Rhein on Energy and Climate

Only specialists know about INGA, the site for the biggest hydropower potential in the world, situated on the Congo River, some 200 km downstream from Kinshasa. With its 44 GW, it is able to generate more hydropower than either the Itaipu or the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, so far the biggest hydropower plants… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Putting a price tag on C02 emissions has been rightly hailed as a major advance in fighting climate change. The EU has been the trend setter in organising C02 emission trading. It is proud of the European Emission Trading System (ETS). Thanks to these efforts, a European Commodity Exchange fixes spot and future prices for… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

The failure of the 150 odd trade ministers from the WTO member countries, on July 28th, to wind up seven years of laborious negotiations throws a dark shadow on the increasing dysfunction of the international community. Most commentators have focused on the negative impact on international trade, fearing rising protectionism and a blow to the… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

In early September, the UN Secretary-General has given the alarm signal by urging all governments to accelerate preparations for finalising the KYOTO successor agreement before the end of 2009. He has called upon them to engage in substantive talks at the next preparatory conference in Poznan in December 2008. Despite a massive input of manpower… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Malta is among the very few EU countries whose energy supply is 100% based on fossil sources, essentially oil. No wonder that its per capita emissions of C02 are unacceptably high for a country situated in Europe’s southern sun-belt. With 7 tons annually it exceeds France’s output! This situation is not sustainable. Oil prices are… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Ever heard that climate change is the no 1 issue for humanity? Since oil prices have fallen by 20 percent from their record level of $147/b and Russia has invaded Georgia, humanity seems to have forgotten the looming climate catastrophe. And with gasoline prices down to more acceptable levels everyone seems to have adapted to… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Everybody had expected the Chinese to be the most successful in collecting golden, silver and bronze and medals. In fact, they were: winning 100 medals altogether. But in relation to their population of 1.3 billion and their an unprecedented national focus on being number One, their success pales compared to the remarkable achievements of European… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Scientists have been warning us for the past 20 years about the consequences of rising temperatures for the earth’s biosphere, forecasting increasing loss of biodiversity, more frequent epidemics, hurricanes and droughts. So far with little avail! Humanity continues business as usual, brushing aside local or regional disasters as the unavoidable by-effects of “economic development” that… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein

Of all the signatory countries of the Kyoto Protocol (1997) Canada deserves the worst rating. Its per capita C02 emissions are close to 20 to, higher than in any country except USA, Kuwait and Qatar. Instead of reducing its emissions by 5 percent over 1990, as it committed to, its C02 emissions have soared by… » read more

Posted by Eberhard Rhein