cuts in any budgetary period should be generated domestically and not bought in from abroad, from similar schemes. The Government will of course be seeking to remove this amendment as the Bill passes through the House of Commons.
That is why one of the House of Lords amendments to the UK Climate Change Bill is important: it stipulates that at least 70% of the UK's emissions cuts in any budgetary period should be generated domestically and not bought in from abroad, from similar schemes. The Government will of course be seeking to remove this amendment as the Bill passes through the House of Commons.
Monday, 26 May 2008
Heathrow carnival
Next Saturday, 31 May, many thousands of people will be heading for Heathrow. Nothing so unusual in that - Heathrow is the UK's biggest airport. But this Saturday many of these will be there not to catch a flight but to protest against the plans for a third runway. Why is this such a bad idea? Many would argue that the local impact alone should be enough for the plan to be scrapped. At least 150,000 people will be under new flight paths to the new runway, and people under the existing flight paths would have planes going overhead every 90 seconds.But the real killer is the climate change impact. Forecasts for aviation expansion over the coming decades estimate that the increase in capacity at Heathrow would add more in CO2 emissions than the total current emissions from Gatwick and Stansted put together.(1)
There's more information on http://www.make-a-noise.org/ and http://www.stopheathrowexpansion.com/
(1)http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/environmentalissues/ukairdemandandco2forecasts/ (Table 3.7)
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Why eco-hopeful?
Climate change is so vast, with such potentially catastrophic consequences for the human race and other life on this planet, that it's very hard to think about it and not be sucked into despair. What can one person do? Why not just enjoy ourselves and leave future generations to sort it out? Unfortunately, the only chance of stopping it is to do something now - in the next 5-10 years.
If I do small things such as changing lightbulbs, switching the TV off standby, or bigger things such as avoiding flying, it makes me feel a bit better. In reality, however, the impact on the world's carbon emissions is infinitessimal. But what if I talk to my friends about how cheap it was to insulate my loft, or how great my journey on the Eurostar was, and why these changes are important? Suddenly I'm helping create societal change.
If I find a couple of environmentally-minded people in my office, and together we push forward a plan to save money by being greener, it won't just be us turning off computer monitors, trying not to waste paper, etc.
A lot of the important decisions that affect how much the UK contributes to climate change are taken by government departments that are simply not taking the issue seriously. But this is an elected government. In China, people may be arrested if they campaign politically, but we have the freedom to do so - and the responsibility to use that opportunity. So I can join up with organisations that are campaigning on these issues, write to my MP, make a fuss!
I hope this blog will be useful and interesting to those like me who would like, to use a cliche, to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
If I do small things such as changing lightbulbs, switching the TV off standby, or bigger things such as avoiding flying, it makes me feel a bit better. In reality, however, the impact on the world's carbon emissions is infinitessimal. But what if I talk to my friends about how cheap it was to insulate my loft, or how great my journey on the Eurostar was, and why these changes are important? Suddenly I'm helping create societal change.
If I find a couple of environmentally-minded people in my office, and together we push forward a plan to save money by being greener, it won't just be us turning off computer monitors, trying not to waste paper, etc.
A lot of the important decisions that affect how much the UK contributes to climate change are taken by government departments that are simply not taking the issue seriously. But this is an elected government. In China, people may be arrested if they campaign politically, but we have the freedom to do so - and the responsibility to use that opportunity. So I can join up with organisations that are campaigning on these issues, write to my MP, make a fuss!
I hope this blog will be useful and interesting to those like me who would like, to use a cliche, to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
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