Tag: Low Carbon

Climate Union : Sharing Principles

Post author By Jo
Post date June 28, 2010
No Comments on 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.

Tags Act on CO2, ActOnCO2, Anglican, Atomic Energy, Atomic Power, BP, business lobby, C of E, Campaign against Climate Change, Capitalism, Carbon Capture and Storage, Carbon Energy, CCS, CEO, Christopher Booker, Church Commissioners, Church of England, cigarette, Climate Change Act, Climate Forum, Climate Safety, Climate Union, ClimateSafety, coal, CofE, Commissioners, Concentrated Solar Power, Corporate Europe Observatory, denial, denier, Domestic Energy Consumption, economic recovery, economics, Economy, electricity, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Europe, European Union, Fair Pensions, FairPensions, Fossil Fuel Energy, Fossil Fuels, Gas, Gasoline, government, green employment, Green Energy, green jobs, green stimulus, Hydropower, James Delingpole, lobbying, Low Carbon, Low Carbon Transition, Make Poverty History, MakePovertyHistory, Marine Energy, Natural Gas, Neoliberalism, Nigel Lawson, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Oil, opinion poll, pensions, Petrol, Petroleum, Photovoltaic, policy, political will, public mandate, public opinion, Regulation, Renewable, Renewable Energy, sceptic, Shareholders, Shares, skeptic, Society, Solar power, Steve McIntyre, Stocks and Shares, Sustainable, Sustainable Energy, Tidal Power, tobacco, transport, UK, UK Government, United Kingdom, vote, voting, Wave Power, Wind Energy, Wind Power

Cost Effective Energy Revival Low Carbon Life Marvellous Wonderful Renewable Resource The Data Wind of Fortune

Windlings

Post author By Jo
Post date May 9, 2010
No Comments on Windlings

Methods of electricity storage are considered essential in grids that have large proportions of wind capacity. This is because, surprisingly, winds have been known to quieten down a bit from time to time.

Some people take this fact too far. For example, there is the “Northern European Winter High Pressure” lobby, who continue to insist, in a number of forums, that low aerial flow entirely compromises wind energy expansion, just because there are several days in December or January that might be a little flat.

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

Post author By Jo
Post date March 24, 2010
1 Comment on 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.

Tags Biogas, Biomethane, Climate Change, Energy, Global Warming, Low Carbon, Low Carbon Energy, Low Carbon Energy Transition, Marine Energy, Tidal Energy, Transition, Transition London, Transition Town, Transition Towns, Wave Energy, Wind Energy, Wind Farm, Wind Turbine

Carbon Capture Low Carbon Life Marvellous Wonderful

Scotland Rises To The Low Carbon Challenge

Post author By Jo
Post date June 17, 2009
No Comments on Scotland Rises To The Low Carbon Challenge

For some Low Carbon sanity in the United Kingdom, you have to go North of the English border to Scotland :-

https://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2009/06/17112350

Tags Energy, Low Carbon, Scotland

Big Picture Climate Change

Climate Camp G20 : Yes, but is it Art ?

Post author By Jo
Post date March 22, 2009
No Comments on Climate Camp G20 : Yes, but is it Art ?

“The Russian Revolution was accompanied by a remarkable period of artistic experiment known as Constructivism, which questioned the fundamental properties of art and asked what its place should be in a new society. The Constructivists…looked at how they could contribute to everyday life through design…”

So murmurs the small booklet handed out at Tate Modern to accompany the “Rodchenko & Popova” exposition galleria “Defining Constructivism”.

And it’s Big Art all over again in 2009 as we witness the construction of yet more Climate Camp settlements : the art of constructing the future right in your neighbourhood, down amongst the fading idiocy of what passes for modern “built environment”.

Prince Charles should be pleased with us : we’re taking architecture on, head on, and camping our way to a sustainable mode of community infrastructure.

Tags Climate Camp, Climate Change, entertainment, Low Carbon, Low Impact

Burning Money Obamawatch

Barack Obama’s Automobile Weakness

Post author By Jo
Post date March 21, 2009
3 Comments on Barack Obama’s Automobile Weakness

Barack Hussein Obama is not having a good 48 hours.

He utters a disablist gaffe on big time telly, then has Iran shut the door on him in a chiding huff when he proffers a hand of friendship.

But his biggest mistake of the last week is to throw money at the failing car industry.

Nobody’s buying cars. And the automobile manufacturers are not making many electric models, you know, the personal vehicles of choice for the Low Carbon future. So, what are the car companies going to do with the bailout ? Host cocktail parties ?

Five billion dollars. That’s a lot of good money being wasted.

What ? It will protect some jobs ? But what will the workers do if there are no cars to weld together ?

And Michelle cannot make up for this pointless splurge by planting a kitchen garden, really, noble and right though that is, to Dig for Victory.

Tags cars, Economy, Low Carbon