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US climate change bill passes first stage, faces Senate

Wednesday, 01 July 2009 00:37 By Chris Innis

The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to to reduce greenhouse gases in a close vote that saw diviision along party lines. The legislation now faces the Senate, which commentators believe will try to write its own version of the legislation. The passing of the legislation, a campaign promise by President Obama, does however represent a new beginning for the US and will hearld the introduction of cap and trade emissions schemes which will allocate pollution permis to key industries.

The bill for some, does not go far enough and the proposed emissions reductions are below those recommended by the IPCC.

It is the environment not climate that should be our focus

Thursday, 18 June 2009 00:14 By Chris Innis

The US Global Change Research Program has produced its report, "Global Climate Change Impacts in the US" for the Obama White House. The report, referred by many as the "White House Report", brings nothing new to the debate about climate change but re-inforces the need to act and act quickly. It repeats much of what has been said, is light on the history and causes of climate change and paints a dismissal future if nothing is done. It can be downloaded from http://downloads.globalchange.gov/usimpacts/pdfs/climate-impacts-report.pdf.

The report has been produced at a time when the debate about emissions reduction and a cap and trade system rage on Capitol Hill.

Business must calculate emissions by 2012

Wednesday, 10 June 2009 21:14 By Chris Innis

The process begun by the Climate Change Act which requires all organisations to report their emissions by 2012 has reached its next stage. DEFRA has issued its consultation paper on draft guidance on how organisations should report their greenhouse gas emissions. DEFRA would like to see the guidance notes become the preferred methodology to measure greenhouse gases in the UK. The Government sees the guidance notes as a set of standards similar to standards for financial reporting.

Climate, government and us

Tuesday, 09 June 2009 01:03 By Chris Innis

Following the debate on climate and the environment has its highs and lows. Some of the argument is of the highest standand and the scientists that can explain the complexities of climate change should be admired, even if you don't always agree with their conclusions. In the wider debate, especially amongst politicians, the debate isn't so good. Often it just repeats dreary platitudes.

Every scientist, and indeed every generation of homo sapien, has know that climate changes and can changed rapidly. It has and it always will.

Australian budget commits to carbon capture, solar, renewables in A$4 billion initiative

Thursday, 14 May 2009 22:31 By Chris Innis

The Australian Government has announced the Clean Energy Initiative (CEI) in its 2009 Budget. The CEI is intended to complement the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme and Renewable Energy Target, initiatives announced to support an emissions trading scheme, by supporting the research, development and demonstration of low-emission energy technologies, including industrial scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) and solar energy.

The CEI has three components:

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