Climate Change

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

Four thousand tonne oil spill in the North Sea

Posted by bex — 12 December 2007 at 4:49pm - Comments

Some bad news from our Nordic office: around 4000 tonnes of raw oil has leaked into the North Sea, in the second largest oil spill in Norwegian history.

25,000 barrels-worth of oil leaked into a key herring and mackerel ground and is now drifting northwards. The waves are too high for any oil lenses to work, and a lot of the oil's being washed underwater.

The accident happened when a pipe broke during the loading of oil from the Statfjod A platform in bad weather.

There's more on Reuters.

Article tagged as: climate change, north sea, oil, oil spill

Bali: a road map or a dead end?

Posted by bex — 12 December 2007 at 4:10pm - Comments

Last night, on the tenth anniversary of the most far-reaching environmental treaty ever signed, Ban Ki-Moon said:

"Today we are at the crossroads; one path leading towards a comprehensive new climate agreement, and the other towards oblivion."

And until yesterday, things were pottering along OK at the Bali negotiations. We were waiting for ministers from around the world to inject a sense of urgency into the negotiations, and to secure the much-needed commitments for industrialised countries to cut emissions by 25 to 40 per cent by 2020, and for all countries to halve emissions by 2050.

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

Another legal threat for the government over nuclear plans

Posted by jamie — 10 December 2007 at 3:59pm - Comments

When you make a mistake, you tend to learn from the experience so you can avoid making similar blunders in the future. Not so the current government which, if it backs a new generation of nuclear power stations, could once again find itself at odds with the law.

Back in February, we took the government to the High Court over its first attempt to hold a public consultation on the future of nuclear power. The court found in our favour, ruling that the consultation was "unlawful" and "seriously flawed". It forced ministers back to the drawing board for a second consultation but once again it's been shaped and guided by a predetermined outcome: the UK will have new nuclear power stations. Members of the public who attended the consultation meetings posted messages on this site about how they felt attendees were lead into finding in favour of nuclear power.

Article tagged as: climate change, consultations, nuclear power, nuclear waste

Here come the Tories to launch their green energy policy

Posted by jamie — 6 December 2007 at 7:42pm - Comments

David Cameron launches his new policy on green renewable energy

David Cameron speaking at today's launch of the Conservative's green energy policy © Greenpeace/Daniel Beltra

We're used to having some unusual people descending on our offices, but today's visit by David Cameron and several other members of the shadow cabinet is the most leftfield (or should that be rightfield?) visitation for some time. But they were here to launch a new policy that uses many of our own demands for renewable energy, a vital component in the struggle to limit the impacts of climate change.

Article tagged as: climate change, conservatives, energy, renewable energy

Ireland agrees to ban the bulb by 2009

Posted by jossc — 6 December 2007 at 4:39pm - Comments

Ban the Bulb! Greenpeace capaigning on the streets of Dublin.

Good news on the energy conservation front - Ireland will be the first EU country to ban energy-wasting incandescent lightbulbs.

The Irish government announced today that, as part of its national Carbon budget, the old-style power hungry bulbs will be banned from 2009. Greenpeace congratulates the Ireland on its decision to lead the world in this simple but essential step in tackling climate change.

Article tagged as: ban the bulb, climate change, co2 emissions, ireland, successes
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