Energy efficiency overlooked
News
Green businesses urge government to set aside £4bnper year for energy saving
A coalition of industry and green groups says that energyefficiency risks are being overlooked in the government’s NationalInfrastructure Plan, reports Business Green. They would likesubstantial funds earmarked to improve the nation’s drafty housingstock.
Climate and energy news
Alarm over climate turns peopleoff
“Alarmist” claims about the impact of global warming arecontributing to a loss of trust in climate scientists, reports theTimes. It says an inquiry led by senior scientists and commissionedby University College London found apocalyptic language harmful topublic engagement efforts.
King Coal in Australia faces rising investmentbacklash
Banks and investment funds have joined an anti-coal backlashin Australia, Reuters reports. The country’s Prime Minister remainsa staunch supporter of the industry, it notes.
May was the hottest month ever forEarth
Average global temperature of 15.54 degrees Celsius for themonth was the warmest since records began in 1880, the Telegraphreports. The heat was driven by warm oceans, it says.
New Indian Government Hardens Stance Of EmergingNations On CO2 Emissions
The Indian government has said developing countries have a”right to grow” and that this will mean that their “net emission(of greenhouse gases) may increase”. The statement reiteratedIndian commitment to cutting emissions but clearly priotisespoverty reduction and economic growth.
Physicist Offers $10,000 To Anyone Who CanDisprove Climate Change
Texas-based physicist Dr Christopher Keating has offered$10,000 to anyone who can disprove climate change. He says he is”certain” his money is safe. Critics say the physicist will judgeclaims himself, giving him a financial interest in rejectingthem.
Air Quality to Suffer with GlobalWarming
Climate change will worsen air quality in many parts of theworld, according to new research. It will slow air circulation forover half the world’s population leading to more stagnant, sootyconditions.
Iraq crisis puts oil markets onalert
The Financial Times reported yesterday that oil prices haveyet to see much affect from the Iraq crisis. It said worseningpolitical fragmentation in the region was the biggest concern. TheBBC reported this morningon the rebels’ claimto have captured Iraq’s biggest oil refinery. It said they plannedto reopen the site as soon as possible.
EU mulls cutting energy use by35%
The EU should not set binding energy saving targets formember states according to a leaked draft of a policy proposal dueto be released in July. Instead, it discusses a 30-35 per centtarget for 2030 that could be binding at EU level.Arthur Neslen, EurActiv
New milestone for biofuels fromwaste
Three factories producing fuel from woody plant matter aredue to open in the US this year, the Financial Times reports,marking a breakthrough in progress for so-called cellulosicethanol. But scientific and logistical challenges remain thatshould temper expectations for the technology, it says.
Justices Uphold Emission Limits on BigIndustry
The US Supreme Court has handed President Obama’sEnvironmental Protection Agency a victory in its efforts toregulate greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources likepower plants, the New York Times reports. The Wall StreetJournal saysthe ruling “reins in” theEPA’s approach but notes that it leaves 83 per cent of USstationary source emissions in scope of the regulations as opposedto the 86 per cent the EPA wanted to cover. AssociatedPress reportsthat the decision relatesto rules requiring large sources to gain a permit for their carbonemissions. Contrary to some reports, the ruling is unrelated torecently announced plans to reduce US power plant emissions, as theEPA itself alsoexplains. Those rules are expected toface separate legal challenge, but the Wall Street Journal reportsthat most Americans supportthem.
Tackling climate change would grow global economy,World Bank says
Tackling climate change would be beneficial to the globaleconomy, according to a Guardian report of World Bank findings. Itsays efforts to tackle emissions – not including an economy-widecarbon tax – would boost annual GDP in 2030 by up to $2.6trillion.
Climate and energy comment
The UK risks looking foolish if it doesn’t addressits coal problem
The UK government is at risk of losing face says Greenpeacecampaigner Jimmy Aldridge, because it has no clear exit strategyfrom coal, the most carbon intensive means of generating power.Instead of an exit strategy, he says the government has been layingthe groundwork for coal use to continue.
Coal: We Need to Ditch Our Filthiest Source ofEnergy
Global warming is a “terribly complex” problem, writes MichaelGrunwald. But for now the biggest US challenge – tackling coal – isalso the most solvable. Coal is the “filthiest” source of energyand the US needs to burn less of it, he argues.
New climate science
Investigating afforestation and bioenergy CCS asclimate change mitigation strategies
Environmental Research Letters
Researchers investigate two land-based climate changemitigation strategies for carbon removal: (1) afforestation and (2)bioenergy in combination with carbon capture and storage technology(bioenergy CCS). Among other conclusions, they find afforestationis a cost-efficient strategy for carbon removal at relatively lowcarbon prices, while bioenergy CCS becomes competitive only athigher prices.
Nonlinear permanent migration response to climaticvariations but minimal response todisasters
Proceedings of the National Academy ofSciences
A new study examines the effects of sudden natural disastersand climatic variations on migration by followingprovince-to-province movement of more than 7,000 households inIndonesia over 15 years. The scientists found temperatureincreases, and to a lesser extent rainfall, are likely to have agreater effect on people’s movements than episodic naturaldisasters.
Preferential cooling of hot extremes from croplandalbedo management
Proceedings of the National Academy ofSciences
The local effects of heatwaves could be lessened with changesto farming practices, according to a new study. Removing plantresidue from the land increases the reflectivity in summer – calledthe albedo – and could cool surroundings by up to two degreesCelsius during hot extremes, say the researchers.