Carbon Brief weekly update 24/01/2013
- 24 Jan 2013, 16:30
- Carbon Brief Staff
Leaders speak up on climate
change
The leaders of two of the world's greatest economies
made statements about climate change this week. Barack Obama,
President of the United States, wowed weary environmentalists with
a
commitment to tackle climate change
in his
inaugural speech. The
New York Times says the campaign will
be an "aggressive campaign built around the use of his executive
powers to sidestep Congressional opposition" - a point
CNN also notes. According to the
Guardian, Obama said more about climate
change in the speech than he has for a very long time.
Meanwhile, Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, wrote a
comment piece for the Telegraph
explaining why the recent snow in the capital meant he was keeping
an open mind on whether the UK was heading for a new ice age.
Carbon Brief asked scientists why
fringe views don't shake mainstream science. The
Guardian and
New Statesman also picked up on the
story.
Andean glaciers
A new scientific study suggests Andean glaciers are
melting faster due to climate change. Some smaller glaciers are at
risk of disappearing altogether in the next few decades, with
serious implications for local water supply, as the BBC notes. After we covered the story,
The Times,
Guardian,
Telegraph and
Independent also picked it up.
Also on our blog
Can the Green Deal
make energy efficiency the next big thing in home
improvement?
The government's is launching its flagship energy
efficiency scheme, the Green Deal, on Monday. But the media have
picked up on some teething problems.
Greenland ice sheet probably more stable than we
thought
The ice covering Greenland may be less sensitive to
rising temperatures than previously thought, according to a new
study. But it's not all good news - it could mean ice in Antarctica
is more vulnerable.
What's
the future of climate coverage?
What's
the future of climate coverage as news organisations retrench?
Carbon Brief talks to two organisations hoping to boost accurate
climate news
The BEST study is finally peer reviewed (and basically confirms
what scientists already knew)
The Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature study is
finally out in a peer-reviewed journal. But after much commotion
and with BEST study now coming to a close, do we know anything now
that we didn't already?
Does DECC predict a post-2020 renewable slowdown?
According to the Times, official figures show that
the number of new wind farms and other renewable energy projects
constructed in the UK is going to slow down significantly after
2020.
How much
would an energy revolution save consumers?
How much would the average family save in energy
bills if the government instituted a nationwide programme to
insulate the UK's draughty homes?