Stop climate chaos

Stop Climate Chaos have an excellent website - visit it it now. Sign up to their campaigns

Are biofuels sustainable?

The House of Commons Environment Audit Committee today published an important report on biofuels asking 'Are biofuels sustainable?'

They gave a pretty resounding no in their report. The EU has a target to ensure that 10% of transport fuel comes from biofuels by 2020. The MPs have called for a moratorium on this target. See also 'The Problem with biofuels'.

Download the Report here

This is from the report's summary

"Biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from road transport—but most first generation biofuels have a detrimental impact on the environment overall. In addition, most biofuels are often not an effective use of bioenergy resources, in terms either of cutting greenhouse gas emissions or value-for-money. The Government must ensure that its biofuels policy balances greenhouse gas emission cuts with wider environmental impacts, so that biofuels are only used where they contribute to sustainable emissions reductions."

"The Government should seek to ensure that EU policy changes to reflect the concerns raised in this report. This means implementing a moratorium on current targets until technology improves, robust mechanisms to prevent damaging land use change are developed, and international sustainability standards are agreed. Only then might biofuels have a role to play. In the meantime, other more effective ways of cutting emissions from road transport should be pursued. It will take considerable courage for the Government and EU to admit that the current policy arrangements for biofuels are inappropriate. The policy realignments that are required will be a test of the Government’s commitment to moving the UK towards a sustainable low carbon economy."

RSPB's 20 tough climate change questions

The RSPB have published a document asking 20 questions relating to climate change and wildlife. It is a good effort and well worth a read.

It can be downloaded from here.

I have one problem with it - it is not up to speed on peak oil. The problem is not just to do with climate change, it is also do with the fact that oil will run out (or at least become very, very expensive) soon. The impacts of this will be equally as a great as the impacts of climate change.

See my earlier blog 'The end of oil'

Birds on the move

New RSPB report on the dramtic effects of climate change on our birds. Click here for the full report.

Don't just worry about climate change though - worry about peak oil too - the both are connected ...

Energy descent plans

In an earlier entry The End of Oil I described the concept of peak oil and Transition Towns.

One of the key concepts for Transition Towns is to produce an Energy descent Plan which hopefully prepare and allow the local community to live a low carbon life without being dependent on oil.

Such a plan has 6 core considerations

1. create a sense something is happening

2. Ask the right questions

3. Plan for the great re-skilling

4. Find new ways to engage people

5. Stress the new opportunities

6. Vision and backcast

Perhaps the best known Energy Descent Plan is the first one that was produced in Kinsdale, Ireland. You can download their Plan here. This will show how they have explained the 6 core considerations above and how that community is planning for a life without oil

The problems with biofuels

Biofuels, that is the production of oil replacements from plants, were seen a year or so ago as a product which would help us out of the climate change and peak oil crisis. Today the 'miracle cure' of biofuels is looking less and like like a magic bullet.

On the 14th January this year te Guardian carried an article - Biofuels may not deliver CO2 cuts scientists warn. This was based on a recent report by the Royal Society no less Sustainable biofuels challenges and prospects. The author of the report Professor John Pickett gave an interview about his report highlighting the issues and dangers.

In essence growing the wrong types of crop to produce biofuels may impact on biodiversity detrimentally and may take farmland used to produce food out of production (see the Guardian 4th Jan 08). We may end up with lots of fuel for our cars but end up living in a world with no nature and nothing to eat!

The UK, European and world policies on biofuels need really careful consideration and if we get the policy wrong we may end up in a worst position than we already find ourselves. BiofuelWatch is an excellent website which gives the global perspective.

Finally there is an excellent article in the current edition of Ecos on biofuels by Andrew Boswell of BiofuelWatch.

ECOS: Climate chaos - helping nature cope

ECOS is the quarterly journal of the British Association of Nature Conservationists. It is a pioneering thinktank on all matters related to wildlife nature biodiversity and people. It publishes ECOS, organises conferences, publishes books and runs a blog.

The latest issues of ECOS vol 28 issues 3/4 is dedicated to the theme of climate change. The contents page can be found here.

Join BANC if you are interested in thought provoking nature conservation!

One Planet Agriculture

The Soil Association organised a conference last year entitled One Planet Agriculture. It highlighted modern agriculture's total dependence on oil - from plot to plate.

The speakers make the link between peak oil and agriculture and stress thye need for far reaching the speedy change. Although little discussed in the media this has got to be the biggest topic of our times - how will we feed ourselves and how will we have to live when the oil runs out.

Frightening yes but if we successfully make the transition then our lives will be more sustainable, more closely linked to the earth and there is no reason why we shouldn't be happier.

The change is a big ask though ......

Four articles summarising the issues can be downloaded here

UK Climate Change data - UKCIP

The UK Climate Climate Impact Programme
This is the web site for the definitive data set for climate change in the UK - includes regional data for Devon and Cornwall

Southwest Environement Home Page

A massive resource - I use it almost daily - you will find it useful - add it to your your favourites

The impacts of climate change in Devon and Cornwall

This web site gives you are all the information you need to to know about climate change in Devon and Cornwall - it is essential reading. Download 'Warming to the Idea' from here

The end of oil?

Everybody knows that one day we will run out of oil. The trouble is that the consequences for society will happen far sooner than the time when the last drop of the stuff has been used up.

The theory of Peak Oil states that once peak (or maximum) production levels of oil has been reached the price of oil will rise dramatically causing untold economic problems for the world. This is simply the basic laws of supply and demand. Demand for oil is ever increasing especially as the 'developing' world is becoming more 'Westernised'. Many oil economists now saw we have reached 'peak oil' i.e. from now on the rate of oil production will decline.

There is compelling evidence that peak oil is either happening or will happen in the next few years. This is a big big problem. Demand is massively increasing whilst supply will start (or has started) to decrease. The result is escalating oil prices and detrimentally impacted economies.

I hear you say now we have to worry about peak oil and climate change - well the two are inextricably linked - it is the burning of all the oil and gas that has caused climate change!

If you want to read up more about peak oil there are loads of web sites and books - I can recommend the following:-

Web sites

The wolf at the door

The Hubbert Peak for World Oil

The Coming Global Oil Crisis

Books

Beyond Oil

The Party's over

However I really believe that the end of world is NOT nigh - we can do something about it if we act now. For example the Transition Movement is a grass roots movement actively trying to address these problems by planning for a future without oil. There are Transition Towns, counties and indeed countries working on this right now - so join in!!

We Transition Penwith as a good example of how you can take control rather than just being a victim.

I really recommend that you do join in because the UK is particularly vulnerable - North Sea Oil has already peaked and being an island means we are on the end of the supply train. Some say the economic and political impact will have bitten really deep in Britain by 2020 - the lights may have started to go out by then .....

Shifting shores

In Devon and Cornwall the National Trust owns about 1/3 of the coastline. As a result rising seas levels and increased storminess is a big issue. The policy document Shifting Shores gives a good policy position about how the Trust is addressing this issue

Forecast changeable

This National Trust document (available as a download from here) gives a very good summary of the possible impacts of climate change on a range National Trust activities.

It is a very good read and as well as telling you a lot about what the Trust is thinking it will help you think about the diverse range of impacts that you and your business might face.

Low energy light bulbs

This Greenpeace viral should amuse you

Woodlands, trees and climate change

If you want to understand the role that trees, woodlands and new plantings can have in combating climate change Mark Broadmeadow is your man. Mark is a research sceintist for the Forestry Commission and has published a number of important papers on this topic.

A list of some of his dowloadable publications can be found here.

I recommend the following:-

Climate Change and British Woodlands - fcin069 [1].pdf

Forests, carbon and climate change: the UK contribution - fcin048.pdf

Climate Change - implications for forestry in Britain

All these papers are downloadable foc from the above link. They are all scientific papers so put aside couple of hours to digest them - you wont regret it though. You will understand the carbon cycle, which tree species are at risk as a result of climate change and why cutting down trees and burning them is carbon neutral. Essential reading if you are into biofuel boilers for example!

More chickens - Jamie

Surely things are going to change? Jamie Oliver's programme on Channel Four 'Jamie's Fowl Dinners' spelt it out and backed the excellent Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall's programmex from earlier in the week.

OK price is an issue but ..... most of us can afford to take account of animal welfare. See JO's website for full details

6 degrees - read this book

Mark Lynas, in this book sets out to suggest what our future on the earth might be if the global temperature increases by between 1 and 6 degree C. There are individual chapters for 1 degree, 2 degrees etc. All the potential changes from around the world are based on published science. The book is well researched and has been well received by the scientific community. For example there is a favourable review on RealClimate.



The book is pretty frightening - indeed so it should be - a recent conference held in Exeter stated that if the world is to avoid 'catastrophic climate change', global temperature increases need to be kept below 2 degrees C which equates to ensuring that CO2 levels do not rise above between 450-550ppm. We are currently at 380ppm. The following table summaries Mark's book.

This book is a must must read. The aim of the 60% cut in CO2 emissions by 2050 in the UK Climate Change Bill is supposed to ensure that this country plays it part in ensuring that global temperatures do not rise by more than 2 degrees C. The problem is that since the climate change bill was published last year there is a growing consensus that an 80% cut in CO2 will be needed. If we cant achieve this then you will have read about the consequences in Mark's book first. Buy it here.

Chicken Out - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Channel 4's 3 part series on the way chicken is produced in this country was some of the best TV I have seen for years. Hugh F-W is a brave man and a great programme maker.

I will never eat a 'standard' chicken again.

Press the River Cottage logo to sign up to Hugh's campaign

Free range chickens also of course take a lot less energy to produce and therefore have a lower carbon footprint.

Climate change - the facts - the IPCC

If you want to know what the global scientific consensus is on climate change you need to read the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - the IPCC. During 2007 they published 4 major reports giving the science of climate change. It needs to be noted that over 2500 scientists working under the auspices of their national governments produced these reports - the IPCC reports are therefore not the findings of partisan organisations.

The first three reports by the IPCC covers the science of climate change, the impacts of climate change and the mitigation that is required. All reports operate on a global scale. The final report is a synthesis of the previous three reports which has been updated as a result of new research published following the earlier volumes.

All four reports are available free of charge on the IPCC web site and are available as summary or full reports.

Go to the IPCC website to download the fourth assessment reports (AR4). The full reports can be found via the following links

The AR4 Synthesis Report

Working Group I Report "The Physical Science Basis

Group II Report Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability

Working Group III Report "Mitigation of Climate Change

How to get accurate scientific information on climate change

It can sometimes be hard to know who to believe. Climate change science is very complicated ranging in disciplines from oceanography through astrophysics to atmospheric chemistry to polar research. And then of course there are the skeptics ......

Help is at hand though there is an excellent web site 'RealClimate - climate science from climate scientists' which really helps. There are hundreds of archived blogs which will help you navigate through either controversy or ambiguous media reports or just complicated science.

For example there was a highly mischievous Channel 4 documentary in 2007 - the Great climate Change Swindle which challenged much of the science behind climate change models - how comes vineyards flourished in Britain in Roman times; how comes the CO2 temperature graphs from polar ice cores show temperatures rising before CO2 levels?

Well RealClimate goes into these matters in some detail which will help you argue that climate change is real and is caused by man with any one down the pub!

How much electricity are you using?

The use of electricity at home is a significant source of CO2 emissions for the individual. Cutting energy use can therefore make a contribution to cutting greenhouse gases as well as saving you money. With electricity prices rising all the time - cutting use will help you keep expenditure on budget.

I use a little devise called an Electrisave which gives you a 24 hours constant readout of the energy I am actually using in the house at any given time. The readout can be modified to give either a reading in Kw being used, cost in pounds of the electricity being consumed or the kg of CO2 being produced.

This devise has been featured on Newsnight and I have found it a constant reminder (it sits on the breakfast table) of energy use and as a result it regularly prompts me to get up and turn of lights, stereo standbys etc. It also given you a graphic reminder how much energy a cooker, kettle or tumble drier consumes when in use. Again it helps me modify my behaviour to save energy.

The Electrisave is easy to install and costs around £50 and is available from Amazon or the Ethical Superstore

Give it a go - it will save you money and cut your energy use.