Coal-fired power stations cost the European Union up to €42.8 billion a year in health costs associated with coal-fired power stations, a new report says. The study — ‘The Unpaid Health Bill: How coal power plants make us sick’ — also found that EU-wide impacts amount to more than 18,200 premature deaths, about 8,500 new … Continue reading Coal
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Xcel Energy on track to surpass CO2 reduction goal by 2020
Marking Earth Day Monday, investor-owned utility Xcel Energy said it had reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 16 percent, or 14 million tons, since it began a reduction strategy in its eight-state service territory in 2005. The company’s goal is to achieve a 20 percent CO2 reduction by 2020, and it said the latest projections … Continue reading Xcel Energy on track to surpass CO2 reduction goal by 2020
Continue readingEU Parliament fails to fix carbon market
“The European Parliament today voted against repairing the collapsing carbon market”, said Rémi Gruet, Senior Climate Advisor of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) in Brussels. “MEPs have voted against the polluter pays principle and putting a market-oriented price on carbon emissions”. “This makes the ETS irrelevant in Europe’s bid to reduce the use of … Continue reading EU Parliament fails to fix carbon market
Continue readingChina’s wind energy grew more than coal
China’s wind power production grew more than coal power production for the first time ever in 2012, according to statistics from the China Energy Council. Thermal power using mostly coal increased by only about 0.3% in China last year, the statistics noted, an addition of roughly 12 terawatt hours (TWh) more electricity. “In contrast, wind … Continue reading China’s wind energy grew more than coal
Continue readingChina to build unified low-carbon certification system
China will build a unified certification system for low-carbon products as part of its efforts to boost the consumption of green goods, according to the country’s top economic planner. An independent third-party agency will assess the carbon footprint of products and services and grant low-carbon certificates to those that have met certain requirements, according to … Continue reading China to build unified low-carbon certification system
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What can corporations do to help our climate? Invest in renewables!
It was predictable, but still disappointing: The Doha climate negotiations confirmed that the multilateral process to save our climate has stalled. We are not likely to see much movement from governments for many years to come. Unfortunately, though, the climate can
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Where Has All the Ice Gone?
As the earth warms, glaciers and ice sheets are melting and seas are rising. Over the last century, the global average sea level rose by 17 centimeters (7 inches). This century, as waters warm and ice continues to melt, seas are projected to rise nearly 2 meters (6 feet), inundating coastal cities worldwide, such as … Continue reading Where Has All the Ice Gone?
Continue readingTransition to low carbon future takes decades
The transition to a low-carbon and renewable energy future could take decades, and require changes in the electricity industry, a new study says. The report, presented at IHS CERAWEEK 2013, an international conference on energy issues, examined major energy transitions over the past 250 years. It also analyzed the factors that may drive changes in … Continue reading Transition to low carbon future takes decades
Continue readingWind energy reducing carbon emissions in E.U., Germany
A few press articles in recent weeks have discussed the fact that carbon emissions in Germany and the European Union have increased slightly over the last year or two because the country has shut down many of its nuclear power plants. It is important not to miss the forest for the trees, and to understand … Continue reading Wind energy reducing carbon emissions in E.U., Germany
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European Parliament takes step closer to boosting the price of CO2
The European Parliament’s Environment Committee yesterday voted in favour of a proposal that will help to fix Europe’s ailing Emissions Trading System (ETS). The proposal could see surplus “permits to pollute” withheld from the market – a move which should push the carbon price up, providing polluting industries with an incentive to move away from … Continue reading European Parliament takes step closer to boosting the price of CO2
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China to introduce a tax on carbon dioxide emissions
China will proactively introduce a set of new taxation policies designed to preserve the environment, including a tax on carbon dioxide emissions, according to a senior official with the Ministry of Finance (MOF). The government will collect the environmental protection tax instead of pollutant discharge fees, as well as levy a tax on carbon dioxide … Continue reading China to introduce a tax on carbon dioxide emissions
Continue readingWarmest Decade on Record Brings Weather Extremes
In recent years weather events have whiplashed between the extremes of heat and cold, flooding and drought. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases—largely from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas—have loaded up in the atmosphere, heating the planet and pushing humanity onto a climatic seesaw of weather irregularities. High-temperature records in many places … Continue reading Warmest Decade on Record Brings Weather Extremes
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2012 Sustained Long-Term Climate Warming Trend
NASA scientists say 2012 was the ninth warmest of any year since 1880, continuing a long-term trend of rising global temperatures. With the exception of 1988, the nine warmest years in the 132-year record all have occurred since 2000, with 2010 and 2005 ranking as the hottest years on record. NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space … Continue reading 2012 Sustained Long-Term Climate Warming Trend
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Ontario will close down all coal-fired electricity plants
Ontario, Canada’s most populous province with a population equivalent to Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales combined, has decided to abandon coal-fired electricity a year ahead of schedule. “The early closure is a result of Ontario’s strong conservation efforts, a smarter electricity grid and a diverse supply of cleaner energy,” Dalton McGuinty, Ontario’s Premier said. … Continue reading Ontario will close down all coal-fired electricity plants
Continue readingWind Energy continues to increase its contribution to the Ontario electricity system
CanWEA today applauded Premier Dalton McGuinty’s announcement that Ontario will fully abandon coal-fired electricity a year ahead of schedule. The province has reduced use of coal by 90 per cent since 2003 while at the same time bringing online 2,000 MW of clean, emissions-free wind energy. “The move to eliminate dirty coal from the provincial … Continue reading Wind Energy continues to increase its contribution to the Ontario electricity system
Continue readingAfter Doha, the world is left waiting for climate change action
Beyond an anaemic international agreement to extend the Kyoto Protocol to 2020, it is hard to see what positive momentum was achieved at the end of the two-week UN conference on climate change which ended on Saturday in Doha. While almost 195 nations did endorse the proposal to extend Kyoto past 2012, no new targets … Continue reading After Doha, the world is left waiting for climate change action
Continue readingWind energy should be given priority over fossil fuels – WWF
Wind energy and other renewable energies must be given immediate priority over fossil fuels and nuclear power if the EU is serious about its commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% by 2050, says a new report by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF). Without such action the EU will only manage a … Continue reading Wind energy should be given priority over fossil fuels – WWF
Continue readingQatar hosts climate talks
The 18th United Nations climate change conference has opened in Doha, the Qatari capital. Over the next two weeks, up to 17,000 people will attend the conference. Delegates will be negotiating a new global deal on climate, but there are ongoing tensions between rich and poor countries. The meeting elected the former Qatari energy minister Abdullah bin … Continue reading Qatar hosts climate talks
Continue readingWind power can help governments deal with accelerating climate change crisis
As delegates and observers get ready for the annual UN conference on climate change which begins next Monday in Doha, they will have lots of reports to consider as they being working towards the goal of extending the existing Kyoto Protocol designed to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. According to one of those studies, The … Continue reading Wind power can help governments deal with accelerating climate change crisis
Continue readingGreenhouse-Gas Concentrations Reach Record High
The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record high in 2011, according to a recent report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record high in 2011, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Between 1990 and 2011 there was a 30% … Continue reading Greenhouse-Gas Concentrations Reach Record High
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