Blog: Climate

Ford. Going in reverse, fast.

Posted by jamess — 8 November 2010 at 7:09pm - Comments

Update: Over 6,000 emails to Ford bosses. Yet to receive a reply.

As the clock ticks down to some pretty important laws that could potentially save us millions of barrels in oil consumption (3.6m in the UK alone), one car manufacturer is doing its best to scupper this important legislation: Ford.

We've just heard from some high-level sources that Ford is pressuring Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, to weaken the UK's position on proposed European emissions targets.

Article tagged as: cars, emissions, EU, europe, ford, go beyond oil, vans

What's the opposite of greenwash?

Posted by jamess — 5 November 2010 at 3:35pm - Comments

Why are car companies hiding their progress? Photo: drinksmachine

It's not often you see car companies trying to hide their green achievements. We're more used to seeing them worn boastfully on the outside. The way Superman wears his underpants.

So why would they hide them now?

The Corporate Social Responsibility guys must be choking on their almond croissants. Today's news is something they want to shout about: fast, tangible progress on vehicle efficiency technology that reduces emissions. Greener cars, greener company. This time they don't have to make it up. But they're being hushed up by the lobbyists in the boardroom, who know that talking about these gains is going to counter their main argument with politicians: that their companies can't comply with proposed CO2 targets in time.

Article tagged as: climate change, emissions, EU, europe, go beyond oil, phillip hammond, vans

What the green movement got right

Posted by jamess — 4 November 2010 at 7:26pm - Comments

Wind turbine construction in Butterwick

Channel 4 has broadcast another film bashing environmentalists, including Greenpeace.

We put science and practical solutions at the core of everything we do, which is why we're dismayed that Channel 4 would commission a programme littered with bad science and factual errors.

It's not just us saying it. Earlier this week statistics about climate change opinions from MORI had to be removed because they were misleading. Now one of the main contributors, Adam Werbach, is publically saying he was badly misled by Channel 4. If you'd like to read our response to the Channel 4 claims, go here.

Article tagged as: channel 4, climate change, nuclear power

Ever wanted to stop an oil rig?

Posted by jamess — 3 November 2010 at 2:01pm - Comments

Now's your chance to stop an oil rig. Well, quite a few really.

Right now, in the corridors of Brussels, our politicians and civil servants are haggling over our future. Specifically the future of our oil consumption.

We know the vast majority of oil is used in transport, and that's why the forthcoming European decisions on emissions targets for vans and cars are so important to our Go Beyond Oil campaign.

Article tagged as: climate change, deep water, go beyond oil, oil

Cairn fails to find Arctic oil

Posted by jamess — 26 October 2010 at 3:41pm - Comments

One of Cairn's tugs, towing an iceberg out the way of its Arctic oil rig

Bing. Email received. Cairn Energy sent its “Greenland Operational Update” this morning at 7.05am with news to investors of its Arctic drilling. Despite its best efforts to put a positive spin on the news, the important words stood out:

“Plugged”, and “abandoned” for its first two drill sites. “Primary objectives were not reached” for number three, with “further re-entry work depending on the results of further evaluation”.

The media were more blunt, with headlines saying “Cairn Energy fails in Arctic oil drilling”.

Article tagged as: arctic, bill gammell, cairn, cairn energy, go beyond oil, oil spill

BP funding climate change deniers in US elections

Posted by jamess — 25 October 2010 at 2:18pm - Comments

In 2009, our US campaigners protested against Big Oil-funded spin which aimed to nobble the climate change debate

If you ever wanted to witness the grimy political hand of Big Oil, now's your chance: it's US mid-term election time.

The web of dirty money is global, with BP and other European companies complicit in funding climate change denier candidates for the US senate.

Article tagged as: climate change, go beyond oil, lobbying, us elections

Another victory over dirty coal as Kingsnorth plans scrapped

Posted by jamess — 21 October 2010 at 3:42pm - Comments

Emily Hall - one of the Kingsnorth Six - on the coal station's chimney stack

Crack out the balloons and the (recycled) paper hats - it's party time.

Kingsnorth is shelved. Again.  Yesterday the news came out that Eon, the company behind the plans for the first new coal plant in the UK in over 30 years was scrapping its proposal to build another climate-wrecking monster to replace its current power station in Kent.

Article tagged as: coal, kingsnorth, success

George has yet to live up to his promises

Posted by jamess — 20 October 2010 at 6:06pm - Comments

So at least we know they got the message. Giving his speech on the government cuts today, George Osborne said:

“Yesterday, protestors scaled the Treasury urging us to proceed with our idea for a Green Investment Bank. Mr Speaker, it's the first time anyone has protested in favour of a bank.”

The Chancellor went on to say the government was going to setup the bank. But only with £1bn. And even that only comes in 2013.

So there's still a long way to go until we have a green bank that has the power and independence to support low-carbon programmes across the country.

Article tagged as: climate change, csr, george osborne

Video: Remember George, green bank = new jobs

Posted by jossc — 19 October 2010 at 3:38pm - Comments

Greenpeace climbers scaled the Treasury building on the eve of the government's spending review, to hang a banner urging Chancellor George Osborne to create a Green Investment Bank which could create tens of thousands of new jobs by funding low-carbon programmes across the country.

Article tagged as: climate change, george osborne, green investment bank, jobs

Submarines for a healthy Gulf

Posted by jamie — 19 October 2010 at 1:39pm - Comments

Several weeks after BP announced that the leaking well was firmly capped, the Arctic Sunrise is still in the Gulf assessing the damage caused to marine life and habitats. Oceans campaigner John Hocevar is part of the investigation team and his latest blog is below. More blogs, photos and videos from the Arctic Sunrise's expedition can be found on our US website.

A couple days ago, we advanced the cause of science and conservation by throwing someone else's hundred thousand dollar piece of equipment over the side of the ship.  It sank to the bottom.

Fortunately, this was all part of the plan. The scientists we are working with, Steve Ross and Mike Rhode from University of North Carolina Wilmington and Sandra Brooke from the Marine Conservation Biology Institute and the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, plan to come back next year to retrieve the equipment, called a benthic lander, and use it to learn how deep sea corals are surviving in a rapidly changing and heavily impacted environment.

Article tagged as: BP, go beyond oil, gulf of mexico, oceans, oil spill, research
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