Archive for May, 2007

Three cheers for trees.

Tuesday, May 15th, 2007

There’s a remarkable amount of indifference towards forestry projects in the carbon offsets industry. Greenpeace for example, in conversation with me last year, confirmed they have no interest in forestry, preferring to put their money into alternative energy projects. The ‘Gold Standard’ for carbon credits specifically excludes forestry projects. At a meeting [...]

How to talk to a climate change sceptic

Sunday, May 13th, 2007

We’ve been getting quite a few emails lately asking, indeed demanding, that we add a page to our website explaining the ‘other side of the argument’ with respect to climate change. Everyone knows a climate-change sceptic and sometimes their arguments seem to make some sense. Environmental news blog Gristmill have compiled a fantastic [...]

Mercury fears in Low Energy Lights unfounded.

Saturday, May 12th, 2007

I was in a taxi the other day and the chap on the radio was going on about how low energy light bulbs contain mercury and how some poor woman broke one and was supposedly faced with a US$2000 clean up bill by a gang of people in those white suits you see in the [...]

News Corp carbon neutral by 2010

Thursday, May 10th, 2007

“We must transform the way we use energy … this is about changing the DNA of our business.” - Rupert Murdoch.
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation is self-reporting News Corp carbon neutral by 2010.
NEWS Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch has announced a dramatic shake-up to make all the company’s businesses carbon neutral within the next four years, to [...]

Bangladesh watches in horror as much of the nation gives way to sea

Wednesday, May 9th, 2007

The Chicago Tribune is reporting The first refugees of global warming (free registration required.)
Muhammad Ali, a wiry 65-year-old, has never driven a car, run an air conditioner or done much of anything that produces greenhouse gases. But on a warming planet, he is on the verge of becoming a climate refugee.
In the past 10 years [...]

Australian budget no friend to the environment.

Wednesday, May 9th, 2007

The Australian federal budget for the next year has been released and it’s mostly all about tax cuts in the lead-up to this year’s federal election. The Sydney Morning Herald dissects it with Tax cuts for all but battlers first. However,
There were no major new initiatives in the budget to address climate change, [...]

A green guide for tenants

Tuesday, May 8th, 2007

Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald is reporting an issue near and dear to my heart, A green guide for tenants.
Public concern about climate change has been reliably shadowed by a flood of fix-it suggestions for householders who want to do their bit. But many of these come with a hefty price tag. Insulation, water tanks and [...]

Travel less and offset flights pleads travel-publishing pioneer.

Monday, May 7th, 2007

In the UK The Independent is reporting ‘£100 tax on short-haul flights’
There is no such thing as an “ethical” or “responsible” holiday. So says Mark Ellingham, founder of the Rough Guides, whose remarkable counterblast against modern travel was reported last night.
Comparing our current addiction to what he called “binge-flying” with the damage caused by the [...]

Getting Stern about climate change down-under.

Monday, May 7th, 2007

The Australian, is running a story ‘Our Stern’ in for a fight.
The policy and strategic flaws of the Howard Government have been exposed this week with the appointment by ALP leader Kevin Rudd of Australian National University economics professor Ross Garnaut to produce Australia’s version of the Stern report. This is what John Howard should [...]

CO2 free ‘Crude’.

Friday, May 4th, 2007

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is about to screen Crude at 8:30pm Thursday, 24 May 2007 in Australia.
From the food on our tables to the fuel in our cars, crude oil seeps invisibly into almost every part of our modern lives. It is the energy source and raw material that drives transport and the economy. Yet [...]