Greenpeace Blog

Letter to the prime minister: your leadership is needed

Posted by bex — 19 December 2007 at 1:05pm - Comments

A couple of days ago, I wrote that leading climate scientist and director of Nasa's Goddard Institute James Hansen was planning to write to Gordon Brown, urging him to stop the new coal rush in the UK.

Here's the full text of that letter. It's powerful stuff, and piles the pressure onto Gordon Brown ahead of next month's decision by Medway Council, on whether to allow the first new coal plant in 30 years to be built at Kingsnorth.

Article tagged as: climate change, coal, gordon brown, james hansen, kingsnorth

Roundup from Bali: tears, jeers and a last minute U-turn

Posted by bex — 17 December 2007 at 4:37pm - Comments

It's all too depressingly familiar. The Bali consensus was watered down by low tactics from the US (supported by Japan, Canada, Australia and others). The strong science that should be driving the process was relegated to a footnote. And work to reduce emissions from deforestation still has a long way to go, thanks to the inclusion of a loophole that may allow some industrialised countries to swap binding targets for voluntary goals.

But the fact that we have a Bali Mandate at all - including a process, a deadline and a guarantee that several of the most important issues are on the agenda - is worth a celebration in itself.

Article tagged as: bali, ban ki-moon, climate change, USA

No new coal (it's not rocket science, Gordon)

Posted by bex — 17 December 2007 at 4:02pm - Comments

No new coal

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that building a load of new coal power plants probably isn't the brightest idea for the future of our planet, but it's nice when a rocket scientist comes out and says it.

The director of Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Dr. James Hansen, has joined the debate on the UK's the new coal rush, and is writing to Gordon Brown to urge him to block plans to build up to eight new coal-fired power stations.

Article tagged as: coal, fossil fuels, gordon brown, james hansen, kingsnorth, NASA

A nice bit of schadenfreude in the morning

Posted by bex — 14 December 2007 at 2:47pm - Comments

For environmentalists partial to a mild bit of schadenfreude over their tea and toast, this morning's Today Programme was a treat. You can listen to it here, if you're quick (Fiona and farnishk, I think you'll like John Humphreys' stance).

Environment minister Hilary Benn was invited on to talk about how things have been going in Bali (not so well). As Benn waxed lyrical about the urgent need for action to reduce emissions, Humphreys pulled him up on the yawning gap between the government's rhetoric and reality, what with the government wanting to build new runways and all. Then he pulled him up again. And again. And again. And again. It was a little like listening to a kitten being mauled by a teddy bear.

Article tagged as: airport expansion, aviation, climate change, heathrow, rhetoric versus reality

Ireland is banning the bulb, why can't we?

Posted by jamie — 14 December 2007 at 2:40pm - Comments

After last week's amazing news that Ireland is going to ban inefficient light bulbs in early 2009, we thought it was time to give our own government a squeeze on the issue. The speed at which our neighbour across the Irish Sea will be ditching incandescent bulbs has shown just how ineffective London has been so far.

Not only does Ireland now join the likes of Australia, Venezuela and Cuba who have already laid down bulb legislation, it also proves our own government is dragging its feet. Earlier this year, a voluntary phase-out of inefficient bulbs by the end of 2011 was announced which even at the time was pretty rubbish. Thousands of small retailers aren't covered by the scheme so incandescent bulbs will still be on sale beyond that date. Ireland's tough new legislation now makes this initiative look even more feeble.

Article tagged as: climate change, energy efficiency, light bulbs, take action, what you can do

Heating up in Bali

Posted by bex — 14 December 2007 at 1:01pm - Comments

The sparks are flying in Bali as the talks enter the final round. After the US tried to derail the negotiations, Al Gore took the stage and lambasted the Bush Administration for blocking negotiations.

"[M]y own country - the U.S. - is principally responsible for obstructing progress here in Bali,'' he said, before urging the delegates to "find the grace to navigate around this enormous obstacle" and move forward without the US.

Article tagged as: al gore, bali, climate change, kyoto protocol, USA

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