Climate Change News
Below are news items on climate change – many with relevance to aviation
Price of carbon credits slumps to new low
The price of carbon has hit new lows as power generators and industrial companies continue to cash in credits to bolster their balance sheets. The price of EU allowances under the 2nd phase of the emissions trading scheme has plunged to €10.15 a tonne, compared with highs over €30 seen in July last year. Analystd warned the price could fall further to €9 or lower. This means offset projects to cut carbon emissions are being cut back. (Guardian)
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UK cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 1.5% in 2007
The UK's CO emissions fell 1.5% in 2007, according to figures by the DECC. The final figures for 2007 also revealed that output of all 6 greenhouse gases, including methane and nitrous oxide, was down 1.7% on 2006 levels. there was an increase in emissions from the transport sector of 1.3 million tonnes. Emissions of CO2 in 2007 were 8.5% down on 1990 levels, without counting carbon trading - and excluding international aviation and shipping. (Independent)
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UK carbon emissions still higher than when Labour came to power
2007 estimates of UK greenhouse gas emissions are published today by the Government. UK emissions are slightly lower than 2006, but they are not falling fast enough. The figures distort the picture by not including the UK's share of international shipping and aviation emissions - the reality is that UK carbon dioxide emissions are still higher than when Labour came to power in 1997, despite repeated promises of significant cuts. (FoE press release)
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Climate expert, James Hansen, apologises for unguarded comments on Heathrow
Jim Hansen, director of Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, has issued an apology about unguarded comments about Heathrow's third runway. He had been reported as saying anti-aviation campaigners will not help the battle against global warming and do not deserve support. Hansen has told Heathrow campaigners that there is no comparison with the dangers posed by coal power. Original article in the Observer - and retraction.
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Acid oceans ‘need urgent action’
The world's marine ecosystems risk being severely damaged by ocean acidification unless there are dramatic cuts in CO2 emissions. This warning comes from more than 150 top marine researchers, who have voiced their concerns through the "Monaco Declaration", which warns that changes in acidity are accelerating. This could make most regions of the ocean inhospitable to coral reefs by 2050, if atmospheric CO2 levels continue to increase. (BBC)
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Global warming is ‘irreversible’
A team of environmental researchers in the US has warned many effects of climate change are irreversible. The scientists concluded global temperatures could remain high for 1,000 years, even if carbon emissions can somehow be halted. "People have imagined that if we stopped emitting carbon dioxide the climate would go back to normal in 100 years, 200 year - that's not true." It appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (BBC)
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Douglas Alexander warns of ‘poor climate deal’ danger
The British government will produce a White Paper this year on international development. International Development Minister Douglas Alexander also said that "a poor climate deal" from international negotiations in Denmark in December "would condemn a generation of people to poverty. Pressed on the Heathrow airport expansion, he admitted that aviation would be one of the last sectors – even within transport – to be de-carbonised. (OneWorld)
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NEW FORECAST: up to 4ft Sea Level Rise by 2100
New evidence suggests that sea level rise up to 2100 may be greater than anticipated by the IPCC report in 2007. The IPCC had projected a rise of no more than 1.5 ft by 2100 but a report, commissioned by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, found global sea levels could rise as much as 4 feet by 2100. According to the Worldwatch Institute, some 21 coastal cities with over 8 million residents will have to contend with sea rise impacts. (Travelmole)
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EU leaders reach new climate deal – 20% by 2020
EU leaders have reached a deal on a package of measures to fight global warming. The plan, agreed at a Brussels summit, sets out how 27 member-countries will cut carbon emissions by 20% by 2020, compared with 1990. Scientists say CO2 emissions must be cut by 25-40% by 2020 for there to be a reasonable chance of avoiding dangerous climate change. The measures - so called 20/20/20 -require approval by the European Parliament to become law. (BBC)
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Climate Talks Falter as Italy and Poland Play Politics with Global Climate’s Future
11,000 climate delegates are meeting in Poland's western city of Poznan, seeking agreement upon new post-Kyoto climate goals, to be finalized in Copenhagen by the end of next year. Ministers will consider proposals for cutting rich-world emissions to between 25 - 40% below 1990 levels by 2020. But with a worldwide economic crisis and the EU's climate policy in disarray, chances are small for quick agreement that reduces emissions. (Climate Ark)