Posted by jamie — 21 November 2007 at 2:54pm
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As the international climate meeting in Bali hurtles towards us, you're probably concerned that it may turn into another one of those diplomatic exercises in generating a lot of hot air and the only benefactors will be the hordes of translators making a nice earning. But you can make sure that fingers are pulled out and tough action is taken by contributing to the Climate Message In A Bottle video.
The government is expected to launch its long-awaited
consultation on expansion at Heathrow on Thursday 22 November. Airport owners British Airports Authority (BAA)
want to build a new runway and a sixth terminal.
Through the Freedom of Information Act Greenpeace has obtained documents
which reveal worryingly close links between the airport authority and the Department of Transport, working together to influence the outcome of the consultation:
Gordon Brown tomorrow faces his first test since pledging to put Britain at the forefront of efforts to combat climate change. A proposal to build the UK's first coal fired power station in over thirty years (1) will land on his desk on the same day his government launches a consultation on expansion at Heathrow airport.
The outcome of Brown's decisions on new coal and new runways will determine whether Britain can meet its long-term global warming targets, which the Prime Minister on Monday suggested would be revised upwards to an 80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050.
Posted by jamie — 19 November 2007 at 6:06pm
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The speech
Gordon Brown made to the Foreign Press Association earlier today was billed as
his first major proclamation on climate change and the environment since ascending to Number 10, but did it deliver? There was much reaffirming of previous statements and existing policies, but aside from a couple of big points there was nothing really new.
Reacting to Gordon Brown's speech outlining his vision to make Britain a low carbon nation, Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said:
"Brown now appears to be serious about meeting the binding EU renewables targets. But more debate won't get us there. Action is what counts, not words. No investment will take place off the back of a speech alone.
Posted by jamie — 16 November 2007 at 6:22pm
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The head of the UN Environment Programme has warned that the biofuel market could crash if suitable environmental standards aren't established. According to the BBC, "Achim Steiner...
said there was an urgent need for standards to make sure rainforests
weren't being destroyed." The story also picked out Indonesia's tropical peatlands for special mention of what it terms "biofuel folly". (Nice phrase, I'll have to remember that one!)
Mind you, Steiner was making those comments in response to anindependent group of scientists who criticsied the stance taken by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on biofuels, which was described as "naive".
Events in Indonesia have stepped up apace, and the Rainbow Warrior is currently blockading a tanker in the port of Dumai in Sumatra. The tanker, the MT Westama, is carrying 30,000 tonnes of palm oil and the Warrior is positioned so that tugs can't reach the tanker to assist it out of the port.
Exporting the palm oil is a company called Permata Hijau Sawit - their suppliers are known to be involved in the destruction of rainforests and peatlands in Riau province, temporary home of our Forest Defenders Camp.
I'll post back when I know how it turns out, but in the meantime read the full story on our international site.
Eurostar action celebrates new rail line,
but damns PM for Heathrow plans
Greenpeace climbers dodged police and security guards this morning before scaling the front of St Pancras station and dropping a massive banner emblazoned with the word 'YES!' in three metre high letters.
Seizing the rare opportunity to welcome some good news, Greenpeace climbers scaled the front of St Pancras station this morning and hung a huge banner proclaiming 'YES' in 3-metre-high letters to show support for the new high-speed rail link to Europe, which finally got under way today with a jaunt to Paris and back for selected journalists and politicians - including PM Gordon Brown.
Posted by jamie — 13 November 2007 at 3:01pm
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Lately, I've been working a lot on our palm oil campaign, so my spider senses are highly atuned to anything coming out of Sumatra and Indonesia in general. But two stories I found this morning, both on New Scientist, really underlined what's going on west of Java.
The first article features some astonishing images from the Zoological Society of London, caught by a motion-sensitive camera left in the middle of the forest. The impressive snaps include a herd of elephants and a golden cat, but the stand-out picture is of an inquisitive and rare Sumatran tiger, it's eyes glowing in the camera's flash. Take a look at the slideshow - they're incredble.
