Rhein on Energy and Climate

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Loans to power plants subject to respecting emission standards

September 25, 2013

Coal-fired power plants are the worst emitters of greenhouse gases. This goes for US, China, India, Australia, Poland and many other countries. It is therefore urgent to curb their emissions. This can be done by: fixing strict C02 emission standards; inviting banks to make loans for power plants subject to strict emission standards. The USA… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

C02 Emission, Carbon Capture & Storage, Carbon capture and storage, Climate & Environment, CO2 emissions, Energy, English, EU climate policy, US climate policy

USA proposes strict emission standards for new power plants

September 23, 2013

The USA is getting serious with tackling climate change. Just in time for the next International Climate Conference in November in Warsaw, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed strict emission standards for new power. To meet these standards, power plants will have to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by about 40% to roughly 500g… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Barack Obama, C02 Emission, Carbon Capture & Storage, Climate & Environment, Climate Negotiations, Energy, English, EU climate targets, Global Europe, Sustainable Dev.

Citizens of small member states are happiest with EU

September 20, 2013

The latest Eurobarometer survey published 7 September tells us once again what EU citizens think about and expect from the EU. Though the positive ratings have kept falling during the last decades, 53% of citizens still consider that, on balance, their country has benefited more from membership than not being EU member. With the exception… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Economy & Euro, English, EU, Financial Crisis, population, Social Europe

Electric Cars will be slow replacing internal Combustion Engine

September 19, 2013

This year’s Frankfurt Automobile Show has been marked by an impressive presentation of electric cars. New manufacturers like BMW and Volkswagen have entered the fray, with considerable delay, to contest the dominant position of incumbents like Nissan/Renault, Daimler and GM. No major manufacturer can any longer afford not to offer a range of electric cars.… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Automobile Industry, C02, C02 Emission, C02 emissions, Car fuel efficiency, Climate & Environment, CO2, CO2 emissions, Consumers, Electric Car, Energy, Energy and Climate, Energy Efficiency, Environment, Science & Research

Eight small European Countries are the happiest on Earth

September 17, 2013

Just in time for the UN General Assembly, the UN secretariat has published the second World Happiness Report. On the basis of extensive polls in 156 countries it assesses how people rate their overall happiness in life. The result shows that, despite the 2007-08 financial crisis, the world has become slightly happier in 2012 than… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Economy, English, Financial Crisis, Future EU, population, UN

The EU should work with Australia for a credible Climate Policy

September 13, 2013

The landslide victory of the Australian Conservatives in September 6th parliamentary elections risks having negative ramifications for Australian and global climate policy. One of the priorities of the new government will be the repeal of the unpopular carbon tax, which has been introduced in July 2012 by the outgoing Labour government and is credited with… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

2020, C02, C02 Emission, Carbon Capture & Storage, Climate & Environment, Climate change, Climate Diplomacy, CO2 emissions, Coal, Emissions Reduction, Energy and Climate, Environment

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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