Rhein on Energy and Climate

Archives for

Politicians have little time to think and therefore often come up with bizarre ideas. One of these is the carbon border tax proposed by President Sarkozy and favoured also by other politicians in Europe. A carbon border tax is an instrument for protecting European industries against imports of carbon-intensive products like cement, steel, aluminium or… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The European Commission has given green light to making available € 1 billion for funding six “clean” power stations trying different technologies for capturing and underground storing of C02 emissions (CCS) across Europe. It is to be hoped that the European Parliament will rapidly approve the funding proposal despite objections from green NG0s. In order… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

For the first time in its 50 year history the majority of EU member states is confronted with the risk of an unsustainable debt burden. Most member states have the “constitutional debt limits” imposed by the Maastricht treaty almost 20 years ago, according to which member states must restrain their annual budget deficits to a… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Like most oil and gas producing countries Iran has been spoiling its citizens by ridiculously low prices for gasoline, fuel, gas and electricity, at a hefty charge for the national budget. The subsidies, including those for food, telephone and transport services, cost the government almost € 70 billion annually. Read also: Sanctions Are A Toothless… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Siemens, one of the global giants in power equipment, wants to become the major manufacturer of solar thermal power plants. To this end, it will acquire the Israeli company Solel, which has pioneered that technology during the past two decades. Solar thermal power technology concentrates the sunlight by sophisticated mirror systems and produces steam up… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Iran shows increasing signs of its determination to develop a military nuclear capacity and to become the leading power in the Middle East. This is no rejoicing prospect for any country on earth, big or small, distant or close. It is bound to make the Middle East an even more instable region, challenging Israel’s military… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The Final Declaration approved at the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh proposes a framework for “strong, sustainable and balanced growth” as the basic paradigm for the 21st century. But in the long term, global economic growth cannot be sustainable. It is bound to run into increasing ecological constraints. A system is sustainable as long as it… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Accounting jointly for about six percent of global C02 emissions air lines and shipping companies constitute an increasing burden for the planet, as the volume of air and sea transport, of goods and passengers, keeps rising in the wake of globalisation. Until now both sectors have escaped any climate regulation, due to complex international legislation,… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The southern Mediterranean countries have a vital interest in engaging in the fight against climate change. Their share in global green house gas emissions may still be small, but bound to rise due to population growth and increasing energy demand; and sooner or later the international community will ask them to contribute their fair share… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The Copenhagen Climate Conference is most likely to end in a failure, due to the complexity of the proposed solutions and the diversity of positions of the key actors. But this must not be the end of the story. Humanity has no option but to continue acting against climate change if it wants to avoid… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein