Category: China Syndrome

Richard Black Hijacks Debate

Post author By Jo
Post date August 28, 2009
2 Comments on Richard Black Hijacks Debate

Environmentalism has trudged a long, winding, often silent road, with many cul-de-sacs of defeat, desperation and despair.

In the last few years there has been a raising of the collective consciousness about how many problems are interrelated with an obscure corner of gas chemistry, which offers grave prospects for the whole of Life on Earth.

Ecologists and treehuggers of all varieties have started to gather round the camp fire of Climate Change, finding that people will pay attention to the destruction of Nature if they pay attention to their own fate first.

China Syndrome Energy Revival Peak Energy Peak Oil Pet Peeves Renewable Resource Toxic Hazard

A Very Crude Analysis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or-TyPACK-g
“A Crude Awakening – Trailer”

I watched the film “A Crude Awakening” for the third time this week with the good people of Transition Waltham Forest.

Several people in the room were strongly affected by the footage of the deserted oil fields of Texas, Baku and Venezuela.

In the discussion after the film I challenged the Green Party activist in the room (hopefully without hurting anyone’s feelings), asking where Energy is in the list of electoral campaign policy priorities. I said I don’t hear strong concern from any political party. It’s a subject that’s just not there.

Tags China, coal, India, Peak Oil

Carbon Capture China Syndrome Climate Change Media Non-Science Pet Peeves

New Scientist : China Propaganda

Post author By Jo
Post date August 8, 2009
No Comments on New Scientist : China Propaganda

Am disappointed and a touch surprised to find Government propaganda in the New Scientist magazine.

The thread of the official answer to “what to do about China ?” is “sell them Carbon Capture and Storage”. The way it’s packaged is : “we need to help China reduce their emissions”. As if “we” had a right or responsibility to correct China !

Bait & Switch Big Picture Burning Money Carbon Capture China Syndrome Climate Change Pet Peeves Technological Sideshow

China Laughs at Carbon Capture

Post author By Jo
Post date August 7, 2009
No Comments on China Laughs at Carbon Capture

Whenever one exchanges words with a representative of the British Government regarding Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), if one deigns to risk asking such a question as “why is the UK spending so much time, effort and resources on CCS demonstrations ?”, the usual, much-trodden answer is “because we need to lead China on this”.

Behaviour Changeling Big Picture Carbon Rationing China Syndrome Climate Change Contraction & Convergence Emissions Impossible Growth Paradigm Low Carbon Life Renewable Resource Social Change Vote Loser

Joan Ruddock : Flashback 2008

Post author By Jo
Post date August 5, 2009
No Comments on Joan Ruddock : Flashback 2008

Notes from PA21 Meeting with the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment

Meeting Date : Tuesday 25th March 2008
Meeting Time : 14:05 – 15:00
Meeting Venue: Whitehall

Attendees

Joan Ruddock MP, Under-Secretary of State, Environment
Annette Brooke MP
Tony Hamilton PA21 Chair
Theresa McManus PA21 Secretary
Naomi Matteson

Notes from Meeting

Big Picture Carbon Capture China Syndrome Climate Change Nuclear Nuisance Technological Sideshow

British Energy Business Throws Paddy

Post author By Jo
Post date July 13, 2009
No Comments on British Energy Business Throws Paddy

There are times in conversation when you know, you just know, that it’s going nowhere, and that you’ll have to fold. Cue lame excuses, mumbling into beard/beer/brassiere, lower eyes, get up and walk away. “It’s not you, it’s me”, you’ll claim, or something similarly limp, obvious and contrite.

So many times in the last six and a half years since I read the British Government’s Energy White Paper of February 2003, I’ve had to bow out of conversations with employees and fans of the Big Energy companies and the World Nuclear Association and some people from the Government as well.

Tags Climate Change, Energy, Mining

Big Picture Burning Money Carbon Capture Carbon Commodities China Syndrome Climate Change Cost Effective Emissions Impossible Nuclear Nuisance Technological Sideshow

Irony Bryony Worthington

[ UPDATE : Some of you have mentioned that you thought this piece was rather biting. So I put it under Bryony’s nose and offered to change anything that she felt was inaccurate, personally distressing, or that she disagreed with or objected to on professional grounds. Changes are bolded. ]

At the The Guardian Climate Change Summit in London’s Russell Square’s Hotel Russell on Monday 15th June 2009, there was a large banner marked out with the name of the key sponsor of the event, E.On, but nobody at the large table underneath it to schmooze the attendees.

Perhaps they thought that the info pack in bright friendly red, orange and yellow colours would suffice in terms of communications. Perhaps they thought that they had enough of a hold on the event’s messaging by having their Chief Executive Officer Paul Golby speaking at one of the morning sessions.

Tags China, Climate Change, coal, Energy, smart meter

Big Picture Burning Money China Syndrome Climate Change Emissions Impossible Growth Paradigm Social Change

Mr Tesco Speaks Of Zero

Terry Leahy, the CEO of Tesco, the largest supermarket chain in Britain, spoke at the 5th June 2009 conference “The politics of climate change : from economic crisis to business revolution”. His mood was ebullient, it seemed to me.

“We’re going to miss all the targets we set ourselves.” I think he might have been referring to both the Kyoto Protocol and the UK / EU 2020 targets, so I don’t know why he seemed so buoyant about it.

Tags Climate Change, Energy