Rhein on Energy and Climate

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Insufficient Copenhagen reduction pledges a danger for the planet In view of to containing the rise of global temperaturesglobal temperatures and climate change within acceptable limits of maximum 2 centigrade humanity will have to reduce its green house gas emissions by half before 2050; and the developed countries must bear the major burden of this… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The international discussion on climate change policy has unduly focused on alternatives to fossil energies. As wind, solar, biomass, heat pumps geothermal etc continue to be substantially more expensive than oil or coal, politicians have been made to believe that fighting climate change is an expensive undertaking. Whatever the outcome from Copenhagen the priority for… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The recent deal agreement between EON, the biggest European power utility and Abengoa Solar, a the leading Spanish solar solar power companypower generator, for the to jointly construction and operation of build and operate two 50 MW solar thermal (CST) power plants stations in Seville underlinessymbolises important the major changes under way in European power… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

10 days before the start of the Copenhagen climate negotiations the outcome seems slightly more open than a few weeks ago. · The scientific community has just in time presented new evidence about the extremely risky acceleration of climate change, thereby putting negotiators under heavy pressure to come to substantive agreement now, rather than accepting… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The appointment of a new High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, who is also Vice-President of the Commission, is a valuable the major innovation in the future EU institutional setup. But tTo make the best benefit of it fully successful, the EU will have to undertake three major important changes of its present external… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

For the first time ever, Korea has announced green house emission targets. On November 17th President Lee has proudly announced that his country is willing to reduce its emissions by 4 percent below 2005 levels. He has called this a historic decision and a paradigm shift for Korea becoming an advanced country. From a European… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Climate change is bound to dramatically impair the living conditions of our children and grandchildren. To mitigate the extent of climate change robust action willaction will have to be undertaken by all countries, but in particular by OECD countries, in the course of the coming 20 years. Without such action happening, then it will be… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

In its 2009 World Energy Outlook the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned of rising oil prices having a negative impact impacting on the global economy in the coming years.. According to the IEA the dramatic rise of oil prices to almost $ 150 /b in mid-2008 has been one causes of the global recession.The… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

After two years of preparation intense diplomatic activity humanity does not seem to ready be up to the task of for taking the necessary action for the dramatic substantial reduction of green houses gases that is necessary to preserve the decent livingclimatic conditions on our small planet earth. As things stand, Formally speaking, tthe Copenhagen… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein