‘Academics urge radical new approach to climate change’

THE BBC – 11/05/2010

A group of 14 academics from Europe, North America and Japan have produced a report, the Hartwell Paper, arguing that climate change can best be ameliorated by pursuing ‘politically attractive and relentlessly pragmatic options that also curb emissions’. They highlight that the failure of the UN process and the ‘ClimateGate’ issue necessitate a significant reframing of the climate change issue. One of the authors, Mike Hulme, writes ‘climate change has been represented as a conventional environmental ‘problem’ that is capable of being ‘solved’. It is neither of these. Yet this framing has locked the world into the rigid agenda that brought us to the dead end of Kyoto, with no evidence of any discernable acceleration of decarbonisation whatsoever’. The group advocate an initial focus on short-term fixes for greenhouse gases or other warming agents, such as black carbon, followed by the implementation of a hypothecated carbon tax in developed economies to fund the research, development and roll-out of low carbon energy technologies. Meanwhile, rather than providing new climate adaptation funds to developing countries, all developed countries should be bound to meet the internationally agreed target of contributing 0.7% of their GDP to overseas aid.

Others, such as the German Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, however, argue that ‘the paper’s focus away from CO2 is misguided, short-sighted and probably wrong’.

Read the article…

‘Carbon tax on home fuel comes into force’

IRISH TIMES – 01/05/2010

The Irish carbon tax on domestic heating oil has been implemented, applying to kerosene, natural gas, marked gas oil, liquid petroleum gas and fuel oil. Despite criticisms from business, farming groups and groups campaigning for the elderly, the Irish Government has defended the tax arguing that the revenues raised would be used to reduce taxes in other areas. It is proposed that €40 million will be spent on insulating social housing this year, and a further €90 million allocated to the national home retrofit programme. Read the article…

‘Cohn: Time to revisit the dreaded carbon tax’

THE STAR – 04/10/2010

This article comments on the delays in putting environmental pledges into action across America, Australia and Canada. It indicates increasing calls in both America and Australia for carbon levies/taxes rather than cap and trade schemes in light of the current economic situation, but highlights the difficulties faced by Stéphane Dion in Canada when he tried to win an election campaign whilst promising the introduction of a ‘Green Shift’. Having said that, British Columbia Premier, Gordon Campbell was re-elected last year following the implementation of such a tax. The article emphasises the simplicity of a carbon tax and calls for Canadian politicians to revisit the proposal; ‘rebrand it, rename it, recycle it. Call it an ‘interim carbon levy’ or a ‘pollution surtax’’. Read the article…

‘Carbon tax likely, expert forecasts’

CHINA DAILY – 10/05/2010

Jiang Kejun, Senior Researcher with the Energy Research Institute in China, has predicted that China will start levying a carbon tax and increasing fossil fuel prices for the next five years in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and may also levy other environmental and resource taxes. At the same time, China will dramatically increase subsidies in support of low-carbon technology R&D. Wind power, solar energy, biomass and electric vehicles are thought to be the preferred investments. Read the article…

‘Fuel poverty aims ‘to be missed’’

THE BBC – 30/03/2010

A report by the Energy and Climate Change Committee has indicated that the government is on course to fail to meet its targets on reducing fuel poverty. Committee chair, Padding Tipping, emphasised that ‘one of the reasons tackling fuel poverty is so difficult is that the government does not have a clear idea about who the fuel poor are’. The committee suggested the government should consider a fixed discount on fuel for pensioners and those with serious illness. They concluded that improving energy efficiency in homes was the most effective way to cut bills and lift people out of fuel poverty, and called for ‘street-by-street’ programmes to install measures such as insulation. The report also calls for a detailed road map that sets out how the government will meet the 2016 target. Read the article….