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How Europe can save the world
Will Hutton, The Guardian UK
..The 27-nation EU has committed itself to lower its carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 from their 1990 level, the chief mechanism being an increase in the use of so-called renewables – water, air, tidal power and biofuels.
Twenty per cent of its energy needs, it says, will come from such sources, while allowing some flexibility for countries such as France, which is dependent on nuclear power, to count that as part of their contribution to reducing the Continent’s carbon footprint. Nuclear power, clean coal and renewables are vital responses to weaning the Continent off its dependence on Middle Eastern oil and Russian gas.
It is a commitment backed up with detailed action. After 2010, every new power station in Europe will have to have ‘carbon capture and storage technology’, virtually eliminating carbon emissions.
Carbon emissions from cars are to be radically reduced starting from the beginning of next year. Farmers now compensated for leaving land idle under set-aside are, instead, to grow plants for biofuel which is to constitute 10 per cent of all petrol by 2020. There will be new bite in the European Emissions Trading Scheme as tough, new limits for carbon emissions are set; as the carbon price rises, so there will be a further incentive to economise on the use of fossil fuels. ..
(11 Mar 2007)
Tories reveal plans for green tax hike on air travel
Heather Stewart and Gaby Hinsliff, The Guardian UK
Millions of people who fly abroad every year are to be taxed on the number of miles they travel, under audacious Conservative plans to seize the initiative over climate change.
Passengers would be issued with a ‘green miles’ allowance and forced to pay more if they took extra flights, under the proposals from shadow Chancellor George Osborne. In an interview with The Observer he said that other options included putting VAT or fuel duty on flights within the UK, or a per-flight tax on airlines. ..
Osborne emphasised that new green taxes would be balanced by tax cuts elsewhere. ‘It should be a replacement tax, not an additional tax. Any extra revenue raised should be offset by tax reductions elsewhere. That’s very important in terms of commanding public trust.’
The ‘pay as you burn, rather than as you earn’ proposal shows clear battle lines now being drawn up between Labour and the Tories over the environment – one of the main issues, along with family policy, that now divides them. Recent public opposition to national road-pricing suggests voters dislike government measures that restrict freedom of travel, leaving some Conservative MPs anxious about confronting the increasing love of cheap flights overseas. ..
(11 Mar 2007)
EU sees light on Turnbull’s bulb proposal
Peter Wilson, News Corp
European leaders governing 490 million people have decided to follow Australia’s lead and replace old-fashioned light bulbs with more energy-efficient bulbs.
The leaders of the European Union’s 27 member states agreed at an EU summit in Brussels to order European officials to “rapidly submit proposals” for phasing out the energy-wasting incandescent bulbs within two or three years.
Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern joined German government officials in crediting the Australian Government with the initiative, confirming the influence of Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s announcement last month that Australia would become the first country in the world to ban the old-style bulbs over the next three years. ..
(12 Mar 2007)
Despite the enthusiasm of Bertie Ahern and News Corporation, I can’t help thinking this: ’Energy-Saving Bulbs Near Tipping Point’ was more significant in EU’s decision than Malcolm Turnbull, former Goldman Sachs merchant banker now Environment Minister (also known as the Minister for Privatising Water).-LJ
Kyoto snub a tool for China
Stephen Lunn, The Australian
CHINA is using Australia’s refusal to ratify the Kyoto agreement as diplomatic leverage as it faces increasing pressure to step up efforts to tackle climate change, Kevin Rudd has warned.
Using a breakfast speech to The Global Foundation’s Australia Unlimited Roundtable to set out his vision for the future of Australia, the Opposition Leader made no bones about his view of the importance of China, and this country’s dependence on its booming economy. ..
Mr Rudd praised China’s commitments, made in a recent speech by Premier Wen Jiabao, to reduce pollution, and the Government’s decision to introduce a carbon-trading scheme along with greenhouse reduction measures in steel mills and power stations. But he sounded a warning about the climate diplomacy currently in play.
“In conversations I’ve had, Chinese ministers have used the United States and Australia’s non-participation in Kyoto as a diplomatic tool to ask why they should be under pressure to act,” Mr Rudd said. “We need to convince the United States to commit to making greater progress and ensure China is also part of the solution.” ..
(8 Mar 2007)
Contributor David Bell writes: Interesting development, it appears that China is now putting on notice that US and Australia either put up or shut up on this whole matter. Perhaps time for some moral leadership.
