Climate Change

"The future is decentralised"

Posted by bex — 7 July 2006 at 8:00am - Comments

Flowers growing in a greenhouse heated through combined heat and power

Remember 1997? Imagine somebody had predicted then that, within a decade, the Conservatives would be advocating "a revolution in green energy" and New Labour would be the only mainstream party still clinging to nuclear power as a central part of their energy policy. You probably wouldn't have rushed down to Ladbroke's.

Article tagged as: climate change, david cameron, decentralised energy, energy review, government, UK policy

UK nuclear reactors are defective, say government inspectors

Posted by bex — 5 July 2006 at 8:00am - Comments

A huge KAPOW projected onto Torness power station

A nuclear expert has called for nuclear reactors in the UK to be "immediately shut down" after secret documents written by government inspectors reveal they contain structural defects.

The documents - which were passed to Greenpeace days before Tony Blair is expected to give the go-ahead to a new generation of nuclear power stations - show that the government's Nuclear Safety Directorate (NSD) has identified cracks in the cores of up to 14 UK reactors, rendering them at increased risk of a radiological accident.

Article tagged as: climate change, decentralised energy, government, nuclear power, reactor safety, tony blair

Blair backs a nuclear (and more dangerous) future

Posted by bex — 17 May 2006 at 8:00am - Comments
Three Mile Island nuclear power plant at sunrise, USA

Tony Blair has announced that nuclear power is now "back on the agenda with a vengeance".

Speaking at a CBI dinner last night, Blair made his strongest admission yet that the Energy Review is a smokescreen for a decision that has already been taken: to build a new generation of nuclear power stations.

Article tagged as: climate change, decentralised energy, energy review, government, nuclear power, tony blair

Greenpeace's recommendations to the 2006 Energy Review

Posted by bex — 28 April 2006 at 8:00am - Comments

Drax power station

Greenpeace has called on the UK government to recognise that our existing energy system is outdated, fragmented and inherently wasteful - and to start a wholesale regulatory and market reform to make decentralised energy the mainstay of the UK's energy system.

Article tagged as: climate change, decentralised energy, energy review, government, nuclear power

Terrorist targets on wheels

Posted by bex — 24 April 2006 at 8:00am - Comments
Nuclear waste train at Kensington Olympia station in London

Nuclear waste train at Kensington Olympia station in London

A terrorist attack on a train carrying waste nuclear materials across Britain could spread lethal radioactivity across an area of 100 sq kilometres, and result in the deaths of up to 8000 people.

Spent nuclear fuel is routinely transported by train from nine nuclear power stations around the country for reprocessing or storage at Sellafield in Cumbria. Typically these journeys take place once a week from each reactor - at the same time and on the same lines as regular passenger and freight trains.

Article tagged as: climate change, decentralised energy, nuclear power, nuclear transports, nuclear waste, terrorism

Yesterday a Bafta, today the world

Posted by bex — 4 April 2006 at 8:00am - Comments

Thandie Newton in her Toyota Prius

After winning a BAFTA in February for her performance in "Crash", Thandie Newton has now set her sights even higher: on doing her bit to save the planet.

Last year, the actor found a Greenpeace leaflet stuck to the windscreen of her family's SUV. A short while later, she traded in her gas guzzling 4x4 for a fuel efficient Toyota Prius, which switches between petrol and electric to get nearly three times more miles to the gallon than her old BMW X5.

Article tagged as: 4x4s, BMW, climate change, hybrid cars, prius, thandie newton, toyota, transport

Blowing more hot air

Posted by bex — 28 March 2006 at 9:00am - Comments

Drax is the UK's most polluting power station

A year late - the government announced the results of their review of climate change initiatives today and told us what we already knew. They are not going to meet their targets. But instead of taking this opportunity to put in place measures that would really make a difference to reduce climate damaging emissions, they've lowered their expectations.

Article tagged as: aviation, climate change, co2, decentralised energy, government, targets, tony blair, transport

Ken's low carbon London

Posted by bex — 20 March 2006 at 9:00am - Comments

London Mayor Ken Livingstone

It's the capital of the UK, the biggest energy demand centre in the country and the largest city in Europe. And it can slash its CO2emissions, gas consumption and reliance on fossil fuels without nuclear power.

Article tagged as: audio, climate change, decentralised energy, ken livingstone, london

London mayor backs decentralised energy

Posted by bex — 20 March 2006 at 9:00am - Comments

Ken Livingstone outlines his plan for London with decentralised energy

In March 2006, London Mayor Ken Livingstone delivered a Greenpeace Business Lecture outlining why decentralised energy is the way forward for London and the UK. You can read about his speech or watch excerpts from the lecture:

Broadband (10mb) | Dial-up (1.5mb)

Article tagged as: climate change, decentralised energy, greenpeace business, ken livingstone, videos

Cleaner, cheaper, more secure - a new report reveals the real answer to Britain's energy needs

Posted by bex — 7 March 2006 at 9:00am - Comments

A residential area powered by combined heat and power (decentralised energy)

As the government's Energy Review veers ever closer to the conclusion that nuclear power is the only answer to climate change, a new report by non-profit research agency the World Alliance for Decentralised Energy (WADE) demolishes this myth.

Article tagged as: climate change, decentralised energy, energy review, nuclear power, wade
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