On April 9th the World Bank Board will have to decide on a $ 3.75 billion loan request from South Africa for increasing its electricity capacity. More than 90 percent of that loan will finance the construction of a new 4.800 MW coal-fired power plant, the remainder for the building of 200 MW wind and… » read more
Posted by Eberhard Rhein
The World Wild Life Fund deserves praise for having taken the initiative to organise once a year an “Earth Hour” to mobilise humanity on the issue of climate change. To that end, it has appealed to municipalities, businesses, universities and civil society organisations etc. to switch off the lights of public buildings and monuments from… » read more
Posted by Eberhard Rhein
The European Council Conclusions of 25/26 March 2010 devote four of their 15 points to climate change and the “need to refocusing our efforts after Copenhagen”. The wording of the text shows that Heads of government have not spared one minute of their two days` deliberations for climate policy. They had more “urgent tasks” to… » read more
Posted by Eberhard Rhein
During the last 150 years coal-fired power plants have been the major cause of climate change. That has not changed much despite the arrival of alternative energy power sources like wind nuclear, gas, hydropower and solar. Today, some 40 percent of global electricity is generated from coal-fired power plants. Coal fired power plants constitute a… » read more
Posted by Eberhard Rhein
March 26, 2010
In an immediate volte-face the French government has drawn the conclusions from the debacle of the regional elections and abandoned the project of C02 tax that had been prepared with much fanfare during the last two years. Designed to win voters from the green camp it has lost its purpose. Anyhow it had been so… » read more
Posted by Eberhard Rhein
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Energy Efficiency, Energy Supply, English, Environment, Uncategorized |
March 22, 2010
By a large majority, the 175 contracting parties of CITES (“Convention on the international Trade in endangered Species”; have rejected a request by Monaco, backed by the USA and the EU, to put a temporary ban on the fishing of blue-fin Atlantic tuna. The stock of this increasingly expensive fish has declined by 75 percent… » read more
Posted by Eberhard Rhein
March 16, 2010
The Copenhagen Climate Conference has been a water shed in the fight against climate change. Disappointment, indifference and frustration have annihilated the little hope that the endless series of preparatory UN conferences had generated. Today, three months after Copenhagen, nobody seems to have a clue on how to reduce green house gas emissions sufficiently to… » read more
Posted by Eberhard Rhein
In view of the stalemate on climate legislation in the Senate President Obama has instructed the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to prepare executive regulations for capping green house gas emissions from automobiles, trucks, refineries, power plants and major industrial emitters. These measures are designed to enter into force in early 2011 if no legislation has… » read more
Posted by Eberhard Rhein
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Climate change, Energy Efficiency, Energy Supply, English, Uncategorized |
March 12, 2010
Kerosene is the only fuel that is globally exempt from any taxation. This bizarre situation is due to an extensive interpretation of article 24 of the Chicago Convention (1944!) on civil aviation, which provides that states should admit aircraft temporarily free of duty and that fuel shall be exempt from customs duty. This provision prevents… » read more
Posted by Eberhard Rhein
Iran is probably the country with the cheapest gasoline prices. A litre of gasoline costs only 45 cents beyond the monthly entitlement of 80 litres per car for which car owners pay ridiculous 11US cents. The Iranian government has to pay almost $ 100 billion annually for financing its generous subsidies on petrol, fuel and… » read more
Posted by Eberhard Rhein
Thoughts on energy and climate, the Mediterranean and whatever comes to mind.
