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Queen urges action, not talk, to tackle climate change
AFP
Queen Elizabeth II made rare comments on the environment as she issued her Commonwealth Day message Monday, calling for more action to meet rhetoric on tackling climate change.
The 81-year-old monarch, who heads the 53-nation global body of mainly former British colonies, said countries that pollute the least — particularly the least-developed nations — are often the worst affected by climate change.
(10 March 2008)
Royals seem to be ahead of the Labour government on climate. -BA
Ministers challenged over backing for coal-fired power station
Patrick Wintour, Guardian
The government has been criticised for its “confusing” climate change policy after ministers signalled support for a new coal-fired power station as a committee was launched to ensure that by 2050 the UK reduces carbon emissions by 60%.
Business secretary John Hutton said power generation from fossil fuels would continue to play a key role despite the planned expansion of nuclear and renewable power. He said ministers had yet to decide whether to let German energy giant E.ON go ahead with a giant power plant at Kingsnorth, Kent, and whether the company would be required to commit itself to the use of carbon capture storage (CCS) technology as a condition of the licence.
CCS has yet to be tested commercially and some fear that the technology is being used as a smokescreen to make coal-fired stations politically acceptable. Greenpeace has described the outcome as the single most important climate change decision facing Gordon Brown as prime minister.
(11 March 2008)
Related: Kill king coal? (James Hansen)
Darling plans Labour’s greenest budget yet
Ashley Seager and Patrick Wintour, Guardian
Alistair Darling will unveil a host of new measures in his first budget on Wednesday aimed at cutting carbon emissions from cars and including a fresh drive to boost biofuel use. The chancellor, under pressure from business leaders to cut corporation tax and scale back his controversial plans to tax non-domiciles, will instead present the budget as Labour’s greenest to date.
(10 March 2008)
Related: A Stern rebuke
Government backs coal-fired power stations
Hélène Mulholland and agencies, Guardian
The business secretary, John Hutton, today signalled government support for coal-fired power stations, accusing opponents of “gesture politics”.
Hutton said power generation from fossil fuels would continue to play a “key role” in the UK despite the planned expansion of nuclear and renewable power.
His comments raised fears among green activists that he is set to give the go-ahead to Britain’s first new coal-fired power station in over 20 years, at Kingsnorth in Kent, after Medway council approved the £1bn scheme in January.
Energy giant E.on wants to demolish an outdated plant and replace it with two units using cleaner coal to supply over 1.5m homes by 2012, much to the alarm of green campaigners.
Hutton told a London conference today: “For critics, there’s a belief that coal-fired power stations undermine the UK’s leadership position on climate change. In fact, the opposite is true.”
Mr Hutton said a mix of energy sources would be needed for the foreseeable future, adding: “Our leadership role is best promoted by the actions we take on capping emissions, carbon pricing and supporting the development of new carbon capture and storage technology. Not by gesture politics.”
(10 March 2008)
