Britain's homes are responsible for 28% of our CO2 emissions. The average UK home emits more than a car a year. The government is embarking on a massive new house building programme over the coming years which presents a prime opportunity to reverse this trend. If the government is serious about tackling climate change, it needs to adopt tough new standards to make sure the nation's new homes are part of the solution, not adding to the problem.
Britain's Department for International Development and the oil industry
Summary
While the Department for International Development recognises that climate change hits the poor hardest, it refuses to address the effect of its promotion of oil development in contributing to climate change and locking poor countries into unsustainable development.
Campaigners against so-called Chelsea Tractors are calling for the London congestion charge to be raised to £20 for gas-guzzling cars. Hundreds of members of Greenpeace and the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s are hitting Goodge street today to lobby Londoners on the new proposal, while the groups have hung a huge banner across Marylebone High street that says: "CHARGE 4x4s £20".
As the Exeter climate change conference prepares to discuss the potential of capturing and dumping carbon (sequestration), Greenpeace expressed concern at reports that the government might throw money behind a plan to dump carbon dioxide under the oceans. Sir David King also suggested sequestration could be funded by the increased amount of oil that could be extracted from wells that have had captured liquid CO2 forced into them.
Greenpeace told Tony Blair in a Downing Street meeting on climate change that the ever-growing gap between his fine rhetoric on the one hand, and record of inaction and retreat on the other, means that he had lost credibility on climate change, an issue which he acknowledges is the single greatest threat facing civilisation.
The meeting was convened to discuss Blair's plans to lead international diplomatic efforts on climate change during 2005. He is due to address world business leaders tomorrow (Wednesday 26th) at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Responding to reports that Tony Blair is attempting to broker a climate deal with George Bush - dubbed Kyoto-lite - Greenpeace Executive Director Stephen Tindale said:
"Getting Bush to even accept man-made climate change is happening would be real progress, but Tony Blair can't expect plaudits for giving the US administration a gentle private prodding while tens of thousands die and emissions rise under his own government.
Posted by bex — 8 December 2004 at 9:00am
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Comments
Tony Blair says he is personally passionate about solving the problem of climate change, but his passion for business has dominated the agenda for too long. There is only one way Tony Blair is going to regain our trust - take urgent action on climate change.
