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5-6 October 2013 | 92 comments (92 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Living off the Planet (none / 0)
LIVING OFF THE PLANET
Environment, Energy, Agriculture, Food


*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Sat Oct 5th, 2013 at 05:50:15 AM EST
Re: Living off the Planet (none / 1)
UN aviation body reaches consensus on emissions deal | EurActiv
The UN's civil aviation body reached consensus on 3 October for a roadmap to decide to create a market-based scheme curbing aviation emissions by 2020, but rejected an EU proposal allowing it to apply its Emissions Trading System (ETS) to foreign airlines in the interim.


*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Sat Oct 5th, 2013 at 05:50:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (none / 0)
That's not a concensus, it's a defeat. A black day for the planet, to be followed by decades of prevarication.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Sun Oct 6th, 2013 at 03:08:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (none / 0)
When 'agree to disagree' is 'a consensus'.

In the Neurozone, there can be only one.
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Oct 6th, 2013 at 03:47:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (none / 0)
But there is no "agree to disagree". The EU wanted to impose a tax without waiting for 2020; and is not allowed to do so. Who said the UN is powerless?

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Sun Oct 6th, 2013 at 04:13:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (none / 0)
Well, to quote Satu Hassi:

UN aviation body reaches consensus on emissions deal | EurActiv

The EU must now stand firm and stick by its original plans on aviation emissions. We should not dismantle effective climate policy instruments in exchange for a vague promise on a global scheme in the distant future without guarantees of environmental integrity or ambition.


Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se
by A swedish kind of death on Sun Oct 6th, 2013 at 04:25:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (none / 0)
Which is what he should be saying. But he is only a Green MEP. And remember, the EU parliament already instituted the tax, and was shot down in flames by China et al, who promised a major trade war. What has changed since then?

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Sun Oct 6th, 2013 at 05:09:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (none / 0)
Well, nothing I guess.

But there you have the real power, which rests in China et al, not the UN. Or would China et al withdrawn their treath with major trade war if EU had managed to get its way on this panel?

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Sun Oct 6th, 2013 at 05:28:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (4.00 / 2)
US surpasses Russia as world's top oil and natural gas producer | Business | theguardian.com

The US was on pace to achieve global energy domination on Friday, overtaking Russia and Saudi Arabia as the world's top oil and natural gas producer.

New estimates released on Friday by the Energy Information Administration showed America pulling ahead of both countries in oil and natural gas production for 2013.

The rise to the top was fuelled by new drilling techniques, such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, which have unlocked vast quantities of oil and gas from shale rock formations - especially in North Dakota and Texas.



*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Sat Oct 5th, 2013 at 05:50:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (4.00 / 2)
Fracking produces annual toxic waste water enough to flood Washington DC | Environment | theguardian.com

Fracking in America generated 280bn US gallons of toxic waste water last year - enough to flood all of Washington DC beneath a 22ft deep toxic lagoon, a new report out on Thursday found.

The report from campaign group Environment America said America's transformation into an energy superpower was exacting growing costs on the environment.

"Our analysis shows that damage from fracking is widespread and occurs on a scale unimagined just a few years ago," the report, Fracking by the Numbers, said.



*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Sat Oct 5th, 2013 at 05:50:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (none / 0)
Sometimes people forget how big the U.S. is, area-wise--and how much concentrated wealth there is to buy property. The entire District of Columbia is smaller than many, many privately owned ranches.

The King Ranch in Texas is 3340 square kilometers. One guy owns 2.2 million acres (about 9000 sq km) of property, bigger than a couple of states. If pollution from fracking were really to become a problem, it would be trivially easy for these guys to buy a "ranch" in Nevada or Texas or some other god-forsaken backwater and just put it all in a "pond."

Sort of like we were trying to do with nuclear waste there for a while...

http://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-private-landowners-2013-10

by asdf on Sun Oct 6th, 2013 at 11:56:47 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (none / 1)
"Global energy domination" my arse. The US is the biggest producer. The US is also the biggest consumerer, and still one of the biggest importers.

Slightly less powerless, no doubt. Still largely dependent on the actions of the dominant players in the international energy market, viz. KSA and Russia.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Sun Oct 6th, 2013 at 04:16:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (4.00 / 2)
Spanish coast hit by waves of earth tremors linked to huge offshore gas storage plant - Europe - World - The Independent

Thousands of Spanish homeowners on a 200km stretch of Mediterranean coastline have suffered a month of sleepless nights after a wave of minor earthquakes. Many people, including the country's Minister of Industry, say a massive offshore gas storage plant could be to blame.

More than 300 earthquakes, some of them as strong as 4.2 on the Richter scale, have struck the region of northern Valencia and the southern tip of Catalonia, which is not known for seismic activity. More than 20 quakes struck on Wednesday night alone.



*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Sat Oct 5th, 2013 at 05:51:21 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (4.00 / 3)
Climate Council raises $1m through itObama-style fundraising drive | Environment | theguardian.com

The climate change expert Professor Tim Flannery's "Obama-style" campaign to raise cash for a new Climate Council has generated $1m.

Flannery was sacked as head of the federal government's Climate Commission when the prime minister, Tony Abbott, announced he was abolishing the body to save money.

It was set up two years ago by the former Labor government to increase public awareness of climate change science.

The commission once had $1.6m in annual taxpayer funding at its disposal but the new council is relying entirely on donations generated through an "Obama-style" online fundraising drive.



*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Sat Oct 5th, 2013 at 05:51:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (4.00 / 3)
Global warming sceptics using media campaign to discredit IPCC | Bob Ward | Environment | theguardian.com

Lord Lawson's campaign group for climate change sceptics, the Global Warming Policy Foundation, has been executing a carefully co-ordinated campaign with its media and political allies to discredit and misrepresent the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

...As leaked internal documents revealed last year, Heartland has been paying retired scientists to produce a campaign document for sceptics under the title of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change.

Two of its authors, Fred Singer and Robert Carter, were invited to London for the Civitas press conference and to exploit the practice by some editors to create a "false balance" by putting up a sceptic to counter the view of climate researchers.

The BBC jumped at the chance and Carter and Singer were soon touring the studios at Broadcasting House giving back-to-back interviews. Radio 4's The World At One even gave Carter more airtime than the IPCC.



*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Sat Oct 5th, 2013 at 05:51:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (4.00 / 2)
The BBC: Fair and Balanced coverage of climate change.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sat Oct 5th, 2013 at 09:11:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Living off the Planet (none / 0)
Nongovernmental International Panel

Surely that should read "Nongovernmental Multinational Panel"?

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Sun Oct 6th, 2013 at 03:21:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

5-6 October 2013 | 92 comments (92 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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