Rhein on Energy and Climate

Finally Russia seems to discover it has to do something about its shocking waste of energy. In a brutally frank speech to the Russian State Council at Archangelsk on July 2nd, President Medvedev has called upon his citizens to radically change their energy consumption habits: • Raising energy efficiency will have to be the no… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Whatever conclusions will be adopted by the international community in Copenhagen it is imperative to insist on practical follow-up and effective measures to be taken by each of the 200-odd governments to obtain medium-term reduction of global C02 emissions. Too much time has been wasted on optimal targets for reducing green house gases, preparing for… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The Copenhagen Climate Conference in early December risks failure because of the US inability to take more speedy and effective action for reducing its green house gas emissions. This prevents the EU and other developed countries like Japan, Australia, Canada and Russia from taking bolder action; and it will above all offer China and emerging… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

After the narrow vote by the Parliament, the Icelandic government has immediately submitted its formal application for EU membership on July 17th. The Council will be wise to wait until after the Irish referendum before inviting the Commission to prepare its opinion. Under optimistic assumptions one should assume negotiations to start as of 2010 and… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The European Commission proposal to extend visa freedom to Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia is to be welcomed. The European Council is expected to give its green light as soon as October so that the visa-free access to the EU can become effective by January 2010. The three countries had to work hard for it: issue… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

DESERTEC Takes Off

July 13 2009 may one day be remembered as the start of a new era in renewable energy development. At that date 12 European finance, engineering and electric companies signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of large-scale solar thermal electricity generation in the Sahara, from which to supply Mediterranean and European countries with… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

I cannot resist responding to Svetoslav Apostolov`s long letter to the editor (July 13) concerning the “EU institutions hypocritical fight against climate change“. Basically, he makes three points: – Man made climate change does not take place, but the EU institutions have made it their mantra. – The EU institutions waste energy and therefore behave… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The US Department of Energy expect the share of wind energy to treble from a minuscule 1.4 percent today to still tiny 4 percent of electricity generation in 2030. This projection is based on targets fixed by states. It shows the very long way the USA still has to go towards cutting green house gas… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The G8+5 meeting in l`Aquila was disappointing for all those who had hoped the main green house gas emitter countries, which account for 80 percent of global C02 emissions, would pave the way for a successful outcome of the crucial Copenhagen climate Conference in December. Unfortunately, the gulf between developed and emerging countries remains wider… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The Swedish Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, wants to make the fight against climate change a top priority of the Swedish Presidency. To that end, he has proposed that member states introduce a C02 tax as a complement to the December 2008 EU- climate package. He is fully aware that such a tax would not be… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein