Bloomberg/Businessweek has got a copy of another useless UN global warming "report":
The cost of containing rising temperatures to safe levels may reach 4 percent of economic output by 2030, according to a draft United Nations report designed to influence talks for a global-warming treaty.
Most scenarios that meet the 2-degree Celsius (3.6-degree Fahrenheit) cap on global warming that world leaders endorse require a 40 percent to 70 percent reduction in heat-trapping gases by 2050 from 2010 levels, according to the third installment of the UN’s biggest-ever study of climate change. The world would need to triple the share of renewables, nuclear power and carbon-capture and storage to meet that.
“This report shows that 2 degrees is still technically possible and ought to remain the primary policy target” for climate negotiations that intend to produce a global agreement in 2015, said Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics
PS
The good thing is of course, that this enormous waste of (taxpayers') money will never happen. By 2030 people (including climate scientists) will laugh at this pseudo-scientific UN nonsense. Unfortunately, before that, more than enough money will most likely be wasted on senseless global warming "projects".
Friday, 17 January 2014
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Inspector Clouseau's message to David Cameron
 |
| UK membership of the EU: Clouseau is on the case |
Finland's inspector Clouseau - Europe minister Alexander Stubb - is offering his advise to David Cameron:
“You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to understand that it is in the interest of the United Kingdom to remain a steadfast member of the European Union,” Stubb said. For the U.K. even to contemplate leaving would be “simply silly,” he said.
Monday, 13 January 2014
Reality overtakes hype: "Green" Germany returns to coal - "wind and solar power production effectively stopped in early December"
Reality has overtaken hype in Germany, which has been marketing itself as a world leader in "green energy":
IT'S been a black Christmas for green thinkers as Germany, the world leader in rooftop solar and pride of the renewable energy revolution has confirmed its rapid return to coal. --
Countries such as Germany that have been most outspoken about climate change mitigation are reporting increasing carbon emissions and rising energy costs.
The US - derided by environmental campaigners as too slow to respond to the climate change challenge - has reduced its carbon emissions significantly while simultaneously lowering energy prices, fuelling a much needed resurgence in manufacturing.
The divergence has come about largely because while Europe has pushed headlong into renewables with generous public subsidies, the US has harnessed new technology to unlock vast resources of unconventional oil and gas.
This meant in 2012 the US spent about one-third as much as the EU on renewable energy subsidies, $21 billion against $57bn, according to IEA figures.
It all adds an ironic twist to the campaign mounted against the US by European nations for its refusal to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol to cut carbon dioxide emissions.
While the German wind and solar energy lobbies have been busy peddling the "success" of their subsidized production facilities, the reality on the ground looked somewhat different in early December:
The scale of the "intermittency" problem for renewables - and the problem it presents for policymakers and energy consumers - was outlined in Die Welt, which reported that Germany's wind and solar power production effectively stopped in early December.
"More than 23,000 wind turbines stood still," it said. "One million photovoltaic systems stopped work completely.
"For a whole week, coal, nuclear and gas power plants had to generate an estimated 95 per cent of Germany's electricity supply."
The doldrums are the flip side to the triumphant statements from renewable energy companies when production figures spike in times of favourable weather.
This is a primary reason why political support for renewables is starting to wear thin. Indications are a Europe-wide squeeze is on, with the European Commission reportedly preparing to order an end to price subsidies for wind and solar by the end of the decade.
According to Britain's The Telegraph, the commission, which oversees the European single market, is preparing to argue that the onshore wind and solar power industries are mature and should be allowed to operate without support from taxpayers.
Frustration is also increasing at the costly failure of several multi-billion-dollar offshore wind farm developments which had once been widely touted as the future of renewable power.
Read the entire article here
IT'S been a black Christmas for green thinkers as Germany, the world leader in rooftop solar and pride of the renewable energy revolution has confirmed its rapid return to coal. --
Countries such as Germany that have been most outspoken about climate change mitigation are reporting increasing carbon emissions and rising energy costs.
The US - derided by environmental campaigners as too slow to respond to the climate change challenge - has reduced its carbon emissions significantly while simultaneously lowering energy prices, fuelling a much needed resurgence in manufacturing.
The divergence has come about largely because while Europe has pushed headlong into renewables with generous public subsidies, the US has harnessed new technology to unlock vast resources of unconventional oil and gas.
This meant in 2012 the US spent about one-third as much as the EU on renewable energy subsidies, $21 billion against $57bn, according to IEA figures.
It all adds an ironic twist to the campaign mounted against the US by European nations for its refusal to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol to cut carbon dioxide emissions.
While the German wind and solar energy lobbies have been busy peddling the "success" of their subsidized production facilities, the reality on the ground looked somewhat different in early December:
The scale of the "intermittency" problem for renewables - and the problem it presents for policymakers and energy consumers - was outlined in Die Welt, which reported that Germany's wind and solar power production effectively stopped in early December.
"More than 23,000 wind turbines stood still," it said. "One million photovoltaic systems stopped work completely.
"For a whole week, coal, nuclear and gas power plants had to generate an estimated 95 per cent of Germany's electricity supply."
The doldrums are the flip side to the triumphant statements from renewable energy companies when production figures spike in times of favourable weather.
This is a primary reason why political support for renewables is starting to wear thin. Indications are a Europe-wide squeeze is on, with the European Commission reportedly preparing to order an end to price subsidies for wind and solar by the end of the decade.
According to Britain's The Telegraph, the commission, which oversees the European single market, is preparing to argue that the onshore wind and solar power industries are mature and should be allowed to operate without support from taxpayers.
Frustration is also increasing at the costly failure of several multi-billion-dollar offshore wind farm developments which had once been widely touted as the future of renewable power.
Read the entire article here
Friday, 10 January 2014
Environmental news from France: President Francois Hollande's scooter
(image by wiki)
The latest environmental news from France:
Closer, echoing reports published on various websites in recent days, said Hollande routinely drives through Paris on his scooter to spend the night with his 41-year-old mistress.
Shouldn't France's socialist president Francois Hollande at least be complimented for using an environmentally friendly mode of transport during his nightly escapades?
Perhaps not:
When it comes to emissions of nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons – so-called smog-forming pollutants – motorcycles and scooters emit many times more per kilometre than cars and trucks. 2 stroke scooters are much worse than 4 stroke scooters when it comes to smog forming pollutants and, when it comes to smog, are worse than most cars.
In short, scooters produce fewer greenhouse gasses (GHG’s) than automobiles and GHG’s are the primary enemy of climate change. But scooters produce a lot more smog forming emissions than an automobile. These are the emissions that put a haze in the air and provide poor air quality for breathing.
 |
| Model AMCA Troupes Aeról Portées Mle. 56 - modified by the French military that incorporated an anti tank weapon. It is not known whether M. Hollande uses a modernized version of this French military vehicle. |
The latest environmental news from France:
Closer, echoing reports published on various websites in recent days, said Hollande routinely drives through Paris on his scooter to spend the night with his 41-year-old mistress.
Shouldn't France's socialist president Francois Hollande at least be complimented for using an environmentally friendly mode of transport during his nightly escapades?
Perhaps not:
When it comes to emissions of nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons – so-called smog-forming pollutants – motorcycles and scooters emit many times more per kilometre than cars and trucks. 2 stroke scooters are much worse than 4 stroke scooters when it comes to smog forming pollutants and, when it comes to smog, are worse than most cars.
In short, scooters produce fewer greenhouse gasses (GHG’s) than automobiles and GHG’s are the primary enemy of climate change. But scooters produce a lot more smog forming emissions than an automobile. These are the emissions that put a haze in the air and provide poor air quality for breathing.
Germany's new foreign minister on a EU charm offensive
 |
| Steinmeier at his most charming |
On Tuesday this week Germany's new socialist foreign minister told journalists in Brussels that he would launch a new EU charm offensive:
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday he hoped to rectify his country's image in Europe
On Thursday Herr Steinmeier apparently launched his charm offensive:
"We must not avoid confrontation with populists, nationalists, with these brainless people who call themselves eurosceptics"
We are looking forward to the next steps in the Steinmeier charm offensive ...
Thursday, 9 January 2014
David Cameron incorrectly links storms to climate change
This might be a good reason for David Cameron to fire his scientific adviser - if he has one:
In response to a question from Tim Farron during Prime Minister's Questions in which the Liberal Democrat MP suggested the recent weather was a "destructive and inevitable consequence, at least in part, of climate change", Mr Cameron said: "I agree with my honourable friend that we are seeing more abnormal weather events.
“Colleagues across the house can argue about whether that is linked to climate change or not. I very much suspect that it is.”
The alarmist Met Office had to correct the PM:
But Nicola Maxey from the Met Office said there was a crucial distinction between weather and climate change.
“What happened at the end of December and at the beginning of January is weather,” she said.
“Climate change happens on a global scale, and weather happens at a local scale. Climate scientists have been saying that for quite a while.
“At the moment there's no evidence to suggest that these storms are more intense because of climate change.
In response to a question from Tim Farron during Prime Minister's Questions in which the Liberal Democrat MP suggested the recent weather was a "destructive and inevitable consequence, at least in part, of climate change", Mr Cameron said: "I agree with my honourable friend that we are seeing more abnormal weather events.
“Colleagues across the house can argue about whether that is linked to climate change or not. I very much suspect that it is.”
The alarmist Met Office had to correct the PM:
But Nicola Maxey from the Met Office said there was a crucial distinction between weather and climate change.
“What happened at the end of December and at the beginning of January is weather,” she said.
“Climate change happens on a global scale, and weather happens at a local scale. Climate scientists have been saying that for quite a while.
“At the moment there's no evidence to suggest that these storms are more intense because of climate change.
EU Commission vice president Viviane Reding: "We need to build a United States of Europe with the Commission as government"
Of course we have already known for long what the overpaid, useless top eurocrats in Brussels want. But with regard to the forthcoming European elections, it's good that one of them declared it openly - it makes it easier to vote against their megalomaniac plans.
So, thank you very much for your kind assistance, Mrs Reding! Hopefully you will continue spreading the message!
A campaign for the European Union to become a "United States of Europe" will be the "best weapon against the Eurosceptics", one of Brussels' most senior officials has said.
So, thank you very much for your kind assistance, Mrs Reding! Hopefully you will continue spreading the message!
A campaign for the European Union to become a "United States of Europe" will be the "best weapon against the Eurosceptics", one of Brussels' most senior officials has said.
Viviane Reding, vice president of the European Commission and the longest serving Brussels commissioner, has called for "a true political union" to be put on the agenda for EU elections this spring.
"We need to build a United States of Europe with the Commission as government and two chambers – the European Parliament and a "Senate" of Member States," she said.
Mrs Reding's vision, which is shared by many in the European institutions, would transform the EU into superstate relegating national governments and parliaments to a minor political role equivalent to that played by local councils in Britain.
Under her plan, the commission would have supremacy over governments and MEPs in the European Parliament would supersede the sovereignty of MPs in the House of Commons.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)