Archive for the ‘Thoughts on climate change’ Category
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Sustainable Energy: Without the Hot Air Link
Here is a link to a very important book, (free and online - thats not why it is important) it is written by David Mackay - a very clever chap, a physicist from Cambridge University who also dabbles in Energy and Sustainability issues, with relation to the UK, he is also an advisor to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
I recommend it to anyone - in the book are his thoughts on Energy and Sustainability - Included are some practical steps to reducing the amount of energy you use personally… I confess to not having read the whole thing, yet, as I have a reading list the size of a bus.
My day job is in local government which taught me a little how UK policy works, I am interested in how the Climate Squad fits into the UK Decarbonisation agenda, particularly how we are contributing to CO2 reduction target of 34% overall in the UK by 2020.
The long term target of 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050.
At a recent talk about Copenhagen, I heard that, at COP15 the real negotiations did not start until Friday 3am, and then with only 30ish Countries fleshing out the deal, in fact Ed Miliband suggested that talks of these types need smaller groups, representatives in order to reach agreement.
There are many issues with the negotiations that have taken place, my mind is not made up, and I feel it will take some time to realise what the effects (if any) of the Accord are, is it enough of a start to be worthwhile or a complete failure, at a very recent DECC event (to welcome home Ed Miliband and the UK delegation) there were very mixed feelings, some criticised the UK others praised it, and the same has been said of the hosts, whatever the case, I am sure this is just the beginnning, after all we have upcoming events in Bonn (early 2010) and MEX16 to look forward to in 2010.
Alaric
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Possibility beyond Limitations?
There is a general consensus that the Copenhagen Climate Change talks did not fully achieve what they set out to achieve, some argue that the agreements that were made were a vital first step, that progress towards anything will be slow but the point is that progress is being made. Others take a harder line, that the talks resulted in an empty document and that this is not enough to constitute any kind of progress. However the main question facing us now is not whether or not COP15 was a success, but what practical steps can be taken in order to keep momentum going.
The conference held with Ed Milliband and The Prime minister was brought together in order to try and answer this question. The Prime minister began by thanking the NGOs and the climate change groups for their continued support; he briefly summarised the conclusions of the talks, that the 2C agreement had been reached which was a positive step, however he made it clear he was disappointed with the lack of a legally binding agreement in this area. He talked positively of how emerging market countries had accepted the emissions plans and England’s encouraging role in pushing towards some kind of agreement as talks began to dwindle into nothingness towards the end; He asserted that without Copenhagen the majority of the countries that have agreed to some kind of emissions cut would not have done so otherwise. He did not attempt to idealise COP15, he reasserted that the agreements made were not perfect and were flawed by ‘a handful of countries’ which stood in the way of ‘global progress.’ He also made it clear that ‘threats and fear’ cannot be allowed to dominate proceedings. Another problem he drew attention to was the flawed decision making process, that a vehicle could not be found to get people moving in the same direction together. It seemed that he was suggesting everyone had things to lose and gain in the face of climate change and due to these differing agendas, nothing could be truly agreed on as there seemed to be no genuine common ground. The countries were acting independently rather than trying to find a global solution. What he believes needs to happen now is an audit for transparency in order for countries show clearly what they are doing in terms of trying to reach the goals set in Copenhagen. Although transparency is a good thing when it comes to any kind of political agreement, it is unclear how such a thing can be achieved.
He finished his speech by stating that ‘enough good will exists in the world to allow change to happen’ and that the agreements that have been made have been made possible by the climate change organisations that have kept ‘the flame burning for a climate change agreement.’
Milliband followed the Prime ministers speech, he quickly ran through what he believes we have to do now in order to keep the ball rolling: Firstly he stated that the domestic campaign is the essential building block of our role in negotiations; not only ecologically but economically our country depends on it. Secondly he wishes to drive towards reaching a legally binding agreement, however did not provide information as to how this was going to be achieved. Thirdly he believes that greater ecological ambition needs to be expressed by richer countries as the difference between a small change and a large change from these countries will make all of the difference. Fourthly he expressed disappointment in the negotiation process in Copenhagen; although he gave credit to the UN and stated that without it the talks could not happen at all, the procedural arguments were not a good way to run negotiations as they delayed them further. Finally he reassured the conference that any kind of fundamental change can only happen with time, there must be some kind of struggle and long determination to achieve goals as large as the ones attempting to be achieved in Copenhagen.
The two main problems from the Copenhagen talks seemed to be to do with the actual negotiation process put in place by the UN which in turn lead to a reluctance to sign a legally binding agreement. I think if the talks eventually happen in Germany there should be less priority put on the procedure and more of a concrete agenda set in place; once this agenda has been set prior to the actual talks, the countries who need to negotiate should be allowed to take the time to talk to each other about this agenda which all should be able to agree with. The Prime Minister emphasised the fact that a vehicle could not be found that could take the talks forward, this vehicle therefore must be found prior to when the talks actually happen in order to allow progress and give all of those present a common goal.
Personally I don’t think Copenhagen has really changed anything, our attitudes must remain the same and the same action must be taken to keep momentum going. The talks didn’t fully achieve what everyone wanted and because no legally binding agreement was signed there is a chance than nothing will happen, therefore speaking of ‘what needs to happen next’ is a meaningless statement. Continuity and consistency are the only things that can be certain to help facilitate change, not only in the home but in every aspect of life, what needs to happen is a reappraisal of values in the face of changing needs for a changing time. No longer can people look at themselves from the same perspective, there needs to be a compete overhaul of how people think, which will lead in turn to changing what people do. This is really what needs to happen, as long as people remain in the right frame of mind then a question such as ‘what to do next?’ won’t need to exist.
However a hopeful disposition is necessary, therefore the conclusion of the talks must be seen as a positive step, the only thing that can be done now is to persist in the things that were being done before to an extent that surpasses previous efforts in order to ensure that there are more talks which will ensure more progress.
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Logicity
Us Climate Squad team members love a good game or quiz (as you may have noticed!) and this is undoubtedly the best one that has come our way.
The National Energy Foundation have come up with an amazing virtual metropolis, Logicity, where you begin in the year 2066. After having a chance to look around the city and see the effects of climate change you are transported back to the current day where you can make simple changes to the way the citizens of Logicity live their lives, scoring points for your energy efficiency. You can then return to Logicity in 2066 and see the results of the undemanding changes you made in the current day - a great demonstration of how easy it is to halt the negative effects of climate change.
But don’t take my word for it, see for yourself! Check out www.logicity.co.uk/ and see if you can beat the high scores.
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Hopenhagen and Seal the Deal
Hopefully you’ve already seen our blogs on COP15, the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December, and linked to that is the amazing new website, Hopenhagen.
Hopenhagen gives you the chance to tell the world what it is that gives you hope. Have a look and add your message at http://www.hopenhagen.org/#
We’ve also got some more info for you on the ‘Seal the Deal’ at Copenhagen campaign, where you are able to sign the global petition urging world leaders to;
- Seal the Deal on an effective, equitable and definitive climate agreement at COP15
- Avert the climate change threat by setting binding targets to cut greenhouse gases by 2020
- Create a framework that will protect lives and livelihoods in vulnerable countries by bolstering their climate resilience
- Support the adaptation efforts of developing countries
- Seize this defining opportunity to protect People and the Planet
- Power green growth by launching the green, low carbon economy of tomorrow.
So sign the petition and show world leaders that you’re behind their efforts to improve the lives of millions of people all around the world.
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“People Powered” Checkouts
Sainsbury’s have opened a new, green store in Gloucester, and one of the most revolutionary ideas they’ve come up with is what they call ‘people powered’ energy.
They’ve placed ‘kinetic road plates’ in their car park, which produce and capture energy every time someone drives over them. These are expected to produce 30kW of green energy per hour - more than enough to power the store’s checkouts. Driving over the plates won’t affect the car or fuel efficiency, and drivers won’t even feel a disturbance.
So how does it work? Well….
- As vehicles drive over the plates in the surface of the road in the car park, the plates are pushed down by the weight of the vehicle
- This then creates rocking motions under the road surface that turn generators
- These generators create energy, which is captured and redirected back to the store to be used as power.
Very clever! For more information on how Sainsbury’s new store is ‘greener’ than others, please click here.
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PowerShift 2009
It’s great to see that it’s not only here in the U.K. that young people are getting involved in working together to tackle climate change. Thousands of young Australians will gather in Sydney this July for Australia’s first national youth climate summit, Powershift 2009.
They’ve even got Ian Thorpe, five times Olympic gold medallist swimmer involved! Click on the link below to find out more and to see a video message from Ian Thorpe himself.
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COP15’s Climate Quiz!
Challenge your friends with COP15’s Climate Quiz! Ahead of this December’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen COP15 have produced this Climate Change quiz, which as well as being fun (and of course informative!) allows you to directly compare your results to those of your friends, so will allow you to really show your competitive side!
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Coolproducts
ECOS, a consortium of environmental NGOs has launched a website Coolproducts which offers advice on how environmentally friendly the electrical products in your home are. It looks at the traditional A-G scale that’s applied to products on the market and examines the problems with the scale, as well as telling you about good and bad products and keeping you up to date with how the European Union is trying to improve energy efficiency within our homes.
So, for example, while we know that there are widely available energy effecient alternatives to the traditional incandescent light bulb, how aware are we of the other options?
Check the website for details of the campaign.
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Guerilla teaching
My first experience of teaching was a random one.I’d been to my old secondary school to pitch an idea for a ‘Climate Centre’, where students could see and monitor low-carbon technologies, and use the information in their lessons. Sadly, I was swiftly batted out of the building once they caught a whiff of my proposed budget.
As I made my way out of the school – tail between my legs – I bumped into an old teacher of mine. He was stuck for ideas for a geography lesson he was covering, and asked if I fancied giving a quick talk to students about climate change. Never one to turn down a challenge, I thought to myself: I reckon I could wing it.
So, there and then, I took centre stage in front of a class of a class of fresh-faced year 7s. A few blank moments passed before I panicked and did what every decent geography teacher does: reach for the sugar paper. I split the class into groups and asked them to put their heads together, gather some felt tip pens and make their school climate change proof.
I was absolutely blown away by the sheer depth of knowledge and imagination that burst out of this unassuming group of 11 year olds! We followed up with a lively discussion about their ideas and they seemed to leave happy: I had successfully blagged it!
I returned the following week, armed with a killer PowerPoint and some good stories. I did the presentation – like an Al Gore wannabe – in three assemblies to 200 students at a time, and I’m pleased to say that it went down a storm! I think it was a combination of being young (for a start), being able to use a PowerPoint properly i.e. not as a weapon of mass boredom, and, most importantly, telling some interesting stories about Climate Change that related to them. It clearly wasn’t a magic recipe, it just required about an hour’s planning beforehand and a bit of enthusiasm.
The buzz I got out of doing it was incredible - I’d definitely recommend it. If you fancy a go, sign up for our leadership training - coming soon. You’ll be fully equipped to run your own project with a local school.
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Get off your ass: Get a company.
I won’t lie, I think my new job’s pretty cool. Six months ago, I set up an environmental film company with my best mate, and things are going well. We’ve just been filming a climate change documentary on the Isles of Scilly. Are we lucky? No. It took a lot of careful thinking a quite a bit of hard work. But that’s not to say that it’s impossible.
Without a shadow of doubt, I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t given volunteering a go. Traditionally the word has been synonymous with ‘boring’, but this is a bit of a 20th Century interpretation. For me, V’ing has to tick three boxes: it has to be fun, it has to be a challenge and it has to be for a good cause.
I first lost my V plates when I decided to set up a social event at my University called Pimp My Barrow, a wheelbarrow race round Norwich which involved lots of students, several pubs, and over £1000 for charity.
My second experience was a tad more challenging, cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats with 4 mates. We towed a solar panel to charge our phones, handed out energy-saving light bulbs, and only ate locally-sourced food. On route, we filmed a documentary called the Carbon Cycle, and gave over 20 media interviews. But the best bit was discussing climate change with people from all walks of life - not just scientists and hippies.
Then I was given the monster task of producing 10 films to get primary school children thinking about environmental issues, as part of Global Action Plan’s Appetite for Action campaign. Creating Professor Planet with Ben (who’s now my business partner) was AMAZING. We had to script, storyboard, plan, act, shoot and edit the films – we even got the opportunity to work with Sky on a number of occasions.
After that, Ben and I realised there was a big opportunity to set up our company, Nice and Serious Ltd. A cliché it may be, but I now wake up every morning and look forward to work. Seriously, if I hadn’t of gotten off my ass and given volunteering a go, I genuinely don’t believe I would have had the confidence or the experience to my running my own business.
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