Category: Social Change

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Behaviour Changeling Climate Change Disturbing Trends Emissions Impossible Energy Revival Low Carbon Life Pet Peeves Political Nightmare Social Change The Data Unutterably Useless Utter Futility Voluntary Behaviour Change

Voluntary Behaviour Change Failure

Image Credit : The Climate Change Committee

The Economic Recession has had a clear impact on the rate of British Carbon Dioxide Emissions.

However, peoples’ individual behaviour change has not been an additional factor :-

https://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=13675

Hat tip goes to Paul Mobbs for his note :-

“Have a look at Chapter 11/Chapter 12 for some eco-gems — e.g. “Domestic energy consumption for lighting and electrical appliances in the UK between 1970 and 2007 increased by 155 per cent…”Between 1989–91 and 2008, the proportion of children in Great Britain of
primary school age travelling to school by car rose steadily, from 27 per cent to 43 per cent…”

Asking people to curb their energy enthusiasm simply isn’t working.

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Behaviour Changeling British Sea Power Carbon Army Carbon Capture Carbon Commodities China Syndrome Climate Change Energy Revival Geogingerneering Global Warming Growth Paradigm Health Impacts Low Carbon Life Media Nuclear Nuisance Nuclear Shambles Pet Peeves Political Nightmare Public Relations Regulatory Ultimatum Renewable Resource Science Rules Social Change Solar Sunrise Voluntary Behaviour Change Vote Loser Wind of Fortune

Climate Union : Sharing Principles

Image Credit : Gilbert & George, “Nettle Dance”, White Cube

I’m in the Climate Union. Are You ?

Soon we could all be, if the expansionist plans of a group of social campaigners come to fruition.

Taking in the unions, faith communities and the usual rag-tag bunch of issues activists, the Climate Union aims to establish itself as a political force for Low Carbon.

First of all, however, it has to tackle the uneasy and prickly problem of the exact name of the movement, and the principles under which it will operate.

The flag has been flown : a set of principles has been circulated for discussion amongst the “Climate Forum”. I cannot show you the finalised document yet, but I can offer you my comments (see below).

If you want to comment on the development of this emerging entity, please contact : Peter Robinson, Campaign against Climate Change, mobile/cell telephone in the UK : 07876595993.

Comments on the Climate Forum Principles
Jo Abbess
28 June 2010

I am aware that my comments are going to be a little challenging. I made similar comments during the review of the ClimateSafety briefing, which were highly criticised.

I expect you to be negative in response to what I say, but I think it is necessary to make sure the Climate Forum does not become watered-down, sectorally imprisoned and politically neutered, like so many other campaigns.

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Advancing Africa Bait & Switch Big Picture Carbon Capture Climate Change Contraction & Convergence Divide & Rule Emissions Impossible Energy Revival Growth Paradigm Nuclear Nuisance Nuclear Shambles Political Nightmare Regulatory Ultimatum Social Change Unutterably Useless Utter Futility Vain Hope

Unpicking Kyoto (2)

Unpicking Kyoto
Jo Abbess
20 June 2010

CONTINUED FROM PART 1

PART 2

Why Was Copenhagen Such A Washout ?

The international community, in the form of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) established the Kyoto Protocol back in 1997, a treaty that was ratified only as late as 2005 after compromises from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for Russia. Global Climate Change negotiations, even before the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 have been beset by recurring problems.

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Big Picture Carbon Commodities Carbon Rationing Climate Change Contraction & Convergence Divide & Rule Emissions Impossible Growth Paradigm Low Carbon Life Political Nightmare Regulatory Ultimatum Social Change The Data Unutterably Useless Utter Futility Vain Hope

Unpicking Kyoto (1)

Unpicking Kyoto
Jo Abbess
20 June 2010

PART 1

Introduction

The governments of the world are, by and large, well-informed about Climate Change by their trusted scientific advisers and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). However, there is a disconnect between this knowledge and concrete policy action. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has not been successful in achieving control of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions through the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. Plus, annual negotiations have not reached a form of an agreement to succeed Kyoto, as evidenced by the inconclusive round of talks in December 2009 in Copenhagen. Suggestions of a way forward include a radical re-think about the formulation of the Kyoto Protocol, and the connection of Climate Change to other global concerns.

Kyoto Isn’t Working

For a period during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the world economy appeared to reach a stable point, whereby Carbon Dioxide emissions per person (per capita) levelled off. Many of the world’s major economies were switching fuels – from coal to Natural Gas. And some heavily industrialised countries were going through revolutionary change, and reducing their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions as a result of the ensuing loss of industrial output.

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Be Prepared Big Picture Energy Revival Marvellous Wonderful Obamawatch Peak Energy Peak Oil Political Nightmare Public Relations Regulatory Ultimatum Social Change Toxic Hazard

Obama : Tough on Grime

Image Credit : McClatchy

Tough on grime; tough on the causes of grime.

American President Barack Obama declares that as regards environmental pollution, “we shall fight them on the beaches”.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-nation-bp-oil-spill

“Already, this oil spill is the worst environmental disaster America has ever faced. And unlike an earthquake or a hurricane, it’s not a single event that does its damage in a matter of minutes or days. The millions of gallons of oil that have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico are more like an epidemic, one that we will be fighting for months and even years.”

“But make no mistake: We will fight this spill with everything we’ve got for as long as it takes. We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused. And we will do whatever’s necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy.”

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Be Prepared Climate Change Energy Revival Extreme Weather Health Impacts Low Carbon Life Regulatory Ultimatum Renewable Resource Social Change

Blackout Asia : Crispy Baking

While Europe has been enjoying an early Summer, elsewhere in the world high air temperatures have been record-breaking.

When the heat gets this bad, public services need to provide air-conditioned community shelters as a key adaptational strategy.

But any plans of this nature are being thwarted by power shortages, for example, in India and Pakistan :-

https://www.ecanadanow.com/world/2010/06/01/200-dead-in-india-heatwave/

“200 Dead In India Heatwave”, 01 June 2010

https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jun/07/pakistan-energy-policy-proving-deadly

“Pakistan’s heatwave and a deadly lack of energy policy : The blackout-blighted country should be free to accept development help from China, and not rely on US financial aid : Nosheen Iqbal”, 07 June 2010

Clearly, the time has never been more right for clean, renewable energy.

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Behaviour Changeling Big Picture Climate Change Energy Revival Global Singeing Low Carbon Life Marvellous Wonderful Public Relations Social Change Voluntary Behaviour Change

New Melodies

A few new melodies…

Global Campaign for Climate Action :-
https://gc-ca.org/

10:10 :-
https://www.1010global.org/uk

James Hansen :-
https://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/

Costa Rica ! :-
https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jqJmnNVzfiUOeSlVG4f8nQMbwQYQD9FOOERO0

Pacha Mama, Cochabamba :-
https://climateradio.org/next-episode/

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Big Picture Carbon Capture Carbon Commodities Carbon Rationing China Syndrome Climate Change Contraction & Convergence Cost Effective Emissions Impossible Energy Revival Growth Paradigm Low Carbon Life Nuclear Nuisance Nuclear Shambles Peak Energy Peak Oil Pet Peeves Political Nightmare Regulatory Ultimatum Renewable Resource Social Change Technological Sideshow Unutterably Useless Utter Futility Vain Hope Voluntary Behaviour Change Wind of Fortune Zero Net

The Price of Carbon

The Price of Carbon

by Jo Abbess
20 April 2010

1.   Introduction

Policy strategy for controlling risky excess atmospheric greenhouse gas (Gowdy, 2008, Sect. 4; McKibben, 2007, Ch. 1, pp. 19-20; Solomon et al., 2009; Tickell, 2008, Ch. 6, pp. 205-208) mostly derives from the notion that carbon dioxide emissions should be charged for, in order to prevent future emissions; similar to treatment for environmental pollutants (Giddens, 2009, Ch. 6, pp. 149-155; Gore, 2009, Ch. 15 “The True Cost of Carbon”; Pigou, 1932; Tickell, 2008, Ch.4, Box 4.1, pp. 112-116). Underscoring this idea is the evidence that fines, taxes and fees modify behaviour, reigning in the marginal social cost of “externalities” through financial disincentive (Baumol, 1972; Sandmo, 2009; Tol, 2008). However this approach may not enable the high-value, long-term investment required for decarbonisation, which needs adjustments to the economy at scale (CAT, 2010; Hepburn and Stern, 2008, pp. 39-40, Sect. (ii) “The Consequences of Non-marginality”; MacKay, 2008, Ch. 19; Tickell, 2008, Ch. 2, pp. 40-41).

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Climate Change Political Nightmare Protest & Survive Social Change

Climate Vigil : Holy Night

CLIMATE VIGIL PRAYERS

1. Christian Ecology Link, the Campaign against Climate Change, and other members of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition are holding an overnight vigil between Saturday 15th May 2010 and Sunday 16 May 2010, celebrating the Earth in the Arts, and reminding the newly-formed British Government to act decisively and urgently on Climate Change.

2. As part of the Climate Vigil, Christian Ecology Link, with the support of Operation Noah, are offering a meeting of Christian prayer, music and reflection at St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 4JJ, on Saturday 15th May 2010 at 11pm (23:00), to which all are welcome.

3. Mark Dowd of Operation Noah, Channel 4 “God is Green” documentary presenter, will address those meeting at St-Martins-in-the-Fields Church, on the subject of the crisis in Climate Change, the damages the World is already experiencing, the failures in the international negotiations, and hopes for what the new British Government can bring.

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Big Picture China Syndrome Climate Change Media Political Nightmare Protest & Survive Public Relations Science Rules Screaming Panic Social Change

Sceptic Backlash : Questions Answered

Last Wednesday’s “Sceptic Backlash” meeting ended with a lively Question and Answer session. Here it is as I recorded it :-

https://www.campaigncc.org/scepticsmeeting

Q. (from Christian Hunt, a plant in the audience from Greenpeace)

– You say it’s just the journalists who are the sceptics. What happens if another Government comes in and scepticism gets political footholds ? [ reference to Conservative Party Climate Change sceptics ]

A. (Phil Thornhill, Campaign against Climate Change)

– People shy away from the problem if they can’t find solutions. We propose a million Climate jobs – there are lots of ways of dealing with the crisis. That’s the kind of thing we should be emphasising.

Q. Andrew Neill interviewed Caroline Lucas and asked her about the Phil Jones interview with the BBC where he said there had been no “statistically significant” warming in the last 15 years. Has there been no statistically significant warming or not ? Why wouldn’t Caroline Lucas, head of the Green Party, say “you’re wrong” ?

A. (Phil)

– I wrote her a rather long e-mail. You can’t really debate Science in the popular Media. Most people don’t understand.

– The tip for answering this kind of question is – in 15 years, it’s hard to spot a trend against the background noise. It’s a difficult thing to explain.

– It’ a clear case of how once you start debating the Science it gets twisted. She should have said “this is a typical case of the misrepresentation of Science”.

A. (Ben Stewart, Greenpeace Media)

– She was fine to say “I’ll take a pass on that”.

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Bad Science Bait & Switch Climate Change Divide & Rule Media Non-Science Public Relations Social Change

The Guardian : Trumped by a Stuffed Toucan

[ Left to Right : Dr David Adam (The Guardian), Ben Stewart (Greenpeace), Tooki the Toucan operated by George Marshall (ClimateDenial.org) and Marina from Campaign against Climate Change]

On Wednesday evening, at the “Sceptic Backlash” public event, hosted by the Campaign against Climate Change, communications researcher George Marshall introduced the meeting to an unusual commentator on Climate Change…

https://www.campaigncc.org/scepticsmeeting

https://www.joabbess.com/2010/04/15/ben-stewart-greenpeace-stalking/

https://www.joabbess.com/2010/04/15/david-adam-liberal-pacifier/

Here is a transcript of what George Marshall said (as I have it) :-

– I do a lot of work around Climate Change communications and information.

– Climate Change is a large and technical issue. No one has the time to get totally on top of it. Even within the Science the specialists only look at their specialist areas.

– The average Media “punter” (somebody looking for information) is looking for a shortcut – their “ask” is “just tell me what’s going on”.

– Most people ask “Dave” down the pub (public house, bar). Friends and acquaintances in bars are the most important people in your social network, no doubt.

– And Dave says he saw this thing on telly (television)…

– The average person is just looking for a source of information that has some kind of authority…

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Climate Change Social Change

The Power of Love

Isn’t the Earth amazing ? Doesn’t it inspire you to awe ?

And look how we human beings continue to mess the nest, burn the sky, smoke out children’s lungs, tarmac over paradise. We tear down trees to turn to kitchen paper and throwaway napkins. We carve up Nature so we can feast every day. We turn the whole world ocean into a chemistry set so we can have exotic plastics, fertilisers and inks.

Yes, we’re small, but we’re too significant. Our abuse of fossil fuels means we could still be responsible for the genocide of not only ourselves, but the vivicide of the rest of Life on Earth.

Continue reading “The Power of Love”
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Climate Change Social Change The Data Toxic Hazard

Cleaning Up Black Carbon

Fighting haze and smog from transport and industry may give us some breathing space (literally and metaphorically), by holding back Global Warming for a while, allowing us the time to get some effective legislation on turning back rising Carbon Dioxide emissions.

https://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dbailey/carbon_crossroads_california_c.html

https://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1938379,00.html

https://blogs.nasa.gov/cm/blog/whatonearth/posts/post_1270497028672.html

https://www.physorg.com/news170006509.html

https://geoportal.icimod.org/Dashboard.aspx?did=14

https://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/a-bolder-black-carbon-strategy-may-help-cut-climate-changes-gordian-knot/367450

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Climate Change Public Relations Social Change

You Know It Is

[ Music Credit : Massive Attack; Album : “100th Window”; Track : 1 “Future Proof”. Listen in : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atbPFkhTzh0 ]

Everybody has a Climate Change story. I remember hearing a colleague explain how she nearly died when driving a rental car in the United States and the vehicle got swept along the road by unusually high flood waters. I remember a contact talking about branches dropping from drought-stricken trees in Central France during the freak Summer heatwave of 2003. I have relatives in Atlanta, Georgia, who talk about the water supply problem and disappearing rivers…

It’s time to tell people who are sceptical that you know Climate Change is happening, right now…

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Polar Bear : Poster Child

So, I’m standing in the G2 theatre at the School of Oriental and African Studies, after the “Sceptic Backlash” event, talking with two Climate Change activists, one Irish, one American.

The question arises : since our lifestyles are causing deadly Climate Change for people in other parts of the world, maybe we should have communications based around pictures of suffering children ?

I disagree. I point out that when the environmentalists put out posters about Polar Bears, that the audience pretty quickly realised that the Polar Bears were being used as a “poster child” for Climate Change, and they started to mock the campaigning.

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Climate Change Social Change

Hope In Our Hearts

(Wim Mertens, Quatre Mains)

Classical musicians are still welcome to form a chamber orchestra for the Climate Vigil to be held at St Martins in the Fields, London, on the night of Saturday 15th May 2010, just over a week after the local and General Elections in the United Kingdom. For more details, please contact Ruth Jarman :-

https://www.christian-ecology.org.uk/vigil.htm

https://www.campaigncc.org/overnightvigil

Let us have hope in our hearts : hope for reason, collaborative effort, commonsense, Science and survival, and a fearless new Parliament.

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Behaviour Changeling Big Picture Climate Change Eating & Drinking Energy Revival Extreme Weather Low Carbon Life Meltdown Pet Peeves Political Nightmare Regulatory Ultimatum Renewable Resource Screaming Panic Social Change Voluntary Behaviour Change

Nightmare on Easy Street

Every now and again, some well-meaning, or even lightheartedly jokey relative or friend lets me know I should calm down with the story of the risk of Climate catastrophe as it’s (a) not effective; (b) not necessary or (c) way off the end of the scale. Apparently I’m crying wolf, but there’s not even a messy puppy in the neighbourhood.

There are two narratives at work here. One is that people don’t like being preached too (neither do I), and they feel that the sum total of Climate Change communications amounts to somebody high up the authority chain telling them to change their behaviour, somehow making the common man (and woman) responsible for a problem that should actually be fixed by the governments, who have the power (or large companies and international corporations, who have the financial resources).

The moral of nearly every cultural telling of the Climate Change story is “ten things you can do to make a difference”, and a lot of people feel it will mean shivering in the dark with no car and more tax. People are so not into self-sacrifice and abstention from consumerism, and they react badly, even to the extent of skin rashes, to the fear of micromanaged austerity being thrust upon them.

But that’s not why I talk about Climate Change.

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Climate Change Social Change

Climate Vigil : Becoming Light

On the night of 15th May 2010 in London, England, an all-night, all-party, all-age, all-opinion vigil will be held to uphold the Climate of the Earth in the newly elected British Parliament.

A candlelight service of thankfulness, commitment and prayer will be held at the ancient church of St Martin’s in the Fields, just off Trafalgar Square, and then events will be held by torchlight throughout the night, in and around Parliament Square :-

https://www.campaigncc.org/overnightvigil

The organisers of the event are asking for chamber and orchestral musicians to participate in the church service, and in some of the overnight moments, which will feature a range of artistic performances, culminating in a Vigil Breakfast in the early hours.

There will be no money, but there will be plenty of love and respect, and perhaps even a little fame, for all musicians who take part.

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Renewable Synergy

The news is that there is continuing progress towards a fully Renewable Europe. It is, after all, the only means to ensure a sustainable Economy into the future, given the twin blended threats of Climate Change Carbon Mitigation and Peak Fossil Fuels.

Dr Gregor Czisch’s meisterwerk is being translated into English for publication this Summer :-

Scenarios for a Future Electricity Supply: Cost-Optimised Variations on Supplying Europe and Its Neighbours with Electricity from Renewable Energies

You would never know from the plainspeaking title just how exciting this is : seriously cheap Energy and peacemaking collaboration all in one shot !

The management consultants PriceWaterhouseCooper (couldn’t they think of a more speakable name ?), have just published their own view on Europe and North Africa combining to provide a one hundred percent renewable Energy solution :-

https://www.pwc.co.uk/sustainability/

https://www.pwc.co.uk/eng/publications/100_percent_renewable_electricity.html

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Big Picture Climate Change Energy Revival Low Carbon Life Peak Energy Peak Oil Pet Peeves Renewable Resource Social Change Solar Sunrise Voluntary Behaviour Change Wind of Fortune Zero Net

Sustainable Future for Education

Today, I’m going to talk to you about education, and no, it’s not about the ongoing “Texas textbook massacre”, where they want to teach children about “alternatives” to the Theory of Global Warming :-

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/science/earth/04climate.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/texas-schoolbook-massacre-rewrites-american-history-1929320.html
https://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2010/03/26/why-you-shouldn-t-worry-about-texas-textbook-changes.aspx

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Climate Change Social Change

Earthy Hour 2010

My Earth Hour day.

10:00 – Do some research about the failings of the international strategy for Carbon Trading. Make a few telephone calls. Type a few electronic mails.

13:00 – Cook a fantastic vegan korma curry for lunch.

17:30 – Turn off the freezer, the refrigerator, the telephones and the computer kit in preparation for Earth Hour. The natural gas central heating has only been on for a couple of hours this week. Its default position is off. There is no longer a television here. The place is strangely, yet comfortingly, silent and still.

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Climate Change Political Nightmare Social Change

Climate Union : One Nation, Under Water

https://www.campaigncc.org/greenjobs
https://www.campaigncc.org/overnightvigil

I’m in the Climate Union. Are you ?

Yesterday evening, I sat in an amazing discussion.

There were representatives from some of the UK’s best social movements, including environmental campaigns, faith communities and trades unions.

Part of a series of coalition talks, yesterday’s goal was to make progress on forming a united front on Climate Change. There are some politics to do.

Because, well, you know, it’s not just about Global Warming. It’s about Climate Change. And that will affect us all.

Continue reading “Climate Union : One Nation, Under Water”
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British Sea Power Climate Change Energy Revival Low Carbon Life Nuclear Nuisance Nuclear Shambles Peace not War Political Nightmare Regulatory Ultimatum Renewable Resource Social Change Voluntary Behaviour Change

Climate Union

I’m in the Climate Union. Are you ?

Finally, I have to admit that I have an personal stake in the outcomes of Climate Change and Energy policy.

I have to confess to a utilitarian, yet enlightened, self-interest.

And so say all of us.

In the future, I want there to be jobs. New jobs, for young and old, for me. Productive, worthwhile employment, green jobs that don’t permanently wreck the atmosphere for future generations.

When I get sick, unabled or old, I want there to be social services. Not run on a shoestring budget owing to Carbon Taxes or Carbon Trading, but Low Carbon hospitals with well-motivated, sufficient staff; and decent, affordable sheltered housing and residential homes for the vulnerable.

I want cheap, Zero Carbon Energy; as access to Energy is an essential public good, even a human right, for those who live towards the Poles. I don’t want to be made poor by a badly managed transition out of Fossil Fuels, or expensive Carbon Capture projects that the State pays for, because Electricity generation companies want to burn dirty Coal. I don’t want to have to pay double for my power, just because new Nuclear Power stations cost so much to build.

Continue reading “Climate Union”
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Big Picture Carbon Army Carbon Capture Climate Change Energy Revival Nuclear Nuisance Nuclear Shambles Peak Energy Peak Oil Pet Peeves Political Nightmare Renewable Resource Social Change Technological Sideshow Voluntary Behaviour Change Wind of Fortune

Hot Start

Hot Start
by Jo Abbess
04 February 2010
An assessment of the technology and policy for de-Carbonising the Energy systems of developed societies

1. The Aligned and Related Risks from Climate Change and Peak Fossil Fuels

1a. Key Conclusions
The Low Carbon Transition in Energy in developed countries is inevitable (Climate Change Act, 2008; EU Package, 2008; UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol, 1997); yet policy thinking and decision-making seems to still focus on the debateable “how to do it” rather than the more essential “how long do we have ?” If the window of opportunity for industrialised society to de-Carbonise proves to foreshorten rapidly, then the next few decades could be a story of economic collapse, unless there is concentrated, concerted endeavour (Sustainable Business, 2010).

Continue reading “Hot Start”
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Big Picture Carbon Capture Carbon Commodities Carbon Rationing Climate Change Emissions Impossible Energy Revival Growth Paradigm Peak Energy Peak Oil Pet Peeves Social Change

BP : After the Gas and Oil are Gone

Together with a couple of my peers, I’ve been taking a look at BP’s “sustainability”, both from a business point of view and from a Climate Change point of view.

We’ve just given a presentation, of which I offer you a couple of the slides and the script to accompany them.

The central point of issue is : what will BP do after the Gas and Oil are gone ? There may be decades of reasonable hydrocarbons left to exploit, but how will Pension Funds get their return on investment after that ? Where is the future thinking ?

And what about Climate Change ? Retreating from Alternative Energy back into its core business of Oil and Gas means that BP plc will not be able to make substantial cuts in the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of the products that they sell – which means that sooner or later, when Carbon Energy is rationed, their business will start to implode.

Continue reading “BP : After the Gas and Oil are Gone”