Shale gas incentives, flooding statements, and EU targets
News
Guardian
Climate and energy news:
Scientists back Cameron over a link betweenflooding and climate change
The prime minister last week said he ‘very much suspects’the recent floods had something to do with climate change. Now agroup of scientists has come out in support of his statement. Theysay the UK should expect heavier rainfall as a consequence ofclimate change, which increases the risk of floods.The Guardianand Financial Timesalso cover thestory.
Boost for nuclear power as EU shuns wind farmtarget
The European Commission’s reluctance to extend the renewableenergy target to 2030 could be good news for the UK’s nuclear powerindustry, the Times suggests.
Total’s shale deal could be worth six months ofgas
French energy company, Total, is set to invest £35 millionin the UK’s shale gas industry, which could yield 1.5 trillioncubic feet of gas, the Telegraph reports.
Blackouts ‘best possible thing’ for UK energycrisis, says Olympics chief
Labour infrastructure advisor and former Olympics chief, SirJohn Armitt, has said power blackouts could force politicians toconfront the lack of investment in the UK’s energy systems.The Guardianalso covers thestory.
Rift over new EU energy, climate policydeepens
A meeting of European ministers to decide new climatetargets proved “inconclusive”, Reuters reports. Ministers arecurrently discussing which level to set a new greenhouse gasemissions reduction target at, and whether or not to extend arenewable energy target to 2030.
Total joins UK’s pursuit of shaleboom
French oil company, Total, is set to join a team of energycompanies looking for shale gas in the Midlands.
Wind farm subsidies are in topband
A new Department of Energy and Climate Change report showsthe UK pays some of the highest subsidies for wind power inEurope.
Climate and energy comment:
Qatar considers more UK energyinvestment
Qatar’s energy minister has said it is keen to maintain itsstatus as Britain’s number one liquefied natural gas supplier, andis exploring the possibility of investing in other aspects of theUK’s energy system.
Coalition energy market reforms will bring cheaperpower to the people
The energy secretary, Ed Davey, writes in the Guardian thatthe coalition’s efforts to make the energy market more transparentand easier to navigate for consumers will eventually bring pricesdown.
Did your energy firm pocket the £50 ‘green tax’rebate?
Households on fixed price energy tariffs are only receiving£12 a year off their bills – instead of the promised £50 – in thewake of the government’s energy efficiency scheme reforms, theTelegraph reports.
Flooding chaos is down to David Cameron, notclimate change
Christopher Booker says the prime minister’s claims thatrecent floods and storms could be down to climate change arecontradicted by the Met Office and latest Intergovernmental Panelon Climate Change report.
Owen Paterson has failed to factor climate changeinto flood insurance
The Grantham Institute says the government’s new floodinsurance scheme – called Flood Re – fails to account for theincreased risk of flooding from rising sea levels and increasedrainfall as a consequence of climate change.
Anti-fracking protests fail to halt interest inshale gas
French oil company, Total, may be the first of manyinternational energy companies to invest in the UK’s shale gasindustry, the Guardian suggests. The news comes as protestorscontinue to demonstrate against Igas’ efforts to drill in northernManchester.
New climate science:
How warm days increase belief in globalwarming
Climate change judgements can depend on whether today seems warmeror colder than usual, according to a new paper. The researchersfound unusually warm days increase peoples’ belief in, and concernfor, global warming.
A quantitative evaluation of the public responseto climate engineering
A new paper looks at public attitudes to different ways ofengineering the climate in a bid to reduce global temperatures -and finds the response largely negative.
Exploring recent trends in Northern Hemisphereblocking
Scientists have suggested that as the Arctic warms fasterthan the rest of the world, weather patterns in northern hemisphereare likely to stick around for longer, leading to “blocking”events. But a new paper suggests evidence to back up the theory isproving elusive.