Archive for The Politics
June 21, 2007 at 11:30 am · Filed under Green Tech, Bio Fuel, The Politics
I am in the market for a new car. To my surprise there is no alternatives in Denmark to gasoline and diesel cars. It is possible to order a Prius, but no dealers has a model home I can test. It is also possible to import a hybrid, electric or plantoil/biodiesel ready car but theres is not one single place in this country I can go and see and have a spin in such a car.
Importing a car is a difficult task, there will be doubt about the tax until the car is imported and I would prefer to have a local salesman to address for service and if something goes wrong.
I do not understand why this is. All major car manufacturers have electric cars, hybrid and plant oil ready cars and they are on the market in several countries, why not here? Why do they not test the Danish market - they would find me and possible a lot of others potential buyers.
Some months ago the tax on new cars were differentiated, so it makes environment friendly cars a lot cheaper. This is said to have increased the sale of small gasoline cars - but so far no new products have been introduced. Thats a shame, now I’ll buy a Hummer instead…
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June 2, 2007 at 12:03 pm · Filed under Ecology, The Politics
The European Parliament has adopted a report, which seeks to strengthen proposed new regulation on organic production and the labelling of organic products. The parliament has called for stricter rules for importations and certification bodies, better labelling with the possibility to keep national organic logos, integration of non-food products and extension of the scope of the legislation to catering and restaurants.Following the vote, Vice-President Marie-Helene Aubert from (Greens) said: “The EP has today voted for much stronger rules for organic production and product labelling in the EU. Following the active role of the Parliament on this regulation some of the changes proposed in the EP report have already been accepted by the Council. These include: a better framework for controls, inspections and certification of imports of organic products from third Countries, which did not have similar legislation and controls in place; clearer rules for processing, certifying and labelling of organic products, while preserving the existing specific national and regional labels of the private organic organisations. We also welcome that regular consultation of the stakeholders in organic farming is now agreed,” writes www.neurope.eu.
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April 30, 2007 at 12:23 pm · Filed under The Politics, hybrids
Taxes on new cars here in Denmark was readjusted last week. The new idea is that kilometer pr. liter gasolin/diesel directs the tax. Popular gas guzzlers like Porsche Cayenne and Hummer H2 will from now on cost about 25.000 euro more while a new Toyota Prius will cost 5.500 euro less. Thanks!
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March 31, 2007 at 7:26 pm · Filed under The Politics
One of the major problems with the Koyoto agreement is that CO2-pollution now can be traded between power companies and countries. A direct consequence for me as a consumer who wants lower my households emissions is that my spared emissions is a product that my regional coal based power supplier owns!
In the old days before Koyoto I could save CO2 by remembering to turn the lights off and buy low power consuming products. But not anymore. Every time I save a bit CO2, that amount goes into the calculations that shows how much CO2 Danish companies can sell on the world market. The more CO2 -quotas that are available on the market the cheaper it is for power plants to buy the right to keep on burning coal.
At the moment the Danish Minister of Environment is running a campaign to make people take a personal responsibility. Again and again it is mentioned that we should be concerned about our use of power and turn off stand by devices etc. but the fact is that it has absolutely no influence on the CO2-emisisons. Instead we are making the (coal burning power companies) richer and fulfilling our ministers political project of lowering Denmark’s total emissions. But what does it really matter if the quotas just are sold to Germany?
Actually we would be better off with a greater individual approach and no Koyoto protocol at all. Koyoto is a mistake because it eliminates the personal responsibility and makes environmentalism and passion for the wellbeing of the planet a good that can bought and sold on a market place.
One more wind generator here means more CO2 emitted somewhere else.
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February 20, 2007 at 9:12 pm · Filed under The Politics
Just change your light bulbs, says Australian Prime Minister John Howard. In an effort to reduce his country’s carbon emissions (and to simplify his party’s environmental policy) Howard’s government will outlaw the antiquated incandescent light bulb by 2010. Australians will have to use more energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, which are about five times more energy efficient and last much longer than standard bulbs.
Similar ideas have recently been suggested in California. Link
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February 13, 2007 at 8:12 pm · Filed under The Politics
The third round of six-nation talks on North Korea’s nuclear program should end later today with the parties expected to reach a general agreement on all controversial issues. What is interesting is that massive aid in forms of establishing and alternative energy sector in North Korea seems to play a lead role in the negotiations.
The five countries negotiating with North Korea to end its nuclear program have agreed to provide Pyongyang with alternative energy equivalent to one million tons of heavy fuel oil each year if it “disables” its nuclear facilities within the next two months, writes the South Korean newspaper Yonhap News.
The head of the Russian delegation said to the Russian Ria Novosti that Russia stands for destroying the Yongbyon nuclear reactor rather than simply closing it down because the facility would not seriously affect North Korea’s energy security:
“We support the suspension of activities [at the Yongbyon Nuclear center] as a first step, but it would be even better to dismantle it and provide North Korea with alternative energy sources instead,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said. Link.
What kind of alternative energy sources the parties have in mind is still an uanswered question.
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February 7, 2007 at 11:54 am · Filed under The Politics
priceofoil.org writes: “No surprises here really. The European Commission has missed a vital chance to impose tough curbs on CO2 emissions from cars after fierce lobbying from the car lobby, especially German manufacturers. Instead the Commission will opt today for a blueprint on emission limits that avoids placing the maximum burden on car-makers. The decision comes after months of lobbying by the car lobby, and the intervention of Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor. It has seen an open feud between the Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas and his counterpart with responsibility for industry. More here: Link
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January 22, 2007 at 8:50 pm · Filed under The Politics
The government will cut the use of fossil fuels by making it easier for Danes to go green. Whether by issuing credits for energy efficiency, cutting registration fees on hydrogen-powered cars or increasing expenditures on clean fuel research, the government will make it easer for people to contribute to the national goal of 30 percent renewable energy by 2025.
The plan, presented Friday, would require a doubling of the amount of renewable energy currently used in Denmark. At the same time, fossil fuel use would be reduced by 15 percent.
The plan has critizised for not beeing ambitious enough since the targets will be more than met if continuing the path allready chosen.
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January 4, 2007 at 10:11 pm · Filed under Green Tech, The Politics
I heard it mentioned that in Norway it is common knowledge that Norway is world-famous for having invented the cheese knife. I don’t know if it is so or even if they did invent the cheese cutter, but I know that I have never heard anyone say: ” Hey did you know that a Norwegian genius invented this?”
The story is good to remember when politicians use the the trick of comparing our own state of things with other countries.
Very often in the energy debates in Denmark it is noted that Denmark is in the absolute front when it comes to research, biofuels, windpower etc. But when digging through the international mediascape for news about cutting edge green technologies, how come the genius in the class never speaks out?
Right now we are having a fierce debate about how not to meet the EU-Commissions regulations on biofuel. Politicians can´t agree on wether we should invest taxpayers money in first- or second generation ethanol plants while the americans and are building new high tech plants with help from our experts today. We thought that windmill business belonged to Denmark, and it has due to historical reasons, but the huge US-companies, Siemens and others are also in the business now. I am afraid the truth is that we are dreaming.
Today´s top energy story from NBC was that Sweden now has reached consensus that the country should outphase fossil fuel by 2020. Link.
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January 3, 2007 at 4:58 pm · Filed under The Politics
For oil traders returning to trading pits on Wednesday, the new year begins with something that hasn’t preoccupied them in years: OPEC production cuts. After years of maintaining an open-taps policy, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has started restraining production to keep oil prices high in the face of a faltering global economy and an unseasonably warm winter in the Northern Hemisphere. With a military confrontation with Iran and other geopolitical concerns receding to the back burner, analysts say the extent to which OPEC complies with its output restraint will go a long way in determining whether oil prices stay above $60 a barrel this year after ending last year flat for the first time in five years. More
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January 2, 2007 at 10:52 pm · Filed under Green Tech, The Politics
I can’t open a newspaper or listen to a debate programme these days without hearing that environmental thinking is becoming a global megatrend. To quote one newspaper analytics (translated from danish):
“Because environmantalism is based upon ethical values it has the power to embrace all parts of society and become a truly global megatrend.”
First time I heard the word megatrend mentioned was in A. Giddens Runaway World. Here he was talking about globalism as a megatrend and he also mentions “the third way” in politics as a megatrend.
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December 22, 2006 at 1:42 am · Filed under Green Tech, The Politics
The EU and the USA have signed a new Agreement to continue the ENERGY STAR programme for office equipment for another five years. The Agreement features energy efficiency criteria for computers, copiers, printers and computer monitors, and is expected to yield 30 TWh electricity savings – the approximate equivalent of the electricity demand in Hungary - in the EU over the next three years. ENERGY STAR is part of the Commission’s strategy to better manage energy demand, contribute to the security of energy supply and mitigate climate change.
The new Agreement was signed by the Finnish Presidency of the EU and the US Environmental Protection Agency in Washington yesterday. The initiative was welcomed by EU Member States as the programme also provides them with valuable data on the efficiency of office equipment, which they can subsequently utilise in their own public procurement initiatives.
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December 19, 2006 at 12:30 pm · Filed under Money and Finance, The Politics
Europe can green the globe by pushing trade partners to eliminate tariffs on clean and renewable power technology, EU trade chief Peter Mandelson said Monday.
“It should be possible to agree a zero percent deal for these key goods,” Mandelson said in a podcast posted on the Web site of the European Commission’s trade department.
He said he was writing to Pascal Lamy, the head of the World Trade Organization, to ask him to spearhead this push as the world was faced with the “urgent challenge” of greening the growth of rapidly expanding economies China, India and Brazil.
Europe had a lot to gain in getting ahead of the curve on technologies and services that attempt to tackle climate change and European companies are already exporting wind farms and solar panels to China, he said.
China worries environmentalists by building one coal-powered electricity plant a week to feed its booming economy, adding to the carbon emissions that cause climate change.
“We can … export the tools and expertise to tackle climate change worldwide,” he said, stressing that other countries could also win, citing India’s growing exports of low-power water heaters and China trading wind-powered electricity generators with Africa. More at ENN
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November 15, 2006 at 5:16 pm · Filed under The Politics, Climate
Breaking news: UN Climate Conference 2009 will be held i Copenhagen. Nothing much more to report about that.
Haven’t seen Al-I-used-to-be-the-next-president-of-USA-Gores movie yet? Here is a 44 min. interview/documentary about him made this summer:
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November 14, 2006 at 12:40 am · Filed under The Politics, Climate
The German environment research organization has just released their Climate Performance Index 2006 at the UN Climate Conference in Nairobi. The list only includes the 56 industrialized countres that each emits more than one percent of the global CO2.
Iceland wins this time, but they are cheating by using geothermal heating systems. We got the entire report as pdf in the reseach section. Link.
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November 10, 2006 at 8:31 pm · Filed under Bio Fuel, The Politics
The European Union will probably miss a 2010 target to use more alternative fuels, the second time it will fall short in five years, said Hans van Steen, an EU official in charge of promoting renewable energy.The EU wants biofuels to account for an average of 5.75% of transport fuel by 2010, Van Steen told the F.O. Licht World Ethanol Conference in Amsterdam today.
The EU set a target of 2% for 2005, and member states averaged 1%, he said. Biofuels are made from corn, sugar or vegetable oils. “We can’t count on member states getting to where they want to be, based on their previous performance,” said Van Steen, from the renewable energy unit at the
European Commission’s Energy and
Transport Directorate General. The 25-nation EU wants to use less fuel derived from crude oil or natural gas to improve energy security and independence, limit greenhouse gas emissions and support farmers, Van Steen said. Half of all new cars sold in Europe run on diesel, of which there is a shortage, and more than half of greenhouse gas emissions come from transport. The 2% target was only achieved by Sweden and Germany, Van Steen said. He added in a separate interview that the two countries and France were the only ones likely to meet the 2010 objective.
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November 10, 2006 at 2:45 pm · Filed under Green Tech, The Politics
Renewable energy and environment is back on the political agenda in Denmark. The coming election is warming up and it is clear that a main theme will be energy. While the opposition has suggested that Denmark in 2020 should be 50% supplied with renewable energy primeminister Anders Fogh believes that 20% should be targeted for. That discussion has been on very general terms and it has not been discussed how to reach the goals, what sectors should take the lead to reach the mark etc. Today I called professor Henrik Lund from Aalborg University, Department of Development and Planning, to ask him if the political promises are doable. He had another focus that turned out to more interesting:
“I think that the important thing here is that nearly all parties in parlament agrees that when we have used our own sources of oil and gas, the only solution is to become 100% supplied by renewable energy. When it is done and how we reach the 20 or 50% milestones is a matter of discussions and political field work, but when we all agree upon 100% renewable energy a strong message is send to the investors and companies that will lead this development. This is unique.”
The oilfields in the sea west of Denmark will run dry in the next 30 years meaning that Denmark before 2040 will be one of the first countries in the world based solely on renewable energy.
I can´t tell you more right now, this is a actually a part of a story I write for a magazine :-/
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