Soy irresponsible: WWF picketed by its peers
Soy irresponsible: WWF picketed by its peers
Last week, the WWF became, to the best of Eco Soundings’ knowledge, the only international green group to have been picketed by other international environment groups.
The problem is the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS), a talking shop that was set up a few years ago by the WWF to give companies, especially in Latin America, “the opportunity to jointly develop solutions leading to responsible soy production”.
Ho-hum, say 60 environmental groups, including Friends of the Earth International, the Soil Association and Via Campesina, who say the RTRS is just greenwash – especially as it is about to vote to include GM soy as “sustainable”. The environment groups from around the world are incensed.
China’s new focus on solar
China’s New Focus on Solar
China’s government has announced generous support for its photovoltaic companies, which are aiming to become market leaders and be the first to supply solar power at just US $ 0.10 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
Subsidies are coming at just the right time for the country’s flagging solar companies as well as for companies in countries like Germany and Canada, looking for new export opportunities.
Because exports account for about 98 percent of Chinese photovoltaic (PV) companies’ revenue, they have been especially hard hit by the drop in demand due to the current global financial turmoil, forcing the government to take steps to “rebalance” the industry as reported by Lou Schwartz on April 13th.
Solar sparkle for arizona
Solar Sparkle for Arizona
The team behind a new solar heating plant recently unveiled in Arizona expects the performance not only to be “sensationally high,” but that this may turn out to be the solar array with the best output worldwide. The plant provides industrial process hot water — a sector that could be set to grow very rapidly.
Emisssions trading stand-off presses election trigger
Emissions trading stand-off presses election trigger
May 27, 2009
THE Rudd Government’s emissions trading scheme is headed for defeat as a result of a Senate stand-off, handing Labor a trigger for an early, double dissolution election.
The scheme is set to be voted down by the Senate next month, despite the Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull, announcing yesterday the Coalition wanted to delay a vote until early next year – after the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen.
The Coalition would then demand that the scheme be radically remodelled along the lines of the scheme proposed by the United States President, Barack Obama, which is now before Congress and is far more generous to heavy polluters.
Concentrated solar power could generate ‘quarter of world’s energy’
Concentrated solar power could generate ‘quarter of world’s energy’
Industry groups call for solar thermal technology to expand in ‘sun belt’ around world as Spain leads the field
- guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 26 May 2009 16.57 BST
- Article history
Solar thermal is best suited to desert regions. Photograph: Ho/Reuters
Solar power stations that concentrate sunlight could generate up to one-quarter of the world’s electricity needs by 2050, according to a study by environmental and solar industry groups. The technology, best suited to the desert regions of the world, could also create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and save millions of tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.
Concentrating solar power (CSP) uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto water. This produces steam that can then turn turbines and generate electricity. It differs from photovoltaics, which use solar panels to turn sunlight directly into electricity and can operate even on overcast days. CSP only works in places where there are many days with clear skies and is a proven, reliable technology.
At the end of 2008 CSP capacity was around 430MW, and worldwide investment in the technology will reach
€2bn (£1.8bn) this year, according to Sven Teske of Greenpeace International and co-author of the report. He said investment could increase, under a relatively moderate scenario, to €11.1bn by 2010 and provide 7% of the world’s generating capacity by 2030. By 2050 investment could reach €92.5bn, creating almost 2m jobs by 2050 and saving 2.1bn tonnes of CO2 every year.
Council climate change program axed for no good reason
Council climate change program axed for no good reason
Media release: 27 May 2009
The Rudd government has withdrawn funding from the Cities for Climate Protection program that helped councils reduce their carbon footprint. Greens NSW MP John Kaye is calling on the Rees government to step in and continue support for NSW local government work on climate change.
Commenting on a story on page 3 of today’s Sydney Morning Herald (‘Funding for climate change initiative axed’), Dr Kaye said: “Using a very crude measure of greenhouse reduction benefits, the federal government is sinking a crucial flagship program in renewable energy and efficiency measures.