Rhein on Energy and Climate

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US moving one step closer to more effective climate action

March 30, 2009

In 2007, the US Supreme Court had issued a ruling requiring the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to determine whether C02 emissions endangered public health or welfare. Following pressure from the automobile and fossil power industries and instructions from the White House, the EPA failed to comply with the rule of this Supreme Court. Now the… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Climate change, Energy Efficiency, English, Enlargement & Neighbours, Uncategorized

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EU-Korea Free Trade is against EU interests

The EU is in the process of finalising a free trade agreement with Korea. Like all free trade agreements, it would exacerbate climate change, as more products would be shipped across the planet without paying for the external costs of shipping. Proponents of the agreement might – rightly- object that the issue of free trade… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

English, Uncategorized

Power utilities are going global and green

March 28, 2009

The generation of electricity has traditionally been in the hands of municipalities, in Europe, or small private companies, in the USA. This business model belongs to the past. In the future power generation – and separately transmission – will be concentrated in the hands of big transnational companies operating globally. European companies have been the… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Business & Climate Change, Energy Supply, English, Trade & Industry, Uncategorized

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A Free Trade Area EU-Korea would hurt the climate

March 26, 2009

Following in US footsteps the EU has been negotiating a free trade agreement with Korea during the last two years, which is on the point of being finalised. If signed and ratified by both parties it would progressively abolish duties and other import obstacles on a bilateral trade volume of some $ 100 billion within… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

ASEAN, Climate change, Competition, Economy & Euro, English, Environment, EU-Korea Relations, Free Trade, Trade & Industry

Climate Policy must focus on reducing green house gases

March 25, 2009

The success of the Copenhagen Climate Conference is at great risk. International climate diplomats have lost sight of what it should achieve. They seem more concerned with creating new financial mechanisms for adapting to future climate change than getting tangible reductions of green house gases by the major emitting countries. Last Friday, the European Council… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

English, Uncategorized

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EU demonstrates Unity and Determination

March 24, 2009

The 19/20 March 2009 European Council Meeting was a rare show of European unity and resolution to tackle unprecedented challenges Europe and the world are confronted with. It was visible in declarations of the leaders and the resolute Presidency Conclusions. The accusations of protectionism and the frictions between the French President and the Czech Presidency… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Climate change, Energy Efficiency, English, Public Affairs, Uncategorized

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EU Electricity should be carbon-free by 2035

March 23, 2009

The European Association of Electricity Producers (Eurelectric) is prepared to phase out its C02 emitting power plants in the course of the coming 40 years so as to become carbon-free by 2050. In return, it expects a “generous” treatment by the EU on regulatory procedures and support for alternative energies. A priori this looks as… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

English, Uncategorized

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One Notch Closer to the Electric Vehicle?

March 20, 2009

A team of scientists at MIT may have achieved a breakthrough in enabling lithium-ion batteries to become the centre-piece of the future generation of electric engines in light vehicles. They found out that through appropriate design changes, it would become possible to charge and discharge these batteries 100 times faster than at present and to… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Energy Efficiency, English, Innovation and Growth, Science & Research, Transport & Services, Uncategorized

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Transposing Climate Targets into Effective Policies

March 19, 2009

Humanity is becoming gradually aware that climate change is taking its toll on nature and hurting men, animals and plants alike, everywhere on earth. Scientists tell us that we have to reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions to 50 percent of 1990 levels (!) before 2050 if we want to avoid a dangerous rise of… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

English, Uncategorized

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The G 20 should send strong Climate Signals

March 16, 2009

PM Gordon Brown has decided to add climate change to the already overcharged agenda of the G 20 summit meeting in London April 2nd. That is a wise and courageous decision considering the poor state of preparation of the International Climate Conference to be held in December in Copenhagen. Indeed, the G 20 countries account… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Business & Climate Change, Climate change, English, Enlargement & Neighbours, EU Priorities and Opinion, Uncategorized

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Rhein on Energy and Climate

Thoughts on energy and climate, the Mediterranean and whatever comes to mind.

Eberhard Rhein has devoted most of his life to European and global issues. During the 1980s and  1990s,  he served successively as chef de cabinet to the Commission VP in charge of external relations and director responsible for the Mediterrranean and Arab world.

For the past 10 years he has focused more on global environmental issues.

He also gives a course on economic  policy at the "Mediterranean Academy for Diplomatic Studies" in Malta. He is the author of many articles on EU, Mediterranean and international subjects


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