An independent new report from the UK's Renewable Fuel Agency concludes that biofuel production must be scaled back. The report says that if this fails to happen, the result could be an increase in greenhouse gases and continuing, problematic rises in food prices.
The report concludes that a sustainable biofuel industry is possible, but it must be carefully regulated to avoid the problems already being seen as a result of large-scale feedstock production for biofuel use.
Despite intensive lobbying from the airline industry in Europe, the EU parliament voted 96% for the industry to be included in the Carbon trading program.
Amsterdam, city of bikes. The streets are full of them, Dutch "Granny bikes" with upright handlebars piloted by stylish hipsters and real grannies. Fifty percent of people in Amsterdam ride a bike at least once a day. More...
The Flintstones were arrested in Brussels, Belgium while driving towards the European Parliament building. It wasn’t Fred or Wilma to get the penalty, but six Greenpeace activists dressed as cavemen driving the “Flintstone car.” They were protesting the influence of the auto industry on proposals to curb carbon dioxide emissions from cars.
When someone thought of paying farmers not to produce something, people must have thought it was bad idea.
Today the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) Scientific Committee recommended suspending the EUs target for 10% biofuel usage by 2020, due to concerns that first-generation biofuels (those made from food crops) are environmentally unsound.
The Age of Sustainability and the 21st Century Agenda.
After years of banning imports of Genetically Modified Foods, the European Union is poised to finally remove their import van. Analysts cite cost factors.
The hearing examines the role of auction or allocation systems for global warming emissions credits in a cap-and-trade climate bill. Along with several prominent witnesses from the United States, Zapfel covers these new developments in the E.U.
We could be witnessing a seismic and very exciting shift in how UK and EU policies on biofuels are being perceived in official circles. Both the EU Environment Commissioner and Defra's own chief scientist today went on record to say that current plans to vastly increase the amount of fuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel might need to be reconsidered.
Voting has opened for the 2007 Worst EU lobbying Award. The aim is to honour those who excel in employing the most deceptive, misleading or otherwise dodgy lobbying tactics to influence decision-faking in Brussels. This year’s star performers include BMW, Daimler and Porsche for their full-scale lobbying offensive to water-down and delay the EU mandatory targets for CO2 emissions from cars, and ExxonMobil for claiming it is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and BAE Systems for their slickly presented ‘environmentally friendly’ weapons!
Back in February, the European Commission became involved in datacentre energy use. It decided it wanted to see if a voluntary code of conduct could be created and, as is the EU way, acronyms, Renewable Energies units, and what not sprang into action. What has been achieved and what is the status of the activity?
How's this for a creative and exciting example of direct action - it's a blockade but with a difference. Earlier this morning in Romania, Greenpeace volunteers quarantined a whole island where GM soya crops are being grown, which is illegal under EU law. Vehicles leaving Braila island were hosed down by people wearing white biohazard suits to prevent genetic contamination spreading to the mainland. Even a donkey and cart were washed and made GM-free!
LONDON (Reuters) - European power companies are making billions of euros in excess profits in the European Union's battle to beat global warming by cutting emissions of carbon gases, and consumers are paying for it, economists say.
