ISSUE 13 DIGEST 24-6 December 2008
Local and Regional
Nov
23 Blackpool Airport planning to expand
Nov
23 Friends of the Earth, the Campaign for Better
Transport, Greenpeace and Asthma UK are supporting Greater the TIF,
claiming it could make the region “a national leader in developing
a state-of-the-art transport system" and will also tackle air
pollution and climate change as well as congestion.
Nov
25 Shares in Enegi, the Manchester-based company searching for
oil and gas in the Canadian province of Newfoundland, rose 13 per
cent after it announced it has encountered both oil and gas at one of
its wells.
Nov
25 Up to £165 million of Government funding was
announced by Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon today to improve access
to Manchester International Airport. New road links between the
airport and surrounding roads would provide better access to the UK's
fourth largest airport for the 21 million passengers who use it each
year.
Dec
1 Crains reports that the commodity price drop means rubbish
business for recyclers
Dec
1 DIRECT QUOTE- Greater Manchester Waste Disposal
Authority (GMWDA) and preferred bidder Viridor/Laing have committed to
achieving financial close on a
25-year PFI waste services contract for the city region. Councillor
Swannick,
chairman of the GMWDA, said: “We are ready to sign the contract as soon
as the
banks have completed their processes of approval.”
Dec
1 Manchester Unviersity physics prof Brian Cox makes
People's "Sexiest Man Alive" list. MCFly wants to
know if Kevin Anderson was considered, and if not why not?
Dec
2 Drivers Jonas, the property consultancy, has added 2 people
to its sustainability team, and won an award into the bargain.
Dec
3 The Manchester-based Co-operative Group says it has
become the country’s first retail to have a micro-hydro-powered
store. The group is powering its food store in New Mills, Derbyshire,
from the fast-flowing waters of the river Goyt. Chris Shearlock,
sustainable development manager at The Co-op,
said: “In addition to buying the hydro electricity for our food
store in New Mills, The Co-operative’s family of businesses have
worked together to support the innovative scheme, with a grant from
The Co-operative Fund to help with the establishment of
community-ownership and The Co-operative Bank helping with commercial
finance. We are also planning to extend this support to further
micro-hydro schemes across the country.”
Dec
6 MEN's David Ottewell has a ludicrous non-story about
domestic wind turbines not being much cop. Well you do
fucking
amaze me. Then he conflates that wind power with other. We will follow
this story- get BWEA on it.
National
Nov
21 The London 2012 Organizing Committee published the first
edition of an online “Sustainable Sourcing Code”. The code is an
effort to ensure the products and services used for the Olympics are
responsibly sourced and minimize environmental impact during the
manufacturing process.
Nov
23 Environment Agency comes out against Heathrow
Nov
24 Alistair Darling today announced an extra £100
million to help tens of thousands of families insulate their homes in
a move to cut emissions and reduce energy bills. As he announced a
package of measures to tackle the financial crisis, the Chancellor
said "economic recovery must support our environmental
objectives - not come at its expense".
Nov
24 Various green groups bemoan the pre-Budget report as a
missed opportunity for a New Green Deal.
Nov
24 Ed Miliband shouts out Transition networks. It's like
your dad trying to be "cool"...
Nov
25 Peter Lilley takes a pop at the Climate Change Bill
Nov
24-5 At the Environment Agency annual conference Boris
Johnson tried to relaunch himself as the green Mayor today with a
pledge to
make London eco-capital of the world. He said the city should lead
the way in reducing carbon emissions and capitalising on the new
energy economy." The EA also announces plans to
produce enough green energy- via wind turbines, small scale hydro- to
power a city the size of York
Nov
25 Sir Michael Pitt, author of a review on the 2007 floods,
says Britons are "in denial". I thought that was a
river in Egypt??
Nov
27 The UK could meet its ambitious pledge to slash
greenhouse gas pollution even if ministers give the go-ahead to
expanding Heathrow airport, the government's leading climate change
adviser has signalled. When asked about it Lord Turner, chairman of
the independent Climate Change Committee, told the Guardian that it
would be possible for aviation to be expanded while still meeting the
target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by the middle of
this century, especially if airlines were able to use biofuels or
other low-carbon power sources.
Nov
27 Chief Exec of Aquamarine Power guesstimates that marine
energy could employ 145,000, up from current 1,000 (FT)
Nov
27 The FT reports that Nasdaq OMX will be setting up
Britain's first elcectricity exchange, which will make it easier for
companies to hedge their energy price risk.
Nov
27-8 Nearly 150 people from across the UK gathered in
Nottingham, supported by the City Council for the first ever
Transition Cities Conference. The event brought together those who
have been testing the Transition model in the cities in an Open Space
conference format to share ideas, insights, tools and techniques,
exploring what works and what doesn’t in urban Transition.
Nov
28-9 E.on f-off, new protest group, do santa coal actions
Dec
1 Lord Turner's recommendations are CCS, nukes etc
Dec
1 The EEF (manufacturers' organisation) wants renewable
targets scrapped in favour of ones that include nuclear power and
clean (sic) coal
Dec
2 Confederation of Business Industry (CBI) hold a climate
change conference.
Dec
5 Government delays decision on third runway at Heathrow till
end of January
Dec
5 Rolls-Royce and Balfour Beatty will be working with
Aveva, maker of nuclear reactors on the new construction programme in
the UK
Dec
5 Sainsbury will be buying all the power a new 6 megawatt
windfarm near Glasgow will be producing
Dec
6 Probably about 7,000 people march in the annual Climate march
Dec
6 Peter Sissons tries to cast doubt on climate change in an
interview with Caroline Lucas. Loser.
International
Nov
24 Europe's energy infrastructure isn't getting the investment
it needs because of the credit crisis, and this is going to weaken
energy security and climate change work, says a French
consultancy, Capgemini (FT)
Nov
25 - Greenpeace protesters clashed with
coal miners at a new opencast mine on Monday
Nov
25 QUOTE (WARSAW) - Eastern EU member states want
to see a fresh proposal from France regarding the European Union's
planned climate and energy package, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw
Sikorski said Monday. Speaking after a meeting of the nine nations'
foreign ministers,
Sikorski recalled that French President Nicolas Sarkozy -- whose
nation holds the EU presidency -- will be in Gdansk 2on December 6,
Saint Nicolas Day.
Nov
25 VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican was set to go green on
Wednesday with the activation of a new solar energy system to power
several key buildings and a commitment to use renewable energy for 20
percent of its needs by 2020. The massive roof of the Vatican's
"Nervi Hall," where popes hold general audiences and
concerts are performed, has been covered with 2,400 photovoltaic
panels -- but they will not be visible from below, leaving the
Vatican skyline unchanged.
Nov
25 Italy to veto new EU climate targets if no changes Italy
will veto new European greenhouse gas limits for 2020 unless it gets
concessions, its environment minister said on Tuesday, suggesting the
EU might wait a year before adopting new climate change policies.
Nov
25 Ernst & Young report says Europe unlikely to hit
its renewable energy targets- esp Germany, the UK and the
Netherlands. Finalnd, Sweden, Romania and Spain will
have
surplus that they can sell...
Nov
25 Portugal has signed a leccy car deal with Renault and
Nissan, to create a national network for zero-emission vehicles
within three years. 320 vehicle charging locations by 2010, up to
1,300 by the end of 2011.
Nov
25 The World
Meteorological Organisation reports that
greenhouse gases reached record levels in the atmosphere last year.(and
the Pope's still Catholic). Methane had its largest annual
increase in a decade. WMO expert Geir Braathen told a news briefing
that it was too early to tell if methane would keep rising [at the
new high rate].
Nov
26 QUOTE The United States Conference of Mayors announced
that more than 900 mayors have signed the U.S. Conference of Mayors
Climate Protection Agreement. Under the agreement, cities pledged to
reduce carbon emissions by 7 percent below 1990 levels over the next
four years; strive to meet or beat the Kyoto Protocol targets in
their own communities; and to urge Congress to pass the bipartisan
GHG reduction legislation.
Nov
28 BBC QUOTE Leaders from the world's religious
traditions have signed a manifesto urging tough action on climate
change. Around 1,000 delegates are meeting at the Interfaith
Climate Summit in Uppsala, Sweden, at the invitation of the Swedish
church. The manifesto, signed by 30 religious leaders, calls for
"rapid and large emission cuts in the rich world". It
argues in favour of a reduction in carbon emissions of at least 40%
by the year 2020.
Nov
29 The Canadian Coast Guard confirms that a commercial
ship travelled through the Northwest Passage this fall to deliver
supplies.
Dec
1 DIrect Quote- EU to exceed air pollutant limit due to
growth in road transport Despite significant emission reductions in
recent years, only 11 EU Member States expect to remain within their
emission limits for all four air pollutants set by the EU National
Emission Ceilings Directive (NEC Directive). The nitrogen oxides
ceiling remains the most difficult to comply with. This is partly due
to the fact that demand for road transport has grown faster than
anticipated.
Dec
2 Car lobby does hit and run on EU emissions targets
Direct
quote "European leaders have agreed a deal relaxing
new rules to cut car pollution and reduce the penalties for the
automotive
industry if their vehicles continue to
spew out high
levels of carbon dioxide, while setting a more ambitious longer-term
target for slashing emissions from new cars.Under the deal reached by
French officials and members of the
European parliament late on Monday, the big European car companies
will be given a longer leeway to reduce CO2 emissions from new cars
while fines levied on those breaking the new law have been
dramatically cut. Green pressure groups denounced the deal as
capitulation to the
powerful car lobby led by Germany. But EU officials, MEPs and
European governments hailed the agreement as a breakthrough in a
crucial part of the EU's ambitious climate
change package."
Dec
1 Anglo
American is "delighted" to provide its full support as a Founding
Member of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute (“GCCSI”)
which was launched this week. The Institute will be administered and
funded by the Australian Government and is an important global
initiative which aims to facilitate the development and deployment of
carbon capture and storage projects.
Dec
1 THE UNFCCC
has suspended Norways' DNV, one of the largest auditors of
"clean
energy" projects
under Kyoto Protocol, for five "non-conformities" relating to its
practices. The U.N. had performed a spot check of the company's
operations in early November. its clients, which include project
developers
EcoSecurities and Trading Emissions.
December
2 2008: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has
called for increased investment in a plant breeding technique that
uses radiation to produce improved high-yielding plants that adapt to
harsh climate conditions and that could therefore contribute to the
fight against hunger.
Dec
2 HSBC
has cut its lending to oil palm developers and logging companies in
Malaysia and Indonesia because of environmental concerns.
Following criticism by the Forest Peoples Program, an
indigenous rights' group, over its failure to disclose the names of
its palm oil industry clients, the bank would terminate
relationships with forestry companies having questionable
environmental practices.
Dec
3 QUOTE Ash Grove Texas LP, a part of Ash Grove
Cement, recently sued Dallas and other North Texas cities to stop
them from favoring cement companies that use dry process kilns that
emit less pollution than old-style wet process kilns, the Dallas
Morning News reports.The
company, which only has wet process kilns, contends that the
cities’ “green cement” resolutions violate the company’s
constitutional rights, as well as Texas laws on competitive bidding
for public contracts.
Dec
4 Bank
of America will phase out financing for companies that practice
mountaintop removal coal mining. The policy change comes the
day after the Environmental Protection
Agency — at the instruction of the Bush administration — approved a
rule that will make it easier for coal companies to dump waste from
mountaintop removal mining operations into streams and valleys.
Dec
6 South Africa's state electricity company, ESKOM, has
nixed a planned nuclear power station.
Dec
6 Adelaide, South Australia has bought 61 billion gallons of
water for the coming year, reports the Morning Star.
Sciencewatch
November
2008: The Bureau of the 38th Session of the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) is scheduled to convene from 24-25 November
2008, at World Meteorological Organization (WMO) headquarters in
Geneva, Switzerland. This will be the first meeting of the new Bureau
of the IPCC, which was elected during the 29th IPCC session, which
met from 31 August-4 September 2008, in Geneva, Switzerland.
