Blogposts tagged 'Energy Security'

The climate solution? It's an energy [r]evolution we need, Mr Osborne

Posted by jossc - 16 July 2010 at 9:14am - 0 Comments

This week Greenpeace launches our vision for a European energy revolution – a practical blueprint for a renewable energy future. Using only proven technologies we can phase out fossil-fuels, cut CO2 emissions by over 90% by 2050 and ensure energy security – without a huge reduction in living standards.

Shifting Sands: Greenpeace report reckons we’ve hit peak oil (sort of)

Posted by christian - 28 July 2009 at 12:07pm - 2 Comments

We know tar sands are destructive, bad for the climate, and expensive to exploit. But could they also be a colossal financial liability for BP and Shell?

If, in the runup to Copenhagen, you have a sneaking suspicion that world leaders might still be more attached to the realpolitik of energy than the green-tinged adoption of strong climate policy, a new report from Greenpeace, Platform and Oil Change International may provide a glimmer of hope.

The suspicion is that whatever grand statements are made by the Obamas, the Lulas or the Browns of the world as they thrash out their meta-climate policy at Copenhagen, for the moment they're going to remain much more motivated by ‘energy security' than greenhouse gas stabilization.

Trying to solve the climate crisis with a fistful of pennies?

Posted by jossc - 22 April 2009 at 1:20pm - 0 Comments

All eyes were glued to the TV in the office this lunchtime to see whether Alistair Darling's budget would deliver the kind of changes we need to see if we want to give ourselves the chance to keep the lid on climate change.

Conservative proposals for a low carbon economy - Greenpeace reaction and briefing

Publication date:  16 January, 2009

The Conservatives Low Carbon Economy paper published today is focused on three important elements of energy policy, relevant to the politics of the current energy debate. They are:

  1. Energy Security
  2. A policy beyond the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for coal
  3. Kick-starting Renewable Energy

In this briefing we analyse their policies and conclude that, whilst the Tory proposals are not the final word and can be improved, they do put the weakness of the government's position in focus.

Download the report:

Briefing: No 10 Jobs Summit

Publication date:  9 January, 2009

This briefing paper outlines Greenpeace's plans for new measures to tackle fuel poverty, promote energy efficiency, stimulate the economy and help to meet the UK’s targets on climate change.

Download the report:

Government nuclear announcement only bold in its deception

Posted by tracy - 10 January 2008 at 12:36pm - 12 Comments

I was sitting in my local last night with the Arsenal game on and looking around me at the rapt faces in the Hackney pub and I started to wonder what makes people so passionate about football yet so apathetic about politics and the future of our planet.

20% renewables by 2020? Not without a new energy policy...

Posted by jossc - 22 August 2007 at 12:59pm - 2 Comments
Bad energy: inefficient centralised energy generation is a major contributor to global warming

Bad energy: inefficient centralised energy generation is a major contributor to global warming

Over the next decade, Britain needs to invest tens of billions on renewing its dilapidated energy infrastructure. Many of our current nuclear, coal and gas power stations will close, and the electricity transmission and distribution grids themselves will need replacement.

Which provides us with a once-in-a-generation chance for the government to redesign our energy market. We have the perfect opportunity to go for maximum environmental efficiency, whilst ensuring energy security and reliability of supply.

The Convenient Solution

Posted by bex - 18 July 2007 at 4:00pm - 129 Comments

Update (09/04/2008): The Convenient Solution has been chosen as an Official Honoree in the Public Service and Activism category The 12th Annual Webby Awards.


A short film about climate change and energy

We all know that, to stop climate change, we need to stop burning fossil fuels. The government says we need nuclear power to do this. Our new film explains why nuclear power can’t stop climate change – and lays down a better, cheaper, more convenient solution:



Right-click on these links and select 'Save link as...' to download the film as a Quicktime (30MB) or Windows Media (27MB) file.

Convinced? Find out what you can do to make sure the UK gets a genuinely clean and efficient energy system.

Not convinced yet? Read on.

The single biggest use of fossil fuels in the UK isn't for electricity or for transport, but for creating heat to warm our buildings and power our industrial processes. So any solution to climate change needs to contribute to heating, as well as to electricity generation.

Nuclear power contributes almost nothing to our enormous heating requirements. In fact it contributes less than four per cent to our overall energy needs. And building new nuclear power stations (as the government wants to do) won't increase that share.

So what is the solution? Well, in the same amount of time and for less money, we could implement an energy system that will do far more to stop climate change and ensure energy security than nuclear power: a combination of renewable energy, efficiency, and combined heat and power:

Why Tony Blair is wrong about nuclear power

Posted by bex - 23 May 2007 at 12:12pm - 13 Comments

Melting ice

Today, the government has finally published its energy white paper. After last year's energy consultation was ruled "seriously flawed", "misleading" and "manifestly inadequate and unfair" by a High Court Judge, this white paper outlines a new energy policy - and a new nuclear consultation.

Yep, despite a few ineffectual concessions to renewables and efficiency, Tony Blair is still busily spinning the nuclear industry's line: that nuclear power is the answer to climate change. And we still think he's dangerously wrong.

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