In his first major speech on the environment, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has suggested that Britain could aim to cut its greenhouse-gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. To accomplish said goal, Brown promised that all new dwellings in Britain will be zero-carbon by 2016, and that free insulation, low-energy light bulbs, and efficient appliances will be distributed widely to homes over the next few years. He wants to eliminate plastic bags and source 40 percent of British energy from renewables by 2020. He also said that the climate crisis will spur a "technological revolution" and announced a summit to explore how to maximize economic opportunities in a low-carbon future. Brown also encouraged nations meeting in Bali in December to agree on binding emissions caps for all developed countries. "I know this means facing up to hard choices and taking tough decisions," he said. "That means governing, not gimmickry." Uh oh, George -- he's on to you.
source: The Guardian, The Independent, Agence France-Presse
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danallen Posted 6:43 am
21 Nov 2007
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Pathos Posted 2:22 pm
21 Nov 2007
Guess you didn't actually read any of the articles; that's okay. I'll fill you in.
Britain is currently suffering a major garbage crisis--their own, and if I remember correctly, a bunch of other countries' that they stupidly took in. (Yeah, it would have been someone else if they hadn't.) Brown's goal, if you read the Guardian, is to eliminate "single-use" plastic bags--meaning, bags that don't become trash are still in. That actually does reduce GHG emissions by reducing manufacture and transport of bags, but it's really about reducing landfill waste.
Don't know if Brown's got a plan for encouraging people to actually reuse reusable bags... But hey, what's there is a start.
And bags aside, you can't deny, the rest of his points are pretty damn cool.
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prospect77 Posted 5:25 am
23 Nov 2007
What's needed is strong efforts to employ current technology backed by regulation, not bogus 'intensity based' garbage.
Gordon Brown has it right.
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wmurphy67 Posted 2:31 pm
28 Nov 2007
As CO2 emissions increase in the near term and biofeedback occurs creating an acceleration effect for climate change, we also are witnessing an exponential growth of knowledge and technological advance that is unprecedented in history (see Ray Kurzweil and other futurologists - http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?main=memelist.h ...). I get the feeling that we are engaged in a race to the finish line between the negative ramifications of our past industrial policies and practices and emerging solutions that may assist in developing a 100% efficient system (mimicking the natural order of nothing going to waste).
Now if we can avoid the law of unintended consequences whereby one solution (i.e. genetic engineering of microorganisms that can convert waste products to reusable inputs) doesn't create some other disastrous consequence!
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