Friends of the Earth: DECC assumes a tailing off in growth in renewables post 2020

In a damning and succinct demolition of the UK Government's case for state-aid for Hinkley C nuclear power station UK Friends of the Earth (FOE) has pointed out how in its central projections  'DECC assumes a tailing off in growth in renewables post 2020'. Such projections are out of step with reality around the world as installation of wind power and solar power accelerates and nuclear electricity production actually falls. However, the British Government appears to want to favour nuclear...

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Lessons that Greens should Learn from Keystone (Part 2 of Series)

Global Warming

(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Today we build on Part 1 of this series: How conflict over environmental issues (e.g., Global Warming) is being used to divert the Public's attention from energy policy...

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How Hinkley C deal will cut consumption of solar pv not fossil fuels

The Hinkley C nuclear power plant deal that gives the nuclear developers a �92.50 per MWh premium price for 35 years will give nuclear power a clear competitive advantage over solar pv in what will be a growing electricity for motor vehicles market.  The combination of declining costs of solar pv and the growth of effectiveness and use of electric vehicles (EVs) will mean that within 15-20 years (maybe even sooner) solar pv, operating by then without any guaranteed premium prices at all, will...

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Why are we supporting a Ukraine Government with far-right ministers?

Why are we giving what amounts to unqualified support to Ukraine when its Government contains six members of a far-right party? seehttp://www.channel4.com/news/svoboda-ministers-ukraine-new-government-far-rightThe 'Svoboda' (Freedom) Party is a barely reconstructed neo-Nazi party whose leadership has a strong anti-Semitic past. I, along with most people in the West, oppose the Russian invasion of Crimea, but does that justify giving 100 per cent backing to a partly far-right Government? In the matter...

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UK taxpayer now even more likely to bail out Hinkley C

As construction delays for the French and Finnish EPR nuclear power schemes lengthen, the odds that the British taxpayer will end up bailing out the EPR planned for Hinkley C in Somerset are rising higher and higher. Put simply, if the British scheme experiences similar delays, then the British taxpayer is bound to pick up the tab, over and above the already high price that we will be paying for the plant's construction. Reports from Reuters indicate that the EPR being built in Finland will now...

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Could Ukraine conflict trigger Euro gas supply crisis? - or worse?

The tragic events unfolding in Ukraine could trigger a crisis in gas supplies to central and South eastern Europe, and in the worst case scenario also to Germany and Scandinavia. The UK is unlikely to be directly affected by supply cut off per se since the UK does not contract to receive gas from Russia. However, British consumers are now highly likely to experience increases in gas prices, first as gas markets react to increasing geopolitical uncertainty, and later on if gas supply is actually...

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