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Sweden Targets 30% Cut in Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2020
2007-06-07 20:47:00
Scandinavian country sets strong targets exceeding EU goal Sweden is targeting at least a 30% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, beating the European Union goal of a 20% reduction (see previous post), according to Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren. Carlgren told the Swedish newspaper, Svenska Dagbladet, that since Sweden had pushed hard in the recent EU negotiations on the reduction target, that it would be unacceptable for the country to accept a lower goal. Sweden has already cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 7% from 1990 levels in it's efforts to meet Kyoto Protocol targets. The country's willingness to self-impose even more aggressive emissions reductions targets than those discussed by the EU contrasts with the positions of China (see previous post), India (see previous post) and the United States (see here) who remain opposed to mandatory reduction targets. Sweden has previously pledged to try to eliminate all fossil fuel use by 2020 (see previous post), ...
More About: Emissions , Greenhouse , Greenhouse Gas , Ouse

Eye on India: India Says Existing Efforts Will Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
2007-06-07 20:46:00
Country says existing energy plan will reduce emissions, but warns that mandatory targets would curb economic growth India s Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Prodipto Ghosh, said that the country s existing energy policy would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25% by 2020, Reuters reports. However, Ghosh also warned that pressure to set mandatory targets to curb global warming would hurt the developing nation's economic growth. India currently produces about 3% of total global anthropogenic carbon emissions, Reuters reports. Despite pressure from industrialized nations and environmental groups to cut emissions, India is not currently required under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce emissions - estimated to be rising by 2-3 percent annually. Prodipto Ghosh, India's environment secretary, told a news conference that India was an environmentally responsible country which actively enforced programs on energy efficiency and promotion of renewable energy, wh...
More About: Emissions , Greenhouse , Greenhouse Gas

Eye on India: India Says Existing Efforts Will Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
2007-06-07 20:46:00
Country says existing energy plan will reduce emissions, but warns that mandatory targets would curb economic growth India s Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Prodipto Ghosh, said that the country s existing energy policy would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25% by 2020, Reuters reports. However, Ghosh also warned that pressure to set mandatory targets to curb global warming would hurt the developing nation's economic growth. India currently produces about 3% of total global anthropogenic carbon emissions, Reuters reports. Despite pressure from industrialized nations and environmental groups to cut emissions, India is not currently required under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce emissions - estimated to be rising by 2-3 percent annually. Prodipto Ghosh, India's environment secretary, told a news conference that India was an environmentally responsible country which actively enforced programs on energy efficiency and promotion of renewable energy, wh...
More About: Emissions , Greenhouse , Greenhouse Gas , Fort

Eye on China: China Unveils Global Warming Plan
2007-06-07 20:43:00
Country vows to 'blaze new path to industrialization' through green energy investments but does not commit to greenhouse gas emissions targets; follows announcement of plans to increase nuclear power use 20-fold by 2030 According to the Guardian (UK), China unveiled its first national plan to address climate change on Monday, vowing to blaze a new path to industrialization. Despite a commitment to meeting a larger share of China's rapidly growing energy needs with more green power - wind, solar and hydropower - and increase energy efficiency and reforestation efforts, the world's second largest and fastest growing emitter of greenhouse gases refused to accept binding emissions reduction targets. The announcement of the 62-page action plan appeared aimed at deflecting criticism of China's growing emissions ahead of the G8+6 summit of major industrial nations held in Germany this week. Climate change and the future of international agreements aimed at addressing the challen...
More About: Global Warming , Global , Plan , Ming

Eye on China: China Unveils Global Warming Plan
2007-06-07 20:43:00
Country vows to 'blaze new path to industrialization' through green energy investments but does not commit to greenhouse gas emissions targets; follows announcement of plans to increase nuclear power use 20-fold by 2030 According to the Guardian (UK), China unveiled its first national plan to address climate change on Monday, vowing to blaze a new path to industrialization. Despite a commitment to meeting a larger share of China's rapidly growing energy needs with more green power - wind, solar and hydropower - and increase energy efficiency and reforestation efforts, the world's second largest and fastest growing emitter of greenhouse gases refused to accept binding emissions reduction targets. The announcement of the 62-page action plan appeared aimed at deflecting criticism of China's growing emissions ahead of the G8+6 summit of major industrial nations held in Germany this week. Climate change and the future of international agreements aimed at addressing the challen...
More About: Global Warming , Global , Plan

Our Coal-Fired Future
2007-06-06 19:27:00
Introduction I have stated on several occasions that I believe global warming is a greater immediate threat than Peak Oil. As long as the demand is there, energy companies will strive to supply fuel to the marketplace. To meet the demand, we will develop tar sands, while consuming enormous quantities of natural gas. We will turn natural gas (or even coal) indirectly (and inefficiently) into corn ethanol. Finally, we will turn vast quantities of carbon into fuel via what I term XTL technologies. XTL technologies consist of a partial oxidation (POX) reaction followed by the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reaction. When the POX feedstock is natural gas, this is referred to as a gas-to-liquids (GTL) process. If the feedstock is coal or biomass, this is referred to as CTL, or BTL respectively. I won't go into a detailed explanation of the POX and FT reactions. What I will give is a quick, layman?s overview. When a hydrocarbon material is burned (e.g. natural gas, coal, biomass, etc.), it can ...
More About: Future , Coal , Fired

Our Coal-Fired Future
2007-06-06 19:27:00
Introduction I have stated on several occasions that I believe global warming is a greater immediate threat than Peak Oil. As long as the demand is there, energy companies will strive to supply fuel to the marketplace. To meet the demand, we will develop tar sands, while consuming enormous quantities of natural gas. We will turn natural gas (or even coal) indirectly (and inefficiently) into corn ethanol. Finally, we will turn vast quantities of carbon into fuel via what I term XTL technologies. XTL technologies consist of a partial oxidation (POX) reaction followed by the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reaction. When the POX feedstock is natural gas, this is referred to as a gas-to-liquids (GTL) process. If the feedstock is coal or biomass, this is referred to as CTL, or BTL respectively. I won't go into a detailed explanation of the POX and FT reactions. What I will give is a quick, layman?s overview. When a hydrocarbon material is burned (e.g. natural gas, coal, biomass, etc.), it can ...
More About: Future , Coal , Fired

Hard Versus Soft Action In Global Climate Change
2007-06-06 02:10:00
As any market grows, investors will tell you, from the first hardy entrepeneurial pioneers into wide acceptance and wider investment, so grows the probability of fraudulent or negligible entries into the market.? The Dotcom boom could be a textbook example, where only a fraction of the companies offering IPOs at the height of investment are still in business today.? Today, however, a new sort of market is emerging that is going to offer returns on investment, not of dollars but of peace-of-mind.? Companies that sell carbon offsets are on the rise, but does that mean that the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere slowing??? Probably not, at this point.? For now, the offset companies that are in business are catering to the moneyed elite, offering a salve to consciences for things like flying around in one's private jet, driving that gas-guzzling Hummer, or air-conditioning all 12,000 square feet of your mansion when you're out flying in the jet or driving the Hummer.? But wi...
More About: Action , Climate Change , Climate , Change , Global

Hard Versus Soft Action In Global Climate Change
2007-06-06 02:10:00
As any market grows, investors will tell you, from the first hardy entrepeneurial pioneers into wide acceptance and wider investment, so grows the probability of fraudulent or negligible entries into the market.? The Dotcom boom could be a textbook example, where only a fraction of the companies offering IPOs at the height of investment are still in business today.? Today, however, a new sort of market is emerging that is going to offer returns on investment, not of dollars but of peace-of-mind.? Companies that sell carbon offsets are on the rise, but does that mean that the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere slowing??? Probably not, at this point.? For now, the offset companies that are in business are catering to the moneyed elite, offering a salve to consciences for things like flying around in one's private jet, driving that gas-guzzling Hummer, or air-conditioning all 12,000 square feet of your mansion when you're out flying in the jet or driving the Hummer.? But wi...
More About: Action , Climate Change , Climate , Change , Global