Climate Change News
Below are news items on climate change – many with relevance to aviation
9 October: the day humanity starts eating the planet
New research reveals rising consumption of natural resources is pushing the world into ever earlier ecological debt, or ‘overshoot’. New calculations show that from now until the end of the year we will be living beyond our global environmental means. From 9th October humanity has used up what nature can renew this year and is now eating into its ‘ecological capital’. (NEF)
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Heathrow: the most important protest of our time
Aviation is the incendiary issue in environmental politics today. The campaigners at Heathrow are just the vanguard of a powerful new people’s movement, writes Mark Lynas
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Eskimo accused of ‘apocalyptic green spin’ in row over Stansted expansion
An Eskimo was at the centre of a furious row over claims that air travel had become a victim of 'apocalyptic green spin'. Aqqaluk Lynge, from Greenland, is visiting Britain this week to protest against the expansion of Stansted Airport, arguing that aviation-linked global warming is destroying the Eskimos' way of life. But he became the subject of a savage counter-attack by a new industry campaign backed by airlines and airport owners.
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Rail industry admits that it’s often greener for families to travel by car
It can be greener to drive than catch the train, according to a rail industry study which reveals that trains are losing their environmental advantage. Modern diesel-powered trains are so polluting that a family of 3 or more would be responsible for at least double the CO2 emissions on many routes when travelling by rail compared with driving in a typical medium-sized car.
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Ships emit more CO2 than aircraft
The global shipping industry is responsible for 1.2bn tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, far more than aviation's 600m tonnes, according to an estimate published yesterday. The previous widely accepted estimate was 600m-800m tonnes a year.
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BT Drops Its Carbon Footprint with Teleconferencing
Replacing business travel with teleconferencing has allowed British Telecom to avoid more than 860,000 face-to-face meetings worldwide and saved at least 97,000 tons of carbon emissions, according to a new survey. The survey, conducted by the University of Bradford and SustainIT, looked at the economic, environmental and social impact of conferencing at BT.
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New WDM report shows ‘aviation loophole’ undermines flagship UK Government Bill
Britain cannot meet its target of reducing CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050 unless it includes international aviation emissions in the climate bill according to a new report, ‘Emissions Invisible’, from anti poverty campaigners the World Development Movement.
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IPCC 4th report – Billions face climate change risk
Billions of people face shortages of food and water and increased risk of flooding, experts at a major climate change conference of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have warned. The bleak conclusion came ahead of the publication of a key report by hundreds of international environmental experts. The report states that the observed increase in the global average temperature was "very likely" due to man-made greenhouse gas emissions.
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Carbon footprint of products to be displayed on label package
The Carbon Trust is launching a green equivalent to the Fairtrade label - a consumer label which details the carbon footprint of a product and a commitment by its producer to reduce it. Several major brand products, including Walkers crisps (carbon footprint: 75g), Boots Organics shampoo (148g) and Innocent smoothies (294g), will test the use of the logo - a white arrow wrapped in a black letter C. Over time it is expected that many more will join.
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All EU nations must back proposals to cut harmful emissions by 30% by 2020 or risk jeopardising the global effort to curb climate change, warn ministers. The call for unity among the 27-nation bloc was made by the UK Environment Secretary, David Miliband, and his Spanish and Slovenian counterparts. Failure to act would threaten efforts to get nations such as the US and China to agree to cap emissions. "We all know that the current Kyoto deal does not go far enough."