Category: Emissions Impossible

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Spot The Fatal Flaw #1 : Oil From Algae

Post author By Jo
Post date July 14, 2009
1 Comment on Spot The Fatal Flaw #1 : Oil From Algae

ExxonMobil have a plan : harness the natural lifecycle of billions of little photosynthetic critters and make oil, oil, lots of lovely, slimy, rainbowy algal oil.

https://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE56D0O120090714?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews

Tags Algae, Climate Change, Energy, Fuel, Oil

Bait & Switch Climate Change Emissions Impossible Technological Sideshow

Ed Miliband : Lost in TV

It’s a huge shame that the person charged with decisions about Energy in the UK doesn’t have a science or engineering background.

He can’t determine truth from fiction, that’s why.

We can produce report after report and datasheet after datasheet showing how ridiculous it will be to continue with Coal and Nuclear, and he won’t be able to see the wood for the trees.

This is yet again proof of why it is pointless trying to engage with the decison-makers. They don’t have the mental framework to be able to deal with the facts and figures.

Tags Energy, Renewable

Climate Change Emissions Impossible

The G8 big boys have been in Italy in the last week, sending their trophy wives off on a tour of unremediated earthquake rubble in high heels, while they them-besuited-selves got on with the business of smiling for the cameras, warmly shaking unwashed hands and talking nonsense.

There was a much reported target-setting of reducing Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions by 80%. But there were several qualifiers on this promise, and I don’t think it’s going to look like what they claim it will (and neither does George Monbiot).

Tags 80%, Climate Change, Emissions, G8, Targets

Big Picture Climate Change Emissions Impossible Technological Sideshow

Royal Dutch Technological Shell

Post author By Jo
Post date July 14, 2009
No Comments on Royal Dutch Technological Shell

If you’re not doing very much else on 15th July 2009, why not take a look at the Shell Dialogue, asking the question : “can technology reduce Carbon Dioxide emissions ?”.

https://www.shelldialogues.com

https://www.shelldialogues.com/technologiesforco2

You can submit your questions in person to Jan van der Eijk, the Chief Technology Officer at Shell.

Tags Climate Change, Energy, Shell

Bait & Switch Carbon Army Carbon Capture Carbon Commodities Climate Change Cost Effective Emissions Impossible Nuclear Nuisance Social Change Technological Sideshow

I’d Like To Thank

At the Oscars and the BAFTAS and so on, the winners, always bleary, always blubbing, always drunk, always start with an “I’d like to thank” speech, offering genuine (or coerced) gratitude very publicly to those who collaborated (or financed) their venture : “you made it all possible”.

In true TV award ceremony style, the British Government, plus “Special Adjunct” Tony Blair, in amongst their good work pursuing Energy Efficiency and True Renewables, appear to be virtually obliged to mention the Energy and Climate “solutions” of their closest lobbyists and corporate allies, or even relatives, in the case of Gordon Brown’s brother Andrew’s company Electricité de France :-

Tags Business, Climate Change, Energy

Bait & Switch Big Picture Climate Change Emissions Impossible Media

Damage Limitation

Despite the fact that there are only about five (and dropping) Climate Change “sceptics” in the British Parliament; and despite the fact that all major scientific and academic bodies, institutions and societies all declare their support for cuts in Global Warming pollution; the Media are still galumphing about in the murky mud of the 1980s in terms of public psychology.

It is essential that there is meaningful debate in the public realm about what Climate Change is doing to our world, and how we can control emissions and work to protect against damaging outcomes.

The evidence is all around us. And gradually, increasing numbers of people are adjusting their mental aerials to tune into the greater ideas and the bigger picture. What we don’t need just now are obfuscation and turbulence and gleeful mischievous wreckers.

Tags Climate Change, Climate Change deniers, Climate Change sceptics, Climate Change skeptics, Global Warming

Bait & Switch Big Picture Climate Change Emissions Impossible Peak Energy

Peak Everything (2)

The “Standard Fossil Fuel” Peak, that of Coal, Petroleum Oil and Natural Gas, is probably within 10 years.

We really have to avoid “Alternatives”, like Tar Sands, Oil Shale…or we could create Climate Crisis in another 10 years.

When BP branded themselves “Beyond Petroleum”, when Shell expanded its Renewables division briefly, we thought it was Greenwash, we thought it was about a bit of token Renewable Energy…but I think they might be serious – about “Alternative” Energy resources that would be way, way more Carbon-intensive than Coal.

It’s not something David Rutledge at CalTech has factored in, I think. He used to be talking about keeping Coal in the ground, but now he’s more optimistic that standard Fossil Fuels will not bring us to Climate catastrophe…

Tags Climate Change, Energy, Peak

Big Picture Climate Change Contraction & Convergence Emissions Impossible Growth Paradigm Peak Energy Peak Oil

No Country for Old Men

Heaven knows what Aubrey Meyer must feel like some days.

For every ounce of frustration I feel about the sloth-like pace of the international Climate negotiations, he must feel a pound of nerve-wrecking agitational sweating stress.

The United States of America has been trumpeting its progressive politics again this week, asserting itself as the world’s Climate Change leader at the G8 talks in L’Aquila in Italy.

Tags Climate Change, Limits to Growth, Peak Energy, Peak Oil

Big Picture Carbon Capture Climate Change Emissions Impossible Nuclear Nuisance

Electrickery

Post author By Jo
Post date June 29, 2009
No Comments on Electrickery

I’ve been considering becoming a student again. “Retrain to gain”, they say, and I need to do something to justify a change in career path.

Here’s the course I’ve been considering : a Masters Degree in Science in Climate Change Management :-

https://www.bbk.ac.uk/geog/prospective/pg/climatechange

Tags Climate Change, Study, University

Carbon Capture Climate Change Emissions Impossible Growth Paradigm Low Carbon Life Nuclear Nuisance Social Change

Big Carbon Cuts Coming

Some simple analysis of the Carbon Dioxide emissions in the UK leads to several pertinent conclusions :-

Tags Carbon Cuts, Carbon Emissions, Domestic, Power Generation, transport

Carbon Commodities Climate Change Emissions Impossible

Make Poverty Permanent

I strongly agree with one central theme from Nicholas Stern’s analysis of how to tackle Climate Change.

In his book “A Blueprint for a Safer Planet”, he argues in depth that Climate Change Adaptation strategies for countries in the Global South must be combined with those strategies to beat Poverty and encourage Development.

Tags Bonn, Carbon Trading, Clean Development Mechanism, Climate Change, UNFCCC

Big Picture Carbon Capture Carbon Commodities Climate Change Emissions Impossible Growth Paradigm Nuclear Nuisance

Astonishing Admissions

At the Climate Change campaign meeting on Saturday, “Six Months to Copenhagen”, hosted by the Fabian Society in London, Ed Miliband said some things I find astonishing admissions.

The Climate Change Committee, after having looked into the matter of Carbon Budgets on Carbon Emissions Reductions for the United Kingdom, made recommendations for our national targets :-

https://hmccc.s3.amazonaws.com/pdfs/LaunchPressRelease01.12.08.pdf

Tags Carbon Market, Climate Change, Emissions Reductions

Carbon Capture Carbon Commodities Climate Change Emissions Impossible Nuclear Nuisance Technological Sideshow

A Cabal of Campaigners

There’s news from the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) quarter.

A whole bunch of Aid and Development, charity, Third Sector and green groups got together today and were instilled with their responsibility to “hold politicians’ feet to the fire” by Ed Miliband, who just happens to be a politician.

Not just any old politician, no. Only the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in the United Kingdom.

Tags Carbon Capture and Storage, Carbon Trading, Climate Change, Copenhagen

Big Picture Climate Change Cost Effective Emissions Impossible

Bjørn Lomborg Concedes Defeat

Post author By Jo
Post date June 18, 2009
1 Comment on Bjørn Lomborg Concedes Defeat

Bjørn Lomborg has been struggling to suppress action on Climate Change for some time now. He has reasoned that it is not such a big deal, and we would be better spending our resources and attention on other global ills.

Now, however, he’s proposing a universal Carbon Tax, in order to promote Renewable Energy – both Wind Power and Solar !

What’s gotten into the economist-man ? Has he been poisoned by teeth-whitening chemicals ? Has he finally seen the light ? Or does he think that anything is more workable than Cap-and-Trade ?

Tags Carbon Tax, Climate Change, Energy

Carbon Capture Climate Change Emissions Impossible Meltdown Utter Futility

Number Crunching #1 : Jobs Flooding in, Homes Flooded out

Post author By Jo
Post date June 17, 2009
No Comments on Number Crunching #1 : Jobs Flooding in, Homes Flooded out

In the best Private Eye style, I will merely present to you two statistics and let you deduce the relationship between the two.

If you really don’t understand what I’m driving at, do get in touch :-

Tags Carbon Capture and Storage, Climate Change, coal, Energy, Flooding, Homes

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 Carbon Capture Carbon Commodities Climate Change Emissions Impossible Nuclear Nuisance

The Promised “Summer Strategy”

Post author By Jo
Post date June 15, 2009
No Comments on The Promised “Summer Strategy”

David Kennedy, the chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change announced today, almost in passing, at the The Guardian Climate Change Summit, that the “Summer Strategy” regarding all the Government’s choices on Climate Change technologies, as articulated by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) will be published within the week.

Tags Carbon Capture and Storage, CCS, Climate Change, coal, Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Nuclear

Carbon Army Climate Change Cost Effective Emissions Impossible

The New Green Army

As some of my more regular readers will be aware, I have been re-reading Nicholas Stern’s book “A Blueprint for a Safer Planet : How to Manage Climate Change and Create a New Era of Progress and Prosperity”.

He signed the book for me : “zero carbon or bust”, at his Book Launch at the London School of Economics, which, I think, shows his commitment to the “Defining Challenge of our Age” (now, who exactly said that first ? And about what ?)

Tags Army, Budget, Climate Change, Global Warming, Military

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

Big Picture Climate Change Emissions Impossible Low Carbon Life Peak Oil Social Change

Stelios Flies By The Seat Of His Pants

Post author By Jo
Post date June 11, 2009
No Comments on Stelios Flies By The Seat Of His Pants

At the conference “The politics of climate change : from economic crisis to business revolution” on 5th June 2009, Stelios Haji-Ioannou ended up flying by the seat of his pants.

“I’m usually [cast as] the Devil. People are trying to find a high-profile industry [to target]…[they choose] airlines.”

Tags Air travel, Airships, Aviation, Climate Change

Carbon Army Carbon Commodities Climate Change Emissions Impossible Social Change Technological Sideshow

Adair Turner Fidgets While Coal Burns

Post author By Jo
Post date June 10, 2009
No Comments on Adair Turner Fidgets While Coal Burns

Adair Turner must be a bundle of nerves, sitting, as he does on both the Financial Services Authority and the Climate Change Committee.

He’s often asked to speak on behalf of ideas that are shaky, like cracking down on the banks with stronger regulation, whilst avoiding blaming the banks themselves for the financial crisis :-

https://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article4959789.ece

Tags Climate Change, coal, Energy

Carbon Capture Carbon Commodities Climate Change Emissions Impossible

Six Heavies and a Kevlar Vest

Post author By Jo
Post date June 5, 2009
No Comments on Six Heavies and a Kevlar Vest

Tony Blair looked greyer than ever as he lightfooted it into the auditorium. “He still hasn’t had the surgery to pin back his ears”, I noted to the chap I had been talking to on my right, “I don’t meant to be rude, but he’s still got that sticky-outy look. I would have thought that would be the first thing he’d do with all the money.”

Tags Climate Change, Energy, Revolution

Bait & Switch Big Picture Burning Money Carbon Capture Carbon Commodities Emissions Impossible Technological Sideshow

Carbon Offsets : Dangerous Distraction

Post author By Jo
Post date June 2, 2009
2 Comments on Carbon Offsets : Dangerous Distraction

Well, Friends of the Earth are not to be found beating around any bushes or mincing any words today. It’s up front and confrontational on the matter of Carbon Offsetting coming out of the Clean Development Mechanism, and how it’s going to fail us. The new report is titled “A Dangerous Distraction : Why Offsetting is Failing the Climate and People : The Evidence” and its language is brutal :-

https://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefing_notes/dangerous_distraction.pdf

Tags Carbon Offsets, coal, Energy