Kyoto II climate treaty coming in 2015 — And taxpayers are paying environmental groups to design it!
…Flashback 2011: We’re All North Koreans Now: ‘Era of Constant Electricity at Home is Ending, says UK power chief’ — ‘Families would have to get used to only using power when it was available’
UK govt preps World War 2 energy rationing to keep the lights on – ‘Energy plants were closed due to compliance with EU environmental regulations’
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/10/uk_preps_ww2style_energy_rationing/…
Forget Green Hype: Europe To Subsidise Exports Of Coal-Fired Power Plants
Forget Green Hype: Europe To Subsidise Exports Of Coal-Fired Power Plants
http://www.thegwpf.org/forget-green-hype-europe-to-subsidise-exports-of-coal-fired-power-plants/
European makers of coal-fired power plants should get financial help to export the equipment, an EU policy paper seen by Reuters says, flying in the face of environmental opposition to any form of subsidy for coal.
Coal is the most polluting fossil fuel, emitting around twice as much carbon dioxide as gas when used to generate power.
As a result, the European Union is phasing out subsidies for domestic coal plants by 2018 in line with its efforts to take a global lead in the fight against climate change.
But a paper prepared by officials from the European Commission trade department says export credits, or preferential loans to help cover exports costs, should be continued for the most modern coal plant technology.
“It has to be recognised that at a global level, coal as an important source of energy production is not going to disappear immediately,” says the paper circulated among representatives of EU member states.
“The EU delegation would consider it logical to try to see how the OECD export credit community can create incentives to ensure that this continued use of coal as an energy source is at least done in the most climate-friendly way possible,” it said, referring to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The Commission, the EU executive, does not comment on unpublished documents.
An EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the policy paper was informal, but had received positive reactions from “most member states”.
The diplomat added the OECD export credit group would debate the issue later this month. The Paris-based OECD was not immediately available for comment.
The size of the credits are not huge, but environmental campaigners say any financing for coal should stop.
In an April briefing paper on coal finance, the World Wildlife Fund conservation group said countries around the world provided $7 billion over the period 2007-2013 for developing coal overseas.
Of this, export credit preferential loans accounted for some $5 billion, with Germany, followed by France, being the biggest providers in Europe.
Full story…
It’s All Over: EU Commission Backs Down On Carbon Tax On Aviation
It’s All Over: EU Commission Backs Down On Carbon Tax On Aviation
http://www.thegwpf.org/its-all-over-eu-commission-backs-down-on-carbon-tax-on-aviation/
The European Commission urged the bloc’s Parliament to exempt international flights from paying for their carbon emissions yesterday (2 April), retreating from its own proposal on the eve of a binding vote amid pressure from national governments.
In a late night debate in the Brussels parliamentary chamber, Europe’s climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard told members to back a weakened compromise rather than her own agency’s proposal to regulate the portion of international flights over EU territory.
“Without doubt the Commission would of course have preferred and fought for a higher level of ambition…. it would’ve been better for Europe’s self-respect and reputation, and even more important, for the climate. But we are where we are,” said Hedegaard.
In 2012, the European Union started charging all airlines for emissions for the full duration of their flights into and out of the bloc via its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). But, after complaints from major economies including the United States and China, confined application to domestic EU flights only for one year, in order to give the United Nations time to craft a global alternative.
Last September, nearly 190 nations at UN aviation body ICAO agreed to design a worldwide scheme to limit aviation emissions by 2016, but rejected letting Europe apply its own plans in the meantime.
Just weeks after the ICAO meeting, the European Commission insisted Europe was within its rights to regulate within its own airspace, and proposed extending the regulation to also cover the portion of international flights over EU territory.
EU member states came out against the plan, fearing it will re-ignite tensions with major trading partners, and hamper progress toward the global aviation emissions deal.
The EU Parliament has been more divided, with some lawmakers urging Europe not to bow to international pressure and to help hold the ICAO to its pledge to ready the global agreement.
The centre-right European People’s Party, the biggest grouping in the European Parliament, with nearly a third of its 766 seats, wants to keep international flights exempt, while the second-placed Socialists and third-ranked Liberals were split ahead of the vote.
Full story
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Unborn Babies Incinerated To Heat UK Hospitals
Unborn Babies Incinerated To Heat UK Hospitals
http://www.thegwpf.org/unborn-babies-incinerated-to-heat-uk-hospitals/
The remains of more than 15,000 babies were incinerated as ‘clinical waste’ by hospitals in Britain with some used in ‘waste to energy’ plants.
The bodies of thousands of aborted and miscarried babies were incinerated as clinical waste, with some even used to heat hospitals, an investigation has found.
Ten NHS trusts have admitted burning foetal remains alongside other rubbish while two others used the bodies in ‘waste-to-energy’ plants which generate power for heat.
Last night the Department of Health issued an instant ban on the practice which health minister Dr Dan Poulter branded ‘totally unacceptable.’
At least 15,500 foetal remains were incinerated by 27 NHS trusts over the last two years alone, Channel 4’s Dispatches discovered.
The programme, which will air tonight, found that parents who lose children in early pregnancy were often treated without compassion and were not consulted about what they wanted to happen to the remains.
One of the country’s leading hospitals, Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge, incinerated 797 babies below 13 weeks gestation at their own ‘waste to energy’ plant. The mothers were told the remains had been ‘cremated.’
Another ‘waste to energy’ facility at Ipswich Hospital, operated by a private contractor, incinerated 1,101 foetal remains between 2011 and 2013.
They were brought in from another hospital before being burned, generating energy for the hospital site. Ipswich Hospital itself disposes of remains by cremation.
“This practice is totally unacceptable,” said Dr Poulter.
“While the vast majority of hospitals are acting in the appropriate way, that must be the case for all hospitals and the Human Tissue Authority has now been asked to ensure that it acts on this issue without delay.”
Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS Medical Director, has written to all NHS trusts to tell them the practice must stop.
Full story
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Britain To Freeze Carbon Tax As Energy Cost Becomes Biggest Worry For Voters
Britain To Freeze Carbon Tax As Energy Cost Becomes Biggest Worry For Voters
http://www.thegwpf.org/britain-to-freeze-carbon-tax-as-energy-cost-becomes-biggest-worry-for-voters/
Consumers could be spared further rises in energy bills, if the chancellor freezes his controversial carbon tax in Wednesday’s Budget. A BBC survey, meanwhile, has suggested that energy bills are the top worry for consumers.
It is being widely predicted that George Osborne may decide to abandon any further increases in the Carbon Price Floor, introduced in April 2013.
Any freeze in the tax could cut as much as £50 from consumer bills by 2020.
Meanwhile, a BBC survey has suggested that energy bills are the biggest worry for households.
The Carbon Price Floor (CPF) is designed to penalise companies who create pollution, and to encourage investment in green energy.
The merits of freezing the tax have been advocated by an unusual array of allies, including the CBI, manufacturers’ organisation the EEF, energy suppliers and consumer groups including Which? and Consumer Futures.
However, those in favour of more investment in green energy are likely to be disappointed. Environmentalists say it could mean fewer wind turbines or solar farms being constructed.
‘Unnecessary burden’
The Carbon Price Floor (CPF) ensures that polluters pay a minimum price for the gas or fossil fuels they burn.
In effect, it is a surcharge on the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EETS), which was designed to tax polluters across the EU.
However, the market price of the right to emit carbon has fallen so much that the EETS is no longer as strong a disincentive to pollute as it was.
But the implementation of the CPF has left many big British companies paying more in tax than their counterparts elsewhere in the EU.
Last year, the CPF added £5 to a typical UK energy bill, according to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
But as the tax is due to be ramped up over the next few years, so too is the contribution from consumers.
“The Carbon Price Floor is set to become a bigger and unnecessary burden on struggling consumers in coming years and we think it should be scrapped,” said Richard Lloyd, the executive director of Which?
‘Worry’
A BBC survey, meanwhile, has suggested that energy bills are the top worry for consumers.
The survey, conducted by ComRes for BBC Breakfast, concluded that more people worry about paying utility bills or council tax than any other household expenditure.
The …
Europe Joins the U.S. in Rejecting Global Warming Fears! EU citizens disagree that ‘climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the modern age’
Lomborg:
The whole report, from Eurobarometer fall 2013, shows a lot of other interesting facts. Perhaps surprisingly, the only countries that seem to worry even remotely about global warming are Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Malta (global warming is 3rd or 4th most important). Perhaps not so surprisingly, these are also the countries that are feeling the least worried about their economy.
So, when you’re rich and unconcerned, you can allow yourself to also worry a bit about global warming. But otherwise, you care about more immediate issues.
EU quote from http://ec.europa.eu/
Report here: http://ec.europa.eu/
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