Europe and Kyoto
Europe is seen as a paragon of environmental virtue for signing Kyoto. But it has failed to reduce its emissions, and now is on a coal building spree. Given the failure of Kyoto, what's the alternative?
The Myth of Emissions Reductions in Europe
A report released in late 2007 by EU leaders predicts that the EU will "overshoot" its emissions reductions targets. But read between the lines -- their optimism is probably misplaced.
When Diplomats Boo
The Bali global warming talks ended in nothing, but that didn't stop European leaders from pointing to the bright side: the U.S. was booed. But having diplomats boo each other would seem to indicate a new nadir, not a new peak, in climate negotiations.
Growing Calls from UK for New Apollo Energy Project
In recent months, increasing numbers of Brits have called for a new Apollo project on energy have grown louder. Just before last December's U.N. climate change meeting in Bali, the London School of Economics Gwyn Prins and Oxford's Steve Rayner wrote, "Time to Ditch Kyoto" in Nature, which argued for the U.S. to make an $80 billion investment in clean energy. Now, Financial Times columnist Gideon Rachman has called for for the U.S. to implement a Manhattan project on energy.
Where's Your Better Plan?
Dieter Helm points out in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that most nations in the EU have seen their emissions rise, not fall, under Kyoto. But just when we were expecting him to propose a better alternative, his argument took a turn for the melodramatic.
Thumbs Down to "Green" Taxes in Britain
The vast majority of Britons say they would vote down proposals to increase taxes in order to fund projects to combat climate change, according to a recent poll.