Search Results for: Climate change

BY MARK ROWE

WHEN the European Union’s (EU) energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, visited Turkmenistan last autumn it served notice that this central Asian ex-Soviet republic had come in from the cold. Once a pariah on the international stage, because of the activity of its crazed former president Sapamurat Niyazov (NOTE – SPELLING IS CORRECT), Turkmenistan has become something more than a bit player in the international energy sector.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has advised on which foodstuff packaging should carry nutritional or health claim information in future, to help the European Commission draft a list of approved claims, which are linked to certain nutrient profiles.…

BY ALAN OSBORN

NO doubt most of us would like to depend exclusively on energy that’s clean, cheap and – most important of all – endlessly renewable, but is that actually going to happen any time in the forseeable future? A growing consensus of energy experts within Europe is not only answering ‘no’, they are adding that although renewable energies could form a significant part of total energy use internationally within a decade, even stretching that to 20 or 30 years ahead doesn’t suggest they’ll top 50%.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Parliament has pushed for more concrete collaboration between African and European Union (EU) researchers, amidst concerns that grand declarations of altruistic intentions are failing to deliver cash or expertise.

A formal resolution passed by parliament members (MEPs) called for a "special emphasis [to] be placed on research into AIDS in African countries" within the EU’s ongoing seventh framework programme on research, which commands a huge Euro 53.2 billion budget, nearly three times the total GDP of Kenya.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE SLOVENIAN government has tabled compromise proposals to break the current political logjam at the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers over gas supply unbundling. As current EU president, Slovenia has suggested for instance that some joint ownership of energy producing and transmission utilities could occur if there were "additional safeguards" preventing conflicts of interest, and guaranteeing the "structural independence of decision making" by distribution operators.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

EUROPEAN Union (EU) heads of government have backed in principle legislation forcing EU member states to impose binding targets on reducing greenhouse gas pollution onto industries – such as packaging and food – that do not trade these emissions.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE ORGANISATION for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) 2008 Environmental Outlook report argues that transport could help cut key air pollutants by about 33% and limit greenhouse gas emissions growth to 12%. Recommended green policies include "more stringent regulations and standards" on pollution and CO2 emissions for transport, plus eco-taxes and polluter-pay systems.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

EUROPEAN Union (EU) heads of government have committed their ministers to securing agreement this year over the European Commission’s recent renewable energy and climate change package proposals. The aim, said a communiqué from their annual Spring summit was formal approval for the legislation by early 2009.…

BY ALAN OSBORN

The world can (in italics) move towards a low carbon, greener and more sustainable future by the restructuring of economies and the costs "are affordable" says the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), representing the world’s 30 leading industrialised countries, in its 2008 Environmental Outlook.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that there is no need to change European Union (EU) food safety guidelines after studying University of Southampton, England, claims that mixtures of certain food colours and the preservative sodium benzoate could promote hyperactivity in children.…