Climate Kiwi

Nelson CASTED

2009-09-01T20:31:00.001-07:00

This is a photoshopped image

Copenhagen mermaid CASTED

2009-09-01T14:12:00.001-07:00

This is a photoshop job. I'd love to see what other images we could cast.

Copenhagen mermaid CASTED

2009-09-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

Climate Snippets is taking a break

2009-01-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

Climate Snippets is taking a break for a while - but in the meantime the best place to get regular updates with a Kiwi flavor is through the Climate Defence Network's Climate News (done by my wife!)

www.climatedefence.org.nz/

Climate Snippets - 19 December

2008-12-18T16:44:00.000-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Key likens climate goals to Rudd's.

New Zealand's new direction on climate-change policy will be as cautious as that revealed by Australia this week, Prime Minister John Key suggested yesterday.Mr Key was commenting in Parliament following the Australian Government's commitment on Monday to cut carbon emissions by as little as 5 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020, and at a time when National's priority in Parliament this week is to undo the flagship policy of the previous Labour Government.

Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee capped off a series of moves to weaken or overturn Labour's climate change measures by issuing instructions to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority to stop any ban on incandescent light bulbs. National has a long-term policy of reducing carbon emissions by 50 per cent of 1990 levels by 2050. But it has no medium-term target of the sort that will be negotiated at Copenhagen. In Parliament yesterday Mr Key confirmed, under questioning from Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons, that the National Government would not actually suspend the present emissions-trading scheme as stated in its confidence and supply agreement with Act.

Gas and coal-fired electricity ban repealed.

The new Government has scrapped another Labour climate change measure - passing legislation this week that repeals restrictions on the building of new coal and gas-fired power plants. But Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons today labelled the move a retrograde step, which shuts off one of the easiest ways New Zealand could reduce its carbon emissions. The two-page Electricity (Renewable Preference) Repeal Bill passed its third reading by 63 votes to 58. It was opposed by Labour, the Greens, the Maori Party and the Progressives.

Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee said the ETS put a price on pollution, providing adequate incentives for power companies to invest in renewable generation. But Ms Fitzsimons said New Zealand's per capita emissions were about five times the global average and electricity generation and urgent measures were needed to reduce them. Power generation contributed about 10 per cent of the country's emissions and was one of the easiest things to clean up because of the abundance of renewable options. She said officials had told the previous government a target of 90 per cent renewable energy could be reached - up from about 70 per cent at the moment - with "negligible cost".

Biofuel obligations repealed under urgency.

Mandatory biofuel obligations have been repealed after Parliament passed legislation under urgency on Wednesday afternoon. The legislation was passed by a slim majority of 62 to 59 because two of the Government's support partners - the Maori Party and United Future - opposed the move. The Biofuels Act, which came into force in October, required a proportion of petrol and diesel sold to be sourced from biofuel. Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee said the mandatory obligation would have loaded unspecified costs on consumers and meant the importation of biofuel with no guarantee that it had been sustainably produced. But the Green Party said there was a clause in the legislation that required biofuels to come from sustainable sources and sustainability standards could have been in place by the middle of next year.

Jeanette Fitzsimon’s first reading speech.

Groser defends NZ climate treaty stance.

Climate negotiations minister Tim Groser has defended the Government's call for better treatment of agricultural emissions in the next global climate treaty. Last week he laid out New Zealand's position for the talks, saying he would be negotiating aggressively to achieve better rules governing agriculture, which contributes about half of the country's emissions. He said New Zealand had a small population which raised public transport issues; an already high proportion of renewable electricity generation meaning scope for gains was small and an already efficient agriculture sector. But the Government's stance has come under fire from non-government organisations which say seeking "favourable" treatment for agricultural emissions runs the risk of weakening the whole agreement and establishing New Zealand as an "international climate pariah".

New Zealand could be a world leader on finding ways to feed the world without changing the climate, instead of dragging the chain as we have done at the Poznan climate negotiations, the Green Party says.

Australia sets new climate target.

Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced new measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These include cutting emissions by at least 5% by 2020 and a carbon trading scheme to be implemented by 2010. But the proposals were immediately denounced by critics as inadequate, with the Green Party calling them a "global embarrassment". The new measures announced by Mr Rudd will see:

Greenhouse gas emissions cut by between between 5% and 15% by 2020, from 2000 levels
A scheme to be implemented by 2010 requiring industrial polluters to bid for government licences to emit carbon. It will cover 75% of emissions and include 1,000 of the country's biggest firms, but will initially exclude Australia's drought-battered farmers.

In Brief

Scientists say they now have unambiguous evidence that the warming in the Arctic is accelerating.

Climate change: 2008 is world's 10th hottest year.

No new coal - the calling card of the 'green Banksy' who breached fortress Kingsnorth.

166 MW solar power plant will be China’s largest.

EARTH MEANDERS: Light REDD: The looming tragedy of carbon markets paying to destroy ancient forests.

Global climate deal? Yes we can, Gore says.

Jonathon Porritt: Press the panic button.

Bill McKibben: The most important number on Earth.

Monbiot: At last, a date.

Gareth Hughes: A Green New Deal for Aotearoa.

Best of the Net

Blog: John Key’s uncertainty principle.

Blog: Putting the ETS “on hold”?

Video: Jeanette gives her opinion of Rodney's Climate Change Denial Select Committee.

Video: George Monbiot meets ... Fatih Birol.

Video: Head in the sand on climate change.

New Project backed by Kiwi sport celebrities.

Interactive carbon atlas.

Climate Snippets - 10 December

2008-12-10T13:12:00.001-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Poznan progress slow but steady, say officials.

A senior diplomat has defended the lack of progress at UN climate talks in Poland, and insisted that real action in finding a successor to the Kyoto protocol is not required until next year. Insiders say the Poznan negotiations are edging towards the low-level achievements expected from the two-week meeting. A formal work-programme has been agreed to take the talks forward in 2009, which the UN hopes will climax with a new worldwide treaty to curb carbon emissions agreed at the meeting in Copenhagen. Debate remains over how to liberate millions of pounds collected from a levy on the sale of carbon credits, which is intended to help poor nations adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Green campaigners criticised the slow progress. Oxfam said a refusal by rich countries to discuss deeper emission cuts was a "wasted opportunity". Greenpeace said delegates had "taken a year to agree what they already agreed at [2007 talks in] Bali".

Climate Change Select Committee established.

New Zealand needs to build a broader consensus about how to make progress on climate change issues, Climate Change Minister Nick Smith said today in releasing the terms of reference for the select committee to review the Emissions Trading Scheme and related matters. Dr Smith confirmed that the special select committee was being set up to honour the terms of the confidence and supply agreement between National and ACT. "The new government takes a more modest view of New Zealand's role in the global efforts to tackle climate change. "It is appropriate to have a fresh look at our policy response and the Emissions Trading Scheme given the poor track record on emissions, the changed economic environment, and the rushed way the legislation was passed. "The choice of Peter Dunne in the chair is a quite deliberate step to build a broader consensus across the parliament. Mr Dunne had previously taken steps to take such an initiative but these were rebuffed by the previous government.

Members:

National - Craig Foss, Nicky Wagner, Paul Hitchison, Hekia Parata (4)
Labour - David Parker, Moana Mackey, Charles Chauvel (3)
ACT - Rodney Hide (1)
Greens - Jeanette Fitzsimons (1)
United Future - Peter Dunne (1)
Maori Party - yet to be named (1)

EU Leaders agree 20% 2020 renewable energy target.

EU leaders agreed yesterday to combat climate change by ordering that a fifth of Europe's energy mix should come from renewable sources within 12 years.
The agreement, hailed as a "landmark" deal and a breakthrough by politicians and the green lobby alike, came before a crucial EU summit opening in Poland tomorrow at which 27 prime ministers and presidents are supposed to finalise an ambitious package to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020.

The agreement reached yesterday paves the way for a law obliging all EU countries to meet national targets for renewable energy. Two points had threatened to derail the legislation: the insistence that biofuels comprise 10% of transport fuel by 2020, and an attempt by Italy to loosen the law by ordering a review of progress on renewables in 2014. The review date was retained, but the compulsory target and national quotas also survived.

In Brief

Green Party Address in Reply 2008 – Fitzsimons ‘Saving the banks while the biosphere collapses.’

Ecoflation, a new worry, could hit consumer goods.

Millions of birds could die from oilsands development: report.

Greenpeace: Don't flush our climate down the John.

Protesters break into secure area at UK airport.

Monbiot: A beardful of bunkum.

Best of the Net

Video: Greens show support for Emission Trading Scheme.

Video: Birds and Canada's tar sands: Why America's number 1 source of oil is removing millions of birds.

Video: Monbiot confronts UN.

Action Alert: climate talks falter as Italy and Poland play politics with global climate's future.

Climate Snippets - 6 December - Global Day of Action on Climate Change Special

2008-12-05T16:33:00.000-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Poznan climate talks begin.

About 10,600 delegates from 186 governments, businesses and environmental groups will meet in Poznan for two weeks of talks. The meeting marks the halfway point of a two-year push to agree a new climate treaty in Copenhagen at the end of 2009 to succeed the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012 Much of the debate is about trying to agree on an overall emissions cut by developed nations of 25 percent to 40 percent by 2020, though the final target is not likely to be set until the Copenhagen meeting.

Head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat, Yvo de Boer, said meeting the climate change targets at the same time as the world was grappling with recession would be a challenge. Mr de Boer praised President-elect Barack Obama for saying that he would seek to cut United States emissions of greenhouse gases back to 1990 levels by 2020 as part of global action to avert more heatwaves, floods, droughts, more powerful storms and rising seas. US emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels in factories, power plants and cars, are about 14 percent above.

In Europe, economic slowdown has exposed doubts about the costs of an EU goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. UN talks host Poland, which gets 93 percent of its electricity from coal, and Italy are leading a drive for concessions in a package meant to be agreed at a December 11-12 summit of EU leaders in Brussels. The talks in Poland will review new ideas for combating global warming, such as handing credits to tropical nations for preserving forests. China is also suggesting that developed nations should give up to 1 percent of their gross national product in aid to help the poor switch from fossil fuels.

NZ Farmer plea at climate talks - Greens say PM risks undermining exports.

Prime Minister John Key has confirmed New Zealand will seek special treatment for its farmers at climate change talks this month, bringing claims from the Greens that the stance could damage agriculture exports. Mr Key said negotiators in Poznan, Poland, would argue aggressively for any targets on greenhouse gas emissions for New Zealand to take account of the significant contribution farming played in the economy. The industry accounts for half of New Zealand's carbon emissions. But Greens co-leader Russel Norman said the stance would undermine international efforts to reduce emissions and could threaten farm exports as other countries focused on high-emitting industries. "If they want credibility in any of these negotiations, they've got to be seen to be taking action domestically," Dr Norman said. "Undermining the ETS undermines that credibility. If we're asking for anything around agriculture, then we need to be seen to be doing stuff domestically. "The problem is that everyone's got a reason for special treatment, and if everyone gets special treatment, then we don't reduce emissions."

Financial crisis no excuse to slow carbon fight: UN climate chief.

The world financial crisis must not become an excuse for backsliding on efforts to curb global carbon emissions, a top UN environmental official warned Thursday. While acknowledging the severity of the financial turmoil, Yvo de Boer, said: "To use the financial crisis as an excuse not to act on climate change would basically amount to setting yourself up for the next financial crisis. For example, within the next five to 10 years we will be replacing about 40 percent of the power-generating capacity worldwide. If, in the light of the financial crisis, a decision is made to go for cheap and dirty technology, as in the past, that technology will still be around in 30 to 50 years," he said. "The challenge for industry is how it can be part of the solution and not part of the problem," he later told reporters.

'World mandate' on climate action.

An opinion poll in 11 countries has produced what organisers term a "global mandate" for action on climate change. About half of the respondents wanted governments to play a major role in curbing emissions, but only a quarter said their leaders were doing enough. In developing countries, a majority of people were prepared to make "lifestyle changes" to reduce climate change. The survey was commissioned by the HSBC Climate Partnership, which includes business and environmental groups. The survey revealed that 43% of people questioned put climate change ahead of the world's financial instability as an issue of current concern, even though the surveys ran in the turbulent months of September and October. However, the numbers saying they would alter their lifestyles to reduce climate change had fallen in the year between the previous survey, in 2007, and this one.

Nielson, Taylor & Clark: Govt should go with emissions trading scheme.

The new Government's decision to put the emissions trading scheme on hold
pending a review came as a bolt from the blue. Stakeholders had been led to expect that there would be some changes to the ETS but the proposal to pass legislation putting it on hold was completely unexpected. The decision has thrown the emerging carbon market into disarray. It has undermined the recent launch of the New Zealand Stock Exchange's carbon trading platform, TZ1. EcoSecurities, one of the largest promoters of emission reduction projects in the world, pulled out from the launch of its New Zealand business. It has brought into doubt the forest sector's investment in large-scale carbon sequestration [storing carbon in forests]. According to one report it led an Asian investor to cancel a 25,000ha afforestation project. There are other indications that investment in new plantings has evaporated.

Dim view of light bulb decision.

The Greens are unhappy with National's decision to overturn the previous government's ban on incandescent light bulbs. Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee has reportedly instructed the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority to prepare the paperwork to reverse the ban. The legislation would have seen incandescent bulbs switched off in October next year. Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says it's par for the course for National which has opposed every energy efficiency proposal she can think of in recent years. She says National has set a climate change target of a 50% reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050 but does not seem to have the slightest idea of how it will get there.

In Brief

Brazil sets plan to cut deforestation by 70 percent over 10 years.

EU agrees to cut car emissions.

Solar cemetery.

Vatican set to go green with huge solar panel roof.

Major Study: Palm oil offers no green solution.

India's humble rickshaw goes solar.

Climate change keeps swans in Siberia.

Jeanette Fitzsimons: NZ red faced over climate change’.

Rod Oram: Can John Key find his compass?

Heinberg: The Food and farming transition.

Monbiot: Whistling in the wind.

Best of the Net

Blog: Don Elder waxed poetic about the prospects for NZ coal this week at Solid Energy’s maiden annual meeting in Auckland.

Blog: Greenpeace climate rescue weblog.

Blog: National rejects expert advice?

Send a Greenpeace e-postcard to Poznan

Don’t be a Rodney – write a letter to key.

UK E.on coal company Google-bombed.

CBC Video: Canada looks to Germany

Video: The Big Ask.

Audio: Norman: Climate science review 'embarrassing'.

Greenpeace has turned it's front webpage into a giant countdown clock leading to Copenhagen to highlight how little time we have left to cut a real deal on climate change.

Climate Snippets - 26 November

2008-11-25T14:10:00.001-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

UK’s new air-departure tax.

Prime Minister John Key's first meeting with Gordon Brown has been overshadowed by Britain's controversial new that the travel industry says threatens the billion-dollar UK tourist market. Mr Key told Mr Brown that the tax was of "significant concern" to New Zealand and said he will continue to pursue the matter with the British government. The tax will increase the further a passenger flies to help offset carbon emissions. Travel to New Zealand attracts the highest of four levels of the tax because of its distance from the UK. The British government also plans to incrementally increase the tax from $113 to $240 by November 2010.

Adoption of climate treaty by 2009 in doubt.

Despite new leadership in the United States promising to cap the country's greenhouse gas emissions, some environmental leaders say it is unlikely that an international climate treaty will pass in the next year. During his campaign, U.S. president-elect Barack Obama supported a global cap-and-trade agreement for regulating his nation's carbon emissions. As a result, many international observers are hoping the United States will agree to binding emissions-reduction targets at the high-profile climate change negotiations scheduled for December 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Such optimism may be unrealistic, however….Read more.

UK 'undermining' climate fight by keeping carbon permit cash.

The UK government was under fire this week for "undermining" the European Union's fight against climate change by auctioning off carbon allowances for the first time and not earmarking the cash for "green" projects. Around four million permits are being distributed today under a new phase of the European Union's (EU) emissions trading scheme (ETS) with expected receipts of up to £60m going to the Treasury for general spending purposes. "The policy of the UK government on this issue undermines the very purpose of the EU ETS... Auctioning undermines this flexible mechanism as it takes money away from those who can do something about climate change, the emitters, and it gives it to those who can't, the politicians," said James Emanuel at emissions trading broker, CantorCO2e. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said ministers should change their mind and use the cash specifically for projects such as improving energy efficiency of homes, investing in low-carbon technologies and helping poorer countries cope with climate change.

Canada wants North America cap-and-trade system

Canada's Conservative government, shifting positions in the wake of Barack Obama's election as U.S. president, said on Wednesday that it would work to develop a North America-wide cap-and-trade system to limit emissions of greenhouse gases. The Conservatives, who walked away from the Kyoto protocol on climate change after taking power in 2006, have until now focused on cutting the intensity of emissions rather than imposing outright curbs.

"We will work with the provincial governments and our partners to develop and implement a North America-wide cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases," the government said as it unveiled plans for the new session of Parliament. Obama favors much tougher greenhouse gas reduction targets than those set by the Conservatives, and says he will start a cap-and-trade system. Green groups said the Conservatives' new positioning is largely academic as Canada would likely go along with whatever approach the new U.S. administration takes because the U.S. economy is around 10 times the size of Canada's. "I think we will be forced into a North American-wide cap-and-trade system that will basically be dictated by Washington.... It's the only system that can work. We've got an integrated economy," said Stephen Hazell, executive director of Sierra Club Canada.

In Brief

NZ now a joke in Europe, says carbon trader.

NZ Foresters 'losing millions' in carbon credits.

Protesters 'tried to chuck a big cream pie in my face' – Solid Energy CEO

Colin James: Key's task harder than recession.

APEC leaders urges to address climate change.

Politicians persuaded to save Canada boreal forest.

Video game consoles in the U.S. consume more than $1 billion of electricity a year just when sitting idle.

In its 10th Guide to Green Electronics, Greenpeace deems Nokia the greenest company.

Monbiot: The planet is now so vandalised that only total energy renewal can save us.

Best of the Net

Real Climate FAQ on climate models.

Video: Coal – it’s like paying someone to be a prick.

Climate Snippets - 20 November

2008-11-19T17:15:00.000-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

ETS review comes under fire.

Environmental groups have criticised the incoming National government's decision to put the emissions trading scheme (ETS) on hold while it conducts a complete review. The review is part of ACT's support agreement with National. It will be conducted by a special select committee and its draft terms include reviewing the science stating humans are to blame for climate change. ACT campaigned on scrapping the ETS and has questioned whether human-induced climate change actually exists. National campaigned on watering down the existing legislation within nine months and prime minister-elect John Key this week said he was still confident an amended ETS could be passed into law before the end of next year.

Comments:

Energy shakeup looms.

The National government could raise billions of dollars by putting three state-owned power companies back together and partly privatising the result, according to energy sector sources. John Key's new government is also expected to "soften" the impact of the planned emissions trading scheme, with some in the power industry calling for a delay of a year or more and a cap on carbon prices. Labour's 10-year ban on new gas or coal-fired power stations is likely to be lifted and if National keeps its word, the Resource Management Act will be reformed, which should cut the power sector planning consent process from up to five years to two years, speeding up the construction of new power plants.

Energy agency warns of supply crunch.

The International Energy Agency on Wednesday predicted world energy demand will rise 1.6 percent per year on average between 2006 and 2030 and called for massive investment in energy infrastructure to prevent a supply squeeze. The IEA's base scenario for energy demand has fallen due to the global economic slowdown and higher oil prices, but the agency stressed that a delay in spending on new projects due to the credit crisis could lead to a "supply crunch that could choke economic recovery." The IEA expects demand for oil to rise from 85 million barrels per day currently to 106 million barrels per day in 2030 — 10 million barrels per day less than projected last year. China and India continue to be the main drivers, accounting for more than half of incremental energy demand to 2030, but the Middle East, a longtime supplier, also emerges as a major new demand center.

The agency said that these trends call for energy supply investment of $26.3 trillion to 2030, or more than $1 trillion a year, but it noted that tight credit conditions could delay spending. Over 2008 to 2015, it predicts the price to average $100. The report also highlighted the expected rapid growth of renewable energy resources. It predicts that world renewables-based electricity generation — mostly hydro and wind power — will overtake gas to become the second-largest source of electricity, behind coal, before 2015.

The rate of warming is 'unprecedented'

Research on Arctic and North Atlantic ecosystems shows the recent warming trend counts as the most dramatic climate change since the onset of human civilisation 5 000 years ago, according to studies published on Thursday. Researchers from Cornell University studied the increased introduction of fresh water from glacial melt, oceanic circulation, and the change in geographic range migration of oceanic plant and animal species. "The rate of warming we are seeing (now) is unprecedented in human history," said Greene, whose research appears in the November 2008 issue of the journal Ecology.

Europeans form renewable energy agency.

A consortium of European governments is developing the world's first International Renewable Energy Agency. The agency, known as IRENA, will serve as a global cheerleader for clean energy. It plans to offer technical, financial, and policy advice for governments worldwide, according to a joint announcement from Germany, Spain, and Denmark - the project's leaders.

"IRENA aims to become the main driving force in promoting a swift transition towards the extensive and sustainable use of renewable energy worldwide," said Hermann Scheer, general chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy and a champion for the agency since 1990, in a prepared statement. "There exist international agencies for fossil and nuclear energies, but none for renewables. IRENA will close this gap." Scheer, a Social Democratic member of the German Parliament, led his government to commit to IRENA's creation in 2006 - arguing that it was a necessary balance to the International Atomic Energy Agency created in the 1950s.

At a conference in Madrid last month, IRENA's 51 participating nations agreed that the agency's first projects would be presented in January, at the formal launch of IRENA. In the meantime, details such as the organization's headquarters, leadership, and funding still need to be finalized. The involved nations currently include nearly all of Europe as well as Australia, Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates. In the past year, global renewable energy sources have increased dramatically. More than 250 gigawatts of capacity, excluding large hydropower, exists globally. Clean energy investments surpassed $148 billion in 2007, a 60 percent increase from 2006, according to the U.N. Environment Programme.

In Brief

NZ does badly in greenhouse gas survey.

Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy a new homeland.

Australian Coal Association unveils advertising campaign.

Bicycle production was up 3.2 percent in 2007 to 130 million units, a continuation of the upward trend that has characterized production for most of this decade.

UNFCCC: emissions from industrialised world still high.

Pacific and EU forge climate change agreement.

Coming up: 350 Climate Action Festival in Wellington.

Best of the Net

Greenpeace asks you to film a climate response to John Key on Youtube.

Video: Coalfinger

Video: Obama’s climate message to governors.

Blog: ACT wagging the tail on climate change?

The Emissions Trading Scheme hits the backburner.

Blog: Next year forty 40 families from Carteret Island, dubbed the ‘world’s first climate change refugees’ by the United Nations, will relocate to the nearby Papau New Guinean island Bougainville.

Blog: Ride sharing – Fareshare.

Climate Snippets - 19 September

2008-09-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Kaukapakapa a test for National.

Hearings starting next week for a proposed new gas-fired power station in National Leader John Key’s electorate of Helensville are a major test for Mr Key and his party on climate change issues, Greens Co-Leader Russel Norman says. “Genesis Energy’s plan to build a 480 megawatt station at Kaukapakapa amounts to empire building by the company because it doesn’t make economic or environmental sense,” Dr Norman says. John Key either needs to change National’s policy so it makes more sense or tell residents he is 100 percent for Think Big at Kaukapakapa.”

Green crude oil world first, says company.

A New Zealand company says it has produced the first samples of green crude oil at a commercially competitive price. The biodiesel, made from wild algae grown on human sewage, was a world first, Marlborough-based company Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation said. Aquaflow launched a $5 million capital raising for further research and development of its wild algae-based fuel in January last year. The company refined the processes it had developed to create a next-generation fuel it calls "green crude", The Marlborough Express reported. Company director Barrie Leay said green crude was a manufactured form of crude oil different from earlier generations of biodiesel. Additional food crops or agricultural land were not needed and the end product was not just a fuel but could be used in products in the same way as crude oil can. "This is an exciting development because we can separate fuels such as diesel and aviation fuels, as well as a range of high-value chemicals, from green-crude," Mr Leay said.

Beat the retreat.

New Zealand’s glaciers lost 2.5 km3 (2.2 billion tonnes) of permanent ice from April 2007 to March 2008, leaving 44.9 km3 of ice in the Southern Alps - the lowest amount since NIWA began regular surveys 32 years ago. The picture (credit: “Mr Ice” Trevor Chinn, click for larger image) shows the Marion Glacier in the Arawata Valley in South Westland which has recently retreated above its proglacial lake. The annual survey uses a fixed wing aircraft to record the height of the snowline at the end of summer (and Trevor gets to take the pix). Jim Salinger, NIWA’s principal scientist, says that the survey shows that the glaciers had lost a lot more ice than they had gained over the preceding winter.

Roll back time to safeguard climate, expert warns.

Professor John Schellnhuber, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, told the Guardian that only a return to pre-industrial levels of CO2 would be enough to guarantee a safe future for the planet. He said that current political targets to slow the growth in emissions and stabilise carbon levels were insufficient, and that ways may have to be found to actively remove CO2 from the air. Schellnhuber said: "We have to start pondering that it might not be enough to stabilise carbon levels. We should not rule out that it might be necessary to bring them down again."

Old growth forests are valuable carbon sinks.

Contrary to 40 years of conventional wisdom, a new analysis published in the journal Nature suggests that old growth forests are usually "carbon sinks" - they continue to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and mitigate climate change for centuries. However, these old growth forests around the world are not protected by international treaties and have been considered of no significance in the national "carbon budgets" as outlined in the Kyoto Protocol. That perspective was largely based on findings of a single study from the late 1960s which had become accepted theory, and scientists now say it needs to be changed.

Kevin Rudd's $100m clean coal plan.

Kevin Rudd has summoned mining and industry chief executives, environmentalists and union leaders to Canberra this week to unveil a $100 million clean coal research institute aimed at making Australia the world hub for the climate-change-fighting technology. The launch is the start of a major diplomatic effort to win international support and funding for the plan, aimed at realising the goal set by the G8 at its recent meeting in Hokkaido of having 20 carbon-sequestering coal-fired power plants up and running by 2020. The Australian understands the Prime Minister will make the project the centrepiece of his efforts next week when he attends the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

NASA Undertakes peak oil impact study.

The burning of fossil fuels - notably coal, oil and gas - has accounted for about 80 percent of the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide since the pre-industrial era. Now, NASA researchers have identified feasible emission scenarios that could keep carbon dioxide below levels that some scientists have called dangerous for climate. When and how global oil production will peak has been debated, making it difficult to anticipate emissions from the burning of fuel and to precisely estimate its impact on climate. To better understand how emissions might change in the future, Pushker Kharecha and James Hansen of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York considered a wide range of fossil fuel consumption scenarios. The research, published Aug. 5 in the American Geophysical Union's Global Biogeochemical Cycles, shows that the rise in carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels can be kept below harmful levels as long as emissions from coal are phased out globally within the next few decades. "This is the first paper in the scientific literature that explicitly melds the two vital issues of global peak oil production and human-induced climate change," Kharecha said. "We're illustrating the types of action needed to get to target carbon dioxide levels."

In Brief

Poll reveals support for ETS but wide knowledge gap.

The National Party has been forced to reveal they are being funded by the roading lobby as a result of the ‘rolling disclosure’ provisions the Greens insisted were placed in the Electoral Finance Act.

Bunny McDiarmid: Creating a serious climate for change.

Owen Hembry: Farms fenced by climate change law.

Ozone hole bigger this year than last.

New cow diet reduces methane emissions.

Compost could meet 10% of UK transport fuel needs.

Plants are unlikely to soak up more carbon dioxide from the air as the planet warms, research suggests.

Leaked papers show Britain trying to weaken plan for EU carbon cuts.

Correction: In last weeks Snippets I quoted the National Business Review which incorrectly stated the National party supported the Public Transport Management Bill, they didn’t.

Best of the Net

Video: MTV ad attacks 'greenwash' firms.

Video: Airsick: Industrial devolution.

Video: Crazy Hummer ad.

Petition: North shore cycling.

Greenpeace releases guide to greener electronics.

Video: Shane Meadows' ad for Defra to encourage people to switch off electrical appliances.

Video: Ice expert, Dr Richard B Alley, giving a (ahem) creditable rendering of Creedence Clearwater Revival's Proud Mary, with a message about coal and climate.

Video: We's new ad on U.S. coal and oil lobby.

Climate Snippets - 12 September

2008-09-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Emissions bill passes.

Controversial climate-change legislation that forces polluting industries to pay for their greenhouse gas emissions has passed into law, with far-reaching. In a sign of the Government's concern over potential delays, it broke with an earlier decision and rammed Parliament into urgency to speed up the process. "New Zealand has risen to meet one of the great challenges of our time," Climate Change Minister David Parker told MPs. The legislation meant New Zealand would join 27 European nations, Norway and Sweden in setting up an emissions trading scheme, he said. National pledged to change the legislation if it wins this year's general election.

Read Jeanette’s third reading speech

Transport bill passes under urgency.

Legislation giving regional councils greater control over public transport services has passed into law as Parliament sits under urgency. Previously councils could set standards for public transport it contracts. Transport Minister Annette King said the bill did not tell regional councils how to run their public transport systems, just gave them the tools to run them effectively. The National Party did not vote against the bill, but transport spokesman Maurice Williamson said he had reservations about it as it created needless red tape for operators.

Nats re-release green policies.

National released its environment and conservation policies this week - after Labour released theirs last week. Key points in the environment policy were:

A legislated target of 50 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared to 1990 levels by 2050.
An emissions trading system (ETS). National would amend the Labour scheme within nine months of office.
Set standards and incentivise biofuel use by exempting it from excise tax or road-user charges.
Exempting electric cars from road user charges.
$1000 grants for solar water heating and heat-pump hot water heating.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said the 2050 target was silly as National was not putting limits on more roading and traffic. He said dairy would be left free to produce more emissions. Dr Norman also criticised the focus on personal vehicles instead of public transport.

Climate change suspected as cause of godwits early arrival.

The annual godwit migration has come early this year, with the birds arriving in Christchurch two weeks ahead of time. A joke doing the rounds is that they have fled Alaska on learning that Sarah Palin has joined the US presidential race, but a more likely theory has to do with global warming. The arrival of the first godwits of spring is a significant day on Christchurch's calendar. Their presence is announced with the sounding the bells of the Christchurch cathedral. Every September the birds make the non-stop 11,000 kilometre journey from Alaska - the longest migration of any bird. And this year marks their earliest arrival yet. "I've been monitoring their arrival for 25 years, and this is by far the earliest arrival," park ranger Andrew Crossland says. "Last year they were about a week later than this year, but normally they're about two to three weeks later than now."

Solar energy For 4 billion people.

Solar electricity can contribute largely to the energy needs of two-thirds of the world’s population - including those in remote areas - by 2030. This is the main conclusion of the Solar Generation report, published by Greenpeace and the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA). By 2030, it estimates that over 1800 GW of photovoltaic systems will have been installed worldwide. This represents over 2600 TWh of electricity produced per year, or 14% of global electricity demand. This is enough power to supply over 1.3 billion people in developed areas and over 3 billion people in remote rural areas who currently have no access to mains electricity. “Solar electricity could help cut up to 1.6 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2030, equivalent to the emissions of 450 coal-fired power plants,” said Sven Teske, energy expert from Greenpeace International and co-author of the study.

Brown unveils £910m fuel measures.

Gordon Brown has agreed a £910m package of measures with the big energy companies aimed at helping people with soaring gas and electricity bills. It includes half price insulation for all households and a freeze on this year's bills for the poorest families. Pensioners and unemployed people with young children will get an extra £16.50 a week if there is a severe winter. But the measures were attacked as "ridiculous" by the unions, who want a windfall tax on the energy giants. The government says its aim is to insulate every home in Britain by 2020 - and energy companies, councils and voluntary organisations will be making door-to-door visits in deprived areas to promote the scheme.

In Brief

Cycleway not recommended for Auckland harbour Bridge. Locke:” Government funding can make bridge cycleway a reality.”

Another large section of Canadian ice shelf breaks loose.

Greens gain emissions compo for capital's public transport.

Rodney Hide says “I remain sceptical that greenhouse gases are the cause of a global warming.”

Shun meat, says UN climate chief.

Heinberg: Want Cheap Oil? Reduce Demand!

US Federal Highway Trust Fund nearly depleted due to driving cutback.

World's first carbon capture pilot fires up clean-coal advocates.

The Nasa scientist who first drew attention to global warming 20 years ago appeared in a British court this week as a key witness in support of climate change activists.

Kingsnorth Six found not guilty.

To slow global warming, install white roofs says report.

Best of the Net

Blog: Fallow focuses the debate on facts.

Pictures used to teach people about global warming in Bangladesh.

Audio: Lovelock on emissions trading.

Video: The Lockwood & Maurice Show.

Climate Snippets - 4 September

2008-09-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Parliament passes biofuels legislation.

Parliament tonight passed legislation requiring oil companies to supply biofuel at a fixed percentage of their total sales. They have to start supplying it in October this year at 0.5 percent, rising to 2.5 percent by 2012. Decisions about which type of biofuel is supplied, how much of it is blended with fossil fuels and where it comes from will be up to the industry. Energy Minister David Parker said during the third reading of the Biofuel Bill that the alternative fuels would have to be sustainable. "We know all biofuels are not equal and sustainability is under increasing scrutiny," he said. "But because some biofuels are not good doesn't mean all are bad." Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said it was a small step but it would bring in investment that would create the infrastructure to produce biofuels that could be used when new technologies became available. The bill passed its third reading 70-50, with Parliament sitting under urgency.

Reaction to Green’s decision to support ETS.

The Government is one step closer to passing its Emissions Trading Scheme before the election. The bill underwent its second reading in the Parliament, passing by 63 votes to 56. Reaction to the Green’s decision was mixed:

Latest figures on emissions from energy & industry.

The Ministry of Economic Development this week released the 2008 edition of the Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions report which contains information on emissions from energy and industrial processes to the end of 2007. The report assists in meeting New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions reporting obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The report also contains a wealth of useful material for those with an interest in greenhouse gas emissions.

Key features of the latest report are:

Total emissions from the energy sector were around 4% lower in 2007 than in 2006.
Emissions from thermal electricity generation were around 18% lower in 2007 than in 2006 due to the commissioning of the Huntly e3p combined cycle gas turbine and the relatively high hydro storage levels that were maintained through the year.
Growth in emissions from transport appears to have slowed in recent years, with an average annual growth rate of 1% since 2004.
Emissions from gas combustion increased by 11%, mainly due to fuel switching for thermal electricity generation.
Emissions from coal combustion decreased by 34% between 2006 and 2007, due largely to a lower amount of coal used for thermal electricity generation in 2007 as a result of the commissioning of e3p and favourable hydrological conditions.
Emissions from industrial processes increased by 6% between 2006 and 2007.

The report, and more detailed supplementary data tables, are available from the MED website: http://www.med.govt.nz/energy/ghg/

Iwi wins rights to river's energy.

Waikato-Tainui leaders say they have "future-proofed" their river settlement by securing potentially lucrative rights of first refusal. The Crown and Waikato-Tainui yesterday signed a Treaty of Waitangi settlement covering the Waikato River. The rights of first refusal come into play if future governments decide to sell off either the Huntly Power Station or the Solid Energy permit to mine underneath the Waikato River. The coal-powered station is the largest power producer in the country, supplying up to 20 per cent of energy requirements.

Cash offer for 'converting' on the cards.

Consumers will get a one-off cash payment in 2010 to help offset the cost of climate change policy under a package to be unveiled today. The payment will be linked to household income, with low income homes receiving the most. The deal was hammered out between the Government, NZ First and the Green Party as part of a package that includes $1 billion over 15 years to help improve insulation and energy efficiency. The compensation package would use funds recycled from income to the Government from the scheme.

Ending fossil-fuel subsidies would help climate and economy, U.N. says.

A new U.N. report urges countries to phase out energy subsidies, saying they often waste money, do not always help the poor and are bad for the environment. Gas-rich Russia leads countries spending the most in energy subsidies, laying out $40 billion a year, according to the U.N. Environment Program report released Tuesday at a 160-nation conference aimed at drafting a new treaty to contain global warming. Oil-exporter Iran is second, spending $37 billion, while Saudi Arabia, the world's leading oil producer, is also among the top five.

Governments spend as much as $300 billion a year total in subsidies that encourage consumption and discourage efficiency. The subsidies delay the transition from dirty energy to more climate-friendly sources of power, said the UNEP report. Some African countries are known to spend all the foreign development aid they received to pay for the increase in fuel prices, which may be politically popular but economically damaging. "In the final analysis, many fossil fuel subsidies are introduced for political reasons but are simply propping up and perpetuating inefficiencies in the global economy," said UNEP director Achim Steiner, who also is a U.N. undersecretary general.

Accra talks bode well for future climate change negotiations – UN official.

Important progress has been made during the latest round of United Nations-led climate change talks in Accra, Ghana, on key issues relating to a new international agreement to tackle global warming, the world body’s top official dealing with the issue said today. The Accra meeting was the latest in a series of UN-sponsored talks in the run-up to the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. The aim of the negotiations is to create a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol, with first-round commitments ending in 2012, on greenhouse gas emissions reduction. “We’re still on track, the process has speeded up and governments are becoming very serious about negotiating a result in Copenhagen,” Yvo de Boer told reporters on the final day of the week-long session.

The achievement of the Accra meeting had therefore been in “providing the basis for real negotiations to begin in Poznan,” he said, referring to the Polish city that will host this year’s UN Climate Change Conference from 1 to 12 December. Highlighting the progress made during the past week, Mr. de Boer said there was an “encouraging and important” debate on the important topic of deforestation and forest conservation, which was crucial since deforestation accounts for about 20 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions for which humans are responsible.

Scientists suggest the Arctic is already at a climatic "tipping point".

Arctic sea ice has shrunk to the second smallest extent since satellite records began, US scientists have revealed. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) says that the ice-covered area has fallen below its 2005 level, which was the second lowest on record. Melting has occurred earlier in the year than usual, meaning that the iced area could become even smaller than last September, the lowest recorded.

Researchers say the Arctic is now at a climatic "tipping point". "We could very well be in that quick slide downwards in terms of passing a tipping point," said Mark Serreze, a senior scientist at the Colorado-based NSIDC. "It's tipping now. We're seeing it happen now," he told the Associated Press news agency.

In Brief

Finding power in effluent.

Ngai Tahu has filed another claim with the Waitangi Tribunal because of the Government's emissions trading scheme.

Greens say Waterview project a 'financial drain'.

Pike River Coal has reported a $1.14 million loss for the year to the end of June, which the company said reflected the development phase of its new mining operation and related one-off costs.

NZer on trial for damage at UK power station.

Obama would make cap-and-trade program a top economic priority.

Exxon Mobil must face lawsuit by Indonesian villagers.

Japan firms to work on solar-powered ship.

The eco-rundown on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain's VP pick.

London Mayor reveals climate change plan.

Climate 'hockey stick' is revived.

Best of the Net

Cool the Earth contest.

Blog: An emissions trading subsidy for fishing?

Image: Permanent recess – Wellington 2200 by AJ

Climate Snippets - 26 August

2008-08-25T20:25:00.001-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Green Party wins major improvements to ETS.

The Green Party Caucus has decided that the substantial changes we have won to the ETS justify voting for it. “We have always said the scheme needed to share the effort much more fairly. Along with the one-off financial payment, this goes a long way to compensating households for their higher prices, and reducing energy waste and carbon emissions. “Revenue from the ETS will be recycled into a Billion dollar fund to make New Zealand homes warm, dry and cost-effective to heat,” Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says.

“It was a difficult decision because we do not believe that emissions trading, in itself, will do enough to reduce emissions. The Greens will continue to fight for greater energy efficiency standards, better and more public transport, accelerated technology change, and a host of practical emissions reduction technologies which will save far more carbon than trading will. A price on carbon will help to encourage sustainable alternatives to our energy wasting, unsustainable, fossil fuel-based way of life. It is a start, but it is not nearly enough.”

Drivers to pay for oil shock.

Motorists should pay more to drive cars - including more expensive car parks, and fees to use the roads - if New Zealand is to survive rising oil prices, a comprehensive new report [Managing Transport Challenges When Oil Prices Rise’ says. The increased costs would be coupled with investment in public transport, tax breaks for fuel-efficient vehicles, laws requiring new developments to provide showers and lockers for walkers and bikers, improved urban design, and encouraging businesses to swap company cars for cash or bus subsidies. The report calls for a fundamental shift in the Government's transport solutions - away from building more roads toward investing in alternative transport and maintaining existing roads. Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons welcomed the report and hoped it would "inject a bit of reality" into transport planning. She said the Government had previously ignored rising oil prices in its cost-benefit analysis of building more roads. This report acknowledged "for the first time" the reality of long-term oil-price rises.

Accra climate talks begin.

Opening the latest round of climate treaty negotiations, the Accra Climate Change Talks, John Agyekum Kufuor, president of Ghana, called for an "international deal... in which developing countries commit to plan for climate resilient development. In return the international community should commit to provide adequate, predictable, long-term funding and support in terms of technology transfer and capacity building." The Accra meeting is the latest stage in the development of strengthened long-term action on climate change. "The clock is ticking," Kufuor warned. "We need to be pragmatic and move beyond rhetoric to make progress as we move towards Copenhagen." Agreement needs to be reached by the time of the Copenhagen meeting in December 2009.

In his opening address, Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UNFCC Secretariat, noted that Africa is "the climate change regimes’ forgotten continent," with a limited number of Clean Development Mechanism projects and relatively low funding from the Global Environment Facility. "If this meeting can be a step towards the design of a regime that helps Africa to achieve clean economic growth and deal with the impacts of climate change through effective mechanisms that deliver on finance, technology and capacity-building, you will have done very important work here," he continued. The Accra discussions will cover the finance and technology needed to limit emissions and adapt to climate change, sectoral approaches to emissions reduction and sector-specific actions and reducing emissions from deforestation.

Cracking ice fuels greenhouse fears.

A growing ice crack, which has created a 28.5sq km chunk of ice haemorrhaging off a glacier, has appeared in northern Greenland, a part of the Arctic that had seemed immune from global warming. New satellite images showing the crack have led the professor who spotted the wounds in the massive Petermann glacier to predict major portions of the Northern Hemisphere's largest floating glacier will disintegrate within the year, raising sea levels further. The crack is 11km long and about 800m wide. It is about half the width of the floating part of the glacier. Other, smaller fractures are also visible.

Many think it's too late for climate, survey finds.

Ten per cent of New Zealanders believe it is too late to do anything about climate change, a new survey reveals. The figure has alarmed campaigners trying to spread the message that everyone can do their bit for the environment. Paul McElwain, strategy director of advertising company Publicis Mojo, presented the results of the online survey to a conference in Auckland yesterday. The poll of more than 4000 household shoppers showed hundreds thought it was too late to act on climate change. One in 10 New Zealanders and about two in 10 Australians thought time had run out.

In Brief

Greens supports call for public transport upgrades.

Global meat production continues to rise.

Accra conference splits over deforestation emission cut.

Editorial: Greens' dilemma the price of being our climate conscience.

Identity politics in climate change hell.

Decoding the World's best energy policies.

Genetically-Engineered trees can dissolve themselves into fuel.

Best of the Net

Blog: Yes to ETS.

Solar plane makes record flight.

Blog: The Niue Declaration.

Green Party support for ETS, Jeanette on Nine to Noon, listen here.

Climate Snippets - 21 August

2008-08-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Greens seek opinions from kiwis on ETS.

The Green Party is facing a difficult decision over whether to lend its support to the Emissions Trading Scheme. "At the beginning of this process we said we wanted to be as open about these negotiations as we could be and now we have reached a point where the Green Party caucus has to make a decision about this next Tuesday and we would like some feedback from New Zealanders before we do," Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says. "What really mattered about this scheme was that is was fair to New Zealanders and effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Throughout the negotiation process we have kept this at the forefront of our minds”. People can email their opinions to ets@greens.org.nz

Nat’s energy policy is financial madness – Greens.

The National Party's new energy policy is a tribute to cronyism and makes no economic sense, Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says. "It ignores our biggest energy problem, transport fuels and the rising cost of oil, and relies on ‘drill and hope’. No one with any common sense would invest in more subsidies to fossil fuels when New Zealand is so well endowed with renewable energy.

Greens want pollution fines.

The Green Party is calling for tougher fines to be imposed on farmers polluting waterways. It follows an audit of farms in the greater Wellington region showing a third of the farms were non-compliant. Green Party Co-Leader Russel Norman says it is time Government gave regional councils powers they can use to clean up waterways. He says the current fines are minimal, and mean very little to big industrial dairy operations. Mr Norman says the next government needs to increase instant fines possible under Resource Management Act regulations for serious polluters of rivers and lakes. he is calling for the fine to be increased to $2,000 for first time offences and up to $10,000 for repeat offences. Mr Norman says at the moment the maximum infringement for discharging into waterways increase is $750, and that is nothing to an operation with a turnover of $5 million or more a year.

New Zealand a natural partner in carbon trade: Kevin Rudd.

There are no technical barriers to linking Australian and New Zealand emissions trading schemes, Kevin Rudd declared yesterday on his first visit to Auckland since being elected Prime Minister. New Zealand was a "natural partner" for Australia but Australia had to "get its own house in order" and properly establish a carbon pollution reduction scheme before linking with other programs. "The first thing is to get the carbon pollution reduction scheme right, and we've released a detailed green paper on that and we are consulting business as we speak, and the community sector, and that will take some time," Mr Rudd told a session of the Australia-New Zealand Climate Change and Business Conference in Auckland. "The important principle for us ... is to make sure there are no barriers to linking the schemes and, based on my advice, there are none. Frankly, in terms of the long-term health of the planet I think it is a good direction to head in, but as I said, in terms of our processes, we still have a way to go."

Emissions trading under the spotlight at climate change conference.

The Australia and New Zealand Climate Change and Business Conference has opened, with emissions trading under the spotlight. Regulated and voluntary trading are both a focus, as are other complementary measures to drive emissions reductions. However, Greenpeace wants to see less talk and more action. A spokesman says it is all very well having the conference, but the New Zealand government needs to back up good intentions with legislation.

Urgent call for Rudd and Clarke on climate change action.

Pacific Islands such as Kiribati face an uncertain future due to rising sea levels and climate change and community leaders are urging the governments of New Zealand and Australia to take action. Community leaders from the Pacific are urging Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand to take more proactive actions on climate change in the Pacific, in particular increased immigration and resettlement. "The Australian and New Zealand governments must begin a real process of partnership with Pacific Island countries in finding ways to prepare for and assist with the resettlement of Pacific Island people who will be displaced by global warming." Instigated by Friends of the Earth and supported by organisations from all over the Pacific, the letter is to be issued at the Pacific Islands Forum this week.

World geothermal power generation nearing eruption.

With fossil fuel prices escalating and countries searching for ways to reduce oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions, capturing the earth’s heat for power generation is garnering new attention. First begun in Larderello, Italy, in 1904, electricity generation using geothermal energy is now taking place in 24 countries, 5 of which use it to produce 15 percent or more of their total electricity. In the first half of 2008, total world installed geothermal power capacity passed 10,000 megawatts and now produces enough electricity to meet the needs of 60 million people, roughly the population of the United Kingdom. In 2010, capacity could increase to 13,500 megawatts across 46 countries -equivalent to 27 coal-fired power plants.

In Brief

A Queenstown man is taking High Court action to prevent the Government enacting the controversial Emissions Trading Scheme.

Power generated from cow dung has been identified as one way New Zealand could make billions from an emissions trading scheme.

Annual public transport figures released by the ARC and the ARTA show Aucklanders are on the move to public transport, with total patronage for the year to 30 June 2008 reaching 54.4 million journeys, 4.4% higher than last year.

Electric-car visionary would overhaul the way we get around.

Climaction: STOP THE GREENWASH! - Skycity Protest.

Frogs and other amphibians dying at alarming rates, say scientists.

Japan to label goods' carbon footprints.

Jellyfish invasion: Britain to fight them on the beaches.

California: giant 800 megawatt solar power deal.

Minister denies light bulb safety issues.

Best of the Net

Peak oil on National radio.

Blog: Kaukapakapa gears up for a fight.

Julian Robbins on the ETS (Morning Report).

Climate Snippets - 14 August

2008-08-13T18:36:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Environment Minister Trevor Mallard and Energy Minister David Parker yesterday announced the proposed statement for renewable electricity generation.

It would encourage the small-scale development of renewable electricity generation projects to cut back on the reliance of rural communities on the national grid.
That could include making it simpler to set up small renewable energy sources such as a wind turbine in the backyard. The ministers have appointed an independent board of inquiry to consider the proposed policy to help achieve the Government's goal of generating 90 per cent of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2025. The board of inquiry will receive public submissions and report back to the Environment Minister on the proposed national policy statement before it was gazetted.

Greenpeace has welcomed the Government's announcement saying "Greenpeace has long been asking for a national policy statement (NPS), to help sort the good electricity projects from the bad. A clear NPS will allow councils to weigh up a variety of factors, such as benefits to the climate and risks to biodiversity, when considering consent applications. Crucially, the Labour-led Government's NPS will be coupled with a 90 per cent by 2025 renewable electricity target."

For National Policy Statement click here.

The National Party releases its energy policy.

A 10-YEAR ban on new coal and gas-fuelled power stations is likely to be abandoned by National under plans to protect against future electricity shortages. Security of electricity supply is expected to be the focus of its energy policy, due to be unveiled today by leader John Key, as a tit-for-tat war over infrastructure spending heats up. The policy will probably include previously announced measures to streamline the resource consent process, and more investment in the national grid may also be on the cards. But National is also expected to argue that the 10-year ban on new coal and gas-fuelled power stations, which stymied the development of a $500 million turbine near Auckland, should be scrapped.

For policy and background documents click here

NZ fuel market fair and competitive, says report.

The sneaking suspicion that petrol prices go up faster than they fall has been dismissed, with a report claiming the fuel market here is "fundamentally competitive". The report, based on the Australian Competition and Commerce Commission's own inquiry, found that New Zealand had the fifth-lowest petrol prices and taxation levels in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development behind Mexico, the United States, Canada and Australia. Despite a public outcry at the record price rises seen earlier this year, the study found those were primarily the result of record rises in the barrel price of crude. Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said the report showed that the supply of cheap oil was nearing an end and other, more sustainable options, had to be pursued urgently.

Meltdown in the Arctic is speeding up.

Ice at the North Pole melted at an unprecedented rate last week, with leading scientists warning that the Arctic could be ice-free in summer by 2013.
Satellite images show that ice caps started to disintegrate dramatically several days ago as storms over Alaska's Beaufort Sea began sucking streams of warm air into the Arctic. As a result, scientists say that the disappearance of sea ice at the North Pole could exceed last year's record loss. More than a million square kilometres melted over the summer of 2007 as global warming tightened its grip on the Arctic. But such destruction could now be matched, or even topped, this year.

'It does not really matter whether 2007 or 2008 is the worst year on record for Arctic ice,' Maslowski said. 'The crucial point is that ice is clearly not building up enough over winter to restore cover and that when you combine current estimates of ice thickness with the extent of the ice cap, you get a very clear indication that the Arctic is going to be ice-free in summer in five years. And when that happens, there will be consequences.'

Scientists link warmer temperatures to rainfall extremes.

The link between a warmer climate and more powerful rainstorms has been confirmed by scientists using both computer models and satellite observations gathered over a period of 20 years. Heavy rain events increase during warm periods and decrease during cold periods, according to the scientists in Florida and England who said this week that their research is the first to provide observational evidence linking higher temperatures with heavier rains.

Norman: Oil dependency takes its toll .

This weeks new trade deficit figures showing a massive increase in the cost of importing petrol and other oil products dramatically illustrate why the Government must reduce New Zealand’s dependence on oil, the Green Party says. The cost of imports of petroleum and products have increased 22 percent in the last 12 months - from $5.8 billion in the year to June 2007 to $7.1 billion in the year to June 2008. “We have built our transport system based on cheap oil, which means as the price of oil has risen rapidly so has our oil import bill. We have to sell $7 billion worth of exports a year just to break even,” Co-Leader Russel Norman says. “We are oil junkies who can’t kick the habit as the cost increases because successive governments have invested in roads and motorways that keep us addicted.

Kingsnorth Climate Camp.

From 3rd-11th August, the Camp For Climate Action has been held in Kingsnorth, Kent near the proposed site of the first coal-fired power station in the UK since 1984.

In Brief

Fitzsimons on Taranaki LNG: “From the point of view of energy policy it is daft, from the point of view of climate change it is damaging, and from the point of view of the local community, it is dangerous."

Hutt venture catches winds of change for 'green' generation.

Dell Computer's worldwide business operations are now carbon neutral.

Green credentials need close scrutiny.

Aussies should fight climate change by eating kangaroo, says study.

'Big Dry' claims River Murray lakes.

Tyre pressure adds to campaign hot air.

On a planet 4C hotter, all we can prepare for is extinction.

Swedish bachelors 20 percent higher energy users compared to bachelorettes.

Monbiot: Radioactive coal.

Best of the Net

MIT expert explains solar breakthrough.

From Grist: Want to fight global warming but too lazy to change a lightbulb, bike to work, or hit the farmers market? How about sitting on your ass - can you manage that? Congratulations, you're green!

Climate Snippets - 7 August

2008-08-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Key unveils plan to borrow for roads.

National Party leader John Key yesterday unveiled his plan for a big push to build more road, electricity, telecommunications and water infrastructure - to be financed by borrowing. The overall financial direction outlined by National at the weekend has drawn heavy fire from Labour. Prime Minister Helen Clark said the plans were hilarious and crazy.

The infrastructure plan, for which National will borrow $750 million more a year than Labour, is aimed at reducing bottlenecks and improving economic growth. It is not known if National has new projects in mind or intends to borrow to pay for projects already planned. But it is understood the party will identify specific projects during the election campaign. They are likely to include Auckland's Waterview motorway link.

Labour's 40-year plan for greener safer transport.

A five-fold increase in public transport use - and 50 per cent cut in the road death toll - are two of several ambitious transport targets the Government hopes to achieve within 40 years. Transport Minister Annette King announced the transport sector targets this week with the launch of the New Zealand Transport Strategy, which provides a 10-year roadmap for the sector.

In response the Greens say Labour takes 40 years to act on the 100 month challenge.

Wairau hydro scheme heads to court.

Reaction to the final approval for TrustPower's planned $280 million hydro scheme for the Wairau River has been swift and damning, with the matter likely to proceed to the Environment Court. Few apparent changes have been made in the consent conditions for the electricity company's plan to divert water from the Wairau River. It wants to take up to 60 percent of the flow through nearly 50km of canals and five power stations to generate 70 megawatts of electricity.

The Green Party and Forest and Bird have criticised both the final consent decision as "disappointing". Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said the Wairau was one of the few remaining intact braided river systems in New Zealand, and had a very high representation of endangered species. The Wairau was likely to be ranked highly in a Wetlands of National Importance list currently being compiled, she said. "All this will be lost for just 70MW of capacity. This energy could be saved by insulating homes, using low-flow shower heads and replacing old fridges."

Untouched forests store 3 times more carbon – study.

Untouched natural forests store three times more carbon dioxide than previously estimated and 60 percent more than plantation forests, said a new Australian study of "green carbon" and its role in climate change. Green carbon occurs in natural forests, brown carbon is found in industrialised forests or plantations, grey carbon in fossil fuels and blue carbon in oceans. Australian National University scientists said that the role of untouched forests, and their biomass of green carbon, had been underestimated in the fight against global warming.

China's 'rapid renewables surge'.

China's rapid investment in low carbon technologies has catapulted the nation up the global renewable energy rankings, a report shows. The Climate Group study said China invested $12bn (£6bn) in renewables during 2007, second only to Germany.
However, it was expected to top the table by the end of 2009, it added. In order to meet its target of increasing the percentage of energy from low carbon technologies from 8% in 2006 to 15% by 2020, China is expected to invest an average of $33bn annually for the next 12 years. It has the world's largest hydroelectricity capacity since the controversial Three Gorges project began producing electricity, and the fifth largest fleet of wind turbines on the planet. Although its installed capacity of photovoltaic (PV) panels is still relatively low, it is already a leading manufacturer of solar panels.

According to figures from the World Bank, 20 of the planet's 30 most polluted cities are in China. In terms of total emissions, China is already the world's biggest emitter. But if you look at emissions on a per capita basis, we are not the biggest emitters because we have 1.3bn people. The report also showed that China was only responsible for about 7% of greenhouse gases emitted in the period before 2002, when more than 90% of emissions from human activity were released.
But since the turn of the century, it added, China's portion has been growing steadily and now accounts for 24% of the global total.

The final countdown.

Time is fast running out to stop irreversible climate change, a group of global warming experts warns this week. We have only 100 months to avoid disaster. Because in just 100 months' time, if we are lucky, and based on a quite conservative estimate, we could reach a tipping point for the beginnings of runaway climate change. That said, among people working on global warming, there are countless models, scenarios, and different iterations of all those models and scenarios. So, let us be clear from the outset about exactly what we mean.

Showdown looms for UK 'climate camp'.

Protesters are aiming to shut down Kingsnorth power station on the Medway estuary in Kent this weekend. They oppose the decision of its owner, the energy company E.ON, to replace the ageing site with a brand-new coal-fired power station - the first such to be built in Britain for 30 years. The protesters are hoping that their week-long demonstration will inspire others to follow in their green footsteps.

In Brief

Council 'soft' on dirty dairying.

Residents group annoyed at John Key's rejection.

McCain tours nuke plant, renews call for nuclear power expansion in U.S.

Enviros unhappy with Obama's offshore-drilling shift.

Spain has launched an ambitious plan to reduce energy consumption and save millions of euros on oil imports by cutting the speed limit to 50mph and handing out millions of low-energy use light bulbs.

Monbiot: Coal scuttled.

Lynas: The climate change clock is ticking.

Best of the Net

One Hundred Months.

Good peak oil video.

New website set up to stop Rodney power station.

Video: Dutch scientists demonstrate their electric kite.

Climate Snippets - 31 July

2008-07-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Wind power key, says leading scientist.

A leading New Zealand scientist believes renewable energy production can minimise risks associated with climate change, outlining his views yesterday during an Environment Court appeal hearing for the largest wind farm development in the Southern Hemisphere. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) Wellington climate change general manager David Wratt told the hearing for Meridian Energy's proposed Project Hayes development the wind farm could serve as mitigation for potentially dangerous climate change effects in New Zealand. "Renewable power, including wind power, is one of the key mitigation technologies and practices currently commercially available for the energy sector. New renewable energy power stations are an essential part of New Zealand's emission management response," Dr Wratt's written evidence stated. "A reduction of 50% to 85% would be required in global carbon dioxide emissions in 2050, compared with 2000, in order to maintain an eventual long-term global equilibrium temperature."

$400 million windfarm approved.

Trustpower's $400 million Mahinerangi wind farm has been approved by the Environment Court, the Otago Daily Times has been told. The project was originally approved by a joint committee of the Clutha District Council and the Otago Regional Council late last September, with 178 conditions. The wind farm, on 1723ha of land about 50km west of Dunedin, will have 100 145m-high turbines capable of generating 200MW of power - enough to supply about 100,000 average-size homes.

Simon Terry: Plan to put price on carbon emissions needs to change.

The simplest way to understand the Government's central response to climate change is to think in terms of protection money. The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) starts in the right place - setting up a mechanism to put a price on "carbon". Such a price signals the cost of emissions to the environment encourages low carbon alternatives and has the capacity to reduce emissions. Climate protection money is the other benefit, as pricing also brings in funds to meet the nation's Kyoto commitments. New Zealand's gross emissions are expected to be 28 per cent over its Kyoto Protocol target without intervention. To square away this excess and do its bit for climate protection, New Zealand will buy carbon credits from overseas and the ETS will ensure local forest owners who remove carbon from the atmosphere also get paid….read more.

U.S.-Canada carbon trading group eyes 2012 start.

A coalition of U.S. states and Canadian provinces that have banded together to cut greenhouse gases will launch their carbon cap and trade system in 2012, according to a draft plan released on Wednesday. The Western Climate Initiative's system will be phased in starting with industrial process emissions, with emissions from transportation and other fuels added to the system in 2015. It also will include emissions from electricity imported from sources outside of the group. The WCI launched in 2007 has set a target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. But the document released in advance of the WCI's scheduled meeting July 29 in San Diego, indicated the group's members were still wrangling over important details on issues such as how emission allowances will be apportioned between its members.

33% of China's carbon footprint blamed on exports.

Economists now say that one-third of China's carbon dioxide emissions are pumped into the atmosphere in order to manufacture exported goods – many of them "advanced" electronics goods destined for developed countries. "Export goods emissions" account for 1.7 billion tonnes of China's carbon dioxide. That represents 6% of total global emissions – the equivalent of Germany, France and the UK's combined emissions. A large share of these emissions – up to 25% – has been blamed on China's ever-growing export market, but this has not been quantified until now. Now Christopher Weber of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and colleagues have shown that the figure is larger still. Weber's team used a standard model of the Chinese economy, produced by the Chinese government. This model, which operates on the same principle as others produced by every national government, reflects how money has flowed in and out of different sectors of the economy since the 1980s. Matching the model to the dataset allowed the team to calculate that, in 2005, export sectors generated 1.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide – 33% of China's emissions.

In Brief

Auckland Climate Action Hui 2.3 August.

WWF has asked all New Zealand towns and cities to sign up as for Earth Hour 2009.

Schools eye four-day week to cut fuel costs.

Green activist superglues himself to Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Rod Oram on Australian and NZ emission trading scheme.

High energy prices prompt first US coal-to-liquids plant.

U.S. Army works to cut its carbon "bootprint".

Huge growth in specialist environmental jobs.

Best of the Net

Life in the shadow of China's melting glacier.

TIME: 10 things you can like about $4 gas.

Climate Snippets - 25 July

2008-07-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Australia outlines emissions scheme.

While the Government struggles to get its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) down the legislative slipway and launched before the election, its Australian counterpart has outlined its own scheme. There are as many differences as similarities between them. Both are intended to apply to electricity generation from 2010. In Australia's case, "stationary energy" accounts for about half of its emissions, because of its reliance on coal-fired generation. Australia does not envisage including agriculture (about 16 per cent of its emissions) until 2015 at the earliest. It will not decide until 2013. Neither Government is in any hurry to add to the price of transport fuels. Australia plans a Clayton's approach initially, where any increase in petrol or diesel prices from the ETS will be offset, cent-for-cent by a reduction in the excise on those fuels. That would entirely eliminate any price signal for the first three years of the scheme. The New Zealand Government opted to push back transport's entry into the scheme from 2009 to 2011.

In response

ETS: Opinion poll backs emission law.

An opinion poll on the emissions trading scheme has found more people support it than not. The survey of 514 people, conducted by DigiPoll last month, found 34 per cent for and 24 per cent against the legislation. The bill has been reported back by the finance select committee and the Government is trying to muster enough support among the smaller parties to get it passed before the election. Nearly half of respondents agreed: "New Zealand should be one of the world leaders on climate change and work at the same pace as other countries which are determined to make a difference." Forty-four per cent disagreed with the assertion: "New Zealand's carbon emissions are so small that any action we take will not make any difference to the effects of climate change." Thirty-four per cent agreed with the statement. And 87 per cent said they were personally prepared to take steps or accept costs to reduce the effects of climate change. But price resistance set in somewhere between $10 and $20 a week when asked how much more they would pay for power and petrol.

Secret report: biofuel caused food crisis.

Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian. The damning unpublished assessment is based on the most detailed analysis of the crisis so far, carried out by an internationally-respected economist at global financial body. The figure emphatically contradicts the US government's claims that plant-derived fuels contribute less than 3% to food-price rises. It will add to pressure on governments in Washington and across Europe, which have turned to plant-derived fuels to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and reduce their dependence on imported oil. Senior development sources believe the report, completed in April, has not been published to avoid embarrassing President George Bush.

Environment: Climate risk from flat-screen TVs.

The rising demand for flat-screen televisions could have a greater impact on global warming than the world's largest coal-fired power stations, a leading environmental scientist warned yesterday. Manufacturers use a greenhouse gas called nitrogen trifluoride to make the televisions, and as the sets have become more popular, annual production of the gas has risen to about 4,000 tonnes.

As a driver of global warming, nitrogen trifluoride is 17,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide, yet no one knows how much of it is being released into the atmosphere by the industry, said Michael Prather, director of the environment institute at the University of California, Irvine. Prather's research reveals that production of the gas, which remains in the atmosphere for 550 years, is "exploding" and is expected to double by next year. Unlike common greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs), emissions of the gas are not restricted by the Kyoto protocol or similar agreements.

In Brief

World leaders vague on climate change goals.

Gore challenges US to produce every kilowatt of electricity through wind, sun and other Earth-friendly energy sources within 10 years.

Coal or Kiwi: Solid Energy at it again.

Global warming may raise kidney stone cases: study.

A massive swath of northern Ontario boreal forest, considered the world's largest carbon storehouse, will be off-limits to forestry and mining activities.

Pope expresses worry about climate change.

No gasoline or oil price relief until winter 2009, says EIA.

Vast oil, natural gas reserves estimated in Arctic.

Ugandan coffee may disappear in 30 years: Oxfam.

Best of the Net

Climate change as seen through the eyes of the world's top cartoonists.

Safer cycling petition.

Latest Al Gore video.

Climate Snippets - 4 July

2008-07-03T16:05:00.001-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Condemned to single-sex life by climate change.

Rising temperatures look set to produce male-only offspring in the tuatara, condemning the ancient reptile species to extinction by 2085, computer modelling predicts. Researchers studying tuatara made their doomsday prediction using digital terrain maps detailing the consequences for the reptiles' nesting sites of a 4°C hike in average temperature. The entire tuatara population is now effectively trapped on about 30 small islands in New Zealand’s north, having been wiped out elsewhere by predators. They therefore have no chance of adapting by fleeing to cooler climes, the researchers say. The study is reported in Proceedings of the Royal Society. “Since the mid 1990s, people have been talking about the vulnerability of reptiles to climate change because they have temperature-dependent sex determination. But no one has been able to model it in this type of complexity before,” says research leader Nicola Mitchell of the University of Western Australia in Perth.

UN reports big jump in 'green energy'. investment.

Global investors plowed $148 billion into new wind, solar and other alternative energy assets last year, in what the United Nations describes as a "green energy gold rush" gaining speed the last several years. The spike in investment — 60 percent above the $92.6 billion spent on such projects in 2006 — reflects sharply rising concerns over climate change and energy prices, U.N. officials said in a report Tuesday. In 2005, alternative energy drew $58.5 billion in new money.
An additional $56 billion changed hands on mergers and acquisitions involving alternative energy last year — another sign the "clean energy" industry is maturing in the eyes of investors, U.N. Undersecretary-General Achim Steiner said. Solar power was the fastest-growing sector, rising almost 90 percent to $28 billion.

Yvo de Boer sees record oil price as a positive.

The UN's top climate change official said Thursday that record oil prices, which have surged to 146 dollars a barrel, were positive for the environment. "I think they are a net positive. First of all you see that through decreasing demand in Europe and North America where people are becoming much more conscious of petrol prices," Yvo de Boer told AFP. "High oil prices also improve the competitiveness of renewable sources of energy and make it more interesting to focus on energy efficiency," he added. "There is a risk that as dirty forms of oil become commercially more attractive that would lead to an increase in emissions," he said. One such worry is the Canadian tar sands, a dense mixture of sand, water and petroleum used to extract bitumen, which are controversial because of the environmental impact of extracting and refining the mixture.

Greens say truckies should not hold country to ransom.

New Zealanders should not be held to ransom by a trucking industry that has been heavily subsidised by taxpayers for too long, Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says. Truck drivers, furious at a rise in diesel road user charges, plan to clogged city centres today. Transport Minister Annette King announced the increase in road user charges on Monday night and they came into effect on Tuesday -- angering truckies who wanted notice so they could pre-purchase But Ms Fitzsimons today said the trucking industry had been heavily subsidised for years and the price rise, which was small, was warranted. She said a 2005 Transport Ministry report showed trucks only paid 56 percent of the costs they caused to the economy whereas rail freight paid 82 percent. "That distorts the playing field between trucks and rail. That means we have more freight going by big trucks on the road rather than on trains. That's bad for all other road users." In addition she said road user charges had only been raised once since 1989. "We know that the costs of maintaining highways have gone up massively during that time. It is time that trucks paid their way."

Nats attack new fuel tax law.

National attacked the Government yesterday over increased road-user charges and a law passed last night allowing regional fuel taxes to fund large capital projects - but won't say it would undo them. The tax of up to 10c a litre when fully implemented will be limited to 2c next year and 5c a litre in 2010. The Transport Minister will have to approve applications for regional fuel taxes and no more than 5c a litre can be applied to roading projects. Up to 5c a litre can be applied to fund public transport. Acting Transport Minister Harry Duynhoven said the electrification of Auckland rail network would be an early project to benefit. The Land Transport Management Amendment Bill allowed the transport system to be planned in a fully integrated manner.

In Brief

Young Greens and Greens on Campus Auckland Climate Action Hui 2,3 August.

Young Kiwi travellers care about carbon footprint.

Greenpeace activists are blockading Australia’s most polluting coal-fired power station to call for an energy revolution.

India offers 8 ideals on a climate change policy, but few details.

High gasoline prices have dramatically changed Americans' views on energy and the environment, with more people now viewing oil drilling and new power plants as a greater priority than energy conservation, according to a new survey.

Chief executives from 99 of the world's largest companies called this week for Group of Eight nations to take the lead on climate change and agree to a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol.

Tuxedo clad canaries in the coal mine.

Flat-screen televisions could have a greater impact on global warming than the world's largest coal-fired power stations.

EU to include airlines in emissions trading system.

Fitzsimons: open letter to Key receives closed response.

Monbiot: A radical new idea could save the world’s ecosystems. But what will it do to the economy?

Carbon neutral cows?

Climate Snippets - 26 June

2008-06-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Put oil firm chiefs on trial, Hansen.

James Hansen, one of the world's leading climate scientists, will today call for the chief executives of large fossil fuel companies to be put on trial for high crimes against humanity and nature, accusing them of actively spreading doubt about global warming in the same way that tobacco companies blurred the links between smoking and cancer. Hansen will use the symbolically charged 20th anniversary of his groundbreaking speech to the US Congress - in which he was among the first to sound the alarm over the reality of global warming - to argue that radical steps need to be taken immediately if the "perfect storm" of irreversible climate change is not to become inevitable.

Paris plans help-yourself green car hire.

First came self-service bicycles, and now Paris is launching a green scheme to provide electric cars that drivers can pick up and drop off anywhere in the city.
The Socialist mayor, Bertrand Delanoë, announced yesterday that from the end of next year, 4,000 electric cars will be placed around Paris and its outskirts for drivers in the scheme to help themselves for short journeys. It is the first electric car project of its kind in a capital city.

Government secures a cheaper route for Transmission Gully.

Transport Minister Annette King announced the go-ahead for the inland highway Tuesday after a detailed investigation that has mapped out an alternative route saving $275 million. The project, aimed to ease congestion along the coastal highway, is now projected to cost $1.025 billion, compared with $1.3 billion using a 2004 inflation-adjusted price tag. The Dominion Post understands savings have been made by axing the number of entry and exit points, including trimming one of two Porirua on-ramps. The route also crosses flatter land, which has cut down on the number of streams requiring bridges. The Green Party questioned the viability of the 27-kilometre highway with petrol prices rising and motorists unable to afford petrol taxes or tolls, which will probably be used to

Auckland leaves the car at home, traffic cut 3%.

New traffic-flow figures suggest our love of driving is waning, possibly because of rising fuel prices. Figures for last month, given to the Weekend Herald by Transit NZ, show traffic on the city's motorways in peak hours is down an estimated 3 per cent since May last year. That translates to a reduction of more than 6000 cars a day on some of the system's busiest stretches. In the same period, Auckland's population rose by about 23,000, from 1,394,000 to about 1,417,000. Transit's northern operations manager, Joseph Flannagan, said the average reduction in motorway traffic was about 3 per cent, but decreases of between 4 and 7 per cent were recorded at Great North Rd on the Northwestern Motorway, and at Silverdale, Oteha Valley Rd, Esmonde Rd and St Marys Bay on the Northern.

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said the change in driving habits should herald a swing towards public transport funding in Auckland. But future public transport investments were being pushed aside while motorway funding was secured. Auckland's rail electrification was now in doubt as the expected regional fuel tax to provide the funding had lost favour in Parliament, she said. Electrification of the rail system and converting Britomart to a through-station would enable passenger numbers to increase from 6 million a year now to 38 million, at a cost of about $2 billion. A similar figure is being spent on the Western Ring Route's Waterview tunnel. Ms Fitzsimons says this project should be scrapped and the money spent on rail, avoiding the need for any petrol tax.

Big gains touted in emissions report.

An emissions trading scheme would unlock investment of more than $12 billion over the next 10 years and create nearly 10,000 jobs, according to a report commissioned by the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development. The business council's aim is to remind MPs considering the ETS legislation that it has an upside to weigh against the risks and costs other business lobby groups and companies have been emphasising.

Council members "blindsided" by report. Some key members of the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development are steamed up about yesterday's "special report" to MPs promoting a multibillion-dollar bonanza for New Zealand if the emissions trading legislation is passed.
Price on carbon could be positive for the economy – Greens. Farmers would profit from involvement in the Emissions Trading Scheme, reinforcing the Green Party's insistence that farming be included in the Bill earlier than 2013, Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says. "If the use of nitrogen inhibitors can increase a dairy farmer's profit by 18 percent a year as well as add 1728 jobs, why is the government so reluctant to take this free, low hanging fruit? Can't we start agriculture now with what is not only easy, but free, and delay action on methane as planned? "In addition to nitrogen inhibitors there are several other technologies that would reduce nitrous oxide emissions - they have plenty of options." Ms Fitzsimons welcomes the New Zealand Council for Sustainable Development report, released this afternoon, as it demonstrates the financial benefits of a price on carbon.

Firms to get billion-dollar green subsidy – Sustainability Council.

Seven of New Zealand's biggest companies will receive "corporate welfare" of $1.2 billion over the next decade, according to an environmental think-tank. It would include subsidies on greenhouse gas emissions and their increased energy bills, Sustainability Council executive director Simon Terry said this week. And an eighth company, Fonterra, will receive a further $200 million, in addition to separate subsidies of $1.3 million being given to the nation's farmers.

In Brief

The replacement of traditional fuels with biofuels has dragged more than 30 million people worldwide into poverty, Oxfam says.

UN climate chief asks G8 summit to agree on 2020 emission targets.

World's biggest solar plant goes online in Germany.

China accounted for two-thirds of the rise in carbon dioxide emissions in 2007 and is now pumping out about 14% more emissions than the USA.

Americans drove 22 billion fewer miles from November through April than during the same period in 2006-07, the biggest such drop since the Iranian revolution led to gasoline supply shortages in 1979-80.

Climate change ads should be more cheery, report says.

Oram: Lobbyists can't see the wood for the trees.

Monbiot: Big oil's big lie.

Colin James: Does it matter if climate bill dies?

Best of the Net

Greenpeace NZ coal video.

The United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, has unveiled a carbon calculation tool on its website that allows travellers to estimate the carbon footprint for any flight they take.

New global campaign – 350.org

Climate Snippets - 20 June

2008-06-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Labour talks on emissions reaching crucial stage.

Labour's private talks with the Greens and New Zealand First are entering a key phase as it desperately tries to get its flagship emissions trading scheme passed into law before the election. The scheme was reported back by a select committee yesterday with 1000 mainly technical amendments.

The select committee recommended that the bill be passed but Labour is yet to secure the political support it needs to get the legislation through its final stages in the House. There are several combinations Labour could hypothetically use to get the 61 votes it needs to get the legislation into law but some are clearly more politically palatable than others. The most likely combination of votes now appears to be the Greens and New Zealand First, but those parties are seeking different things and it will be hard to get a deal that satisfies both.

New Zealand First's concerns extend far wider than just the impact of the scheme on power prices - it is also worried about effects on the fishing and shipping industries, it isn't sure about Labour's planned ban on new thermal power generation, and it wants to look carefully at the impact on major employers such as a steel mill.

The Greens, meanwhile, have given Labour a rundown of what they want in the scheme, which includes some movement on the introduction of agriculture. Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said the Greens would vote against the bill unless it improved at the committee stage in coming weeks in the House. "It's not a question of whether something is better than nothing," she said. "This sets up a huge, highly complex and very expensive edifice which is only worth having if it's going to really reduce greenhouse emissions in a fair way. If it's not going to do that we would actually be better off without it."

Maori Party: ETS rips off taxpayers, poor families hardest hit.

“The ETS as it currently stands is not fair and not transparent. Costs fall almost entirely on families and taxpayers, while big businesses and industrial farmers who are generating greenhouse gases get off scot free for years to come. The Maori Party knows there will be real costs that threaten the viability of some businesses. The ETS should deal with those situations as they arise – not by giving blanket protections to whole industries, which remove any incentive to cut emissions. We have sympathy for the seafood industry – why are other export industries given carbon credits, but fishers are not included in the lolly scramble? The whole scheme is riddled with inconsistencies,” said Mrs Turia. “It is fundamentally flawed and in its current form delivers little for the environment and Papatuanuku”.

Lights out for old bulbs.

The Government launched a strategy today which will mean lights out for old-style bulbs as it seeks to reduce lighting energy consumption by 20 percent by 2015. Energy Minister David Parker and government spokesperson on energy efficiency and conservation Jeanette Fitzsimons said the days of the traditional energy-hungry incandescent bulb were numbered. The strategy aimed to phase out the bulbs from late 2009. Once new standards were introduced, no new stocks of the incandescent bulbs can be imported for sale. Ms Fitzsimons said technological advances in the area meant there were more and more options.
Some are Electricity Commission subsidised. New Zealand spent about $660 million on electricity for lighting a year generating about 2.65 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Almost $500m could be saved by 2020, "just by changing the lights", Ms Fitzsimons said.

Ocean temperatures and sea level increases 50 percent higher than previously estimated.

New research suggests that ocean temperature and associated sea level increases between 1961 and 2003 were 50 percent larger than estimated in the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Results were compared with recent estimates of other contributions to sea-level rise including glaciers, ice caps, Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, and thermal expansion changes in the deep ocean. When these independent lines of evidence are examined collectively, the story is more consistent than found in earlier studies. The oceans store more than 90 percent of the heat in the Earth’s climate system and act as a temporary buffer against the effects of climate change. The ocean warming and thermal expansion rates are 50 percent larger than previous estimates for the upper 700 meters of oceans, and greater than that for the upper 300 meters.

Africa: seeking a common position on climate change.

The Twelfth African Ministerial Conference on Environment ended five days of deliberations today with governments and civil society agreed -- separately -- on the importance of developing a common position for Africa at next year's climate change talks in Copenhagen. "Climate change is the defining human development and security issue of our generation. Those responsible should compensate the people whose livelihoods have been destroyed as a result," said Ewah Eleri, director of the International Centre for Energy, Environment and Development in Nigeria. The groups said Africa contributes least to greenhouse gas emissions, yet millions of Africans were being forced to daily deal with devastating impacts of climate change. Eleri said mandatory compensation must be paid to Africa by global polluters. He was particularly critical of the suggestion that African governments should obtain loans to fund climate change adaptation. "You don't burn someone's house and then offer them a loan to rebuild it," said Eleri.

Climate change is fuelling conflicts around the world and helping to drive the number of people forced out of their homes to new highs, says the head of the UN's refugee.

After a few years of improvement, thanks mainly to large-scale resettlement in Afghanistan, the numbers of civilians uprooted by conflict is again rising. During 2007 the total jumped to 37.4 million, an increase of more than 3 million, according to statistics published today. The figures, described as "unprecedented" by the UN, do not include people escaping natural disasters or poverty - only those fleeing conflict and persecution. But Antonio Guterres, the UN high commissioner for refugees, said that climate change could also uproot people by provoking conflicts over increasingly scarce resources, such as water.

NZ sees breakthrough in animal gas problem.

New Zealand believes it has made a breakthrough in its plan to cut methane emissions from its livestock, part of a strategy to tackle greenhouse gasses, the farming nation's trade minister said on Wednesday. "Our agricultural research organisation just last week was able to map the genome ... that causes methane in ruminant animals and we believe we can vaccinate against (that)," Phil Goff told a conference in Paris.

Businesses' green vows 'need to be provable'

New Zealand can't rely on some "hazy glow" of advertising around its clean, green image to capture the sustainability-oriented consumer market, says a British retail expert. Mike Barry, head of corporate social responsibility at Marks & Spencer, said at an Environmental Defence Society conference in Auckland last week that evidence of commitment to sustainability had to be clear and provable.

ARC banks on election to fund rail.

Political parties can expect organised pressure from the Auckland Regional Council to bid against one another to fund ambitious railway extensions, notably links to the airport. The idea of trying to influence the election was spurred by their endorsement of a $2.2 billion proposal of the Auckland Regional Transport Authority to create railway loops between Britomart and the airport via Avondale, Penrose, Onehunga and Wiri - including tunnels under Onehunga and part of State Highway 20. That would be in addition to a tunnel under central Auckland to form an inner rail loop for about $1 billion, which authority planning chief Peter Clark said would be essential for expanding services into Britomart. Councillor Joel Cayford, while welcoming the rail expansion plan, said it was "incapable of being funded unless the Government puts its hand up in a bigger way". Dr Cayford noted the Government's slowdown over introducing a regional fuel tax, which was only to pay for the $1 billion electrification of the existing rail network without provision for any extensions.

Catch the train now or miss the bus: The Government should underwrite the funding stream for the electrification of the Auckland rail system so new electric trains can be ordered now, the Green Party says.

In Brief

Gore endorses Obama, says candidate has what it takes to tackle climate crisis.

Bush will seek to end offshore oil drilling ban.

CO2 disposal in the ocean is a dangerous distraction.

Solid Energy, has ordered a twenty four year tourist activity to cease operations in a cave system it is about to destroy.

UK Climate change protesters hijack Drax coal train.

Segway sales glides as gasoline jumps.

With a new kit, turn your car into a hybrid.

Nuclear power grew by less than 2,000 megawatts in 2007, to 372,000 megawatts total, according to Worldwatch. This growth is just one-tenth the amount of new wind power capacity installed globally in 2007.

Best of the Net

Audio: Sunday Group discussion on Peak Oil and the future of oil supplies.

Blog: How Do We Intelligently Discuss Politicized Geoengineering?

ESA’s Envisat satellite captured further break-up of the Wilkins Ice Shelf – the first ever-documented episode to occur in winter.

Petition: to the prime minister of Japan - the chair of the powerful G8 summit. Join the call for climate action now!

Climate Snippets - 11 June

2008-06-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

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World Environment Day - Kick the carbon habit.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said in a statement to mark the UN's World Environment Day - hosted by New Zealand - that global warming is becoming the defining issue of the era and will hurt rich and poor alike. "Our world is in the grip of a dangerous carbon habit," he said. "Addiction is a terrible thing. It consumes and controls us, makes us deny important truths and blinds us to the consequences of our actions," he said. His point man in Wellington, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) executive director Achim Steiner, today said New Zealand was chosen to host World Environment Day because it was one of the first nations to commit to carbon neutrality and has provided climate change leadership. The Government mounted a huge series of official "events" to mark the day, many of them featuring VIP guests, including Mr Steiner, Kiribati president Anote Tong, and the chairman of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climte Change, Dr Rajendra Pachauri. These events included UN art competitions and displays, a "science breakfast", a panel discussion at Victoria University, and press conferences and "photo opportunities". At community level, many towns staged presentations or projects to reduce the number of cars on the road, rehabilitate landfills, promote gardening and renewable energy, plant trees and re-cycle objects.

$45 trillion urged in battling carbon emissions.

In one of the strongest warnings so far about the world's thirst for energy, the International Energy Agency said Friday that investment totalling $45 trillion might be needed over the next half-century to prevent energy shortages and greenhouse gas emissions from undermining global economic growth.
The executive director of the agency, Nobuo Tanaka, called for "immediate policy action and technological transition on an unprecedented scale." Tanaka said the world needed to "completely transform the way we produce and use energy."

Among the energy agency's chief messages is that current energy policies are unsustainable, with emissions of carbon dioxide expected to climb 130 percent and demand for oil to rise by 70 percent by 2050. Tanaka warned that oil demand could be five times the current production of Saudi Arabia by that time, and that carbon emissions of such a magnitude could raise global average temperatures by 6 degrees Celsius , changing all aspects of life and creating irreversible changes in the natural environment.

The IEA recommended taking measures now that would ensure that carbon emissions were down to at least present-day levels by mid-century by using technologies that already exist, including steps for improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions from power generation. Such measures would cost $17 trillion between now and 2050, or 0.4 percent of global output, costing about $400 billion a year. The agency also mapped out a second, more ambitious plan aimed at reducing emissions to half their current levels by mid-century by emphasizing technologies and strategies for "weaning the world off oil." The agency estimated the cost of that process at $45 trillion, or 1.1 percent of annual global output, over the period to 2050. Investments of $100 billion to $200 billion would be needed each year over the next 10 years, rising to $1 trillion to $2 trillion each year in the coming decades.

Images reveal 'rapid forest loss'.

High-resolution satellite images have revealed the "rapid deforestation" of Papua New Guinea's biodiversity rich rainforests over the past 30 years. An international team of researchers estimates that the current rate of loss could result in more than half of the nation's tree cover being lost by 2021. They added that the main threats came from commercial logging and burning. Existing conservation measures were failing to protect the world's third largest rainforest, the team concluded. Scientists from the University of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Australian National University spent five years analysing satellite images that showed deforestation and habitat destruction between 1972 and 2002. They estimated that in 2001 the nation's accessible forests were being cleared or degraded at an annual rate of 362,000 hectares (3,620 sq km). The images also showed that trees in protected areas were being felled at the same rate as unprotected regions, the team added.

US Senate Republicans block climate change plan.

A landmark plan to fight climate change was defeated today in the US Senate, likely postponing action on carbon emissions limits until after this autumn's presidential election. The climate bill was defeated, 48-36, with 60 votes needed to end Republican obstruction. Democrats had hoped that summer would be an opportune time to debate emissions caps. But Republicans seized an opening to claim that the bill - which requires emissions reductions by more than 60% on 2005 levels by 2050 - would increase gas prices.

New round of climate talks opens in Germany.

More than 2,000 delegates opened the two-week meeting Monday, launching an 18-month process of intense negotiations on an agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. Discussions began with a warning from poor countries and environmentalists that global warming already is harming millions of people, worsening the global food crisis and changing Earth more rapidly than scientists earlier predicted. The Bonn talks are to go into the details of an agreement to be concluded in December 2009 and signed in Copenhagen, Denmark. The talks are based on an accord reached in Bali last December when the United States, India and China indicated they would take part in a post-2012 arrangement. At least seven more major meetings are scheduled before Copenhagen, with the next in August in Accra, Ghana. Delegates say the new pact must be concluded by December 2009 so it can be ratified in time to smoothly replace Kyoto in 2012. Few, if any, conclusions were expected from the Bonn talks.

Japan unveils new emissions target.

Japan has set a target to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by up to four-fifths by 2050. The prime minister, Yasuo Fukuda, said Japan would achieve the target through carbon trading and by raising the proportion of the country's energy produced from "zero-carbon" sources, such as wind, water and solar power.
Environmentalists, however, expressed disappointment with the government's failure to set an interim target for 2020. The prime minister said an interim target would be made in the future, adding that Japan could cut its current greenhouse gas emissions by 14% by 2020. Tokyo would also contribute up to $1.2bn (£600,000) to a new multilateral fund with the US and Britain to help developing countries fight global warming, Fukuda said.

The drought and dwindling southern hydro lakes are playing havoc with the nation's carbon footprint.

Fossil-fuelled power stations in the North Island are every day burning thousands of tonnes of coal and up to a million litres of diesel oil to help conserve precious South Island hydro lakes and ensure the country has enough electricity. However, the effect of all that extra combustion from thermal stations running flat out, including Huntly and the country's back-up station at Whirinaki, is that since mid-March carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have soared and show no sign of falling. Figures for the week to Sunday show estimated CO2 emissions from thermal power stations have risen by about 75 per cent from about 125,000 tonnes a week in mid-March to 220,000 tonnes a week. The Government appears unperturbed by the rise in emissions, saying the long-term trend is what counts, but the National Party is calling it "a disaster" and says the increase continues the pattern set during Labour's term in office.

Enough gas to power a city wasted every day.

With the price of petrol up again another six cents today, plus calls to save power echoing from the Beehive, it has emerged that a huge amount of energy is simply being wasted off the coast of Taranaki. The operators of the Tui oil field are burning off enough gas each day to power a small city. The gas is surplus to the oil that is underneath, and which is what the company is really after. Daily, close to 500,000 cubic metres of gas are being flared. But the Greens says it is an outrageous waste. "Its a huge amount of gas, and I think the whole country would wish we didn't waste one of our most important natural resources just heating up the air off the coast of Taranaki."

In Brief

Oil surges $11 to record $138.

New plantings of exotic forest are at their lowest level in almost 60 years.

Nasa exposed over climate censorship.

2 men scale New York Times building hours apart on World Environment Day.

China’s wind power development exceeds expectations.

Air NZ to use oil from jatropha nuts to fuel a test flight this year.

Could US scientist's 'CO2 catcher' help to slow warming?

The German lower house of parliament approved on Friday the first parts of a raft of measures aimed at reducing the country's carbon dioxide emissions by 36 percent by 2020.

Canada launches $92m program that will offer incentives including rebates on new vehicles, free transit passes, bicycles, membership in ride-sharing programs and $300 cash for scrapping pre-1995 cars.

Wellington's leading taxi company has been reprimanded for misleading consumers over its "going green" campaign.

John Armstrong: Greens go after a real climate change.

Maori Party: Peak oil strategy would help Kyoto response.

Best of the Net

A European campaign to raise consumer awareness of climate change has made its U.S. debut -The Together campaign.

Prof. Schpinkees Greenhouse calculator.

Video: An Inconvenient Truth: The Opera.

Video: A walker’s perspective of an environment made for cars.

A new 'atlas' shows Africa's rapidly changing landscape through a series of before and after photographs.

Climate Snippets - 29 May

2008-05-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Greens lay out bottom lines on ETS.

The Green Party says farming and fuel will have to come under the emissions trading scheme (ETS) faster than the Government is proposing to win its backing. Their support is looking increasingly vital if the Government is to have any hope of passing the complex bill. But co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons today said the Greens would not vote for the enabling legislation unless it was "significantly improved". Ms Fitzsimons said the Greens wanted to see parts of the agriculture sector brought into the scheme before 2013 and the start date for subsidy phase outs brought forward from the proposed date of 2018. The party also wanted petrol and diesel to come under the scheme from next year, as originally proposed -- albeit with a gentler phase in.

Measures proposed by the Greens include:

* bringing petrol and diesel into the ETS next year but at a rate of 2c a litre, rather than the 6-8c initially proposed;

* bringing agricultural fertilisers under the ETS earlier than proposed;

* immediately bringing new dairy farms on converted previous non-farm land under the ETS;

* compensation for forests previously granted under Treaty settlements that will lose value under the ETS;

* recycling windfall electricity profits into initiatives to make households more energy efficient.

Energy watchdog warns.

The world's premier energy monitor is preparing a sharp downward revision of its oil-supply forecast, a shift that reflects deepening pessimism over whether oil companies can keep abreast of booming demand. The Paris-based International Energy Agency is in the middle of its first attempt to comprehensively assess the condition of the world's top 400 oil fields. Its findings won't be released until November, but the bottom line is already clear: Future crude supplies could be far tighter than previously thought.

Billions wasted on UN climate programme.

Billions of pounds are being wasted in paying industries in developing countries to reduce climate change emissions, according to two analyses of the UN's carbon offsetting programme. Leading academics and watchdog groups allege that the UN's main offset fund is being routinely abused by chemical, wind, gas and hydro companies who are claiming emission reduction credits for projects that should not qualify. The result is that no genuine pollution cuts are being made, undermining assurances by the UK government and others that carbon markets are dramatically reducing greenhouse gases, the researchers say.

The market for CDM credits is growing fast. At present it is worth nearly $20bn a year, but this is expected to grow to over $100bn within four years. More than 1,000 projects have so far been approved, and 2,000 more are making their way through the process. A working paper from two senior Stanford University academics examined more than 3,000 projects applying for or already granted up to $10bn of credits from the UN's CDM funds over the next four years, and concluded that the majority should not be considered for assistance. "They would be built anyway," says David Victor, law professor at the Californian university. "It looks like between one and two thirds of all the total CDM offsets do not represent actual emission cuts." A separate study published this week by US watchdog group International Rivers argues that nearly three quarters of all registered CDM projects were complete at the time of approval, suggesting that CDM money was not needed to finance them.

The UK government defended the CDM. "We completely reject any assertions that [it] is fundamentally flawed," a spokeswoman said. "We've worked consistently for and seen improvement in CDM processes over the past few years of its operation. We believe the CDM is essentially transparent and robust, though we will continue to press for the environmental integrity of projects."

New climate change projections released for NZ

The new projections represent the most up-to-date scientific knowledge about likely effects of climate change in New Zealand, including regional impacts. The new projections are based on the 4th Assessment Report of the IPCC, and the global climate modelling results produced for that report. The results are broadly consistent with NIWA’s projections for the first edition of the manual in 2004, which drew on the IPCC’s 3rd Assessment Report (2001). But the new projections use more, and better, information. “The evidence of climate change continues to mount, climate models are becoming more sophisticated, and scientific knowledge of the climate is improving all the time,” says Dr David Wratt,

NIWA says evidence that New Zealand is already experiencing climate change includes:

Increasing temperatures: about 0.9 ºC over the past 100 years.

Reduced frost frequency over most of the country: Canterbury and Marlborough experience about 20 fewer frosts per year now than in the early 1970s.

Retreat of major South Island glaciers: volume of ice in the Southern Alps reduced by almost 11% in the past 30 years. Twelve of the largest glaciers are unlikely to return to their earlier lengths without extraordinary cooling of the climate.

The projections: overall picture:

Temperature is projected to increase by about 2 ºC by 2090 for a mid-range scenario and NIWA is projecting fewer frosts and more hot days..

Rainfall: NIWA says the overall picture continues to be for a drier climate in most of the east coast and north of the North Island, coastal Canterbury & coastal Marlborough, and for a wetter climate in the west and south of South Island. NIWA says heavy rainfall is likely to get heavier and/or more frequent. For a mid-range scenario, a 1-in-100 year event now could become a 1-in-50 year event by the end of the century.

Snow: Based on air temperature and precipitation projections, it is likely that average snowlines would rise as the temperature increases, but snowfall is influenced by complicated atmospheric processes.

Strong winds: A simulation using the regional climate model suggests an increase in the strongest winter winds over much of the country by 2100. The changes are fairly small for the most part (averaging out at a 2.3% increase over all land points in the model), but reach about 10% in some eastern locations.

In Brief

Agreement on 2020 emissions target eludes G8 ministers.

Keeping warm a matter of life and death: Greens.

Government Spokesperson on Energy Efficiency and Conserv ation, Jeanette Fitzsimons, has announced that 31 projects with a combined value of $950,000 have been offered funding under the second round of a government fund to encourage smart innovations in solar water heating and heat pump water heating technologies.

Genesis Energy and environmental campaigner Greenpeace face off in the Supreme Court over a controversial gas-fired power plant north of Auckland, on the edge of the Kaipara Harbour at Rodney. Greenpeace says the case could have major impli cations for climate change in New Zealand.

Melting glaciers may release DDT and contaminate Antarctic environment.

Climate inaction to cost U.S. $3.8 trillion a year, study says.

The UK government should go ahead with a system of personal "carbon credits" to meet emissions targets, MPs have said.

The US Department of Transportation said figures from March show the steepest decrease in driving ever recorded.

Airlines in a tailspin.

Scientists say an abrupt dip in global temperatures in the 1940s actually reflects a change in how temperatures were measured at sea.

Monbiot: An open letter to King Abdullah of Sa udi Arabia.

Best of the Net

Vast cracks appear in Arctic ice.

Blog: The Great Global Warming Swindle.

Blog: first carbon neutral country in the world

Climate Snippets - 23 May

2008-05-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Nats call for a delay to emission trading scheme law.

National has called for a delay to the climate change emissions trading scheme saying more care needs to be taken. National Leader John Key told the National Party Lower North Island Regional Conference that he still supported an ETS, but Labour had embarked on a rushed process that put New Zealand at risk. "We believe that the current rushed timetable for the design of the ETS and the select committee process is reckless, given the importance of the issue," Mr Key said "Therefore, I'm calling for a delay in the passage of this legislation." Mr Key's announcement is another blow to the controversial legislation which has come under fire from business groups for its potential economic costs and environment groups for not going far enough. Climate Change Minister David Parker called Mr Key's announcement "pathetic" and said he had failed to show any leadership.

In response:

More delay is the last thing we need: Greens.

John Key's approach to climate change policy has all the urgency of a methane-emitting cow chewing its cud, Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says.
“He criticises Labour, fairly enough, for aiming at the moon and failing even to get airborne. So instead he has set a far off target - of a 50 percent reduction in 2050 - and isn't even aiming at getting airborne,” Ms Fitzsimons says.

National – weak in the face of anti-climate lobby: Greenpeace.

Greenpeace climate campaigner Simon Boxer said it seemed Mr Key was caving in to big business. "Rarely has a piece of legislation been so heavily analysed and widely consulted over as the ETS. For National to now call `wait' says more about National's lack of commitment to tackling the issue than it does about the robustness of the legislation," Mr Boxer said. Mr Boxer said National's opposition to a moratorium on new thermal generation was equally unacceptable.

Peters plays it cool on NZ First support for global warming legislation.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says his party will be talking to the Government in the next few weeks about support for its emissions trading scheme legislation. National still believes a trading scheme is the way to go, but says the legislation is poorly drafted and is being needlessly rushed. He criticised National leader John Key for not showing leadership on the issue. Mr Key had gone from being a "climate change denier to its number one activist in the country" and then had reneged on that position to see what Australia was doing.

EU lawmakers call for faster climate change curbs.

Global temperature rises should be kept well below the European Union's target of 2 degrees Celsius to avoid costly damage to people and their lifestyles, the European parliament said on Wednesday. Its members voted 566-61 in favour of a report which also said EU consumers must be given better information about the "carbon footprint" of goods they buy, including products imported into the 27-nation bloc. The bloc has adopted ambitious targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by a fifth by 2020 from 1990 levels, and Dimas said it was making good progress with CO2 down 8 percent since 1990.

Radical climate action would change sky's colour.

Scientist Tim Flannery has proposed a radical solution to climate change which may change the colour of the sky. But he says it may be necessary, as the "last barrier to climate collapse." Professor Flannery says climate change is happening so quickly that mankind may need to pump sulphur into the atmosphere to survive. The gas sulphur could be inserted into the earth's stratosphere to keep out the sun's rays and slow global warming, a process called global dimming. “It would change the colour of the sky," Professor Flannery said. "It's the last resort that we have, it's the last barrier to a climate collapse. We need to be ready to start doing it in perhaps five years time if we fail to achieve what we're trying to achieve."

As well as the global dimming plan, Professor Flannery said carbon should be taken out of the air and converted into charcoal, then ploughed into farmers' fields. Wealthy people should pay poor farmers in tropical zones to plant forests - possibly through a direct purchase scheme such as the eBay website.
And all conventional coal-fired power stations - which did not have "clean coal" technology - should be closed by 2030. Capturing carbon emissions from coal-fired power stations and storing it underground - called carbon capture and storage - was a good idea, Professor Flannery said.

More unintended risks from biofuels?

At a United Nations meeting in Bonn, Germany, on Tuesday, scientists from the Global Invasive Species Program, the Nature Conservancy and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, as well as other groups, presented a paper with a warning about invasive species. “Some of the most commonly recommended species for biofuels production are also major invasive alien species,” the paper says, adding that these crops should be studied more thoroughly before being cultivated in new areas. Controlling the spread of such plants could prove difficult, the experts said, producing “greater financial losses than gains.” The International Union for Conservation of Nature encapsulated the message like this: “Don’t let invasive biofuel crops attack your country.”
To reach their conclusions, the scientists compared the list of the most popular second-generation biofuels with the list of invasive species and found an alarming degree of overlap. They said little evaluation of risk had occurred before planting.

“These are tough survivors, which means they’re good producers for biofuel because they grow well on marginal land that you wouldn’t use for food,” Dr. Howard said. “But we’ve had 100 years of experience with introductions of these crops that turned out to be disastrous for environment, people, health.”
Stas Burgiel, a scientist at the Nature Conservancy, said the cost of controlling invasive species is immense and generally not paid by those who created the problem. The Global Invasive Species Program estimates that the damage from invasive species costs the world more than $1.4 trillion annually — five percent of the global economy.

In Brief

Oil soars to new record over $135.

Oil: from perpetual backwardation into contango.

Prius sales top 1 million.

Getting Their Message a Cross. Conservative Christians launch sceptical climate campaign.

Study finds meat and dairy create more emissions than miles.

Biodiesel pirates steal cooking oil.

The sun sets on Rudd's climate change credibility.

Best of the Net

Climate Change in Our World, a project from Google Earth and British environmental and meteorological offices that gives a visual representation of what we've got in store.

The IPCC's vice chairman Mohan Munasinghe warns against the economic and social consequences of global warming.

Gordon Campbell interviews Russel Norman - The cost of being green.

Hollywood aiming for a neutral future.

Harrison Ford has chest waxed to help raise awareness of effect of deforestation on global warming.

Greenpeace parody: GIvE uS tHe caSh or tHe CLiMaTe gETs it!

Climate Snippets - 16 May

2008-05-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

World carbon dioxide levels highest for 650,000 years, says US report.

Scientists at the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii say that CO2 levels in the atmosphere now stand at 387 parts per million (ppm), up almost 40% since the industrial revolution and the highest for at least the last 650,000 years. The figures, published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on its website, also confirm that carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than expected. The annual mean growth rate for 2007 was 2.14ppm - the fourth year in the last six to see an annual rise greater than 2ppm. From 1970 to 2000, the concentration rose by about 1.5ppm each year, but since 2000 the annual rise has leapt to an average 2.1ppm. Scientists say the shift could indicate that the Earth is losing its natural ability to soak up billions of tonnes of CO2 each year. Climate models assume that about half our future emissions will be reabsorbed by forests and oceans, but the new figures confirm this may be too optimistic. If more of our carbon pollution stays in the atmosphere, it means emissions will have to be cut by more than is currently projected to prevent dangerous levels of global warming.

Emissions Trading Scheme Watch

Greens secure warmer, drier State homes.

The Green Party has ensured that five years from now all State House tenants will be living in insulated homes. A Budget bid secured by the Greens will see a total of $53.4 million spent over five years on a variety of renovations that will make State houses warmer, drier and more energy efficient, Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says. In addition to insulating the remaining 21,000 uninsulated houses, the package includes draft-proofing windows and doors, wraps for hot water cylinders, efficient shower heads, lagging of pipes and, if appropriate, new energy efficient home heating.

NZ: heavy emitters influence climate policy most.

Businesses with high greenhouse gas emissions are having the most influence on climate change policy, according to a new national survey. Seventy per cent of New Zealanders think the heavy emitters have most influence, 17% more than the next nearest top influencer, environmental groups. Green Party MPs rank third (37%), business organizations fourth (34%) – while those believed to have least influence are beneficiaries (3%) and the unemployed (2%). Of the parties represented in Parliament, ACT MPs are seen as the least influential on climate change policy, and MPs from Labour (23%) and National (11%) the most effective, according to a ShapeNZ national online poll, undertaken between 11.30pm May 6 and 5.30pm May 11, 2008.

Estonia: Farmers to be charged for cattle emissions.

Estonian farmers are to become the first to cough up for their cattle's belching and flatulence. The country's government has announced plans to charge a greenhouse gas tax for the methane and carbon dioxide produced by cows. Each cow produces around 350 litres of methane and 1,500 litres of CO2 per day and cattle are responsible for around 25% of Estonia's methane emissions.

Australia: Green groups divided over viability of 'clean coal'.

Last month, a group of 25 environmental activists staged an impromptu demonstration outside the Sydney offices of yet another global organisation. But this time it wasn't a multinational mining or oil company that was the target, but the environment group WWF. They were protesting against WWF's decision to partner with the coal industry, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and the environment think tank the Climate Institute in working to accelerate the development of carbon capture and storage technology, otherwise known as clean coal. This was just the latest exchange in the simmering brand war between Australia's two biggest green groups, WWF and Greenpeace, revealing the widening ideological divide between conservationists and activists of the founding denominations in the broad church of the environment movement.

In Brief

Taxpayers face having to pay an extra $200 million as part of the Government's buy-back of the national rail service.

Farmers in Rajasthan, India are forsaking their gas-guzzling tractors and returning to using their trusty camels for haulage.

U.S. could get 20%of energy from wind by 2030, says DOE.

UNEP wants to plant 7 billion trees.

Nissan Plans Electric Car in U.S. by 2010.

UK Government to miss 60% of eco-targets, think tank says.

The US lists the polar bear as a threatened species but says the decision will not affect climate change policies.

Global Warming Swindle coming to New Zealand.

Best of the Net

Check out the low carbon calculator.

VIDEO: What If Earth Warms 6 Degrees?

Radio NZ: our changing world.

Climate Snippets - 9 May

2008-05-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Government fuel taxes delayed until 2011.

The Government has confirmed it will not introduce petrol and other liquid fuels into its emissions trading scheme (ETS) until 2011. The fuels were slated for introduction in January. It has been estimated the move would have pushed up the price of petrol by between 6c and 8c a litre. "These changes will lessen the burden on businesses and households which have been facing steeply rising fuel costs," Miss Clark said.

The Government has also said it will veto a quick 5c jump in the price of petrol next year in Auckland to help pay for transport projects, saying regional petrol taxes will be phased in. Legislation is before Parliament that would allow councils to levy up to 10c a litre, but Prime Minister Helen Clark said such large increases would not be allowed immediately.

The Green Party is on the verge of pulling its support for Bill.

The Green Party has threatened to pull its support from the scheme, saying it was a panicked "gutless" reaction to lobbying from business groups and other political parties which would render the scheme useless. Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said the party was "very, very close to pulling our support", potentially leaving Labour to rely on National's support to push it through. "The bottom line is we won't support this unless it makes a reasonable reduction in carbon emissions soon. This would mean another two years of people buying larger cars than they need and using them when there are alternatives like public transport, car pooling, biking and walking. It would weaken our credibility internationally and our sustainable brand."

National leader John Key said he supported the delay to the fuel charges, but said the backdowns were an embarrassment for Helen Clark and left her credibility on climate change "in tatters". He said National still believed a trading scheme was the best method to tackle climate change. His party would continue to work with the Government and in select committee on a solution which balanced out environmental and economic issues. United Future Peter Dunne said the delay for petrol was welcome, but he was yet to decide on his party's ongoing support for the scheme.

Green Party: ETS crumbles as 'grand coalition' forms.

Green Party says a 'grand coalition' of Labour and National is already forming over the Emissions Trading Scheme, as predicted by the Green Party earlier this week. National has demanded the ban on new thermal generation be abandoned, as the price of its support.

Maori Party added its voice to Green Party threats that it could pull support from the scheme after two backdowns on the scheme from the Government.

Asked if it would continue to support the scheme, Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia said: "It's looking as if we won't. The Government can't go round promising or telling people one thing and then backing down because it's election year. You either genuinely believe this needs to happen and you've got a strategy to address the issues around climate change, or you haven't."

Other comments this week:

Fuel retailer Gull is warning that the Government's proposed ETS could hurt its profits to the point where it reconsiders operating in New Zealand.

Don Elder: Govt will 'make billions' from emissions plan

The Kyoto Forestry Association is concerned about reports the Government plans delaying bringing other industries, notably transport, into the ETS saying it risks significantly devaluing the carbon credits, now known as New Zealand Units, that post-1989 forest owners have been earning since 1 January 2008 under the ETS.

Government buys back rail.

Finance Minister Dr Cullen, on Monday announced the Government had bought back the rail and ferry business from Toll Holdings for $665 million. Initial reaction to the decision had been generally positive. The Green Party said they “look forward to a time when many of today’s big trucks are off the roads and there are many more trains and coastal ships instead. And also look forward to the reinstatement of long distance passenger rail services so that New Zealanders can still travel when airfares rise further as a result of fuel prices.”

ARTA accepts idea of airport rail loops.

Auckland's public transport agency has accepted in principle a recommendation for sweeping railway loops between Britomart and the airport, estimated to cost just under $2.2 billion. Although saying that some components may take "decades" to put in place, the Auckland Regional Transport Authority has confirmed heavy rail as its preferred rapid-transport mode for the region's southwestern quadrant along 29km of new tracks. That encompasses the airport, which would eventually have railway lines converging on it from Wiri to the east, and from northern locations including Penrose, Onehunga and even Avondale to the northwest. Light rail and busways have been ruled out as long-term options, although authority chief executive Fergus Gammie told Auckland City's transport committee yesterday of more immediate plans to boost airport bus services.

‘Desmogblog’ outs Heartlands dodgy science list: Kiwi scientists distance themselves.

The Heartland Institute has named five New Zealanders in a list of 500 scientists whose published research is alleged to undermine support for the idea that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, largely fossil fuel burning, is warming the globe. The five scientists concerned are Associate Professor Chris Hendy (University of Waikato), Dr Matt McGlone (Science Team Leader, Landcare Research), Dr Neville Moar (retired DSIR,), Dr Jim Salinger (Principal Scientist, NIWA) and Dr Peter Wardle (retired DSIR, FRSNZ).

Heartland has also this week sent out more than 11,000 brochures and DVDs to Canadian schools urging them to teach their students that scientists are exaggerating how human activity is the driving force behind global warming.

Tropics insects 'face extinction.'

Many tropical insects face extinction by the end of this century unless they adapt to the rising global temperatures predicted, US scientists have said. Researchers led by the University of Washington said insects in the tropics were much more sensitive to temperature changes than those elsewhere. In contrast, higher latitudes could experience an insect population boom. The scientists said changes in insect numbers could have secondary effects on plant pollination and food supplies. In the research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the US scientists studied how temperature changes between 1950 and 2000 had affected 38 species of insects. Unlike warm-blooded animals, cold-blooded organisms cannot regulate their body temperatures by growing a coat of fur or shedding it when it gets warm. They are instead limited to either seek shade when hot or sun themselves when cool.

Next decade 'may see no warming'.

The Earth's temperature may stay roughly the same for a decade, as natural climate cycles enter a cooling phase, scientists have predicted. A new computer model developed by German researchers, reported in the journal Nature, suggests the cooling will counter greenhouse warming. However, temperatures will again be rising quickly by about 2020, they say.
Other climate scientists have welcomed the research, saying it may help societies plan better for the future.

Trial approved for Cook Strait tidal power.

Electricity from Cook Strait tides could be powering Wellington homes by the end of next year after a company won approval to install an underwater turbine. Neptune Power has consent from Greater Wellington regional council to place the turbine 95 metres below the surface, 4.5 kilometres off Sinclair Head on Wellington's southwest coast. The Christchurch company hopes to have the turbine operational within 18 months, powering 400 Wellington houses via Vector's Wellington grid. Company spokesman David Beach said the $4.5 million two-rotor turbine was capable of producing one megawatt of power - enough to supply 800 households. If it proved successful, Mr Beach said his company hoped to have up to 30 turbines operating in Cook Strait by 2025. "They could generate 350 megawatts of power."That's the equivalent of the New Plymouth power station."

In Brief

Biofuel moratorium 'would slash food prices.'

Greenpeace report finds CCS is unproven, risky and expensive.

The Government releases the latest update on the cost of meeting New Zealand’s Kyoto obligations which showed that it had officially reached one billion dollars for the first time.

Tesco trials climate change labels on groceries including potatoes, orange juice, washing-up liquid and light bulbs.

Watchdog calls for new UN agency to oversee transport emissions.

"Super-spike" could lift oil to $200: Goldman Sachs.

Soaring gas prices have turned the steady migration by Americans to smaller cars into a stampede.

Shell game: oil giant pulls out of U.K. wind farm.

Monbiot: Is the airship a viable alternative to jet travel?

Legget: No time at all.

Rod Oram: Wheels start to turn on climate change

Couple buy Golden Bay `carbon farm.'

Greens call for walking option on Harbour Bridge.

Best of the Net

Radio NZ ETS interview with Helen Clark, Jeanette Fitzsimons and Peter Dunne.

Agenda: ETS discussion with David Parker and Russel Norman.

Wellington tram e-petition

Climate Snippets - 2 May

2008-05-01T13:21:00.001-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Cawthron ETS report.

Read the report here: Scoping Report For An Environmental Assessment Of The NZ Emissions Trading Scheme And Closely Related Measures.

The Government is being advised to strengthen measures to enhance energy efficiency and provide clear national guidelines to protect natural resources from potential degradation as it moves to address the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. The advice comes in a scoping report by Nelson based Cawthron Institute into potential environmental effects of the Government’s proposed Emissions Trading Scheme (and associated carbon reducing measures) over the period 2008 to 2020.

The report identifies a number of positive effects from an Emissions Trading Scheme these include: reduced soil erosion and sediment yield to rivers and coastal margins, gains in biodiversity in some areas, and better water quality from new forest plantings and reduced deforestation; improvements in air quality and human health due to reduced use of fossil fuels and increased walking and cycling; as well as a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over the longer term. Some benefits will be delayed, predominantly because it will be 2013 before Agriculture is included in the Emissions Trading system.

In response the Green Party welcomed the release of the assessment.

Green co Leader Jeanette Fitzimons said that “Pricing of the emissions trading scheme is not enough and some complementary measures are required. At present agricultural emissions are subsidised until 2013 by the taxpayer, so that emissions from any kind of intensification are paid by the taxpayer. It’s vital that changes start now to avoid land use patterns that are unsustainable and costly to reverse. Afforestation must go on low quality marginal lands - not where regeneration is already happening. Land that qualifies to be forested under the Kyoto agreement , land that was bare in 1990, may not be bare now, but regenerating with native kanuka and manuka that provides a lot of biodiversity. Replanting with exotics would be a misguided measure on this land. We do need to plant more forests, but on marginal and eroded land that is not suitable for farming.”

Sustainability lobby says emissions scheme unfair and will make little difference to the nation's greenhouse gas emissions.

Read the report: The Carbon Challenge:

The Sustainability Council this week called for the Government to re-jig its emissions trading scheme (ETS), building on the central mechanism of a charge automatically indexed to the world price for carbon, said executive director Simon Terry. It wants the Government to ditch its proposed new carbon "currency", the NZU and instead use the existing international carbon currencies established under the Kyoto protocol. And it called for the blanket subsidies now being offered to farmers and other big industries to be dropped and the carbon charges fairly spread over all sectors of the economy.

Saying if the Government goes ahead with ETS in its proposed form, householders, road users and small and medium enterprises will pay 90 per cent of the money required by the scheme up to 2013 – even though they will generate only a third of the nations' greenhouse gases in that time.
The authors of the report said farmers and big industries are being heavily exempted and rebated and will escape about $4 billion of the $4.4 billion worth of net payments through the ETS up to 2012.

In response: Government defends climate change scheme.

Climate Change Minister David Parker has defended the Government's planned emissions trading scheme from criticism it will hurt householders more than farmers and big business from The Sustainability. Mr Parker said bringing agriculture into the scheme by 2013 would be a world first and to do it quicker could harm the economy. Phasing in different parts of the economy was important to reduce harm, he said. Mr Parker told Radio New Zealand that [ditching the NZU] was worth looking at and he disagreed with suggestions that the scheme would do little to reduce overall emissions.

In response: Don’t delay the ETS - get it right say Greens.

The Green Party says delaying the Emissions Trading Scheme will just cause more problems and higher costs. However a lot of changes are needed if we are going to get the ETS right,” Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says. Agriculture must not be given a free ride for five years and the allocation of free credits to industry must be totally rethought.”

“Giving all the credits to existing firms will stifle innovation and lock us into old technology. Giving them all to very large firms endangers the small and medium enterprises on which New Zealand’s prosperity is based. “The coal industry must pay for the methane emissions from their mines which are charged to New Zealand’s account under the Kyoto Protocol. “There must be incentives to capture this methane and use it to produce power, reducing its global warming potential to one twentieth of what it is now, and reducing the mining industry’s energy demands on the West Coast rather than damming precious rivers like the Mokihinui.

Govt emissions plan will hurt more than necessary –NZIER report.

Read the report : The impact of the proposed Emissions Trading Scheme on New Zealand's economy. Full Report

The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) has put a $4.5 billion price tag on the plan, saying households, the provincial economy, agriculture, energy producers; transport and "most other industries" will feel the pain. Its report comes just a day after the Sustainability Council said the scheme was neither fair nor efficient.

At the core of NZIER's criticism is its belief that the trading scheme makes firms in New Zealand less competitive than firms in countries that have not imposed the cost of greenhouse gas emissions. It says New Zealand is the only country in the world known to be including agriculture in an emissions trading scheme, despite very limited opportunities for this sector to control its emissions.
"Agriculture, which delivers more than a third of the country's export earnings, will be particularly hard hit because it cannot make quick adjustments and its ability to do so is largely reliant on unknown future improvements in technology," says Dr Brent Layton, the institute's chief executive.

In response: Parker defends emissions trading scheme.

Responding to the report released by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, Parker said the impact on gross domestic product of meeting Kyoto Protocol commitments was easily manageable. Furthermore, New Zealand could face duties on exports if it did not honour international commitments, Parker said. However, Parker said a Government commissionedInfometrics report showed that despite the introduction of the Emissions Trading Scheme, the economy would continue growing and New Zealanders would continue getting richer. An emissions trading scheme would only reduce private consumption growth per capita - by 2025 - to 51 per cent from 54 per cent, Parker said.

Climate Change Leadership Forum backs main parts of emissions trading plan.

The Forum has released a summary of its advice - or at least what its 34 members could agree on. It supports the principle of an emissions trading scheme to help the economy make the transition to a carbon-constrained world. And it agrees with the policy of including all sectors and all greenhouse gases. The wider the base the greater the potential for low-cost emissions reduction opportunities to be found, it said. Business New Zealand yesterday dissociated itself from the Climate Change Leadership Forum's statement. "The claim that the nationwide economic impacts should be relatively modest, for example, is something that NZIER would dispute and so would I," said Business NZ chief executive Phil O'Reilly.

Russel Norman ‘Industrial dairying drives rainforest destruction.’

A thousand-fold rise in imports of a rainforest-destroying feed to prop up New Zealand’s burgeoning dairy industry has huge implications for the country’s clean and green brand, the Green Party says. Palm kernel is the most important by-product from the production of palm oil at is imported as supplementary feed and has soared from 408 tonnes in 1999 to 455,000 tonnes in 2007 Already in the first three months of this year we have imported 185,000 tonnes of palm kernel meal and a recent Rural News article said some traders estimated 700,000 tonnes would be landed in New Zealand this year. Increases in consumption of palm kernel mixtures or ‘cakes’ by New Zealand agriculture over the last seven years, excluding this year, would need up to 900,000 hectares of rainforest to be cleared for palm oil to meet the increased demand if new plantations were required. This is equivalent to clear-felling rainforest four times the size of Te Urewera National Park” Dr Norman says.

UNHCR: Climate change could force 1 billion from their homes by 2050.

As many as one billion people could lose their homes by 2050 because of the devastating impact of global warming, scientists and political leaders will be warned today. Hundreds of millions could be forced to go on the move because of water shortages and crop failures in most of Africa, as well as in central and southern Asia and South America, the conference in London will be told. There could also be an effect on levels of starvation and on food prices as agriculture struggles to cope with growing demand in increasingly arid conditions.

The conference will hear a warning from Craig Johnstone, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that the developed world should start preparing for a huge movement of people caused by climate change and that humanity faced a "global-scale emergency" whose effects would accumulate over the next four decades. He said it was impossible to forecast with confidence the numbers of people who would lose their homes through climate change. But he pointed to assessments of between 250 million and one billion people losing their homes by 2050.

In Brief

James Hansen on Peak CO2 and Big Carbon.

Carbon News reaction to Greens coal announcement.

16 May is the closing date for submissions on Genesis Energy's baseload thermal power station proposal for Rodney.

Live Earth back this October.

Russia says has no plans to cap carbon emissions.

Climate change is already affecting the prospects for children in the world's poorer countries, according to Unicef.

Macquarie expects a shortage of coal for steelmaking to last several years, coking coal price trebles in one year.

US air force calls for mission to combat climate change.

UK tabloids rapped over climate coverage.

'Green' awareness to be part of UK driving test.

Best of the Net

Mediawatch: Reporting climate change scepticism.

Climate Snippets - 24 April

2008-04-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Tasman Glacier to go in 20 years.

Climate change will see most of the Tasman Glacier in the Southern Alps melt away over the next 20 years, scientists say. "In the past 10 years, the glacier has receded a hell of a lot," said glaciologist Martin Brook. "It's just too warm for a glacier to be sustained at such a low altitude - 730 metres above sea level - so it melts rapidly and it is going to disappear altogether." The Tasman Glacier is the biggest in the Southern Alps and, at 29 kilometres, was one of the longest in the world's temperate zones. In 1973, there was no lake in front of the Tasman Glacier. New measurements taken last week indicate the lake at its foot is now 7km long, 2km wide and 245m deep.

NZ GHGs increase. Greens ask ‘when will we turn the corner?’

New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions rose less than 1 per cent between 2005 and 2006. Climate Change Minister David Parker said this was an improvement on the previous year's increase of 3 per cent. Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says ‘The key date is when our emissions will stop rising, level off and start to decline. That is what we must aim at. Every year we postpone that date makes it harder for us to meet our obligations in the future.’The Government and its own SOEs are responsible for much of the increase in emissions. Landcorp is clearing forests and converting them to dairy farms on behalf of other land owners. It is a cop out to say that if they didn't someone else would we expect better of government-owned companies, Government-owned Solid Energy is increasing coal mining, which also adds to emissions, and Government is putting far more capital into new motorways which encourage increased traffic, than into public transport which is a lower carbon alternative’., Ms Fitzsimons says.

I underestimated the threat, says Stern

Stern has warned that the gloomy predictions of his high-profile review of the future effects of global warming underestimated the risks, and that climate change poses a bigger threat than he realised. Stern said this week that new scientific findings showed greenhouse gas emissions were causing more damage than was understood in 2006, when he prepared his study for the government. He pointed to last year's reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and new research which shows that the planet's oceans and forests are soaking up less carbon dioxide than expected.

He said: "Emissions are growing much faster than we'd thought, the absorptive capacity of the planet is less than we'd thought, the risks of greenhouse gases are potentially bigger than more cautious estimates and the speed of climate change seems to be faster."

Oil reaches $117 for first time.

Oil prices crossed $117 a barrel for the first time after a militant group in Nigeria said it had attacked a Royal Dutch Shell-operated pipeline. Oil prices have notched up record highs almost weekly for months.

Freshening of deep Antarctic waters worries experts.

Scientists studying the icy depths of the sea around Antarctica have detected changes in salinity that could have profound effects on the world's climate and ocean currents. The scientists returned to Hobart on Thursday after a one-month voyage studying the Southern Ocean to see how it is changing and what those changes might mean for global climate patterns.

Greens “keep coal in the earth.”

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons was in Christchurch to unveil her party's policy on coal. She presented a lump of coal - "a traditional gift at Christmas for naughty girls and boys" - to Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder scheduled to coincide with Earth Day. Announcing the party's coal policy, Fitzsimons said New Zealand had to "keep the coal in the hole" by introducing a moratorium on new coal mines, excepting specialist purpose coals for local use.

You can read Jeanette's speech here.

Private investigators still digging on West Coast.

Twelve months ago the government told state coal company Solid Energy that using paid informants to infiltrate environment groups was 'not acceptable' and that it had to stop. Solid Energy is adamant it has complied. The private investigators however appear to have defied the order. Christchurch man Rob Gilchrist was asked by Gavin Clark to work undercover for his private investigation company, Thompson and Clark Investigations (TCIL) spying on environment groups and other community groups for his company's corporate clients.

Morgan Williams ‘farming at a cross-roads.’

New Zealand’s former Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment is calling for a radical rethink of our farming sector in the face of potential famine from climate change and world shortages of food, water and good-quality soils.
Dr Morgan Williams, who now holds a chair at the University of Queensland’s School of Natural and Rural Systems Management, says that we are at a cross-roads. “New Zealand has a real opportunity here to do something really wonderful, to lead the world, but it requires leadership that we’re not seeing at the moment.” He said he was disappointed by a report in yesterday’s Carbon News that farming leaders were questioning whether climate change really was a problem. “If Federated Farmers still have members saying that it’s not going on, then we are in serious trouble,” he said.

In Brief

US carbon emissions to rise 23 percent over UN benchmark: IEA.

EU Commission says not dropping biofuels goal.

Flat Earth NZ chapter reaches out to climate sceptics.

Landcare defends West Coast dam report.

U.S. hybrid sales up 38% in 2007.

Carbon plan for Waikato V8s praised by Greens.

McCartney: Go vege.

Best of the Net

Spiderman climbs for the climate.

Grist’s third annual list of the year's goodies, oddities, and inanities.

A coal mining ditty.

Climate Snippets - 18 April

2008-04-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

Greens uncover Meridian’s secret report on Mokihinui.

Meridian Energy says a Landcare Research report it commissioned on its proposed Mokihinui dam, north of Westport, is a "real disappointment" and "lacks common sense". Meridian said the report's recommendations included removing

Meridian released the draft report yesterday in response to an Official Information Act request from the Green Party, which then tabled the report in Parliament. The report said the project had "substantial biodiversity impacts" which would have to be offset. "In lay terms, the report unequivocally says that there is no way to mitigate the impact of this dam on our native species, but this is exactly what the Resource Management Act requires," she said.

Meridian wants to fell large swatches of native rimu forest, and drown an area of 330ha of conservation land. Meridian is seeking 34 resource consents to build, operate and maintain the proposed scheme, including a dam 3km upstream from Seddonville, a 337ha lake and a 110kv transmission line. The proposed 85MW dam would produce enough power for up to 45,000 homes. Meridian hopes to start building in 2010 and start operating the scheme three years later.

Bush sets greenhouse-gas emissions goal for 2025.

President Bush on Tuesday called on the US to set policies that stabilize greenhouse-gas emissions by 2025. To achieve that objective, the president said, emissions from the utility industry must peak within the next 10 to 15 years. The president's latest approach to climate change comes on the eve of the third in a series of major economies meetings the White House has called. These meetings, in parallel with United Nations-based negotiations, are aimed at developing a new climate treaty to pick up after 2012, when the 1997 Kyoto Protocol's first enforcement period expires.Responses to Bush’s speech.

World sea levels to rise 1.5m by 2100.

Melting glaciers, disappearing ice sheets and warming water could lift sea levels by as much as 1.5 metres by the end of this century, displacing tens of millions of people, new research showed yesterday. Presented at a European Geosciences Union conference, the research forecasts a rise in sea levels three times higher than that predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) last year.

"The IPCC numbers [between 18 cm and 59 cm ] are underestimates," said Simon Holgate, also of the Proudman Laboratory. The researchers said the IPCC had not accounted for ice dynamics-- the more rapid movement of ice sheets due to melt water which could markedly speed up their disappearance and boost sea levels. But this effect is set to generate around one-third of the future rise in sea levels, according to Steve Nerem from the University of Colorado in the United States.

World Bank investments fail to promote clean energy.

The World Bank's support for projects that reduce carbon-dioxide emissions in developing countries encourages polluting industries and fails to promote renewable energy, the Institute for Policy Studies said. The manager of $2.1 billion in 10 carbon funds has invested most in ventures that remove climate-warming gases during industrial processes at coal, chemical, iron and steel companies, said Janet Redman, author of today's report. That created an ‘incentive' to maintain the status quo, she said.

The world market for greenhouse-gas trading rose 80 percent in value last year to 40.4 billion euros ($64 billion) as the trading volume of UN-managed credits tripled, according to Point Carbon, an Oslo-based research and publishing company. The market helps drive investment into cleaner energy options in developing countries, Diringer said.

WWF defends clean coal push.

Environment group WWF has called for urgent testing of carbon capture and storage to determine whether or not the low-emissions technology for fossil fuels can work. The organisation has come under fire from rivals Greenpeace and the Australian Greens for cooperating with the coal industry in a call for the government to speed up CCS investigation. WWF and the Climate Institute on Wednesday will join the Australian Coal Association and mining union the CFMEU in calling for the federal government to establish a CCS task force. "Rapid deployment of demonstration plants is necessary to determine whether CCS is practical for broad application, and if it doesn't work we need to know even sooner," WWF Australia chief executive Greg Bourne said.

Shell warns Europe on emissions permit.

Royal Dutch Shell, the world's second-largest oil company, has threatened to stop investing in Europe if it is forced to pay for emissions permits that have previously been free. Christian Balme, a Shell France director, told the European Parliament that if the EU moved towards a system in which emission quotas were auctioned, it would destroy Shell's profitability in Europe. The EC has proposed that from 2013, oil refineries and airlines, and possibly some other industrial sectors, will have to pay for 20 per cent of their emissions permits, rising to 100percent by 2020.

Greenpeace warns On Canada's northern forests.

Greenpeace warned that Canada's logging practices threaten to turn the country's vast northern forest into a source of global warming, but the forestry industry says it is already taking steps to fight climate change. Logging and other development in the boreal forest release the carbon that the trees have trapped from the atmosphere over decades, potentially producing more greenhouse gases than from burning fossil fuels, the environmental group charged in a new report. Studies estimate it stores about 186 billion tonnes of carbon, equal to about 27 times what the world produces from burning fossil fuel each year. Two-thirds of the carbon is stored in the forest's soil.

Surprise discovery off coast of Brazil - claims that offshore field is world's third biggest.

Excitement about the potential of Brazil as a massive new source of oil and gas intensified yesterday after a senior energy ministry official declared that the newly found Carioca field could have 33bn barrels in place. The comments by Haroldo Lima, head of Brazil's National Petroleum Agency, that the country was harbouring an oil find that vied with the largest in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, sent the price of shares in BG, the UK exploration company, up 5% and helped lift the wider London market.

In Brief

Climate cranks claim a scalp: Listeners editorial integrity and independence challenged.

Warming trends in a third of the world's large ocean regions are two to four times greater than previously reported averages, increasing the risk to marine life and fisheries, a U.N.-backed environmental study said.

Four nations in race to be first to go carbon neutral.

The Kyoto Protocol’s clean development mechanism (CDM) has registered its
1000th project, an energy efficiency project.

Is President Bush seeking a global warming legacy?

Beijing bans construction projects to improve air quality during the Olympics.

Monbiot: Credit crunch? The real crisis is global hunger. And if you care, eat less meat.

The Chambers of Commerce on ETS: Throw it out.

System of a Down proposes virtual concerts?

The great carbon con: Can offsetting really help to save the planet?

Best of the Net

CO2 map zooms in on emissions – video shows one day in U.S.

Al Gore's latest Powerpoint presentation.

... a running total of how many people have been born and how many have died while you’ve been on the site, and as each country emits 1000 tons of C02 it flashes red. The USA pumps out 1000 tons every 5.4 seconds, whereas it take New Zealand 15.5 minutes to do the same damage. But a mathematician can tell us whether that’s proportional or not…

Al Gore's latest Powerpoint presentation.

Lately I have been checking out climate related games on line, here are some of my favourite.

Climate Challenge – BBC game.

Climate Chaos – Blue Bunny

Climate Pentathlon.

Climate Revenge.

VGas

Climate Snippets - 10 April

2008-04-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World. To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Climate target is not radical enough, Hansen says.

In a startling reappraisal of the threat, James Hansen, head of the Nasa Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, has called for a sharp reduction in C02 limits. Hansen says the EU target of 550 parts per million of C02 - the most stringent in the world - should be slashed to 350ppm. He argues the cut is needed if "humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilisation developed".

What we have found is that the target we have all been aiming for is a disaster - a guaranteed disaster," Hansen told the Guardian. At levels as high as 550ppm, the world would warm by 6C, the paper finds. Previous estimates had suggested warming would be just 3C at that point.

The fundamental reason for his reassessment was what he calls "slow feedback" mechanisms which are only now becoming fully understood. They amplify the rise in temperature caused by increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases. Ice and snow reflect sunlight but when they melt, they leave exposed ground which absorbs more heat. As ice sheets recede, the warming effect is compounded. Satellite technology available over the past three years has shown that the ice sheets are melting much faster than expected, with Greenland and west Antarctica both losing mass.

Genesis powers ahead with station despite ban.

State-owned Genesis Energy is aiming for a big gas-fired power station worth hundreds of millions of dollars despite the Government's ban on new base-load generation. The power company has applied for council consents to build a power station north of Auckland, providing up to 480 megawatts of power. No price has been put on the project, on land 8 kilometres north of Helensville in the Rodney district, but a 2005 proposal was expected to cost $420 million.
The station would supply the rapidly growing region and Auckland, possibly within five years.

A Genesis spokesman said there was a "big if" on whether the project would go ahead, and it could be five years before completion. "This is the start of a long process," Genesis spokesman Richard Gordon said. The decision to apply for council consent on the project was an "operational" matter, so the company did not need ministerial approval. The proposal will now open for submissions, with hearings expected in the second half of the year. Even after a council decision, a possible appeal to the Environment Court could add another year to the process. Once official approvals were given, a final investment decision would have to be made by the company, and construction could take another three years.

Bangkok climate change talks close.

The first formal talks to draw up a replacement to the Kyoto climate change pact wound up in Thailand on Friday with plans for another seven rounds of negotiations in the next 18 months to tackle global warming. As expected, no major advances were achieved at the meeting, which was mainly intended to flesh out a roadmap from a breakthrough agreement in Bali last year to kick off the talks through to a culmination in Copenhagen at the end of 2009. The next meeting, to be held in Germany in June, will address the issue of funding and technology to mitigate climate change, a key demand of developing nations who argue that rich countries should foot much of the bill.

WHO: Climate change threatens millions.

Millions of people could face poverty, disease and hunger as a result of rising temperatures and changing rainfall expected to hit poor countries the hardest, the World Health Organization warned Monday. Malaria, diarrhea, malnutrition and floods cause an estimated 150,000 deaths annually, with Asia accounting for more than half, said regional WHO Director Shigeru Omi.

'No Sun link' to climate change.

Scientists have produced further compelling evidence showing that modern-day climate change is not caused by changes in the Sun's activity. The research contradicts a favoured theory of climate "sceptics", that changes in cosmic rays coming to Earth determine cloudiness and temperature. The idea is that variations in solar activity affect cosmic ray intensity. But Lancaster University scientists found there has been no significant link between them in the last 20 years. Presenting their findings in the Institute of Physics journal, Environmental Research Letters, the UK team explain that they used three different ways to search for a correlation, and found virtually none. "We tried to corroborate Svensmark's hypothesis [that when the solar wind is weak, more cosmic rays penetrate to Earth], but we could not; as far as we can see, he has no reason to challenge the IPCC - the IPCC has got it right. "So we had better carry on trying to cut carbon emissions."

Going it alone a bad way to tackle climate change, says IMF.

A global agreement binding all significant countries, rich and poor, offers the best hope for tackling climate change, and could halve the cost of countries trying to tackle it alone, the International Monetary Fund advises. In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF calls on national leaders to draft a global agreement quickly that establishes either a common tax rate on carbon, or an emissions trading scheme in which permits can be traded internationally, so emissions can be reduced where it is cheapest to do so.

The global financial watchdog endorses concerns over global warming from an economic standpoint, warning that the risk of potential damage, especially in poor countries, "could be large and even catastrophic if global warming is unchecked".
The IMF presents modelling suggesting that a global carbon tax or emissions trading scheme could stabilise greenhouse gas levels at 550 parts per million (roughly equivalent to a warming of three degrees) while still more than doubling the world's output by 2040.

Air New Zealand receives 'Fossil Fool' Award.

The international Rising Tide network and its allies have called for a day of action against the fossil fuel industry FOSSIL FOOLS DAY! A group of climate change activists have presented Air New Zealand with New Zealand's first ever 'Fossil Fool' award. The company was chosen for the award because of their recent eco-branding program which attempts to give their customers the impression that damage to the climate due to air travel can be offset by purchasing carbon credits or significantly reduced by flying with an airline which uses a biofuel 'blend' to fuel its planes. Aviation is the world's fastest growing source of carbon dioxide emissions. In 2007, nearly 2.2 billion people flew on the world's scheduled air carriers, with predictions of 9 billion passengers by 2025.

Greenpeace's dairy farming protest gets the chop.

More than 1000 trees planted by Greenpeace in a protest against dairy conversions in a central North Island block of private land have been pulled out.
The 30 Greenpeace volunteers early yesterday morning starting to "reforest" about 1600sq m of land cleared for dairy farming and leased by the state-owned enterprise Landcorp. Greenpeace climate campaigner Simon Boxer said the replanting campaign was aimed at drawing more attention to the large amounts of forestry land in the Tahorakuri Forest, northeast of Taupo, being converted to dairy farming. Bunny McDiarmid, executive director of Greenpeace, said dairy conversion was at an all time high and a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Ms McDiarmid said that according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry about 455,000ha of forestry land in New Zealand was at risk of being converted into pastoral use. "This is nearly seven times the size of Lake Taupo."

In Brief

Greens insist on biofuel sustainability standard.

A New Zealand organisation that specialises in carbon footprinting has been sought out by a British-based company to provide services to its thousands of clients all over the world.

More Kiwis coming round to nuclear power?

Climate change could see pubs run dry – Niwa.

Koalas under threat as excess CO2 makes eucalyptus leaves inedible.

Lakefront properties in flood, wave hazard zones

Best of the net

Twenty days. Twenty thousand still images. A single message. Toronto Star photographer Lucas Oleniuk captures the issue of global warming in a video created entirely by using still images.

Media Watch podcast – why was the Christchurch Press pushing Earth Hour so much?

Climate Snippets - 3 April

2008-04-02T15:04:00.001-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Bangkok talks to set timetable on global-warming pact.

This week, negotiators from 163 countries dip their toes into poorly charted diplomatic waters as they prepare to craft a new agreement to fight global warming. Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, through Friday, negotiators aim to lay out a detailed negotiating timetable for a draft pact they can submit for approval in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2009. And unlike talks that led to the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, which applied only to developed countries, these talks must set some type of binding greenhouse-gas emissions objectives for developing countries as well.

ETS Select Committee begins: business says carbon-trade law too strict.

In the first day of select committee hearings on the climate change legislation yesterday, MPs heard from a succession of business groups which, while accepting global warming needed to be addressed, argued that details of the proposed trading system would harm businesses too much. The Climate Change (Emissions Trade and Renewable Preference) Bill sets up a trading scheme which will eventually affect all sectors of the economy, including agriculture. Yesterday's business and industry submitters expressed concern about the uncertain future path of the price of carbon, and suggested that a "safety valve" be inserted into the legislation that prevented costs soaring uncontrollably.

They also emphasised the risk that companies would move their operations overseas if New Zealand was too extreme in its emissions trading scheme and made the businesses less competitive internationally. One other major theme to emerge from the day's submissions was a clear push for New Zealand's scheme to be aligned as closely as possible with what Australia does.

Greenpeace surveys political party’s climate policies.

No New Zealand political party has tough enough policy to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, Greenpeace said this week as it released a survey.
The Politics of Climate Change survey asked 20 questions about issues including emission reduction targets, domestic emission reductions, agriculture, transport, energy, the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, international obligations and social equity. The survey did not set out to rank parties but in rough terms the Greens did best followed by the Progressive Party. Next were Labour and United Future on a similar level followed by National. While the Green Party was the clear winner it was criticised in the findings for having a 60-90 per cent by 2050 emission reduction target which was considered relatively weak. The party was also criticised for accepting some industry subsidy was necessary when Greenpeace said forcing polluters to pay would drive reductions.

Rare flesh-eating snails star in controversial doco.

Environmental groups say a $50,000 Solid Energy documentary on the removal of rare carnivorous snails from one of its mine sites is a rampant case of "greenwashing". But the state coal mining company's chief executive Don Elder has denied the documentary – unveiled to media and sector groups today – is a propaganda exercise. The 20-minute documentary, titled Snail the Movie, traces the company's repatriation of the Powelliphanta Augustus snail from its West Coast Stockton mine site to nearby areas. The relocation of the 6000 rare worm-eating snails, believed to only exist on the ridgeline, was a requirement of its mining permit.

"Earth Hour" goes global.

The Sydney Opera House to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge went dark as people switched off lights in their homes and skylines dimmed around the world on Saturday to show concern with global warming. Up to 30 million people were expected to have turned off their lights for 60 minutes by the time "Earth Hour" -- which started in Suva in Fiji and Christchurch in New Zealand -- completed its cycle westward. A power saving of 5% was made across the wider Canterbury region, national grid company Transpower reported.

Students Label Auckland Council “Climate Criminals”.

Student activists of Greens on Campus, assembled outside a council meeting on Thursday 28 March, to protest Auckland City Council’s decision to cancel several climate change prevention initiatives. The students are also concerned that the Council is cutting funding for sustainable transport projects, such as bus lanes and cycle ways. Greens on Campus challenged the Mayor of Auckland, John Banks, to explain how the council would now address climate change. He explained to the group of over forty protesters that climate change was not his priority.

Since the start of this year, the Auckland Council has also put several other sustainability initiatives on hold, such as their plan to appoint an Eco Advisor to make the Council more green. The Council has also decided to delete $28 million of funding for a transport program, called “Liveable Streets” that would have make Auckland’s streets safer and more pleasant for cyclist and walkers.

In Brief

Helen Clark and Kevin Rudd to address major Auckland climate change business conference.

CRAGS: Green meetings aim to lower emissions.

Politicians find it hard to commit to buying carbon credits for travel.

Lockwood Houses goes green.

Fran O'Sullivan: Emissions scheme worries.

State-owned coal miner Solid Energy will participate in a large-scale effort to inject unwanted carbon dioxide underground at a research site in Australia.

Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection unveils ambitious $300 million ad campaign.

Jeanette Fitzsimons (Govt Spokesperson: Energy Efficiency) opening speech to Biofuels Conference 2008.

Best of the Net

NZ Politicians to debate on board the Rainbow Warrior.

An ice melt gambling contest has become one of the world's most accurate indicators of global warming impact.

New website: We can solve the climate crisis.

Climate Snippets - 27 March

2008-03-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Antarctic ice shelf disintegration underscores a warming world.

Satellite imagery from the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder reveals that a 13,680 square kilometre ice shelf has begun to collapse because of rapid climate change in a fast-warming region of Antarctica. The Wilkins Ice Shelf is a broad plate of permanent floating ice on the southwest Antarctic Peninsula, about 1,000 miles south of South America. In the past 50 years, the western Antarctic Peninsula has experienced the biggest temperature increase on Earth, rising by 0.5 degree Celsius. David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey, believes it could be gone within weeks. "The ice shelf is hanging by a thread – we'll know in the next few days or weeks what its fate will be," he says.

Greenpeace blocks coal ship leaving Port Lyttelton.

Six Greenpeace protesters were arrested after they blocked the coal ship Hellenic Sea, carrying 60,000 tones of coal from leaving Lyttelton harbour. They used the Greenpeace flagship The Rainbow Warrior to block the cargo ship, while protesters used ropes to climb the side of the vessel. Greenpeace says it is a message to the government to get tough on climate change and spokesman Simon Boxer says New Zealand has very little time to act before the situation gets out of control.

Scientists warn of soot effect on climate.

Soot produced by burning coal, diesel, wood and dung causes significantly more damage to the environment than previously thought, according to research published today. So-called "black carbon" could cause up to 60% of the current warming effect of carbon dioxide, according to the US researchers, making it an important target for efforts to slow global warming. Around 400,000 people are estimated to die each year due to inhaling soot particles, particularly because of indoor cooking on wood and dung stoves in developing countries.

NZ Climate change prediction breakthrough.

New Zealand scientists have developed what they believe is a world first, a new way to measure the release of greenhouse gas locked up in soil. They have made the discovery in a joint study with Scottish scientists and it means we may be able to forecast how quickly our planet will warm up. "We are excited because it's very relevant at the moment. We need to predict how the climate is going to change and of course that's very related to the atmosphere, the vegetation, the soil," says David Whitehead.

Environment plan from Air NZ.

Air New Zealand has formed an environment trust to fund research and development into alternative fuels. Chief executive Rob Fyfe says customers have the option to fund the purchase of carbon credits to offset their travel through the company's website . The carbon offset facility will be progressively available to customers outside New Zealand through the airline's international websites later in the year. The first carbon credits secured by Air New Zealand are Emission Reduction Units from TrustPower's Tararua windfarm.

Fyfe say the company anticipates receiving several million dollars in funding annually from customers. The first project of the trust will be a conservation programme involving more than 100 acres on Mangarara Station in Hawke's Bay. The trust will financially contribute to the purchase and planting of 85,000 trees over the next three years to create the conservation reserve, which the farm is placing under covenant to protect for future generations.

The Green Party is calling on all parties in Parliament to opt into the voluntary emissions offsetting scheme announced by Air New Zealand today, and to pay for the off-setting out of their own pockets.

Solid Energy makes loss.

State-owned Solid Energy has posted a loss of $2.7 million for its half year, blaming disruption at the Stockton mine, escalating production costs, the high dollar and low long term contract prices. But the state coal miner forecast it would be back in the black for the year to June 2008 and deliver a strong profit in the June 2009 year as the West Coast Stockton opencast mine returned to full production and the gains from strong international coal prices flowed through.

U.S. power plant carbon emissions zoom in 2007.

The biggest single year increase in greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants in nine years occurred in 2007, finds a new analysis by the Environmental Integrity Project. The finding of a 2.9 percent rise in carbon dioxide emissions over 2006 is based on an analysis of data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Now the largest factor in the U.S. contribution to climate change, the electric power industry's emissions of carbon dioxide, CO2, have risen 5.9 percent since 2002 and 11.7 percent since 1997, the analysis shows. The consumption of electricity accounted for more than 2.3 billion tons of CO2 in 2006, or more than 39.5 percent of total emissions from human sources, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Coal-fired power plants alone released more than 1.9 billion tons, or nearly one third of the U.S. total. The Department of Energy projects that carbon dioxide emissions from power generation will increase 19 percent between 2007 and 2030, due to new or expanded coal plants.

In Brief

Radiohead's frontman on his own green conversion, and why he is a 'climate optimist.'

Monbiot: Clean coal is just another scam.

Japan baseball looking to fight global warming with shorter games.

Bradford: Workers’ struggle in the age of climate change and peak oil.

Link to Global Warming in Frogs’ Disappearance Is Challenged.

Biofuel demand 'will increase GHGs.

How the Nazis Blocked a Modern Oil Bonanza.

They may not use Gasoline, but They Sure Burn Through Water.

Best of the Net

The Big Picture – Guardian images.

Unscrew America: great website

Climate Snippets - 19 March

2008-03-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Glaciers suffer record shrinkage.

The rate at which some of the world's glaciers are melting has more than doubled, data from the United Nations Environment Programme has shown.
Average glacial shrinkage has risen from 30 centimetres per year between 1980 and 1999, to 1.5 metres in 2006. Experts have called for "immediate action" to reverse the trend, which is seen as a key climate change indicator. Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary General of the UN and executive director of its environment programme (UNEP), said: "Millions if not billions of people depend directly or indirectly on these natural water storage facilities for drinking water, agriculture, industry and power generation during key parts of the year. "There are many canaries emerging in the climate change coal mine. The glaciers are perhaps among those making the most noise and it is absolutely essential that everyone sits up and takes notice.

UK To Introduce Domestic Carbon Emissions Trading.

Energy-intensive businesses in Britain including supermarkets, banks and hotel chains will have to buy pollution permits from 2010 under a new government emissions trading scheme, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said on Thursday. The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), which also includes all central government departments and local authorities, is a mandatory scheme that will help Britain cut greenhouse gas emissions by four million tonnes by 2020, the equivalent of taking one million cars off the road. The CRC will be implemented under the UK's Climate Change Bill, currently going through Parliament.
The CRC will target smaller businesses and public sector organisations that do not qualify for the EU trading scheme, but whose annual half-hourly metered electricity use is above 6,000 megawatt hours. The roughly 5,000 entities that fall into this category account for around 10 percent of the UK economy's total carbon dioxide emissions.

Blair to the climate rescue!

Tony Blair is to lead a new international team to tackle the intractable problem of securing a global deal on climate change which would have the backing of China and America. The former prime minister believes he can help prepare a blueprint for an agreement to cut carbon emissions by 50% by 2050, and has the backing of the White House, the UN and Europe, including Gordon Brown.

He told the Guardian he has been working on the project with a group of climate change experts since he left office last summer, and will publish an interim report to the G8 group of industrialised nations this summer. He is backed by the Climate Group, a not-for-profit organisation supported by business. He is drawing together a team of international experts, including Sir Nicholas Stern, the author of the groundbreaking report on the costs of climate change, and specialists from China, Japan, the US and Europe. Following an interim report in June, his team intends to set out the continuing differences between the big countries next summer, then produce economic models to show that fears over the sacrifices required can be overcome.

Climate-change meeting ends without agreement on emissions.

The world's 20 major greenhouse gas emitters ended two days of discussions in Japan Sunday without reaching consensus on a concrete plan to tackle climate change. The Group of 20 nations (G-20) are responsible for 80 per cent of the world's CO2 emissions. The fourth round of talks under the G-8 Gleneagles Dialogue on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development was held to find ways to provide financial aid and environmental technologies to developing nations in the global fight against climate change. The dialogue is leading up to the G-8 summit that Japan is to host at Lake Toya in the northern island of Hokkaido on July 7-9.

China tells developed world to go on climate change ‘diet.’

The developed world should go on a climate change diet rather than lecture China over its rising greenhouse gas emissions, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Wednesday. “It’s like there is one person who eats three slices of bread for breakfast, and there are three people, each of whom eats only one slice. Who should be on a diet?” he said. China’s greenhouse gas output has soared in recent years as its largely coal-powered economy has expanded at double-digit pace, and it now ranks alongside the United States as the world’s biggest emitter.

Differing views on MAF deforestation survey.

National's climate change spokesman Nick Smith said the figures were "nothing short of an environmental disaster" because they showed a record 19,000ha of deforestation last year. But Forestry Minister Jim Anderton said the survey showed forest owners intended cutting down fewer trees as a result of the proposed emissions trading scheme He said last year's survey on the amount of planned deforestation between 2008 and 2012 – the commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol – was about 50,000ha. The latest survey showed that had dropped to 12,000ha over the same period.

In brief

EU threatens to punish climate deal rebels.

NZ potentially sitting on energy goldmine.

EPA puts US climate legislation cost at $2.9 trillion in 2050.

A Comparison of Carbon Offset Standards - Making Sense of the Voluntary Carbon Market.

Invercargil Mayor Tim defends new car preference.

Best of the Net

Podcast: James Hansen - No more conventional coal and carbon stabilisation below 350ppm.

Earth Day – April 22 global events.

The Top 50 Eco Blogs.

Climate Snippets - 14 March

2008-03-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Polls shows climate change high on NZers' priorities

A nationwide poll of 3377 people, conducted between February 26 and March 3, shows 82% of New Zealanders believe climate change is a problem, up from 73% in November last year. Support for the emissions trading scheme policy rose from 46 % in November 007 to 57 %. More than half of those surveyed (55%) Zealanders also support imposing a carbon tax on imports from countries which don't impose carbon charges on their own emitters.

NZ 'running late' on carbon targets - 38 years late, the New Zealand Institute says.

The think tank's chief executive, David Skilling, in a report entitled "Actions speak louder than words", says the measures the Government has announced over the past few months, including an emissions trading scheme, a 90 per cent renewable electricity generation target and tighter fuel efficiency standards, are steps in the right direction and will reduce emissions. "Overall, however, we estimate that the various policies will only serve to reduce domestic emissions in 2050 to about their 1990 level." New Zealand's Kyoto target is to reduce emissions to that level by 2012, but they are now about 25 per cent above it, or 13 per cent if allowance is made for the offsetting effects of new forests.

Greenpeace NZ launches the 'Target Climate Change' tour of New Zealand

Greenpeace NZ launches the 'Target Climate Change' tour of New Zealand with the release of a hard hitting report into the Government's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). We've said in the past that the Government's climate change policy is little more than hot air and, while the ETS was an improvement, it still lacks teeth. The report titled 'New Zealand's Expanding Carbon Footprint - Analysis of New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme: Major flaws and barriers to emission cuts highlights some major shortcomings in the ETS.

The single most important thing we could do as a country to tackle climate change is set a domestic emissions reduction target. An overall target is needed if New Zealand is to achieve any significant greenhouse gas emission reductions. As it stands the scheme will fail to produce any substantial reductions. That's why we are calling for all political parties to set a target of 30 per cent reductions by 2020.

EU, US must engage emerging powers, UN climate chief says.

The European Union and US must boost their support for emerging states such as China, India and Brazil in the fight against climate change, in order to make an international deal viable, the head of the UN's climate body said Monday. "Europe has to begin thinking now about the kind of financial architecture it can put in place that will make it possible for large developing countries like China, India and Brazil to engage" in a world deal on climate change, Yvo de Boer, head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said. That support should be organized on a government-to-government level, as well as via international market tools, he stressed.

Compost that carbon.

Applying organic fertilizers, such as those resulting from composting, to agricultural land could increase the amount of carbon stored in these soils and contribute significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, according to new research published in a special issue of Waste Management & Research One estimate of the potential value of this approach – which assumed that 20% of the surface of agricultural land in the EU could be used as a sink for carbon – suggested it could constitute about 8.6% of the total EU emission-reduction objective. "An increase of just 0.15% in organic carbon in arable soils in a country like Italy would effectively imply the sequestration of the same amount of carbon within soil that is currently released into the atmosphere in a period of one year through the use of fossil fuels," write Enzo Favoino and Dominic Hogg, authors of the paper.

In Brief

Australia, New Zealand to cooperate on climate change.

Trustpower sells 300, 000 carbon credits to Japanese at 15.5 euros a tonne.

Interesting compilation of international direct actions against coal.

Alaskan village sues energy firms for climate change.

Specialist news service launching for New Zealand carbon market.

Vatican lists pollution as one of seven new sins.

Comment: Climate Change Is Killing Us. It's Time for a Body Count

The UK's first Energy Saving Day has ended with no noticeable reduction in the country's electricity usage.

China's Killer "Yellow Dust" Hits Korea, Japan

Eat whale and save the planet" says Norwegian lobby.

2008-02-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Big guns aim at Govt climate policy.

New Zealand's largest company, its richest man and a state-owned enterprise are among the parties combining to lobby against the way the Government plans to devolve, to the owners of land under commercial forests which already existed in 1990, the deforestation liabilities which the country incurs under the Kyoto Protocol.

A body called the Flexible Land Use Alliance, to be launched in Wellington today, brings together Fonterra, Graeme Hart's Carter Holt, Landcorp and the Forest Owners Association, among others. At a carbon price of $25 a tonne the liability could be around $20,000 a hectare.

The Business Herald understands the group's first preference is for the Government to drop plans to devolve the liability altogether. That would leave the liability with the taxpayer. If the regime is imposed, they want to be fully compensated for the loss of value of their land. At the very least, they argue, the regime should allow for offsetting. This would allow people to avoid the deforestation liability if they planted a new forest somewhere else instead of replanting the existing one.

Get real on clean technologies, minister tells coal industry

The Climate Change Minister said although world-scale deposits of the low-quality coal had the potential to make the country self-sufficient in terms of transport fuel for several hundred years "…there is a degree of wishful thinking and exaggeration around how close clean-coal technology really is. If the Government was to apply the same brave assumptions to new technology renewables as are relied upon by some coal proponents, we would be pilloried. A dose of reality is required." That irritated Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder, who challenged him on that point. Mr Elder on Tuesday outlined progress in Australia on carbon storage where 100,000 tonnes of CO2 will be injected underground in April in Victoria. In questions, Mr Elder said to his knowledge Mr Parker had not consulted anyone among "a room full of chief executives and international experts". Mr Parker said officials had consulted widely and there was nothing in Government policy stopping the development of lignite resources in Southland.

Hay's head is in the sand on climate action, says Northey.

City Vision-Labour's Leader on the Auckland City Council, Councillor Richard Northey, today strongly condemned the decision by the new Auckland City Council, led by Deputy-Mayor David Hay, to cut out all the commitments to combating climate change that had been made by the previous Council. The first meeting of the Council's Performance Monitoring Committee was held in confidential on 23rd January and the minutes have only now become publicly available. The committee's Chair, Deputy-Mayor David Hay, moved to delete all the climate change action goals from the current 2007-08 financial year objectives of the Auckland City Council's Chief Executive, David Rankin.

Investors discuss climate risks at UN.

Hundreds of investors controlling $20 trillion in capital came searching for answers Thursday on how to put a price on carbon emissions blamed for global warming and create a new — and lucrative — economy based on cleaner sources of energy. The gathering of 480 investors and other Wall Street types was organized by groups supporting U.N. efforts such as the U.N. Foundation, Ceres and the U.N. Fund for International Partnerships.

$1 Trillion U.S carbon market predicted.

The new US president will most likely see in the emergence of a colossal carbon trading market, worth $1 trillion a year by 2020, according to a report released on Thursday. Another report, also out this week, estimates the US could be trading $600 billion in pollution credits annually by 2015. Either way, "it will be the largest environmental market of its kind," says Tiffany McCormick Potter, senior analyst for Point Carbon, which produced the 2015 estimate. According to Point Carbon, the European carbon trading scheme totalled $42 billion in 2007.

British Columbia becomes the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce a consumer-based carbon tax.

Driving and other fuel-dependent activities are about to get more expensive however Finance Minister Carole Taylor vowed Tuesday that all money collected through the new tax will be returned through matching tax cuts and credits. Taylor said the new carbon tax will kick in July 1. Initially, drivers will pay about 2.4 cents per litre more for gasoline at the pumps. The tax will apply to virtually all fossil fuels, including gasoline, diesel, natural gas, coal, propane and home-heating fuel. It will rise each year, reaching 7.2 cents per litre of gasoline -- and comparable amounts on other fuels -- by 2012. Lower-income British Columbians will receive further credits in the form of an annual "climate action credit" of $100 per adult and $30 per child.

Australian Govt. plays down Garnaut's climate call.

The federal government has tried to play down its chief climate change adviser's call for even deeper cuts to dangerous greenhouse gases. Economist Ross Garnaut in his interim report on climate change policy says the government should set a 2020 greenhouse target this year and consider setting a tougher 2050 target. "Australia should be ready to go beyond its stated 60 per cent reduction target by 2050 in an effective global agreement that includes developing nations," Prof Garnaut said in a statement.

UNEP unveils the climate neutral network to catalyze a transition to a low carbon world.

Four countries (Costa Rica, Iceland, New Zealand and Norway), four cities and five corporations are the first to join the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in cooperation with the UN's Environment Management Group, as one inspiring solution to the challenge of rising greenhouse gases. The Network, a web-based project, is seeking to federate the small but growing wave of nations, local authorities and companies who are pledging to significantly reduce emissions en route to zero emission economies, communities and businesses.

Sumatran deforestation driving climate change and species extinction, WWF report warns.

In brief

Eight of the top U.S. water utilities are joining forces to study how rising sea levels, droughts and other effects of global warming are taking a toll on supplies of drinking water.

Wisconsin college to give bikes to freshmen who pledge not to drive.

Venture to dump iron-sand in sea to fight warming runs out of cash.

As climate change warms the nation, giant Burmese pythons could colonize one-third of the USA.

Underground vault for crop seeds opens in Arctic Norway.

Branson's coconut airways - but jet is on a flight to nowhere, say critics.

Climate protesters arrested after scaling Heathrow jet

Runway protesters take to roof of parliament

Mega solar-station to cut Australian emissions.

Best of web

Greenpeace Unveils Its Eco City Concept – interactive web based programme.

Climate Snippets - 16 February

2008-02-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

The true scale of climate change emissions from shipping is almost three times higher than previously believed.

It calculates that annual emissions from the world's merchant fleet have already reached 1.12bn tonnes of CO2, or nearly 4.5% of all global emissions of the main greenhouse gas. The report suggests that shipping emissions - which are not taken into account by European targets for cutting global warming - will become one of the largest single sources of manmade CO2after cars, housing, agriculture and industry. By comparison, the aviation industry, which has been under heavy pressure to clean up, is responsible for about 650m tonnes of CO2emissions a year, just over half that from shipping.

Until now, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated shipping emissions to be a maximum 400m tonnes, but the new draft report by a group of international scientists is a more sophisticated measure, using data collected from the oil and shipping industries for the International Maritime Organisation, the UN agency tasked with monitoring pollution from ships. It not only shows emissions are much worse than feared, but warns CO₂emissions are set to rise by a further 30% by 2020.

The UN report also reveals that other pollutants from shipping are rising even faster than CO2 emissions. Sulphur and soot emissions, which give rise to lung cancers, acid rain and respiratory problems are expected to rise more than 30% over the next 12 years. A recent peer-reviewed study of shipping emissions found world shipping led directly to 60,000 deaths a year.

Study reveals cost of biofuels.

Growing crops to make biofuels results in vast amounts of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere and does nothing to stop climate change or global warming, according to the first thorough scientific audit of a biofuel's carbon budget. Two separate studies published in the journal Science show that a range of biofuel crops now being grown to produce alternatives to oil-based fossil fuels release far more carbon dioxide into the air than can be absorbed by the growing plants. The scientists found that in the case of some crops it would take several centuries of growing them to pay off the "carbon debt" caused by their initial cultivation. These environmental costs do not take into account any extra destruction to the environment, for instance the loss of biodiversity caused by clearing tracts of rainforest.

They found that when peat lands in Indonesia are converted into palm-oil plantations, for instance, it would take 423 years to pay off the carbon debt. The next worse case was when forested land in the Amazon is cut down to convert into soybean fields. The scientists found that it would take 319 years of making biodiesel from the soybeans to pay off the carbon debt caused by chopping down the trees in the first place. Such conversions of land to grow corn, maize and sugarcane for biodiesel, or palm oil and soybean for bioethanol, release between 17 and 420 times more carbon than the annual savings from replacing fossil fuels, the scientists calculated.

Can New Zealand become carbon neutral? – Carbon farming may be answer says Peter Floyd.

"The Business Roundtable maintains we have no way of becoming carbon neutral, and DairyNZ warns that a carbon trading regime might push up the cost of farming, but they are both ignoring the huge potential that farmers have to lock up very large amounts of atmospheric carbon in their soils," says farm business sustainability specialist Peter Floyd. Some Australian farmers have begun 'carbon farming' to sequester soil carbon, and are already selling the carbon credits earned on the Chicago Climate Exchange. "Australian scientists have calculated that a 0.1% increase in organic carbon across just 10% of Australia's agricultural lands would sequester more than half of that country's total annual greenhouse gas emissions," says Floyd.

The Farming for Change Conference takes place at the Christchurch Town Hall on February 26-28, and includes a field day on two Canterbury farms.
For more information go to www.ecogent.biz

Tindall, Todd join on climate change

Two of New Zealand's leading philanthropic organisations, the Todd and Tindall Foundations, have joined forces to fund a new foundation to stimulate practical solutions to the challenges of climate change. The Hikurangi Foundation has been established with a commitment of $500,000 from each of the Tindall and Todd Foundations over the next two years. The inaugural chair of the Hikurangi Foundation is Tom Lambie, Chancellor of Lincoln University and former National President of Federated Farmers as well as running an organic dairy farm in South Canterbury. Other Trustees include forestry executive George Asher, Tindall Foundation trustee Jenny Casey, communications strategist Matthew Jansen, economist Suzi Kerr and business journalist Rod Oram. He expects the foundation will be ready to call for submissions from interested parties by mid year and hopes additional funders may join this collaboration.

Queensland to develop peak oil strategy.

The Queensland State Government is to develop a strategy to help Queenslanders lessen their reliance on liquid fossil fuels as the price of oil increases and supply diminishes. Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation, Andrew McNamara, who is also the Australian patron of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil said the future availability of fossil fuel and alternative energy supplies is one of the main sustainability issues facing society today. The strategy will have three broad elements: reducing the consumption of liquid fossil fuels; encouraging the development and use of alternative fuels; and preparing for demographic and regional changes as Queenslanders alter travel, work and living habits in response to rising fuel prices.

In brief

Security council urged to punish CO2 offenders.

The U.N. General Assembly is bringing together business leaders, activists and government officials for a debate on climate change.

Monbiot - A new generation of biofuels turns out to be another environmental disaster.

Major cycling scheme announced by London Mayor.

U.K. Church advocates carbon fast for Lent providing 40 day plan.

Peak-oilers put money where mouths are with one-sided $100,000 bet.

Experts tip Australian emission targets of 13 to 15%.

The International Rising Tide network and its allies are calling for a day of action against the fossil fuel industry on April 1st 2008 FOSSIL FOOLS DAY!

Compare and contrast the U.S candidates - Grist's in-depth coverage of the presidential candidates' green stances, including exclusive interviews and fact sheets on their energy and climate platforms.

Hairy solar panels could result from nanowire breakthrough.

Taking people power to a new level – Knee mounted electrical generator.

Climate Snippets - 6 February

2008-02-05T11:50:00.000-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

New Zealand's environment more 'khaki' than green – report.

New Zealand must tackle rising greenhouse gas emissions and worsening water quality if the nation is to live up to its 'clean green' image, an environment report said on Thursday. While New Zealand's record is still better than most, it has become more "khaki" than pure green, the Environment New Zealand 2007 report, said, prompting activists to call for the issue to top the political agenda before elections this year. One of the biggest concerns was the environmental fall-out from agriculture. The key economic sector accounts for half of all New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions.

U.S. Climate conference ends without targets.

A meeting of delegates from the nations that emit the most pollutants ended without concrete targets for slashing greenhouse gas emissions, but participants praised what they saw as a new willingness by the United States to discuss possible solutions. Delegates from 16 nations, plus the European Union and the United Nations, gathered in Hawaii this week at the invitation of the U.S. to discuss what should be included in a blueprint for combating climate change. Among the topics were energy-efficient technologies, ways rich countries could help developing countries and countering deforestation.

Genesis confirms it is still seeking planning permits and resource consents for a 480MW plant between Helensville and Kaukapakapa.

Mooted 2 1/2 years ago as a way of securing electricity supply for the north of Auckland, the plant seemed to be blocked last year by Government policy turning against new plants burning fossil fuels. The New Zealand Energy Strategy which aims to encourage the proportion of the country's electricity generated from renewable resources to rise from 70 per cent to 90 per cent by 2050 and the Climate Change Bill flagged a decade-long moratorium on new thermal base-load power stations. However, yesterday Genesis Energy spokesman Richard Gordon confirmed the company's wish to take the proposal a big step further.

Previously, the company had wanted a base-load station which, like its new EP3 gas turbine plant at Huntly, ran continuously. But it had now redesigned operating and engineering plans to make it a cycling plant - one that ran only when extra capacity was required. Rodney District Council yesterday agreed to process Genesis' request for a private plan change to the district plan to create a spot zone for a 240MW station that could grow to 480MW.

Wall Street shows scepticism over coal

Three of Wall Street's biggest investment banks are set to announce today that they are imposing new environmental standards that will make it harder for companies to get financing to build coal-fired power plants in the U.S. Citigroup Inc., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley say they have concluded that the U.S. government will cap greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants sometime in the next few years. The banks will require utilities seeking financing for plants before then to prove the plants will be economically viable even under potentially stringent federal caps on carbon dioxide, the main man-made greenhouse gas. It also marks the latest obstacle to coal, which provides about half of U.S. electricity but emits large amounts of CO2. Citing costs, the U.S. government last week pulled support for a project called FutureGen that many utilities saw as a step toward burning coal cleanly.

Farmers to be at forefront of fight against climate change as Irish Minister Ryan announces support scheme for bioenergy.

Irish Energy Minister Eamon Ryan today announced a new renewable energy
grant scheme pledging €11 million. From today, businesses, schools and hospitals can receive grants for the installation of biomass-fuelled and anaerobic digestion Combined Heat and Power Units (CHP). This scheme is to encourage industry and commercial users to generate their own heat. By combining the heat and electricity processes, CHP saves up 25% of energy from conventional separate production. The Minister also announced a new feed-in-tariff or guaranteed price for the production of electricity from these units. Suppliers can apply to the Department to receive a guaranteed price of €120 per MegaWatt hour.

Animal welfare and fair trade are far bigger concerns to UK consumers than climate change, according to a huge new poll of UK shoppers.

Only 4% rate climate change as their top ethical priority, compared with 21% who think animal welfare is the most important issue and 14% who rate fair trade as their key concern. The findings come from a survey conducted by the Co-op grocery business that has been used to draw up a "responsible retailing" policy, designed to reflect shoppers' concerns. The Co-op claims the survey is the biggest poll of consumer ethics ever undertaken. The supermarket group analysed responses to a detailed, four-page questionnaire from more than 100,000 members and customers. It intends to use their responses to guide changes to the way it does business.

Scientists identify 'tipping points' of climate change.

A major international investigation by dozens of leading climate scientists has found that the "tipping points" for all nine scenarios – such as the melting of the Arctic sea ice or the disappearance of the Amazon rainforest – could occur within the next 100 years. The scientists warn that climate change is likely to result in sudden and dramatic changes to some of the major geophysical elements of the Earth if global average temperatures continue to rise as a result of the predicted increase in emissions of man-made greenhouse gases. "Society may be lulled into a false sense of security by smooth projections of global change. Our synthesis of present knowledge suggests that a variety of tipping elements could reach their critical point within this century under anthropogenic [man-made] climate change," they report in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Irreversible changes:

Arctic sea ice: some scientists believe that the tipping point for the total loss of summer sea ice is imminent.
Greenland ice sheet: total melting could take 300 years or more but the tipping point that could see irreversible change might occur within 50 years.
West Antarctic ice sheet: scientists believe it could unexpectedly collapse if it slips into the sea at its warming edges.
Gulf Stream: few scientists believe it could be switched off completely this century but its collapse is a possibility.
El Niño: the southern Pacific current may be affected by warmer seas, resulting in far-reaching climate change.
Indian monsoon: relies on temperature difference between land and sea, which could be tipped off-balance by pollutants that cause localised cooling.
West African monsoon: in the past it has changed, causing the greening of the Sahara, but in the future it could cause droughts.
Amazon rainforest: a warmer world and further deforestation may cause a collapse of the rain supporting this ecosystem.
Boreal forests: cold-adapted trees of Siberia and Canada are dying as temperatures rise.

In Brief

CIA campus goes green.

Two NZ’ers rubbish-free year challenge.

Methanex to reopen Motunui complex.

British Ministry of Defence objects to onshore windfarms as threat to radar.

The EU should ban the sale of cars that do under 35 miles to the gallon, the ex-chairman of oil giant Shell says.

Neat peak oil resources in one place.

Climate Snippets - 31 January

2008-01-30T11:43:00.000-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

NZ Prime Minister honoured by UN climate award.

The United Nations Environment Programme has awarded the “Champions of the Earth” prize to Helen Clark and six other figures from regions around the world, in recognition of the government’s promotion of sustainability initiatives. The UNEP said that “three major policy initiatives….are blazing new trails for sustainability and the fight against climate change: the Emissions Trading Scheme; the Energy Strategy; and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy.”

Biggest polluters meet in Hawaii.

The world's biggest greenhouse gas-polluting countries are sending delegates to Hawaii this week for a U.S.-hosted meeting aimed at curbing climate change without stalling economic growth. The two-day gathering, which starts on Wednesday in Honolulu, is meant to spur U.N. negotiations for an international climate agreement by 2009, so a pact will be ready when the current carbon-capping Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. The Bush administration rejects the Kyoto plan, saying it unfairly exempts developing countries from cutting back on emissions, and could cost U.S. jobs. Instead, Washington favours voluntary measures and "aspirational goals" to limit climate change, aided by easier transfer of environmental technology.
The conference is expecting representatives from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The United Nations and the European Union will also be represented.

Drought could force nuke-plant closure in U.S.

Nuclear reactors across the U.S Southeast could be forced to throttle back or temporarily shut down later this year because drought is drying up the rivers and lakes that supply power plants with the awesome amounts of cooling water they need to operate.

"Water is the nuclear industry's Achilles' heel," said Jim Warren, executive director of N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network. An Associated Press analysis of the nation's 104 nuclear reactors found that 24 are in areas experiencing the most severe levels of drought. All but two are built on the shores of lakes and rivers and rely on submerged intake pipes to draw billions of gallons of water for use in cooling and condensing steam after it has turned the plants' turbines.

Because of the yearlong dry spell gripping the region, the water levels on those lakes and rivers are getting close to the minimums set by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Over the next several months, the water could drop below the intake pipes altogether. Or the shallow water could become too hot under the sun to use as coolant. "If water levels get to a certain point, we'll have to power it down or go off line," said Robert Yanity, a spokesman for South Carolina Electric & Gas Co., which operates the Summer nuclear plant outside Columbia, S.C.

Study: warming may cut US hurricane hits.

Global warming could reduce how many hurricanes hit the United States, according to a new federal study that clashes with other research. The new study is the latest in a contentious scientific debate over how man-made global warming may affect the intensity and number of hurricanes. In it, researchers link warming waters, especially in the Indian and Pacific oceans, to increased vertical wind shear in the Atlantic Ocean near the United States. Wind shear — a change in wind speeds or direction — makes it hard for hurricanes to form, strengthen and stay alive. With every degree Celsius that the oceans warm, the wind shear increases by up to 10 mph, weakening storm formation, said study author Chunzai Wang, a research oceanographer at NOAA. Winds forming over the Pacific and Indian oceans have global effects, much like El Nino does, he said. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said "more likely than not," manmade global warming has already increased the frequency of the most intense storms.

Media consign global warming to back burner.

The League of Conservation Voters has been tracking the number of questions asked of the presidential candidates on the Sunday news shows and the debates televised by the major networks. Of the more than 2,900 questions asked, only four have mentioned the words "global warming." Sandretti¸, the League of Conservation Voters' chief spokesman said "The candidates are talking about it. They're getting questions in town hall meetings about it, the only people who aren't asking about it, it seems, are the mainstream media."

On the Democratic side, all the major candidates are battling to be seen as the greenest on the issue. They've all endorsed the most far-reaching climate change proposal in Congress, requiring an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. They each support efforts by California and 18 other states to set tougher fuel economy standards than those passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush.

In Brief

Meridian Energy has confirmed plans for a 31-turbine wind farm in Wellington's Ohariu Valley.

California considers feebates on automobiles.

Iraq ratifys Kyoto Protocol

Walk the Walk blog – keep up to date with the long walk.

Energy Dept. Pulls Support for FutureGen – experimental clean coal plant.

Climate change 'security' warning.

Climate Snippets - 24 January

2008-01-23T20:22:00.001-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

EU sets 20% target for carbon cuts.

A blueprint for tackling global warming was put on the table by the EU, which challenged the US and other big polluters worldwide to join the battle against climate change. Setting out plans for the world's first significant low-carbon economy, the EU ordered swingeing cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Under draft legislation unveiled by the European commission, 20% of Europe's energy mix is to come from renewable sources by 2020, while Europe's biggest polluting industries must slash their emissions by 21% against 2005 levels by the same deadline.

While the overall aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by 363m tonnes, or 20%, by 2020, Stavros Dimas, the environment commissioner, said the scheme included "automatic triggers" to take the cuts to the level of 30% if the remainder of the world signed up for similar action.

The EU executive laid out binding targets for each of the 27 member countries on emissions reductions and on renewable energy in order to reach the goal of the 20% cut in greenhouse gases, as well as the 20% target for Europe's energy mix being provided by renewables, and 10% of all road fuel deriving from biofuels. The British government welcomed the commission's draft, which orders a 16% cut in emissions by Britain by 2020. The UK is also obliged to increase its reliance on renewable energy, from less than 2% now to 15% of the country's total energy needs by the same date.

"A work in progress", was the verdict of Rajendra Pachauri, head of the UN intergovernmental panel on climate change. "I see no reason why some of these targets may not become stronger, may not become more stringent."

Amazon rain forest destruction quickens.

Deforestation of the Amazon has accelerated, in recent months and is likely to increase this year for the first time in four years, says a senior Brazilian government scientist. The rise raises questions over Brazil's assertion that its environmental policies are effectively protecting the world's biggest rain forest, the destruction of which is a major source of carbon emissions that cause global warming.

"I think the last four months is a big concern for the government and now they are sending people to do more law enforcement," Carlos Nobre, a scientist with Brazil's National Institute for Space Research, told a seminar in Washington. "But I can tell you that it [deforestation] is going to be much higher than 2007." Nobre, whose government agency monitors the Amazon, said that 6000sq km of forest had been lost in the past four months. That compares with about 9600sq km in the year to July, which Brazil officials hailed as the lowest deforestation rate since the 1970s.

Brazil's government has said that policies such as more controls on illegal logging But environmental groups have warned that rising global commodity prices are likely to fuel more clearing of land for farms, as occurred in 2004 when Brazil recorded the highest deforestation rate of more than 27,000sq km. Destruction of forests produces about 20 per cent of man-made carbon dioxide emissions, making conservation of the Amazon crucial to limiting rises in global temperatures.

Save Happy Valley to celebrate 2 year occupation of future mine site and Walkers to set off soon.

Beginning on the 28th of Jan a crew will set out from Auckland, their goal is to walk to Happy Valley to raise awareness of climate change and the Valley. Anyone is welcome to join them for sections or meet up with them on their journey. Check out: http://www.walkingthewalk.org.nz/ for details of the journey, their planned route and timetable.

US calls January 30-31 climate talks.

US President George W. Bush has called major world economies to a second round of climate change talks on January 30-31 in Hawaii, the White House's Council on Environmental Quality announced. "The two day meeting will further the shared objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy security and efficiency, and sustaining economic growth, and will help to advance the negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change," it said in a statement Tuesday. Bush held a first round in September 2007 under an initiative he proposed in June in the face of intensifying international pressure for Washington to do more to battle greenhouse-gas emissions.

Norway says aims to go carbon neutral by 2030.

Norway, which last year set what it called the world's most ambitious target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, said that it aimed to go "carbon neutral" in 2030, which is 20 years earlier than its previous target. The government said last year that Norway would aim to cut net emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) to nil by 2050 by reducing emissions at home and investing abroad in environmental projects that will give Norway CO2 reduction credits.

The plan includes offsetting Norwegian emissions by spending around 3 billion crowns ($553.1 million) per year to combat deforestation in developing countries. Forests act as a sink for CO2, the main greenhouse gas blamed for causing global warming. "The parties now think it is realistic to assume reductions in Norwegian climate gas emissions of 15-17 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents by 2020 when forests are included," the government said in a statement. Environmental groups said the deal was too vague, and Oil and Energy Minister Aaslaug Haga acknowledged: "We don't know how we will achieve the goals yet, and that is challenging."

Nanowires Could Be Used To Convert Heat Into Electricity.

Energy now lost as heat during the production of electricity could be harnessed through the use of silicon nanowires synthesized via a technique developed by researchers with the U.S. The far-ranging potential applications of this technology include hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars and personal power-jackets that could use heat from the human body to recharge cell-phones and other electronic devices.

In Brief

U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization warns of biofuels' environmental risk.

The 10,000-tonne MS Beluga SkySails - powered partly by a giant kite sets off on a maiden voyage from Bremen to Venezuela.

World's greenest city' plans revealed.

Virgin Atlantic plans first biofuel flight.

NZ's Pike River to raise NZ$100 million for coal mine

Climatologists at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City have found that 2007 tied with 1998 for Earth's second warmest year in a century.

Best of the web

Neat little peak oil animation.

Greenpeace UK’s Convenient Truth video

Prince Charles appears in hologram form to argue climate action at Dubai Future World Energy Summit.

Climate denial car adverts.

Climate Snippets 16 January

2008-01-15T12:50:00.000-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Antarctic's ice vanishing faster than expected, scientists discover.

Parts of the ice sheets covering Antarctica are melting faster than predicted, and the loss of ice has probably accelerated in recent years because of global warming, a study has found. A satellite survey between 1996 and last year found that the net loss of ice from Antarctica rose by about 75 per cent as the movement of glaciers towards the sea speeded up. Scientists say the West Antarctic ice sheet lost about 132 billion tonnes of ice last year, compared with a loss of 83 billion tonnes in 1996.

Campaign to switch off Christchurch’s lights.

On Saturday, March 29, Christchurch will join cities around the world to take a stand against one of the planet's biggest threats - climate change. Cities such as Sydney,
Melbourne, Toronto, Chicago and Manila will switch off their lights for one hour to mark the first global Earth Hour.

Tata reveals World's cheapest car – the Nano – is it World’s biggest nightmare?

India's Tata Motors on Thursday unveiled the world's cheapest car, a 100,000 rupee /$US 2,500 four-door subcompact the company promises will revolutionize the auto industry by bringing car ownership within reach for tens of millions of people. India consumed nearly 120 million tons of petroleum products in 2006-2007, according to the Petroleum Ministry, up from 113 million tons the previous year. The idea of such a low-cost vehicle has environmentalists petrified, conjuring images of traffic jams at midnight, hours-long commutes and rolling clouds of pollution. Chief U.N. climate scientist Rajendra Pachauri, who shared last year's Nobel Peace Prize, said last month "I am having nightmares" about the car.

Digital Tools Help Users Save Energy, Study Finds

The results of the research project by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory of the U.S. Energy Department, suggest that if households have digital tools to set temperature and price preferences, the peak loads on utility grids could be trimmed by up to 15 percent a year. Over a 20-year period, this could save $70 billion on spending for power plants and infrastructure, and avoid the need to build the equivalent of 30 large coal-fired plants, say scientists at the federal laboratory.

The EU has admitted that changes are needed to its biofuels policy.

Studies have suggested that some biofuels barely reduce carbon emissions, while the production of others can lead to rainforest destruction and higher food prices. A Bill requiring a rising percentage of biofuel to be part of New Zealand's petrol and diesel sales is currently before Parliament. However, the Green Party has already highlighted the issues now being raised by the European Union. The EU says that new guidelines will be developed to ensure that the target for road fuels from plant sources is not damaging.

The EU at present has a target of replacing 5.75 percent of fossil fuels with biofuels in transport by 2010. But a study part-funded by the European Commission has said that between 14 and 27 percent of EU agricultural land would be needed if all that amount of biofuels was home produced. As this is clearly unrealistic, large amounts of biofuels will have to be imported into Europe, including from countries which strip rainforests for land to grow biofuel crops.

In Brief

How 'green' are the world's banks?
Britain will push ahead with nuclear power.

Kunstler’s Ten Ways to Prepare for a Post-Oil Society.

Time's up for petrol cars, says GM chief.

Low-energy light bulb health warnings.

A £1m prize fund has been put up for grabs in a bid to unlock the public's creativity and tackle climate change.

Chicken waste could fuel Northern Ireland.

Green campaigners furious as Britain's first coal-fired power station for 20 years is approved.

Butter sculpture to power buses.

Chocolate expedition reaches goal.

Human Body Heat to Heat Green Building in Sweden

Climate Snippets 9 January

2008-01-08T18:44:00.001-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

New research into the carbon footprint of international visitors flying here could impact New Zealand's tourism industry.

Research showing greenhouse gas emissions from air travel are higher than first thought could hurt the lucrative tourist market. International tourism is a huge money spinner for New Zealand, earning $8.3 billion in the year ended March 2006. "Our calculations show that in 2005, the CO2-equivalent emissions from the 2.4 million international visitors' return air flights was nearly 7.9 million tonnes - roughly the same as the emissions from all the country's coal, gas and oil-fired power generation" say Otago researchers. That equates to 10 per cent of the country's Kyoto-liable greenhouse gas emissions for 2005 - much higher than the usually quoted world average of 3.5 per cent. Regenerating 26,000 square kilometres of bush would offset emissions, but would require an area the size of 15 Stewart Islands. And balancing the air travel by cutting use of land transport would mean taking almost two-thirds of all New Zealand's vehicles off the road.

EU strikes aviation emissions deal.

Aviation emissions will be included in the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme from 2012 following an agreement in the European Council on Thursday. A plan to include internal EU flights in 2011 - a year earlier than other flights - was dropped and the Council agreed to cap emissions at 100% of the average level for the years 2004-2006. However, environmental groups accused the EU of backing down from the tough stance they took on emissions reductions during the UN conference in Bali last week. Delia Villagrasa, senior advisor at WWF's European Policy Office, said planned ceiling on emissions, which is 90% above 1990 levels, was a "Christmas gift to the aviation industry".

Global temperature 2008: Another top-ten year.

2008 is set to be cooler globally than recent years say Met Office and University of East Anglia climate scientists, but is still forecast to be one of the top-ten warmest years. Each January the Met Office, in conjunction with the University of East Anglia, issues a forecast of the global surface temperature for the coming year. Over the eight years, 2000-2007, since the Met Office has issued forecasts of annual global temperature, the mean value of the forecast error was just 0.07 °C.

For 2008, the development of a strong La Niña in the tropical Pacific Ocean will limit the warming trend of the global climate. During La Niña, cold waters upwell to cool large areas of the ocean and land surface temperatures. The forecast includes for the first time a new decadal forecast using a climate model. This indicates that the current La Niña event will weaken only slowly through 2008, disappearing by the end of the year.

In Brief

Congratulations to former Christchurch Mayor and Aquaflow director, Vicki Buck, who has been recognised in the Guardian's list of 50 people who could save the planet.

Beckham has largest carbon footprint.

Climate Change Killed Neandertals, Study Says.

Lowndes Associates becomes New Zealand's first carbon neutral law firm.

Japan took over the presidency of the Group of Eight club of the world's leading economies Tuesday, with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda vowing to put a focus on climate change and environmental issues.

Ben Polley, candidate for the Green Party in Guelph formally launched the first-ever local carbon-neutral election campaign from his Baker Street office today.

Creating an Earth Atmospheric Trust: A system to control climate change and reduce poverty

Peak oil

Price oil breaks $US 100

The price of oil reached the unprecedented price of $US 100 this week. Reasons given by the main stream media include: “surging economies in China and India and political tensions in oil producing nations like Nigeria and Iran have been driving forces behind the sudden price jump, and have been creating speculation that prices could rise even higher,” with very little commentary on peak oil.

In New Zealand the Forum for Auckland Sustainable Transport 7-point plan and Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says.

“While today's price of US$100 did retreat soon after breaking the record, prices will never retreat back to the lows of just a few years ago.

While there isn’t any need to panic, it is a clear signal that we should be planning for an oil constrained future. This means changing the way we get around, investing in more public transport and better urban design that supports walking and cycling. You only need to look at the major cities around the world that were built before the oil age to see that vibrant, exciting lifestyles are possible without depending on the private motor vehicle.

If you read my latest Bill to be drawn, Climate Change (Transport Funding) Bill, you'll see a phased programme for refocusing priorities towards more sustainable transport and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.”

Best of the web

Bush acknowledges existence of carbon.

Russell Brown on climate change sceptics.

Climate Snippets - 20 December

2007-12-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Bali – what happened?
The United Nations Climate Change Conference 07 ended with a compromise agreement on a "Bali Roadmap," which sets the agenda for defining an agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol when its commitment period expires in 2012. "Parties have recognized the urgency of action on climate change and have now provided the political response to what scientists have been telling us is needed," said Yvo de Boer, head of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat. Whether or not to include specific emissions reduction targets had proved a serious source of contention during the meeting. The European Union favoured an explicit goal of a 25 to 40 per cent reduction in emissions below 1990 levels by the year 2020, but this was strenuously, and successfully, opposed by the United States. The final text of the Roadmap only refers to the need for "deep cuts in global emissions." But, with this compromise, the United States will play a role in developing the post-Kyoto regime. The Roadmap commits negotiators to pursue means of encouraging developing nations to curb, on a voluntary basis, emissions growth. The negotiators will consider "measurable, reportable and verifiable nationally appropriate mitigation actions by developing country Parties in the context of sustainable development, supported by technology and enabled by financing and capacity-building." Negotiations on the post-Kyoto agreement will be finalized by 2009.

Commentary:

Emissions Trading Scheme Bill
The Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill has
been referred to the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee and
submissions close on 29 February 2008. The report back date is 10 June
2008. Members of the Committee are:Chauvel (L. Chairperson), English (N), Fitzsimons (G), Foss (N), Gosche (L), Harawira (M), Hide (A), Mackey (L), Smith (N), Swain (L), Tremain (N), Turner (U), Woolerton (NZF).

Seas could rise twice as high as predicted: study
The world's sea levels could rise twice as high this century as U.N. climate scientists have predicted, according to researchers who looked at what happened more than 100,000 years ago, the last time Earth got this hot. Experts working on the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have suggested a maximum 21st century sea level rise of about 32 inches. But researchers said in a study appearing on Sunday in the journal Nature Geoscience that the maximum could be twice that, or 64 inches. They made the estimate by looking at the so-called interglacial period, some 124,000 to 119,000 years ago, when Earth's climate was warmer than it is now due to a different configuration of the planet's orbit around the sun. That was the last time sea levels reached up to 20 feet (6 meters) above where they are now, fueled by the melting of the ice sheets that cover Greenland and Antarctica. The researchers say their study is the first robust documentation of how quickly sea levels rose to that level.

3,000 walruses die in stampedes tied to climate
Several thousand Pacific walruses (out of population of perhaps 200,000) above the Arctic Circle were killed in stampedes earlier this year after the disappearance of sea ice caused them to crowd onto the shoreline in extraordinary numbers, deaths some scientists see as another alarming consequence of global warming. Unlike seals, walruses cannot swim indefinitely. The big, tusked mammals typically clamber onto the sea ice to rest, or haul themselves onto land for just a few weeks at a time. But ice disappeared in the Chukchi Sea this year because of warm summer weather, ocean currents and persistent eastern winds. s a result, walruses came ashore earlier and stayed longer, congregating in extremely high numbers, with herds as big as 40,000 at Point Shmidt, a spot that had not been used by walruses as a "haulout" place for a century, scientists said. Walruses are vulnerable to stampedes when they gather in such large numbers. The appearance of a polar bear, a hunter or a low-flying airplane can send them rushing to the water.

Roles focus on charcoal's benefits
Two professorships at Massey University have won Government funding for wide-ranging research of "biochar". Studies overseas have shown that turning wood or other plant material into charcoal and burying it in soils can not only keep carbon dioxide from reaching the atmosphere, but also help soil organisms extract more carbon from the atmosphere.

Kangaroo farts could fight global warming
Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in a bid to cut the emission of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroos' flatulence contains no methane and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who emit large quantities of the harmful gas. Another group of scientists has suggested Australians farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos.

All new U.K. schools to be zero-carbon by 2016
Schools will install wind turbines and solar power systems in a multi-million pound drive to reduce carbon emissions, schools secretary Ed Balls announced in a statement to MPs. He wants all new school buildings to be zero-carbon by 2016. Balls announced the details of about 200 energy-saving projects that will cost about £110m over the next three years.

In Brief

Social Democrats in Germany call for climate-related sanctions on U.S.

Climate Camp moves down under to Newcastle, Australia mid next year.

Palm oil is a net source of CO2 emissions when produced on peatlands

China Says Glaciers Shrink by up to 18%

Honda to Launch Car Using 'Affordable' Hybrid Engine

Congress sends bill raising fuel efficiency standards to Bush

Santa checks UNFCC list (twice) and finds New Zealand's been naughty.

2007-12-19T19:04:00.000-08:00

Today at his workshop near the North Pole, Santa Claus announced that he is planning to leave his home of many years because of the impact of climate change.

"This may be my last year of delivering Christmas presents because my ice runway has been getting progressively smaller and thinner making it more dangerous to take off. Now scientists are saying I may only have 5 years left of summer ice in my Arctic home" he said.

"Without taking urgent action to fight global warming, I will soon be forced to permanently flee the North Pole. I may soon be both jobless and homeless! It's not a very merry Christmas" he said.

"It may be too late for my home, but I don't think it is too late for the planet. If we can reduce emissions by around 25-40% we have a good chance of avoiding a two degree global warming and escaping runaway climate change.

However I am disappointed in how New Zealand is doing, in fact I have put the Government down on my naughty list.

I've checked New Zealand's list twice with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and it isn't good. New Zealand's emissions have increased 25 % on 1990 levels.

So I am planning to pack up my workshop and Mrs Claus and I will be moving, possibly to China where labour costs are considerably lower than elvish labour.

I won't be able to take the reindeer with me, they are just one of a number of species expected to be harmed by the effects of climate change, in fact a report in Nature puts the number at close to one million by 2050.

ENDS

Santa is available for comment on 027 422 9290

Climate Snippets - 14 December

2007-12-13T19:13:00.000-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

To subscribe to regular Climate Snippet emails, contact climatechange@greens.org.nz with subscribe in subject line

Worldwide demonstrations send a clear message
Skiers, fire-eaters and environmental campaigners joined in demonstrations worldwide, including New Zealand, at the weekend to draw attention to climate change and push leaders to take robust action. From costume parades in Manila to a cyclists' protest in London, marches took place in more than 50 cities across the world to coincide with the two-week UN Climate Change Conference, in Bali, Indonesia.

IT carbon emissions 'match aviation'
The IT sector has a carbon footprint similar to that of the aviation industry and will soon outstrip emissions from flights, according to a new report. Environmental charity Global Action Plan, which commissioned the research, argued the sector now needed to be given the same level of attention as aviation or 4x4s. An Inefficient Truth, says many UK companies are using vast amounts of energy by inefficiently storing data and failing to adopt sustainable habits such as switching off units at night.

Ireland: Green Minister Gormley, delivers Carbon Budget
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and local Government John Gormley delivered the first ever Carbon Budget in the history of the state. It aimed to put the challenge of tackling climate change at the heart of government policy. "The Carbon Budget marks the beginning of a new era," he said. "It puts our responsibilities to tackle climate change on an equal footing with our responsibilities to manage the economy." Plans included in the budget included minimum energy efficiency standards for light bulbs. This means that traditional inefficient light bulbs will be phased out by 2009.

New Zealand: Sustainable Transport?
Transport Minister Annette King has launched Sustainable Transport, a draft Update of the New Zealand Transport Strategy that outlines a vision for a sustainable transport future. Ms King released the document in Wellington as the first step toward updating the Government's 2002 New Zealand Transport Strategy. "The Government has already announced that by 2040 we want to halve per capita domestic greenhouse gas transport emissions from 2007 levels, and to be one of the first countries in the world to widely use electric vehicles.

Submissions on this document close on 15 February.

Trans-Tasman business conference for NZ in 2008
A major Australasian business conference on climate change will be held Auckland next year, supported by the New Zealand government, Climate Change Minister David Parker has announced. "The 4th Australia-New Zealand Climate Change & Business Conference will bring together prominent business leaders and policy makers from the region and globally to focus on the new business opportunities arising from the challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”.

Bali talks try to end impasse on climate goals
Negotiators at climate talks in Bali tried to break a deadlock on Friday over emissions goals after the European Union accused the United States of blocking progress at the 190-nation meeting. The two-week talks, which are supposed to end on Friday, aim to launch two years of negotiations on an international pact to fight global warming. But the United States, Japan and Canada are opposed to any reference to numerical goals for emissions in the final text.

The EU wants Bali's final text to agree a non-binding goal of cuts in emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, of 25 to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 for industrial economies. The United States says any figures would prejudge the outcome. The United Nations wants the Bali talks to launch formal negotiations on a deal to succeed the Kyoto Protocol by 2009 as the world faces rising seas, more extreme droughts and floods and spread of disease.

On other issues, the Bali talks made progress.

Negotiators agreed a deal in principle to share technology -- such as wind turbines or solar panels to help poor nations. This week, the talks have also agreed the workings of a fund to help poor nations adapt to climate change and are hoping to take steps to slow deforestation.
A tiny New UN Fund to Combat Droughts, Rising Seas was established;
The EU threatened on Thursday to pull out of a U.S. meeting of major greenhouse gas emitters next month;
Despite opposition to Kyoto, the United States plans to join a new treaty, meant to be agreed in Copenhagen in late 2009 with participation of developing nations led by China and India.;
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, blasts US obstruction;
The UN's World Meteorological Organisation says 1998-2007 warmest decade;
And in another study, to be published in Friday's issue of the journal Science, says that in less than 50 years, oceans might be too acidic for coral reefs to grow because of carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels by humans.

Peak oil news

Oil-Rich Nations Use More Energy, Cutting Exports
Experts say the sharp growth, if it continues, means several of the world’s most important suppliers may need to start importing oil within a decade to power all the new cars, houses and businesses they are buying and creating with their oil wealth. Indonesia has already made this flip. By some projections, the same thing could happen within five years to Mexico, the No. 2 source of foreign oil for the United States, and soon after that to Iran, the world’s fourth-largest exporter. Rising internal demand may offset 40 percent of the increase in Saudi oil production between now and 2010, while more than half the projected decline in Iranian exports will be caused by internal consumption, said a recent report by CIBC World Markets. The report said “soaring internal rates of oil consumption” in Russia, in Mexico and in member states of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would reduce crude exports as much as 2.5 million barrels a day by the end of the decade. That is about 3 percent of global oil demand.

TEOTWAWKI: what does this mean? Find out why people are moving to NZ to prepare for it?

In Brief

State-owned electricity company Meridian Energy has announced it will conduct a small-scale trial of electric cars early next year.

'The biggest environmental crime in history': BP invests £1.5 in Canadian tar sands.

More than half of Amazon will be lost by 2030, report warns

Another oil spill, this time off Norway.

Termite guts may hold key to better biofuels Researchers said they had identified a rich reservoir of wood-digesting enzymes exuded by bacteria living in the bellies of termites.

New York Subpoenas Five Energy Companies and has opened an investigation of five large energy companies, questioning whether their plans to build coal-fired power plants pose undisclosed financial risks that their investors should know about.

Comment: The real answer to climate change is to leave fossil fuels in the ground

2007-12-04T19:13:00.000-08:00

2007-12-04T19:00:00.001-08:00

Climate Snippets 5 December

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U.N. Bali climate talks start. Skirmish over China, India

The 190-nation UNFCCC climate meeting in Bali began a hunt for a new global deal to fight global warming by 2009 on Tuesday with skirmishing about how far China and India should curb surging greenhouse gas emissions. After an opening day dominated by ceremony, governments set up a "special group" to look at options for launching two years of talks meant to bind the United States and developing nations led by China and India more firmly into fighting climate change. The Bali talks seek a mandate to widen Kyoto to all nations beyond 2012.

Mixed reaction to NZ climate change bill
The Government yesterday introduced a bill to enact its climate change policy - including setting up an emissions trading system and restricting new fossil fuel produced power. Environmentalists have welcomed the introduction of legislation that will place a 10-year ban on new fossil-fuel power stations, but a major business group says the measure is unnecessary. Under the bill new fossil fuel power plants would be banned for 10 years unless the Electricity Commission deemed them necessary to ensure the security of the power supply, or they were sufficiently mixed with renewable energy or based on waste products. The bill also sets down the process for the establishment of the Government's emissions trading scheme - with different sectors phased in over five years and Government support continuing until 2025.

Holcim decision a millstone for NZ’s climate change efforts
The Green Party is very disappointed with an interim decision indicating support for cement giant Holcim’s plans to build a massive cement plant at Weston, near Oamaru. “The interim resource consent decision, issued by the three commissioners hearing the application, flies in the face of the overwhelming opposition to this plant,” Conservation Spokesperson Metiria Turei says. This plant will impact Weston School, Oamaru township and the environment in general, as well as contributing massively to climate change. “This one factory could emit up to 800,000 tonnes of CO2 each year in addition to the mercury, dioxins and sulphur dioxide from the manufacturing process”.

Govt to reap $5.6b carbon trade windfall
The government stands to reap up to $5.6 billion in extra revenue from the introduction of an emissions trading system, official figures show. Windfall gains will occur because the cost of carbon credits, which thermal generators must buy from 2010, will increase the wholesale price of electricity. The figures, obtained by the Sunday Star-Times under the Official Information Act, are based on a worst-case scenario of a cost of carbon of $50 a tonne. But even on the most optimistic scenario of $15 a tonne, both the government and power companies remain significant winners. At that carbon price, government coffers would get an extra $1.16b over the six years and power companies would be $400 million better off.

Fonterra to "measure and monitor" carbon footprint
Fonterra has appointed the University of New South Wales, Scion and AgResearch to measure the dairy co-operative's carbon footprint of its major products. The research, which the dairy giant says will begin immediately, aims to measure Fonterra's carbon emissions across its complete supply chain and identify areas that require targeted programmes for reduction. The work will cover the three distinct parts of Fonterra's 'cow to customer' supply chain: 'On-farm' will cover inputs and outputs related to the production of milk from the farming operation up until it leaves the on-farm milk vat. 'Processing' will include the transportation of milk from the on-farm milk vat; the complete manufacturing process including packing and storage at the factory site; through to the product loaded onto transport for delivery 'Distribution' will include measuring the transportation of the product from the manufacturing site, to the warehouse and its shipping to key destinations internationally.

Tropics expand as world warms
Climate change is causing the tropics to widen, with possible impacts on the global food supply, research suggests. The new analysis of tropical expansion comes from a team of US scientists who reviewed five separate strands of evidence, all gathered from satellite data. While geographers define "The Tropics" rigidly as the region between 23.5 degrees North and 23.5 degrees South, to atmospheric scientists it is a more variable zone marked by features such as the jet stream and the circulation known as Hadley cells. On these measures, the tropics have expanded by between 2 and 4.8 degrees latitude since the era of reliable satellite observation began in 1979.

Water shortages are likely to be trigger for wars, says UN chief Ban Ki Moon
A struggle by nations to secure sources of clean water will be “potent fuel” for war, the first Asia-Pacific Water Summit heard yesterday. High population growth, rising consumption, pollution and poor water management posed significant threats, he said, adding that climate change was also making “a bad situation worse”.

His remarks come as environmental experts in Great Britain have identified 46 countries — home to 2.7 billion people — where climate change and water-related crises will create a high risk of violent conflict. A further 56, representing another 1.2 billion people, are at high risk of political instability, claims a report by International Alert, which concludes that it is now “too late to believe the situation can be made safe solely by reducing carbon emissions worldwide and mitigating climate change”.

In a report published in by the United States National Academy of Sciences journal today, David Zhang, of Hong Kong University, has analysed a half millennium's worth of human conflict — more than 8,000 wars — and concluded that climate change and resulting water shortage has been a far greater trigger than imagined previously.

Rudd becomes PM, ratifies Kyoto
Kevin Rudd was sworn in as Australia's 26th prime minister on Monday and immediately went to work on ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. Mr Rudd's first act after taking his oath of office was to sign the instrument of ratification for Kyoto, the international agreement which commits countries to targets for reducing or capping their greenhouse gas emissions.

I can unite the world on climate, says Rudd
Australia will take on a highly ambitious and activist role on the international stage under the new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, who has unveiled a grand plan for uniting the world on climate change. Heralding a significant shift in foreign policy from the Howard era, Mr Rudd - former diplomat and China expert - told the Herald yesterday he intended to use Australia's new position as a member of the Kyoto club to "bridge the gap" between developed and developing countries on future emissions controls. Mr Rudd will travel to Bali on Tuesday to join the UN conference on climate change, in what will be his first appearance on the world stage as Prime Minister.

PNG to resettle Carteret Islanders as sea level rises
The Carteret Islands are almost invisible on a map of the South Pacific, but the horseshoe scattering of atolls in eastern-most Papua New Guinea is on the front line of climate change, as rising sea levels and storm surges eat away at their existence. For 20 years, the 2,000 islanders living there have fought a losing battle against the ocean, building sea walls and trying to plant mangroves. Each year, the waves surge in higher, destroying vegetable gardens, washing away homes and contaminating fresh water supplies. Recently, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare appropriated PGK4.1 million [US$1.4 million] to resettle PNG villagers affected by global warming. Out of the PGK4.1 million funding, PGK2 million [US$712,000] will go to the Bougainville Autonomous Region’s Carteret Islanders. The local Bougainville government has an ongoing resettlement program which it hopes to complete by the end of the year.

In brief

Pike River Coal Limited has announced it will transport it's premium hard coking coal by rail to Lyttelton.

Ireland announces Change Now, a €15 million, five-year climate change campaign.

Victoria University appoints New Zealand climate scientist Martin Manning as Professor and Research Fellow in Climate Change.

Xerox Corp. announced Monday it has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 18 percent since 2002 by cutting emissions from cars and improving building equipment, saving the company $18 million (€12.3 million) last year.

Meteorologists shape fashion trends

Breaking Records in 2007 – Climate Change, events from WWF

Best of the net

Rising Tide claims International Hoax Targetting US Business Consortium Amidst Bali Climate Negotiations

Climate Snippets - 28 November

2007-11-27T14:44:00.000-08:00

Climate change news from Aotearoa and around the World.

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NZ trailing in Kyoto stakes, says UNFCC

A recent UNFCCC report New Zealand is lagging behind most other countries in curbing greenhouse gas emissions. New Zealand's emissions increased by 24.7 per cent between 1990 and 2005, roughly the same as Australia (25.6 per cent), Canada (25.3 per cent), Greece (26.6 per cent) and Ireland (26.3 per cent). But the United States, Britain, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, France and Japan have either reduced their emissions to below 1990 levels or pegged their rise at levels well below New Zealand's.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said the latest figures put New Zealand among the worst performers in the industrialised world." Globally, emissions from the transport sector are increasing rapidly and New Zealand is no exception, with the massive road building under way adding to the traffic and emissions. "We need to reverse the spending balance between roads and public transport to reduce our emissions and prepare for peak oil."

Climate Change (Transport Funding) Bill

Parliament could soon be taking some real steps to counter both climate change and the rising cost of fuel thanks to the drawing today of one of the Green Party’s Six Pack of Climate Change Bills announced last November. The Climate Change (Transport Funding) Bill, sponsored by Green Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons, aims to gradually increase the National Land Transport Fund allocated to public transport, walking and cycling, rail, coastal shipping and travel demand management. In the 2007/08 year the National Land Transport Programme spent six times as much maintaining and expanding the road network as it did on providing more sustainable options like public transport. “While having good roads is important, we have to prepare for the increased demand on alternatives once fossil fuels become less affordable.

New exhaust emission standards from Jan

New exhaust emission standards for new and used car imports will be introduced from January 3 next year. The Land Transport Vehicle Exhaust Emissions rule 2007 will impose higher minimum emission standards on all new and used vehicles coming into the country from that date.

NZ to lead research into livestock emissions

David Parker says the Livestock Emissions and Abatement Research Network (LEARN) will focus strongly on research. The aim of LEARN is for international researchers to collaborate to better measure greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. The network will also help develop cost-effective and practical means to reduce these emissions. It will focus on sharing information, facilitating discussion and promoting face-to-face contact between researchers around the world. LEARN proposes to cover research into methane emissions from ruminant livestock, nitrous oxide emissions from grazed grassland, an integrated approach to reducing emissions across an entire farm, and a national inventory of agricultural emissions.

Rudd could ratify Kyoto on day one

Austalian Prime Minister-elect, Kevin Rudd, is legally able to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change simply by getting the Governor-General to sign an order after Mr Rudd and his ministers are sworn into office, the former head of the Department of Environment Roger Beale has said. Ratification at the Australian end could be done by early next week. The UN would then take 90 days to process Australia's request but the decision in Canberra would signal to the Bali conference that Australia had joined the countries who have ratified Kyoto, improving its standing at the talks.
The talks in Bali begin on Monday but the senior ministerial session which Mr Rudd has promised to attend takes place the following week. The head of the conservation group WWF, Greg Bourne, said Mr Rudd's advice to the negotiating team will be critical. "Will that negotiating team signal something completely different? Or will they keep going with the inertia of the previous 11½ years?" he said.

Climate change threatens unprecedented human development reversals

With governments preparing to gather in Bali, Indonesia to discuss the future of the Kyoto Protocol, the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report has warned that the world should focus on the development impact of climate change that could bring unprecedented reversals in poverty reduction, nutrition, health and education. The report, "Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world", provides a stark account of the threat posed by global warming. It argues that the world is drifting towards a “tipping point” that could lock the world’s poorest countries and their poorest citizens in a downward spiral, leaving hundreds of millions facing malnutrition, water scarcity, ecological threats, and a loss of livelihoods. On mitigation, the authors call on developed countries to demonstrate leadership by cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% of 1990 levels by 2050.

Guyana's extraordinary offer to Britain to save one of the world's most important carbon sinks

Guyana, the former British colony, sandwiched between Venezuela and Brazil, is home to fewer than a million people but it is also home to an intact rainforest larger than England. In a dramatic offer, the government of Guyana has said it is willing to place its entire standing forest under the control of a British-led, international body in return for a bilateral deal with the UK that would secure development aid and the technical assistance needed to make the change to a green economy. The deal would represent potentially the largest carbon offset ever undertaken, securing the vast carbon sinks of Guyana's pristine forest in return for assisting the economic growth of South America's poorest economy.

Rich nations fail to honour climate pledge

A group of rich countries including Britain has broken a promise to pay more than a billion dollars to help the developing world cope with the effects of climate change. The group agreed in 2001 to pay $1.2bn (£600m) to help poor and vulnerable countries predict and plan for the effects of global warming, as well as fund flood defences, conservation and thousands of other projects. But new figures show less than £90m of the promised money has been delivered. Britain has so far paid just £10m. The disclosure comes after Gordon Brown said this week that industrialised countries must do more to help the developing world adapt to a changed climate, and two weeks before countries meet in Bali to begin negotiations on a new global deal to regulate emissions which is expected to stress the need for all countries to adapt.

Under the terms of the climate adaptation agreement, made at a UN meeting in Bonn in 2001, the EU, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and New Zealand said they would jointly pay developing countries $410m (£200m) each year from 2005 to 2008. They called on other countries to donate as well. The money was supposed to compensate developing countries for the severe effects over the coming decades of global warming, which is largely caused by carbon emissions from the developed world. But accounts presented last week show that only $177m (£86m) had been paid into the funds by September 30 this year, much less than the $1.2bn due by the end of 2007 under the Bonn agreement.

Britain to build world's biggest biomass plant
The U.K. Government has given the go-ahead for the biggest biomass plant in the world to be built on the South coast of Wales. The 350-megawatt wood chip-fuelled electricity generating plant will cost £400 million to set-up and will be sited in the industrial town of Port Talbot. Environmental groups oppose the project because of its location with Greenpeace expressing concern that wood would be transported over the Atlantic Ocean. The exact source of the wood to be used has not been made clear.

In Brief

Carbon Credit Confusion: voluntary carbon projects lose credits under Kyoto

Google earmarks hundreds of millions for green power

Chocolate-powered biodisel drivers leave London, headed to Timbuktu

Sea Shepherd vows to stop Planktos ship Weatherbird II, "iron seeding" - dumping tonnes of pulverised iron ore into the ocean - can catalyse the growth of microscopic algae that will then suck carbon out of the atmosphere.

Best of the net

Brilliant ad for wind power